Seattle television is a notoriously personality-free zone which has always meant there’s room for one of the big brands to come in and own the space.
Yes, there have been exceptions over the years, but generally – we’re pretty darned matter-of-fact around here.
With that said, I think KOMO is doing the best job of building audience connection through a little loosening of the thumb screws – as it appears producers and talent have been given a little “rope” to have some fun.
An evening newscast recently had the team trying some weird flavored soda on the set, and Luke Ducey’s recent, and excellently produced, You Park Like An #$%#& segment took some chances and sparked some guffaws all the way around on the set.
KOMO is the only station in the market that knows how to brand itself in an audience-oriented and differentiating frame (Working For You, not “coverage” etc.) and is helping its cause even more by allowing some of the constraints on personality come off a little bit.
I know there are managers there who just HATE to think that anything beyond content is going to sell, so plug your ears for the rest of this blog – but sorry, it’s the connection with your people that sells the content – even if you wish a cost-free avatar could do the job.
But I digress.
The answer here for KOMO isn’t to become the goofball station, and believe me, they know that…but letting your people’s humanity shine through at appropriate times.
Anchors still have to find a way to make this work for them on solo reads though – they should each have “moments.”
Again I digress.
Anyway, while good ‘ole Dan Lewis has a hard time making each story different, he also has what is probably a pretty funny underlying personality and when it’s allowed to shine a little at these moments – no matter how uncomfortable Steve Pool is looking – it’s a good thing.
I don’t watch news like I used to, with four sets on at the same time, but from what I’m seeing – KOMO is getting right on this front.
