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PR Fuel: Getting and Staying On TelevisionThe first time I ever did a television interview the producer had one piece of advice for me: Don't curse. The second time I did a television interview the producer also had one piece of advice for me: Be controversial. I took both of pieces of advice to heart.Television is, for all intents and purposes, the pinnacle of success when it comes to public relations. For many clients, a PR campaign is not truly successful unless it results in at least one national television spot. With the continued proliferation of talking head shows and manufactured PR controversies, getting on television is not as difficult as it used to be. Staying on television, however, is becoming more difficult. I recently spent an hour on the phone with a veteran television producer/booker to get some insight into guest booking procedures for television news shows. The producer, who kindly asked to remain anonymous (lest she be inundated with guest pitches), offered up some interesting advice. I've boiled down her insight. - Television producers, of course, love controversy, even if you've created it yourself for the express purpose of generating PR. "If someone sends us a national, or even local, newspaper story or television clip about their company that has a controversial edge, we love it," the producer said. "We want you to come on and deepen the controversy." - Program hosts are only given part of the story, the producer told me. "Most of us our hosts only know so much about the subject, and we're the people giving them information and writing the questions for them," the producer said. "We're out to score ratings by booking interesting and high-profile guests. If the host doesn't know who you are, you better be exciting or your interview is going to be the only one you do with us." - Controversy isn't the only thing producers look for. "A good story, one that's topical and impacts our audience, will get you on television," the producer noted. "But guests should be prepared to justify their appearance by giving out information while not coming off like a shill. If you sound like a PR person, you're not going to get far on television." - The producer suggested that guests and PR people carefully study a show's format once they're booked. "I'm tired of guests complaining that they were not treated well by the host, or that they misunderstood the purpose of the segment. Few television shows, beyond the network morning shows and such, offer fluff opportunities for guests. If you're going to go on a cable news show or network, you should be prepared to answer tough questions, even if the appearance is purely for promotional reasons." - A guest's physical appearance ("dress like you belong on television") is important, but more importantly, guests should be speak clearly. "We've had mumblers on before and I can't stand it," the producer shrieked. "You have to speak clearly!" The producer also suggested that the worst thing you can do is "have a script in mind. I've seen guests stumble over a phrase because they were just waiting to pull out a sound bite. The interview process should be organic, and if you can't speak clearly and concisely about a subject, why are you on television in the first place?" - What about guests who fight back when the host is confrontational? "We love those guests!" the producer said. "As long as the host and guest don't get personal, we love some intelligent, but excited banter. What we love most is when two guests get into it with each other." - What's the most important thing to keep in mind when being interviewed on television? "Listen to the questions," the veteran TV person said. "If you're not listening to the questions, how can you come off smart?" This, to me, is the most important advice. Don't go into an interview thinking you know the questions ahead of time and be prepared to go off "message" if necessary to answer a question. If you toe the line and come off sounding stupid, you're not going to be invited back. - The question on everyone's mind, I told the producer, is, how do I get on television? "Ten, fifteen years ago, getting on television was very difficult, but today it's not too hard. We have a lot more programming hours to fill and there's only so much time to find guests. We rely on PR people to send us guests," the producer said. The key, the producer said, is to have a guest who can offer exciting insight into current events, or someone who is doing something different and special. "My favorite guests are entrepreneurs who are giving big business a run for their money," the producer said. - Ok, so now we know a little bit about how to get on television, but what about the actual pitch? What form should that take? "Most producers I know want to be pitched by email. I wouldn't call someone unless you already have a relationship with them, and we're busy to begin with, so email is best." - The producer suggested including a short pitch answering these questions: Why should this person be on television? Why should they be on this particular show? Why now, and not a month ago, or two months from now? - Give the basic biographical information and if the guest has been on television before, note that. "It's always good to know that someone knows the ropes." - The guest should be flexible as far as dates go, and you should always note where the guest is based. If the person will be in New York, or Los Angeles, or Atlanta (think CNN), and that's when you're aiming for a television spot, give two weeks lead time. Otherwise, be flexible and let the producer know that your guest can be at a local affiliate or studio with just a few hours notice. I wrapped my conversation with the producer with a guest pitch of my own. The result? A tentative date for one of my co-workers. "Hey, I thought you were interviewing me!" the producer said, laughing. "Let me check the schedule and see what we can do." ___ Visit the PR Fuel website at http://www.prfuel.com for daily PR industry news and commentary.
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