The NBC affiliate, WXIA, Channel 11, Channel 6 in Roswell, etc., finally took me seriously when I wrote to them last sprimgtime and told them to promote Chris Holcomb to Chief Meteorologist (and pay him accordingly). I also gave them a few other tips to make them the No. 1 News station in Atlanta.

1. Get rid of Demarco Whatshismarshallsface. Let him go wherever he wants.
2. Make Brenda Wood a ‘field reporter’. Give her a photographer and a microphone.
3. ANNONOUCE THAT JEFF HULLINGER IS HENCEFORTH NEWS EDITOR AT WXIA, NO. 1 NEWSCASTER, AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE NEWSCAST (PAY HIM ACCORDINGLY).
4. With the exception of Hullinger and Brenda Wood, keep the staff and ‘field reporters’, and weekend and overnight staff, exactly as they are, and on sked. (Hullinger, Crenshaw, and Wood are M-F.)
5. APPOINT SAM CRENSHAW AS SPORTS DIRECTOR (PAY HIM ACCORDIMGLY) and use Fred Kahlil sparingly as a ‘field sports reporter’.
6. Keep Chris Holcomb as your Chief Meteorologist.
7. Avoid mentioning more than one competing auto make, model and a competing car dealership on ALL local newscasts. Do a commercial of only one each!

Do these things — I know what I’m talking about. Don’t do them, and stay exactly as you are. Alter the commercial options precisely as follows: at approximately :07:00, say “More news in two minutes”; at approximately :00:13:00, Hullinger will say “Chris Holcomb and the WEATHER is next, but first, this. . , ,” (During the WEATHER, place “Chief Meteorologist” in the window where Chris Holcomb’s name appears; let it remain up for about four, five seconds or so.) At the end of the WEATHER, Holcomb says, “Sports with Sam Crenshaw is next, but fitst, this. . . .” Then, two minutes of commercials.

About halfway thru the Sports, Crenshaw will say, “More Sports in moment, but first, this. . . .” Two minutes of commercials, more Crenshaw for a TOTAL of five or six minutes for Sports. Then right back to Hullinger for a “kicker” or wrap up: “This is Jeff Hullinger with all the NEWS. Thanks for this time, till next time — good night!”

No more than two minutes of commercials, then right into NBC News or the Jimmy Fallon Show. (If the current batch don’t like this new format, tough. They’ll just have to get used to it — or make their move sooner!)

Do this exactly and you’ll have the ratings (permanently) and the revenue loss (temporarily). If a one minute commercial is used, follow it with two :30’s, or vice versa. (If a Viagra minute is used, don’t use a Cialis until 24 hours has gone by, or vice versa).




Copyright ©2014 Robert A. Mills, all rights reserved, may not be published, re-written or broadcast without author’s permission