018 begins and with it comes resolutions— fresh terms and fresh thinking. If I were in charge of media terminology, here’s what I’d suggest we change in the new year:

- Old Term: Digital First New term: Audience First

Most stations have outgrown the fear of putting news on digital before broadcast. Most stations get it—that digital is a big deal. So, in 2018 let’s get smart and balance resources to deliver news on multiple platforms based on audience needs, habits, and lifestyles. AUDIENCE FIRST.

- Old term: Sweeps New Term: Planning

There are still lingering strategies to support “sweeps” months. There still might be some bragging rights associated with Nov/Feb/May—but ask any director of sales in 2018 and they’ll tell you they need year-round ratings to make money. So, it’s all about PLANNING for opportunities every month of the year.

- Old term: Professional New Term: Relatable

Being professional remains an objective for our on-air talent, but it’s simply not enough. Viewers are looking for more. More empathy, more authenticity, a greater understanding how stories affect their emotions. If it’s fake and scripted, it won’t work. But increasingly the audience wants real people, RELATABLE people on their screens.

1.  Shattered Ovens - A consumer alert for all the folks with Kenmore ovens. Growing complaints over many years but still no recalls for this popular oven and the exploding glass doors.  
2. PRP Facials - Rather than putting poisonous botox in your face look younger using your own blood.  Find out from dermatologists how this growing trend is doing vs. botox.   
3. Bullying Laws - Is your school on the up and up when it comes to reporting what is really going on with bullying? It can make a difference in efforts to keep your kids safe.  
4. Dentist rip-offs - Do you really need those X-rays, special toothpaste or bite plates? Health costs are high enough without having unnecessary procedures to pay for. Empower your audience to be smarter before they open their mouths. 
5. The Daily Special - What’s really in that soup? What’s really going on in that kitchen? Surface user generated feedback to get to the bottom of what to avoid before ordering the Daily Special.    

Infographics are one of the more under-utilized forms of digital content for Local TV stations.

Here are four reasons why you should consider utilizing Infographics as part of your daily digital content offering:

1. Easy to Understand: Research shows our digital audience is often “on the go” or in need of quick digestible content. When you visualize data news consumers can more easily understand/engage with the content.
2. Repurposing Content: Infographics can be made quickly from information or data journalists have already gathered. Timelines help news consumers remember the history/impact of the story.
3. Break up the Sameness: Pictures and video are great for you digital content but Infographics can be eye-catching because it breaks up the sameness of the layout.
4. Shareable: When the audience connects with the content, Infographics can be very shareable. Comparisons and Lists can be favorites with news consumers. With Facebook’s recent changes, local news publishers need to find as many ways as possible to create “shareable content”.

Unless you've been in social media solitary confinement recently, you've no doubt seen, heard, and read about the much-publicized and cringe-worthy "divorce" between Facebook and media brands. In case you somehow missed it, get caught-up here...

And while Mark Zuckerberg's announcement will certainly change the game when it comes to elevating your brand, all hope is not lost. In fact, our team has worked over the last few days to compile a new set of tactics and strategy to help you stay relevant on Facebook, while also being even more surgical on your own platforms.

If you're a full-time consulting partner with SmithGeiger, please reach out to your strategist for access to this document - and never hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.

The New Year brings a half-dozen new Hot Clips from around the country, including a trio of weather examples...

School Closings Hot Spots  (WTOL, Toledo): pinpointing specific weather issues around certain schools, with a nice digital reference

No-Hype Weather (WJLA, Washington DC): emphasizing weather accuracy and tone vs. sensation

Chapstick Needed (KGTV, San Diego): using consumer-focused language to help you plan your day

AM Facebook Promo (WUSA, Washington DC): a casual, off-set social media spot showcasing a new morning show

Concise Tease (World News Tonight): who says a tease needs video, or length?

Have you noticed a tiny "Breaking News" icon on any of the Facebook posts in your feed yet?


The roll-out is underway, with some interesting initial rules and guidelines about how many and how often media companies can deploy this tag. We wanted to highlight this article if you haven't seen it yet, and definitely get in touch with your Facebook representitive to get-in on the beta action.

This might become part of your breaking news tree that now includes:

Our last set of Hot Clips for 2017 tackles the winter, with everything from snowy newscast starts to catchy all-platform promos...

Holiday OTT Promo (WXYZ, Detroit): as new devices get unwrapped for the holidays, here's a seasonal spot reminding users what to download

Don't Leave, Dad (Google): using emotion, and a snow storm, to elevate a key feature on this device

Thunder Truck (KXAS, Dallas): last month we featured the Weather Beast, but this spot takes the weather vehicle game to another level

Snow Drone (WBRC, Birmingham): deploying a drone in a newscast open to showcase a rare snow event in this market

Our November set of Hot Clips goes into 6-second-mode, finds a wild name for a weather vehicle, and brings out the best in some new sets...

BAM Storytelling (WINK, Fort Myers): a highly-coordinated, well-paced approach to storytelling using in-studio monitors and an active live shot

AM News Set Spot (WJAX, Jacksonville): non-stop steadycam action shows off this new set and energetically promotes the AM show

6-Second Spot (FOX): effective use of the much-talked-about 6-second ad placed in-content during the World Series

Weather Beast (KWGN, Denver): an insurgent name for a storm tracker vehicle, complete with a very visual 6am start

Sportscasts inside local TV newscast face an uncertain future. As is the case with Weather & News, Sports consumption in the digital space has a direct impact on why/if viewers want information in a TV newscast. It has to pass the same Immediacy/Impact test as the rest of the content.

Unique to sports versus weather or news is the audience composition. Pretty much everybody watching a local TV newscast is inclined to be interested in News & Weather content but with traditional sports….the audience composition is much different.

Every viewer in all local television markets can generally be put into one of the following three groups as it relates to their interest in sports:

1. Sports Fanatics
- Crazy about sports
- Consume a lot of sports scores/news online
- Active on Social Media

1. Do you really need that filling? Are Veneers really the answer? Empower your viewers with what to know and what to ask before they just accept what the dentist tells them.

2. It’s raining needles! Another facet to the opioid epidemic can take you to the landfills and dumps and the environmentalists. This will showcase the needles and the damage done. 

3. Is Marijuana legalization the pot of gold or the pot of mold? A look at what happens to home prices and the hidden mold from growin’ your own. If your state is thinking of legalizing here’s a different take on the pro/con debate.

4. As you tackle the pluses and minuses of ACA, here’s a look at how nonprofit hospitals are raking in the profits but not putting it back into the community. Examine how the communities around your hospitals are faring and are they worse off since ACA?