JUNE 2, 2022

The 69th WHAS Crusade for Children is scheduled for this weekend, June 4-5, 2022. Communities throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana have been a key part of the WHAS Crusade for Children since 1954. Crusade supporters come together each year to help make life better for children with special needs in Kentucky and Indiana. Many fire departments are bringing back in-person events and donation collections this year.

In the first 68 years, the Crusade has raised $200 million for children with special needs. Thanks to generous contributions of goods and services, the Crusade is able to grant 100 percent of all donations to agencies, hospitals and schools that serve children with special needs in all 120 Kentucky counties and more than 50 southern Indiana counties.

Fire departments raise nearly 60 percent of the money each year by staging roadblocks and hosting other events. Millions of children have been helped by the Crusade since it began.

Congratulations to KBA member, Withers Broadcasting, on the recent grand opening of their new facility in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. The new state-of-the-art facility houses 6 radio stations. Pictured above is Dana Withers, President of Withers Broadcasting, cutting the ribbon during the grand opening.

Kentucky stations have a rare and cost-efficient opportunity this weekend, June 4th and 5th, to offer training and motivation for our talented and dedicated photojournalists. For the first time in several years, the National Press Photographers Association has assembled the best storytellers in the country for one of their legendary workshops - and it's in Nashville!

The $95 cost of registration includes panels, workshops, one-on-one critiques with personalized coaching, and the awards dinner. The training is open to every type of video storyteller, regardless of equipment or experience, and to any company or station.

Attendees at these workshops get practical advice to elevate their storytelling and make their work shine. I hope you will share with your news gathering and storytelling teams, and will consider sending some of your best to Nashville this weekend.

The WHOP Family of Stations (Lite Rock 98.7 FM and NewsRadio 95.3 FM/1230AM) in Hopkinsville, Kentucky is accepting applications for a Full-Time Sports Director. The WHOP coverage area includes 7 local high schools, and WHOP provides play-by-play action for 4 of the 7 schools. 

WPSD LOCAL6, the NBC affiliate in the 84th market seeks a talented Weekend Meteorologist. You’ll join a team that received national recognition for their life saving work during the incredibly destructive and deadly December tornadoes.

Pictured above (left to right): Chris Winkle, KBA President/CEO, Miranda Combs, WTVQ News Director, Impact Award Winner Kaitlyn Shive, WTVQ, Chris Aldridge, WTVQ General Manager.

You may now order a duplicate copy of Impact Broadcast Award certificates and trophies. Trophies are available for $95 each (shipping included), which is KBA's cost. Certificates can be requested at no additional cost.

Last week during our RAB Leadership MasterClass I was reminded of a technique we used to use in our market with great success to achieve sales advances.  An advance is something that is agreed upon during a meeting (usually a proposal meeting) to keep the process moving if it doesn’t close.

This manager was explaining that he instructs his sellers to prepare a piece of example copy for the presentation but intentionally makes a mistake in the copy.  Wrong phone number, something minor that can easily be corrected.  

Side note - We have written much before about selling with “demo/spec” spots or at least using copy and how valuable that is in providing tangibility to the strategy we are proposing to the client.  Using demos of commercials either fully produced or written and shared can improve your closing ratio by as much as 70%. We fully support and encourage using demo/specs in your presentations.

Why then would this manager suggest making a mistake in the copy?  It’s actually psychologically based.  When a prospect starts to make edits to a piece of copy, psychologists tell us they are taking ownership.  When they take ownership, buying it is the next logical step.  Whether you intentionally make a mistake or simply share the copy with them, ask the client for feedback with this question:  Is there anything you would change about this?  If they give you a quick “no” then you likely are off the mark a bit and you don’t have them quite yet.  If they start suggesting changes, they are taking ownership and you are on a path to moving forward with the sale.

If they aren’t prepared to buy during that meeting, one of my favorite advances is to schedule them in the production studio to record the commercial.  Again, if they aren’t willing to do that, you are not likely going to make a sale and something is wrong with the strategy.  If they are willing to schedule and invest the time in the production studio, then a successful conclusion is near.  That’s why we call it an “advance.”  It’s not a sale, but it’s an advance in the process. 

Having them say, “we’ll get back to you next week,” or “call me tomorrow” is a stall, not an advance.  Always try to leave your presentations with at least some commitment from the client.  It may not be a sale, but it can be an advance.

JUNE 23, 2022

Excellence In Broadcasting Awards - Entry Window Opens

JULY 20, 2022

KBA Board of Directors Meeting - Louisville, KY

SEPTEMBER 25-27, 2022

KBA Annual Membership Conference - Owensboro, KY

OCTOBER 28, 2022

Midwest Broadcast & Multimedia Technology Conference - Columbus, OH

*All times shown are Eastern