Television

Millions of Americans spend a large portion of their day before television screens, and so it's little wonder that TV has such influence and power. Yet for television to be successful, if we define "successful" as high ratings and growing ad revenues, then TV producers must continually find new and interesting stories, personalities and information or face the prospect of losing both viewers and their jobs.

The search for something interesting to televise is compounded by television's staggering ability to consume information and entertainment. All of Shakespeare's plays, the work of a lifetime, are just a few nights' viewing. Scheherazade, who kept her husband entertained for 1,001 nights, would have been exhausted by television in a matter of weeks.

Talk shows and news programs are typical targets for promoters. As with radio, you need to check directories and call stations to see who does the booking, most probably people identified as producers, assistant producers, production assistants, talent coordinators, assignment editors or news directors.

TV bookers have no shortage of "talking heads," people who can sit and discuss events, news or whatever. Guests with good visual presentations, however, are in demand.

Part of the trick to obtaining TV coverage, then, is to offer something visual. Riding a llama, exercising on a mat or trying out a new product all serve to enliven television. If you can take what you do, give it a visual twist, your chances of TV coverage will be greatly enhanced.

Whatever visual presentation you make must not only illustrate your subject, it must also be brief and workable. On a TV talk show with several guests you're likely to have eight minutes of air time to yourself -- or less. Visuals must be quick and to the point, so it pays to practice demonstrations before going on the air. Another tactic is to prepare part of the demonstration before the show and begin in mid-stream ("Well Mary Jo, as you can see we've already done the first four steps, and now we can move on to....")

Ah, but what if you're not going to make the evening news and you don't have a visual presentation? What if you are a talking head, a couch person, can you get TV coverage?

Talk shows are filled with people who sit, speak and do little else. Their attraction is in the words they use, the way they appear and their ideas, opinions and insights. They are, dressed up and polished, the very same people you would want to hear on radio. After all, would you be interested in someone who could help you save money or lose weight? Would you listen to someone who just conducted a poll on the ten biggest battles in marriage or the five best dates?

TV talk shows favor those with visual presentations, but several of the most successful syndicated programs on television feature little more than one or two guests, questions from a host (or hostess) and audience participation. These pro- grams succeed because they ingeniously pack- age subjects in formats that create public interest.

If, as a promoter, you can develop a good talk show package -- a focused topic with a unique approach plus several hot guests -- you're chances of appearing are excellent.

Talk show bookers look for guests who are not only qualified to speak on a given subject, but who are also distinguished by a personal dimension, something in their character that comes across in public. One could argue that successful guests should be urbane sophisticates who exude style, grace, charm and charisma, but how often is this true? Some guests -- and some hosts -- are rude, combative, abusive and yet eminently interesting. They succeed not because they're seen as role models, but because in a mundane world they add spice, zest and vigor.

Peter G. Miller is an image, marketing, and public relations consultant whose clients include selected national corporations, associations, and web sites. Mr. Miller can be reached at peter@boardroomarts.com