Just for the heck of it, I decided to analyze my favorite late night news prodcast. What I did not realize until I did this was how many shameless plugs and self-promotion they have during their broadcast. I also noticed many pitched stories and I wonder if the Sunday night news is a slow news broadcast. I have highlighted what I consider to be self-promotion and pitched stories by placing that material in italics.
Ten o'clock News Channel 9. Sunday, April 11, 2010
1. Top Story: Mass ended today at a Centennial, Colo. Catholic Church with an announcement that Father Mel Thompson has been removed from his duties at the church pending an investigation over allegations that he abused an adolescent in the 1970's. The story lasted approximately three minutes. Parishioners were interviewed as well as an expert from DU.
2. The next story was a 15-second spot on a cyclist being killed at 29th and Perry in Denver. Very few details were known, just that the person was struck by a car.
3. The next story was a 15-second spot on a motorcycle crash on I-25 in Denver. The motorcyclist was killed when it struck a vehicle.
4. The next story was a 15-second spot on the Metro student who died of bacterial meningitis. CU is now concerned because the student who died had attended a party on the CU campus shortly before his death.
5. The next story was a 30-second spot on a plane crash in Russia that killed the president of Poland and the first lady. His body was returned to Poland today. The plane tried unsuccessfully to land in dense fog. Ninety-six people on board were killed.
6. The next story was a 30-second spot on President Obama's nuclear summit. They showed clips from an interview in which he indicated that stopping terrorists from obtaining a nuclear weapon is key to U.S. security.
7. The next story was a 15-second spot on a U.S. Senator sponsoring a bill that would prohibit airline companies from charging fees on carry-on bags. Spirit airlines plans to begin charging 45 dollars per carry-on bag. This senator is outraged.
8. 9News spent the next three minutes shamelessly plugging its 9News Health Fair. They did a lengthy segment interviewing a former Comcast public relations executive who did many easy things to change her diet and health. They interviewed two doctors who were very happy to be a part of the 9News Health Fair. They showed video of the woman, Ruth, exercising and putting healthy food on her families dinner table, her beautiful family anxious to enjoy the healthy eats. More information was offered on the 9News Web site.
9. After the commercial, the next story was a 15-second pitched story about a soldier homecoming at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
10. The next story was a 30-second pitched story about 'roller punks". It is a high speed, semi-violent junior roller derby program for area youth. I did not catch where this is located. They interviewed a few children and the program director. They offered more information at 9News.com
11. After the weather, 9News used self promotion again to let the viewers know that on April 13th, Comcast is switching 9News affiliate, My20 to channel 5.
12. After another commercial and the sports report, 9News concluded their broadcast with another pitched story about the Wonderful Pistachios 2010 Word Sport Stacking Competitions being held at Denver University this weekend.
