02-25-2011 KCTV PLUGGING STEAK 'n SHAKE DURING WEEKEND NEWS It's believed to be a first for the Kansas City TV market: A paid product placement on a local news show. Viewers watching KCTV's weekend morning news have been seeing a coffee cup emblazoned with the "Steak 'n Shake" logo as part of a product placement with the restaurant chain. It should be noted the Steak 'n Shake cup is not on the main news desk in front of the anhcors, but on a side set when guests are being interviewed. It is not used, but simply visible. The placement deal concludes this month and the CBS affiliate has not made a decision whether to continue the arrangement. KCTV News Director Blaise Labbe confirmed the arrangement, saying all TV stations are looking for ways to increase revenue from "non-tradtional" sources. "Yes they are Steak 'n Shake coffee mugs," Labbe said in a note to Bottom Line. "We only have them on our Saturday and Sunday morning show." During the week the morning news team features its own KCTV coffee cups on the set. KVVU, a Las Vegas FOX TV affiliate also owned by KCTV parent Meredith, received national attention in 2008 for featuring McDonald's iced coffee (fake) cups in front of its hosts during the morning news (left). The Steak 'n Shake cups are believed to be a first for the Kansas City market. However, one source noted that WDAF-FOX chief meteorologist Mike Thompson has done a variation of product placements by doing his reports while wearing motorcycle gear in segments sponsored by a motorcycle outlet. Any chance of seeing items on the set at NBC affilicate KSHB? Not while News Director Peggy Phillip is there. "I consider the anchor desk to be like an altar at church," she says, noting the station even covers the logos on the back of laptops used by anchors. "It’s where we deliver news and information and not a venue for hawking tonic and spices."
Steak 'n Shake
02-25-2011 TONICS AND SPICES "...hawking tonic and spices." Funny. But really, what would be wrong with promoting laptops or some other product used in the gathering and dissemination of the news? A statement at the end of the broadcast stating something like, "Laptop computers provided by Dell." Or, "KSHB uses Dell Computers exclusively." "Heck, some stations already do that for hair salons and make-up, which seems a whole lot more frivolous and gratuitous than computers, vehicles, etc. Having said that, I agree with Ms. Phillip, that there's no place for product placements on the news desk." ---Mike Trainor
02-26-2011 STEWART & STEAK 'n SHAKE "KCTV has been doing the Steak & Shake mugs on the weekend set for close to a year at least. Matt Stewart was LIVID when they put the mugs out there, and fought against them. Ultimately, he had to give in, but stipulated that the mug had to sit only in front of the opposite side of the desk than where he sits."
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