How A ‘David’ Station Can Topple ‘Goliaths’

Whenever there’s a change in the local TV news ratings in a large, mature market like St. Louis (DMA 21), that’s news. Especially when there was a station that was dominant for a long time.

“KSDK was No. 1 across the board,” says Sean McLaughlin, when he became the news director at the Belo CBS-affiliate, KMOV, six-and-a-half years ago.

According to Nielsen data, KMOV’s 10 p.m. news is now the late news leader for the seventh straight month.

But it wasn’t easy.

“KMOV did well at 10 p.m. in 2007 and 2008 because of the CBS programming lead-in,” McLaughlin says. Then in January of 2009, Local People Meters (LPM) came to St. Louis.

“It was terrible, we slipped further into third place and had to start over,” McLaughlin says.

Adding to the challenge, McLaughlin was both the news director and creative services director for three years from 2009 to 2012, which is never easy.

“KMOV went to more of an advocacy type of position in 2009,” McLaughlin says. Since then, KMOV’s 10 p.m. news has been more constantly winning the time period in and out of sweeps.

KMOV: Fraudster, Monday at 10

“We have a gritty investigative team,” says John Sweeney, KMOV’s creative services director, “and our investigative stories are always in the 10 p.m. news.”

KMOV: Monday at 10

Since Sweeney came on board in this January, the station’s marketing has broadened its appeal.

KMOV: Steve Sevard

“This past August we launched a campaign using our on-air talent to launch ‘Watching Out for You’,” Sweeney says.

KMOV: Sharon Reed

“From what I have gathered, this is the first time this has been attempted at KMOV in some five years or longer.”

In addition, Sweeney says he uses KMOV’s on-air talent in all of its topical promotion which had been more voice-over, B-roll driven.

KMOV: Jasmine Huda

“It’s a more focused department,” said McLaughlin of marketing since Sweeney’s taken over, “able to position and showcase our talent, something I would have never thought of,” he adds, referring to the time he was heading both news and marketing.

KMOV: Claire Kellett

“I want viewers to have a relationship with our talent so as not to rely on the news of the day” to attract viewers, Sweeney says.

KMOV: Andre Hepkins

When I mention to McLaughlin how hard the advocacy position can be for stations, given that investigative stories make up a very small proportion of the day’s news content, McLaughlin points out that “the advocacy angle is an approach we take to all stories, it’s become a newsroom-wide sensibility.”

Another key part to KMOV’s success, according to McLaughlin, is “our anchors are out on the streets like general assignments reporters giving us more content. We don’t have room for celebrity anchors who just hang out.”

Sweeney’s move to make KMOV’s talent more prominent in its marketing has also paid off well for KMOV in other time periods.

In October, KMOV’s 5 p.m. increased it audience 44% in adults 25-54 from the previous year, the first time the KMOV’s 5 o’clock news has won in at least 20 years. KMOV’s morning news also saw a jump of 20% in the key demo of adults 25-54.

KMOV: Weather and Traffic on the 4s

Both Sweeney and McLaughlin credit KMOV’s new GM, Mark Pimentel, for making the growth in news ratings a priority beyond just the 10 p.m. news. According to Sweeney, Pimentel wanted KMOV to step up its involvement in the community, too. Sweeney cites the station’s “4 degree guarantee” as one factor that showcases the station’s increased community commitment.

“When our forecasts get the projected temperatures within 4 degrees,” Sweeney says, “we give $50 to local nonprofits.” KMOV on average gives about $1,000 a month to local nonprofits.

“Not only does it demonstrate our weather accuracy,” Sweeney says, “but it also gives the nonprofits some much needed exposure.” Not to mention the daily message it sends to viewers about the station’s community involvement.

So for marketing folks looking to learn how to increase your station’s news ratings, even if you’re up against a legacy station, let’s review what KOMV did to see if there’s a lesson for all of us.

• Stand for something in the minds of viewers. And if it’s investigative, put those stories in a highly-viewed newscast all the time so viewers can expect them there.
• Use your talent to recruit viewers. Don’t assume that viewers know who your talent is. Viewers can’t like your talent if they don’t know who they are.
• Have your anchor team report.

• Showcase your station’s community commitment in a way that gets maximum exposure every day.

• Use the ratings growth of one newscast to help increase growth in other time periods.

Market Share by Paul Greeley is all about marketing and promotion at TV stations and appears every Monday. Greeley has more than 20 years of experience in local TV marketing. He’s been a writer, producer, editor, creative services director and VP of marketing for a top-20 broadcast company and has experience in markets large and small. Read other Market Share columns here. If you have some ideas or stories you want to share, please let him know. You can reach Greeley at [email protected] or at 817-578-6324.