TVLifer

Adage.com posted this report on local news stations and the upcoming mid-term elections:

Things seem to be looking up for WFSB, a Hartford, Conn., TV station that is also a CBS affiliate. After suffering through a "very tough" first nine months of 2009, Klarn DePalma, senior VP-general manager, said he's noticed an uptick in spending by automakers and local dealerships; telecommunications providers; local furniture chains; and pharmaceutical marketers.

But while a pop in ad money is exciting -- midterm political elections and the Supreme Court ruling allowing more direct spending by corporations, unions and wealthy individuals on such campaigns could drop an extra $250 to $500 million on local TV -- it belies a potential danger: lulling stations into avoiding the necessary reinvestment and reinvention their business model requires.

For his part, Mr. DePalma is keeping his wits. To focus solely on the ad dollars, he said, would be "short-sighted." He also wants to develop new content-delivery ideas that bring in other revenue.

Who ever thought TV stations would look at ad money as just one piece of the pie? Yet they face an uncertain future, and there's fear the recent developments that have many local-TV executives excited are just phenomena that could be called a dead-cat bounce. The new vein of money "may hide some of the underlying issues we see coming up over the long haul," said David Cooperstein, research director at Forrester Research.

What is a TVLifer Contributor and why would TVLifers out there be interested in becoming one?

TVL Contributors are TVLifers (like you) located in markets across the country who serve as a line of communication into every newsroom for our staff. It helps TVL keep track of who is coming and going in each market and what new jobs might be coming available before they are officially posted - the kind of info that you'll find in our Off the Record forum. Also, TVL Contributors are an integral part of our success in setting up discussion panels, happy hours, and TVLifer trips.

In return, you will get UPGRADED to TVL's Premium Membership - and enjoy full access to the jobs database.

If you are interested inbecoming a TVL Contributor send us an email to tvlifer@tvlifer.com with your name, station call letters, position and experience in the television industry. 

We are looking for new contributors every day, so don't hesitate to send that email, you'll be surprised what you can get in return for your role with TVL.

TVLifer has received some questions about what happens once you become a Premium Member. 

To answer this we first want to layout what you receive by becoming a TVLifer member for Free.  You receive access to all of TVL's original content, online profile and social netwoking, The Market Map, live chats and other forums.

As much as TVLifer would like to provide an entirely free service - it would not be possible to maintain the site. Therefore, a premium membership is required to view our jobs database at a cost of $15 per month. This allows you to apply to as many jobs as wish for one flat rate.

TVLifer isn't selling you exclusive access to jobs, in this day and age job listings are available across the internet.  TVLifer instead offers a unique process that makes applying for jobs simple and cost effective.  We also will work with you one on one to make your resume reel and profile as attractive as possible.  The monthly membership gives you an advisor in this process, once you become a Premium member you can discuss decisions regarding markets, agents and all things television news with our staff.  If our experienced staff doesn't have the answer to your question, we have the contacts to get you the answer.

In some ways this is a leap of faith, but remember we want you to be happy at the end of this process and hopefully employed.  The TVL Staff will do everything in its power to help you in this often confusing and overwhelming industry.

Any questions?  Email us: tvlifer@tvlifer.com

The New York Times is reporting that among those closely watching the Supreme Court ruling last week that loosened restrictions on corporate campaign spending were local television stations, which now hope for a windfall.

Media of all kinds may benefit from the decision, which promises to let more political advertising money be poured into the system. Most of that money finds its way to television, and in particular, local stations in battleground states.

“It’s a big opportunity” for stations, said Steve Lanzano, the president of the Television Bureau of Advertising.

Under the Supreme Court decision, corporations and unions will be free to spend money on attack ads in ways that were previously banned. “This takes an already bulked-up, well-funded election and puts it on steroids,” said Evan Tracey, the chief operating officer of the Campaign Media Analysis Group, a division of TNS Media Intelligence.

In the supply-and-demand marketplace of advertising, “it’s going to drive up rates” for local stations, he said. “There’s going to be a lot of people fighting over the same inventory.”

In part for that reason, he expects more money will flow to radio and local cable operators.

Election advertising is especially critical this year, given the beating that local stations have taken in the downturn. Exacerbating the economic pressures, the lack of political ad dollars last year meant that many stations experienced 30 percent declines in ad revenue, according to the Television Bureau of Advertising.

TVLifer is the only site in broadcasting that allows news directors to post jobs, evaluate online resumes, and contact applicants ALL in one location. That is why we have become the fastest growing network of television professionals.

What's attracting news directors and applicants? The TVLifer Profile page which includes a resume, references, and up to four demo reels all on one page. TVLifers are saving money and news directors are saving time with TVL's advanced system that automatically organizes all of the applications using "drag & drop" technology.

Building a TVLifer profile is FREE and can be done in a matter of minutes. Take a look at our demo for a closer look.

Not a TVLifer yet? Click the icon on the left and join the fastest growing network of television professionals.

Any questions - email us at tvlifer@tvlifer.com.

WCVB (ABC) in Boston held an all day fundraiser to help aid the relief effort in Haiti. The flagship of the Hearst-Argyle station group raised $506,000 that it put directly in the hands of the Red Cross.

You can donate to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund or contribute $10 by texting "Haiti" to 90999.

The bulk of the coverage from Haiti may be coming from the major networks - but local crews are also on the ground providing solid reporting from the devastated Caribbean nation.

WPLG (ABC) reporter Calvin Hughes is covering the search and rescue missions as well. Hughes arrived shortly after the quake and has been filing reports, blogging, and tweeting. Click here to watch one of his latest reports.

Be sure to let us know if about other local TVLifers who are in Haiti covering this story. Just drop us an email at tvlifer@tvlifer.com.

A new study suggests that local television newsrooms are still a step behind newspapers and online sources.

The findings are based on an analysis of how local news stories evolved in Baltimore during one week last summer. The review by Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism monitored 53 media outlets — newspapers, television and radio stations and Web-only operations.

Newspapers and their Web sites provided 61 percent of the original reporting or fresh information on six major news stories that unfolded during the week of July 19-25, the study found. Local television stations and their Web sites accounted for 28 percent of the new information, followed by radio stations and their sites at 7 percent and Internet-only "new media" at 4 percent.

The conclusions bolster the arguments of newspaper publishers and editors who trumpet their publications as indispensable sources of information about their communities.

J. Montgomery Cook, editor of The Baltimore Sun, wishes the study would have examined more than just a one-week window. A longer look "would have more clearly proven how dominant and comprehensive The Sun is compared to other media," Cook wrote in an e-mail.

Yet The Sun and other big newspapers are getting smaller as their print editions lose readers and advertisers to the Internet.

If you've spent any time roaming the TVLifer site, you may have noticed the Drop Box on the left hand side of the screen on various pages.  Many users have been asking us what that's for, so we thought we'd let you know.

The official help bubble reads, "This is your chance to help drive the conversation without going on the record. Tell us about newsroom happenings, job openings in the near future, or something that you think people want to chat about."

We created the Off the Record forum for television professionals and those considering getting into the business to discuss various topics.  That might sound like message boards you've found on other websites, but we wanted to make this a little different.  In order to keep the conversation constructive, the TVL Staff posts the topics of discussion.  This way we can avoid the constant negative sniping that often occurs on those boards.

But we want TVLifers to take part in the process, so we developed an anonymous tip box (aka "The Drop Box) so that you can direct the conversation. 

These are located on all the market homepages and of course on the Off the Record page.  Keep the ideas flowing and maybe give your fellow TVLifers a heads up on a job opening at your station or in your market.

Any questions?  Just email us tvlifer@tvlifer.com

TVLifer is proud to announce that TVL's College Tour will be visiting three more schools during the upcoming spring semester.

TVL will visit with students at Boston University, Emerson College, and the University of Maryland to discuss the most effective ways of breaking into the business.

The College Tour is designed to show students how to begin building a professional network and to take advantage of all of TVL's free job search resources including the Market Map platform.

Don't forget that TVL's "Job Drive" also begins this semester. TVLifers will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with our staff in order to achieve their goal.

Email us at tvlifer@tvlifer.com and let us know where you want to go. What region? What market? Even what station? TVL will work to bring your resume up to speed and put your profile in front of the news director that you want to work for.

TVL's job hiring technology took years to perfect and is the most advanced system in the business. Haven't signed up yet? Click the icon on the left and become part of the fastest growing network in television news.