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Monthly Luncheon Report
(Wednesday, Nov. 8 PCC Monthly Luncheon)
Pitching Radio Producers
NOVEMBER PCC MEETING
TAKES TO THE AIRWAVES WITH
LOCAL RADIO PRODUCERS
MODERATOR
Teri O’Brien
PANELISTS
Beth Swierk
Producer, WGN 720 AM
Keisha Chavers
Program Director and
Executive Producer, WVON
1450 AM
Elisa Alfonso
Producer, Univision
Chicago
PROGRAM SUMMARY
Building Relationships with Producers is Key to
Garnering Radio Coverage
Teri O'Brien (from left), Keisha
Chavers, Elisa Alfonso, Beth Swierk.
(Photo by Ted Lacey)
By Sue Masaracchia-Roberts
Moderator and former WLS 890 AM talk show host
Teri O’Brien, kept other panelists on task at the
November PCC luncheon, which focused on the inherent
opportunities for radio coverage of clients and
companies. Panelists included WVON Director of
Station Relations Keisha Chavers; Univision
Community Relations Director Elisa Alfonso; and the
Executive Producer of the WGN Radio 720 Kathy & Judy
Show, Beth Swierk. The panel shared tips for
creating mutually beneficial relationships for PR
placements.
Teri O’Brien
A former attorney and radio host, Teri O’Brien
put on both her legal and producer hats, explaining
that the best of way to stay out of the "pile" is to
display knowledge of a show and a station. However,
the pitch that works is determined by creative
packaging and appropriateness.
"The concept of timely has changed. If I’ve read
it on the Internet or in the newspapers," said
O’Brien, "it is yesterday’s news. Equally important
is knowing the audience. Make sure you listen to the
station, and even to the commercials that air, to
help figure out the audience the show appeals to."
O’Brien also suggested developing a relationship
with a variety of producers and/or hosts. This is
best accomplished by keeping your word, calling them
back when you promise to call and offering
suggestions that might not be related to your client
or employer, but contacts which can help them with
topics you know they cover. "This helps you position
yourself as a member of their team. Help the
producer make the host look good! Don’t just wait
until you need them before making contact!"
Keisha Chavers
WVON 1450 AM Radio
"Make sure you follow the news," urged Keisha
Chavers, whose audience is largely African American.
As an example, she talked about a pitch she had
gotten about the sensitive topic of female genital
mutilation. The caller provided her with information
showing it was an international story, a national
story and even a local story, and then provided her
with a local connection. "If it is current, in the
news and compelling, it stands a greater chance of
receiving coverage," she said.
To determine her audience, Chavers suggests
reading Robert Feder’s column [in the Chicago
Sun-Times] and consult Arbitron ratings and other
tools. "Know the tools we use," she said. "A lot of
stations do have national sponsors so you cannot
always tell the audience from commercials, but you
can from the hosts. Package your pitches so it
sounds like you really do know us and unless I tell
you to fax, ALWAYS" send proposals to her via e-mail
or "snail" mail.
She also shared these pet peeves: "Don’t get
upset if I don’t contact you right away, however be
aware that if you contact me too much, I’ll shut you
out!" She also warns, "Unless you are my mom or
Jesus, NEVER call me between 11 a.m. and noon, when
I am producing the show" and never take rejection
personally.
What is helpful, she says, is receiving pitches
containing relevant talking points for the submitted
topics. However, "NEVER go directly to the host;
that makes me angry!"
"Besides," she added, "the host will tell you to
talk to the producer. That moves you way down on my
priority listing." Within the station, contacts are
shared during program meetings. Therefore, she
insists that guests should not be double-booked,
stressing, "If you caught me first and I said I’d
work with you, then you call others [either at my
station or another], it creates bad feelings in the
shop and you’ll be on by red list!"
Since many shows could feature the same guest,
instead at various times, don’t contact other
producers at other stations after getting a
commitment. Wait until after the guests appear and
you’ll avoid backlash."
Chavers advises keeping in mind that, even though
you are trying to "sell" her a story, she needs to
then convince her host and general manager to "buy"
the story. "I might like the story but, after
talking to them, may come back to you with a
different angle."
Receiving pitches all day, she focuses on those
that are most current. "I am not interested in
Christmas before Thanksgiving," she explained,
"unless it will be with Condi Rice."
She also considers her audience for each
listening time for the stories she puts on. For
example, she said she would do a story on education
early in the morning when teachers are most likely
to listen, while if she is doing a story about
school financing, she most likely will run that
story at times when parents and children are around.
Preferring to talk to experts and specialists
directly, Chavers said her weekly list of guests is
mostly determined by the news.
She loves creating relationships, but requests
that the final decision about what is good or
appropriate for her be left to her. "I keep hoping
that you will be the one to give me that one gold
mind," she said, adding, "PR people are the
friendliest people I know!"
Since WVON is now a 24-hour station, doing six
shows a day, Chavers recommends contacting her or
the program director in order to gauge who to talk
to. She also recommends listing to the station
streaming online by going to the Web site,
www.wvon.com.
Elisa Alfanso
Univision
Her greatest pet peeve is when someone sends her
a pitch and, when they realize Univision is a
Hispanic station, they disappear. "There is more to
this station than trite, seasonal stories and
overdone topics."
"I seem to become everyone’s best friend when it
comes to Cinco De Mayo, Mexican Independence Day and
immigration stories," said Alfanso, "but I need
stories year round" and someone who speaks Spanish.
There are a lot of different Hispanic groups in
Chicago, not just Mexicans. Listen to the programs
and get a feel for them. Different stations offer
different formats. One host may cover a variety of
issues, so it is best to visit the station Web site
for formats, hosts and stories covered."
The worst way to contact Alfanso is by fax. She
prefers contact by e-mail. If you send a package,
avoid the "cutesy" stuff. She hates receiving things
like boxes inside boxes. "Save this kind of thing
for a creative writing class," she urged.
Another major pet peeve for Alfanso is going over
her head and blind copying other people with
e-mails. She spoke of one publicist contacting the
general manager. "This person accomplished nothing
but hurting himself. We are all in the same boat and
need each other," she said, indicating that we
should avoid doing things that are
"counter-productive to our mutual success."
She hates to be typecast just because the station
has a Spanish language format. "Even though we are a
Spanish language station, we are interested in news.
We have many of the same interests you do, but just
in a different language. We also need the same
quality of guests as other stations do. In fact, if
it is a great story, the guest does not need to
speak Spanish," she explained.
Alfanso said, at the station, "We all wear
several hats and go to different meetings each day,
telling others about your clients, when appropriate.
If we have a relationship, we can help each other."
Beth Swierk
WGN 720 AM Radio
Although most recently the producer for the Kathy
& Judy Show, where listeners are called
"girlfriends," at various times during her career,
Beth Swierk has produced most of the shows heard on
WGN Radio. She has read all the e-mails and has
listened to all the pitches. With that kind of
insight, Swierk urges PR professionals to "be
straightforward. Get to the point and turn it into a
story with a new angle, making it a news story. Show
that you understand the show and listener
demographics. "For example," she said, "Kathy & Judy
has a largely female base. Know the ages and sex of
the listeners and the hosts can work with the
topics."
The best way to contact Swierk and other WGN
producers is via e-mail. "Don’t leave voice mails!
We do check all our e-mails and many of us will
access them from wherever we are. This is the most
efficient, best way to elicit a response, especially
if you make your e-mail stand out more.
Personalizing Pitches is GREAT! It goes far [when
you let us know you know our show] and helps you
stand out in a crowd! Even if a story is not right
for Kathy & Judy, it might fit with Steve Cochran or
another show. A good story will help you build a
relationship with the whole station!" She keeps her
contacts in Outlook and views the relationship
between PR people and herself as a two-way street.
Swierk agreed it is important to visit the
station Web site (www.wgnradio.com)
to study bios, show descriptions, the kinds of
topics previously discussed, along with upcoming
guests scheduled. This is a good way to gain a
better perspective as to what is a good fit for that
station and each program slot. Each program has a
different personality. For example, Spike O’Dell
covers front-page material, while Steve Cochran is
more comic. This makes it appropriate to pitch more
than one show if the guest is covering different
angles.
She also urged people to focus on the local
geographic area and not pitch events unless they
impact her audience. Although there is no rule for
exclusivity, WGN would love to be the first to
receive a big story. "The rules depend on the
topic," she added.
Also, she suggested that being able to have
guests appear live in the studio is a huge selling
point, especially if the story involves a newsmaker,
like Bob Woodward. The proviso is the person
involved must be a good interviewee. Be sure to
mention these points in the pitch and you are more
likely to gain her ear.
"If you are pitching a charity," she added, "make
sure we can talk to someone whose life has been
impacted by their help."
As a final word of advice, know that producers
are very protective of their coworkers; hosts with
check with the assignment editor. Not only is the
show clocked, but also the editor and host know the
topics and guests. Swierk added, "No one can avoid
the producer!"
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