PROMO BLOG

Anyone out there planning to see the Simpsons movie this weekend? Even though Craig and Alex have done loads of promotion for the film this past year, they won't get to see it any earlier than anyone else. HOWEVER, you can bet they'll be seeing it within 24 hours of its debut. I'll probably see it this weekend too. Anyone else have it on their movie must-see list??? Have you heard any reviews???

It’s hard to miss, but just in case you did…

There are banners all over our Website that will direct you to the voting page for your favorite Simpsons episodes.  Also, below, you’ll find the promo that explains the whole thing.  So, make your voice heard, do your part, and help shape our future for a handful of hours on this one FOX affiliate here in the United States.  It’s time to vote! 

Houston's Top 19 Simpsons Episodes

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P.S.  Craig’s out this week… any ideas for practical jokes we can pull on him when he returns?  It’s a fine line between funny and mean.  We prefer to err on the side of mean.  tee hee. ;-)

Happy Monday Everybody!

Here's a question for anyone and everyone who visits our site... what's your favorite feature on myfoxhouston.com?  Besides blogging, is there another section, tool, or aspect of the site that appeals to you?  If it's something you enjoy or appreciate, chances are others would like it too... and that's another thing we can tell our viewers about.  Many thanks in advance to anyone who responds... have a great day!

 

If you own a cat… help!!!

And, by the way, Craig and Alex are totally unaware that I’ve temporarily turned our blog into a cat forum.  They’ll be justifiably horrified, so please don’t blame them.  

Anyway… Several months ago, I rescued a tiny kitten from the side of the road.  I’ve had a dog for a number of years, but never considered myself a “cat person”.  However, that little kitty totally won me over tout de suite.  Sweet-natured.  Affectionate.  Sooooo smart.  The dog loves the kitty.  The kitty loves the dog.  My dog, kitten and I practically ran off into the sunset together.  One big happy family.

So, today, I took the day off and, after a looooong nap, I went into the back room of my house.  I call it my “zen” room because it’s all peaceful and relaxing.  It’s also where the pets eat and go to and fro through the doggy door.  Except, this time, I noticed something strange scattered all over the room’s floor.  Leaves???  No.  And what’s that red stuff on the rug?  And that thing next to the pets’ food bowls?

It was a not-dead-for-very-long bird.  Blood and feathers everywhere.  Clearly my kitty’s dirty work.  Also clearly left for me as some sort of “gift”.  Ummmmm… Thank you?????

I keep the kitty indoors most of the time... but sometimes she either escapes, or I cave in to her yammerings to be let outside when I'm home.  Her claws are trimmed but intact (and I plan to keep ‘em that way)… basically because she’s not destructive with them, and I never figured she’d go Freddy Krueger on me at such a young age.  

Has your cat ever done this?  I know it’s natural for her to hunt and kill… Will she do this a lot?  Can she catch some sort of horrible bird-borne disease?  Could it be that I’m totally over-reacting???????? 

Please share your words of wisdom people-who've-owned-cats-longer-than-me!

As we say in our bio, it’s our job to get you to watch KRIV Fox26 and KTXH My20.

We do this, most often, by writing/producing promos that run on our respective stations.  Whenever you see a spot on-air that promotes something for the news, or an upcoming program… a lot of times it came from us.

It may not look like it but, whenever we produce something, there’s a method to our madness.  We’re guided by research, whatever materials we have to work with, and hopefully a certain amount of experience and marketing know-how.  But, at the end of the day, there’s a still crapshoot element to the whole thing.  Toss in DVRs and an ever-increasing competitive landscape… and it becomes harder to attract and keep a viewer’s attention.

So what gets YOUR attention?  What cuts through the clutter, promo or advertising-wise?  Are there certain spots that are pause-worthy on your DVR?  What kind of spot makes you want to tune in?  Let us know!     

 

Today's a sad day in the Promotion Department.  This is the day we say goodbye to one of the hardest workin' gals in promotion... Roshelle.  She's been here for a long time and has done a fantastic job.   She's leaving for another terrific opportunity, and we're certain she'll be just as successful there as she was here.  Thanks for all you've done at our station Roshelle, and best of luck.  You'll be missed!  As for our video of the day... Roshelle, here's a blast from your TV past where you, along with a bunch of other co-workers, starred in a promo for News' "911 Hall of Shame" report.

 

911 Calls promo

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It’s the end of the road for American Idol… but it’s just the beginning for its summer cousin So You Think You Can Dance?

If you’re a fan of the show… let us know.  Tell us why!

And if you’re not?  Frankly, I’d never seen SYTYCD? and wouldn’t have considered it must-see.  That is, until last year when I was home one night, clicking through the channels… bored… vulnerable… and I stumbled upon the show and became a fan faster than you can say Cha Cha Cha.

And speaking of Cha Cha Cha…

As a rule, Promosapiens aren’t skilled dancers… although Craig does do a pretty impressive “Robot”.  Sorry Ladies – He’s taken!

 

Blogs are great because they give you extra time/space to expand upon a topic.  Most of what we write in the promotion department is limited to :20.  So these blogs are pretty handy when you want to go into more detail.

Here’s a topic that definitely requires more explanation:  Describing the relationship between KRIV FOX26 and its sister station KTXH My20.

Both KRIV FOX26 and KTXH My20 are housed in the same building on the Southwest Freeway.  At one time KTXH was affiliated with UPN, owned by another company, and located across town.  Several years ago, however, FOX bought the (still UPN affiliated) station and created a brand spankin’ new building for both KRIV and KTXH.  Behind the scenes, both stations shared many resources (including promotion people!) but, on the air, they were mutually exclusive with their own respective look, feel, and programming.

 

Then, about a year ago, UPN – the network – ceased to exist.  The Houston station that,  for years, had been known as UPN20 needed a new name and something to fill its prime time programming schedule.  That’s when FOX created a new network called MyNetworkTV to fill the gap created by UPN’s demise… not only for KTXH, but for many other stations across the country. 

 

Practically overnight, UPN20 had a new name and new programming each night.  That’s now My20 came to exist.  KTXH My20 still had the same call letters, channel number, FOX ownership, and most of the same programming.  The biggest difference was a new name, network affiliation, and new shows in prime time.

 

I’m simplifying things, of course, and hopefully not botching the details (that's always a distinct possibility!).  Even in the most thorough context, it’s still confusing.  When I try to explain it to my friends who work at other stations, I continue to get blank stares.  It makes me wonder what it must be like for our viewers!

  

In the coming weeks, our blogs might include tidbits about My20 in addition to all the stuff about FOX26.  Again, behind the scenes, we often work as a team… so it feels odd to mention one without the other.  In time, My20 will get its own Website.  But, until then, the promosapiens from both stations will unite here as well. 

 

So, if you ever have any questions about either station, this is a good forum.  We’ll do our best to answer them in an intelligent manner.  Or, at least somewhat intelligent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did a woman really swallow a baby? Well, sort of. Okay, not really. But we’ll get to that later.

First though, it’s Alex’s Birthday! Among other things, that means celebratory kolaches in the morning and a big tasty lunch at noon. Good thing we all wore our eating pants.

Almost as important as Alex’s birthday is FOX’s big news. Every year, around this time, they announce their new fall schedule. On Thursday, FOX executives revealed their new shows set to debut later this year. Here’s a link with the specifics: http://www.fox.com/programming/

There’s one show in particular that looks especially promising. It's a comedy called “Back to You” that stars Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton as local TV news anchors in the ‘90s. The cast also includes Fred Willard and Ty Burrell. This show looks really funny.

And, speaking of funny, here are a few promos from the Craig & Alex archives that are sure to please. In one of them, you’ll see where we got the idea to use “woman swallows baby” in our headline. As marketing people, we’re not above using cheap ploys to lure you into our blog. However, that being said, we apologize to any babies who might have been offended by our promotional wiles.


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This is classic. It’s Alex’s (The Editor) birthday tomorrow. He’s the youngest of the bunch by far, but he surpasses us all in talent. Anyway, (Promo) Craig sends me a text message this morning, reminding me to get Alex a card. Unfortunately, he sends the text to Alex instead of me!

Of course, I live for moments like this. Any chance to thrust Craig into the shame spotlight is, as they say, priceless.

Do you have a funny text or e-mail mishap to share? If you do, let’s hear it!

And, in the meantime, take a look at a great spot from the Craig and Alex Archives. All the folks in the spot are station employees… except Mr. Jingles. He's a temp.

Home of Comedy Infomercial

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If you watch FOX26, you might’ve seen my esteemed colleagues (Promo) Craig and Alex (The Editor). As we say in our bio, our job is to entice you to watch the news and programming on FOX26 (and our sister station My20). We do this, primarily, by producing spots (we call promos) that run during our commercial breaks. Since these promo productions usually have tight deadlines and no budget, we have to be very resourceful. And, since we can’t afford paid actors… if the need arises, I’m sad to say that Craig and Alex (and, okay, me) practically stumble over ourselves in order to get in front of the camera. I used to think that being in my own promo was taboo… unprofessional… creepy. But, somehow it’s become all in a day’s work. Check out Craig and Alex’s latest project. They say they “make love” to the camera… but I like to cut these guys down to size any chance I get. Whatdya think?

'The Simpsons Icon week' promo

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