Pitching to a TV News Producer
May 26th, 2011
No, not this kind either, but you gotta love Catfish Hunter! *
This week's Bonus "Ask Lizzy" with Emmy-winning TV News Producer Toni Molle of KTLA News in Los Angeles was one of our best ever. Toni gave us all (and I mean ALL) the inside scoop on how to pitch to your local news station – and, as an extra bonus for those callers in Los Angeles, contact information for KTLA News in particular.
We covered a wide range of topics, including Who's Who in the Newsroom, preferred methods of contact, what makes an interesting news or feature story pitch, what is "news", how to find out who to contact at your local station, how a news show works and SO much more.
We got great questions from the callers; Toni had such great answers for everyone. Listen to our great conversation HERE.
Toni knows that it is my mission as a publicist and PR coach to "Make the world safe for journalists" by teaching my coachees and clients how to initiate, protect and preserve their valuable media relationships. She and her colleagues at KTLA enthusiastically collaborated on a great list of tips, information and rules to make sure that you pitch properly and get the best possible response.
So, without further ado, here are Toni's (and the KTLA team of producers') rules. If you'd like to download it in document form, go HERE.
Toni Molle’s 8 Rules of the Road for Pitching to a TV News Producer
- or –
Secrets of the KTLA Newsroom Revealed
These rules are for pitching to me and for the producers/editors in the newsroom at KTLA News Los Angeles specifically. Please know that most newsrooms across the country follow rules or procedures that are similar; some details of course will be different, so please adjust your approach accordingly.
My Number One Rule:
1. Do Your Research: Watch your local news shows so that you know what they cover on which days of the week – and tailor your pitches accordingly.
Make sure you are contacting the correct person – get to know:
2. WHO'S WHO IN THE NEWSROOM:
PLANNING EDITOR – Knows upcoming events, receives press releases, oversees what’s coming down the pike; Pitches go to her/him
ASSIGNMENT EDITOR – Hands out the assignments of who covers what & when; usually day-of
SEGMENT PRODUCER – Produces feature or guest segments; often writes copy, questions, etc. for anchors or reporters
LINE PRODUCER – Puts the rundown together for each show; decides time & placement of segments/stories
Staffing in a newsroom tends to be lean and mean. Each person wears many hats and they are BUSY.
Now that you’ve researched your show(s), remember that the medium is TELEVISION. So…
3. What are Producers Looking for in a Pitch?
• Your pitch should be interesting and visual
• Should have LOCAL interest, ie: City/County/State impact
• A-List Celebrities are always good
• Protests/Demonstrations are topical and tend to get covered
• Sidebars to hard news stories being covered (ie: Japan – pitch could be a radiation expert; a 6 year old is a victim of a hit and run – pitch could be a driver safety expert)
• Exclusives – Don’t lie about that – if they find out you’ve pitched to other stations, pitch is deleted.
4. Pitching/Etiquette Tips (aka: Pitch, Don’t Pester):
Be Aware of Breaking News – Before you pick up the phone to call a newsroom, check TV, internet or radio to make sure no big news story is taking over the airwaves at that moment – do NOT call or email when big breakers are actually happening (big police pursuit, fire, earthquake, terrorist attack, Presidential press conference – big breaking news events).
• Monday mornings at KTLA, the Planning Editor reviews the week ahead, so get your pitches submitted in time.
• Pitches are reviewed approx from 9:00 am – 11:00 am
• No such thing as sending too early – we love plenty of notice
• BUT- Make sure to send your pitch before 4:00 pm if your event is the next day, as every afternoon at 3pm is the Planning Meeting for the next day
Never call afterwards to find out why they didn't cover your event; the producers don’t have time and have already moved on (of course if you have specifically booked an appointment or interview, they will call to cancel or postpone; this rule is for events with a general invitation to cover).
How to contact:
Most producers prefer EMAIL – don’t call unless you already have a relationship with the producer.
So:
• Don’t Bury the Lead
• SIZE MATTERS – No large attachments; keep it to the point: short and sweet
• Put your pitch in the body of the email; it’s usually better to link to images
• Make sure all the relevant contact info is easy to find
• You only have one chance to "make a good" impression – check spelling, typos!
• Unsolicited samples – not always a good idea; it’s usually better to ask the producer; that said, no one here ever said “don’t send it” to chocolate. But please be pretty sure that your product is something we’d be interested in before sending it along
• Don't fax…ever – none of the producers here like them or read them
SUPER IMPORTANT: Don't invite crews/reporters to an event if there is no access for camera – make sure the producer understands the physical situation
Now that you’ve learned these rules…
5. So – What are Your Chances of Getting a Story on KTLA?
Know this:
• KTLA gets over 500 pitches a day
• Less than 1% make it to the Planning Calendar for coverage and consideration; please don’t take it personally if we pass on your story – it can be for a variety of reasons – and we may keep it on file for a later date.
• Responses will be via email
• No follow-up calls necessary – producers will contact you if they are interested.
But:
6. Rules for Following up: This is not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t follow up, please just be reasonable and polite.
If you have sent a product sample, check in in a week (if it’s not time-sensitive). If you don’t get a response, you can try again in a week or two, but, honestly, if you don’t hear from us – we’re not interested, or not interested at that moment. Again, you may be kept in a file for future stories.
Please follow up by email.
7. A Note From us at KTLA:
All the producers at KTLA are thrilled to give these tips to you so that you know how to pitch properly and to whom you should direct it. We do look forward to your pitches as appropriate.
Please pay attention to these guidelines, and please be respectful of our time and deadlines – we are SUPER busy every day. That said, we depend on outside pitches for information about products, services, restaurants, celebrity news, events & happenings and more, so keep them coming; we love to hear from you!
Bonus Extras:
8. Facts/Figures/Resources
FYI: KTLA News shows that air every week:
KTLA MORNING NEWS: 4:30 am – 10 am (News/In-Studio Guest/Demo/Live Shot)
KTLA NEWS AT 1 PM – 1 – 2 pm (News/Newsmaker/Live Shot)
KTLA NEWS AT 6 PM – 6 – 7 pm (Local from 6:30 – 7 pm)
KTLA NEWS AT 10 PM – 10 – 11 pm (Local/National)
KTLA WEEKEND NEWS – Sat: 6:00 – 7:00 am/Sun 6:00 – 9:00 am
Be aware of Sweeps dates – these are the ratings periods that set advertising rates. News shows are looking for stories or features that will attract lots of viewers; this is a great time to pitch sexy, hot-trending, super-topical or celebrity-driven stories.
Sweeps Dates for the 2010/2011 Television Season:
Sweep Month Measurement Period
November 2010 Oct. 28 – Nov. 24
February 2011 Feb. 3 – Mar. 2
May 2011 Apr. 28 – May 25
July 2011 June 30 – July 27
WHAT'S THE PITCHING ADDRESS FOR KTLA?
KTLA MORNING NEWS PRODUCERS:
Janet Hill janet.hill@ktla.com
Kalina Rahall kalina.rahal@ktla.com
Leila Shalhoub leila.shalhoub@ktla.com
ENTERTAINMENT GUEST BOOKER
Heidi Schultz heidi.schultz@ktla.com
WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Email address: zzktla.web@tribune.com
Website: www.ktla.com
Go to: contact us
Facebook: ktla-tv
Twitter/Station: twitter.com/ktla
Twitter/KTLA Morning News: twitter.com/ktlamorning
Bonus: Here is a great, time-saving resource:
Local News Service – this service sends info/pitches to KTLA, KTTV and KNBC: so pitches sent there get seen at “three places for the price of one”. Send pitches (that follow our rules) to:
Kris Knuttson, Managing Editor
Good luck, everyone!
* Hall of Fame NY Yankees pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter was a 5-time World Series champion, an 8-time All Star and the 1974 Cy Young Award winner. He won 200 games by age 30 – one of only 3 Major League pitchers in history to do so, and was the 4th and last AL pitcher to rack up 5 consecutive 20 game-winning seasons. Stricken with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), he died in 1999. He was a god of baseball.
Tags: Ask Lizzy, business, Catfish Hunter, DIY PR, editors, etiquette, How to Pitch, Jim "Catfish" Hunter, journalists, KTLA, KTLA News, NY Yankees, Pitching, PR, PR Tips, Press, Public Relations, Toni Molle, TV News
August 25th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
This was extremely helpful!
December 13th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
We need more inshgtis like this in this thread.