KC Live’s Michelle Davidson and Michael Mackie with chef Jasper Mirabile. (Photo credit: Jim Barcus)
Kansas City Star features reporter/editor Tim Engle has taken a fascinating look at two new “lifestyle” shows in Kansas City and reveals the inside scoop why KSHB and KCTV have decided to go local with their programming.
Generally local TV stories are written by the Star’s Aaron Barnhart, but his byline has mysteriously not appeared in the paper since December. Sources at the Star have told Bottom Line Communications he is still an employee at the newspaper.
Engle, an 18-year veteran and a graduate of Central Missouri with a Master’s from Kansas, says KSHB’s “Kansas City Live” and KCTV’s “Better Kansas City,” which debuts next week, are produced by those stations’ Advertising Departments.
In many ways they are really infomercials with about half their guests paying for the opportunity to pitch their message in a friendly environment.
Here are some highlights from Engle’s story:
* KC Live hosts Michelle Davidson and Michael Mackie say they don’t read the barrage of negative comments about their show. However, then Mackie noted, “But we get a lot of positive comments on (the show’s) Facebook page, so that’s nice. I try not to let it faze me.” (Note: The show has generated the most negative feedback in the history of this Web site.)
* A recent segment on KC Live featured a lawyer talking about red light cameras. “Although co-host Davidson didn’t acknowledge the paid-for nature of the segment, the show ran an on-screen label for about 30 seconds: “Sponsored by Lotven Law.”
* ”The “One day, one night” tune that Mackie was singing a different day? That’s heard in National American University ads, and NAU sponsored a segment on the show. At the end of the 3-minute, 20-second interview, Mackie told the guest, an NAU rep, he liked the jingle.”
* KCTV’s GM Bobby Totsch told Engle sponsored spots and product placements on his “Better KC” show are “embedded marketing opportunities” and “a way to connect with advertisers.”
* “This “pay to play” approach would be anathema to traditional journalists, but lifestyle shows aren’t newscasts, the stations point out. They’re entertainment,” wrote Engle. Of course, many viewers will not be able to tell which is real news or advertising.
GUEST QUALITY HAS DECLINED
Not covering the negative reaction to KC Live is to simply “miss the story.”
The quality of the guests has certainly declined during the run of the show.
KSHB needs to understand that now is the time to “stop digging” and get out of this hole.
LAME ATTEMPT
I have now watched a portion of the new KC Live show twice. It doesn’t appeal to me at all. I am pretty surprised that you would put it in the place of Hoda & KLG. I will no longer be watching NBC. I will continue to watch Good Morning America on the days that I am off work.
I am a HUGE supporter of local establishments, but this is a very lame attempt @ a morning show.
VERY BUSH LEAGUE
Just more TV hype. All around. There’s nothing ‘fascinating’ about local TV stations.
KC isn’t a TV market willing or having the where-with-all to pay for quality in a local show. Nor the guest talent pool around town to pull it off. This isn’t New York, Chicago or LA.
I only assume they’re cheap productions for stations to sell local ads and make money off of ….until the ratings come in and advertisers start saying “no” to local salesmen cuz they don’t get results.
They’ll be gone, soon enough. Very bush league and overly hyped for what they really are. Like everything produced in KC except for Johnny Rowlands. How’s THAT for ‘fascinating’.
CHANGES
Who wants to be a Millionare will be on 1pm KMCI The List at 4pm with Jeopardy going to another channel. Access hollywood 5pm,Dish Nation,5:30pm/Friends know 4pm to 5pm and Rules of Engadment 6pm to 7pm KSMOTV. Bill Cunningham replacing Dr. Drew Life Changers and KCWE could be adding a Midday/4pm Newscast and somebody picking up the Daily Buzz show.
READ THE COMMENTS…
I’m sorry, but you CAN’T, just NOT read the negative comments about your show!
THEY ARE THE REASON WHY YOUR SHOW COULD IMPROVE.
THIRD TIME NOT A CHARM
KC Live is the THIRD attempt at a lifestyle show that KSHB has aired. I think it is by far the worst example of KC television. I watched it for about 15 minutes today and was flabbergasted at how bad it was. KSHB is my news station, but at 10 am, I turn the TV off.
WATCHING GRASS GROW
These local lifestyle shows sound about as exciting as watching the grass grow, and lately, in view of the drought, watching the grass grow hasn’t been too exciting.
FREE ADS?
One thing for sure; If ratings mean anything people will be advertising for free before long.
PAINFUL TO WATCH
This show has to go! Not sure who the “brainchild” is at NBC that gave this the green light, but the first mistake is the hosts. Without going into too much detail, they are terrible. The’re clearly not comfortable in front of the camera as they don’t come across natural at all. Their beginning segment when they talk to each other is painful to watch. So forced
PLEASE STOP LAUGHING
PLEASE SOMEONE TELL DAVIDSON TO STOP LAUGHING EVERY F-ING SECOND AT NOTHING. IT IS PHONY AS HELL AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TO HEAR IT THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING ARE ABOUT READY TO JUMP OUT THE WINDOWS. CAN WE JUST GET BACK TO THE REGULAR PROGRAMMING OR EVEN RE-RUNS OF THE NANNY? AS HORRIBLE AS HER LAUGH WAS I WOULD WELCOME IT.
THE SHOW IS IN THE SH*TTER. PATHETIC ATTEMPT TO “SHOWCASE KC” AND HELP LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS. GOD HELP US ALL. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.