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Local television stations across the country are expanding their original programming efforts to help distinguish themselves from the competition. That’s one reason New York’s Tribune-owned PIX11 has partnered with The Broadway Channel to create quarterly specials and weekly spots focusing on one of New York City’s biggest tourist draws, Broadway.
The first primetime special, “Broadway Profiles: Road to the Tonys,” aired Sunday, May 15 at 7:00 pm.
“’Broadway Profiles’ is very much ‘Entertainment Tonight’ meets Broadway,” says Matthew Hege, creator and executive producer of “Broadway Profiles” and vice president of The Broadway Channel.
While local New York stations generally cover theater news, these segments and specials will dig deeper into the industry and its players.
“You may have similar programs on New York 1 or some other local stations in the market, but it’s nothing as broad and encompassing as what Matt’s put together for us,” says Jessica Bellucci, Tribune Broadcasting’s director of communications. “It really sets us apart in that he’s got such wonderful connections and such a rich history with the Broadway community. He brings that to us, and in return we bring that to our viewers.”
The specials will include in-depth interviews with producers, actors, actresses and playwrights, and footage of actual productions to give viewers a look what goes into creating onstage magic. On-air spots promoting the special and the weekly content began in early May. Mentions in local newscasts have already created a synergistic cross-promotional platform, but Bellucci says the station has so far only used its own resources in promoting the program.
One of those resources is PIX11 news anchor Tamsen Fadal (pictured above), whose own experiences as a Broadway performer in “Rock of Ages” and “Chicago” give her added credibility as the host of “Broadway Profiles.”
“We have an Emmy-winning journalist who’s also been in Broadway productions, so she has a sense of what makes Broadway tick, what people want to see in a Broadway show, and what she’s felt while onstage,” Hege says. “She knows exactly where to go with the interviews.”
Fadal also engages with viewers via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhoSay, Tumblr and more, adding fuel to PIX11’s social media push to promote “Broadway Profiles.”
“From a promotional and PR standpoint, [prior to broadcast] we can start engaging with a very targeted audience of folks who have a vested interest in the content,” Bellucci says. “We’re really trying to engage our viewers and take them to that second screen to have a dialog. We really want to get their feedback and maximize their viewing experience.”
Early reactions are positive leading up to the first special, and Bellucci expects the buzz to build right up to airtime.
Even non-locals are using PIX11’s website – pix11.com/broadway – to plan which shows to see on trips to New York. That all but ensures continued support of the theater community, which Bellucci says hadn’t traditionally purchased much ad time on PIX11 before “Broadway Profiles” was announced. The website will live stream this Sunday’s “Broadway Profiles: Road to the Tonys” 30-minute special, which will later be posted online, either in segments or intact.
Hege believes “Broadway Profiles” will draw new audiences to both PIX11 and Broadway shows.
While Broadway is a quintessentially New York form of entertainment, Bellucci says if the four specials and weekly segments gain enough traction, “Broadway Profile” could expand. “Tribune has 42 television stations that they own or operate. Our hope is if we get this going in New York and it works, we’ll roll it out to other Tribune stations. The sky’s the limit.”
To learn more about how local stations are creating local programming, promotion and branding, attend PromaxBDA’s Station Summit at the Mirage Las Vegas June 24-27. More information about the conference can be found here.
Image courtesy of WPIX.
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