Retooling the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon

[Maine-i-ac]

Well, we know this will be Jerry Lewis' last telethon and I heard that the telethon will go from 21 1/2 hours to 6 hours prime time on Sunday. But I did not know that other changes would come fast and furious. I posted this on the New England board but thought it worthy for the national board.

After nearly 30 years on WABI-5, Bangor, ME, the MDA is saying no thanks to this market for hosting the telethon. Citing $$$, and the retooling, I guess our market does not bring in significant dollars. I'm just wondering what this strategy will do to overall fundraising.

I'm really curious if there are any other smaller markets that have been told "thanks, but no".

http://www.wabi.tv/news/20314/mda-telethon-dropped-on-tv5-part-1

 

[azumanga]

I have read that the shorter-form version of the telethon was supposed to attract more stations, but apparently, the MDA is finding themselves shedding more stations.

(I do like WABI's MDA logo in their telethon footage, though.)

 

[dave73]

If this is their intention of the MDA to shed stations in smaller markets, then can expect to lose some funding. For only 1 day a year, I don't see how money can be a problem. I believe they just want to get rid of markets they feel aren't worth it to them (mainly rural markets). We can expect to hear about more stations being dropped with no other station in the market carrying the telethon.

 

[azumanga]

For only 1 day a year, I don't see how money can be a problem.

Especially now, when the big show is reduced to six hours.

Personally, money is not the only issue, but the fact that the entire night of network programming would have to be pre-empted, despite still being in rerun mode that time of year. No doubt there are some Love Network stations who are reluctant to give up "60 Minutes", "Desperate Housewives", "The Simpsons" or their local newscasts. I foresee the telethon still either being dropped entirely in more markets, or moving to lower-tier stations (CW, MyNet, indies) where network programming is a low-priority or a non-issue.

 

[DToTheJ]

...I do like WABI's MDA logo in their telethon footage, though.

Does it involve the trademark animated Jerry noggin?

 

[azumanga]

...I do like WABI's MDA logo in their telethon footage, though.

Does it involve the trademark animated Jerry noggin?

No -- it was a photo of Jerry's head on top of the MDA logo. The video clip in the WABI article displays it in the lower thirds, along with WABI's logo and the phone numbers.

 

[crainbebo]

For only 1 day a year, I don't see how money can be a problem.

Especially now, when the big show is reduced to six hours.

Personally, money is not the only issue, but the fact that the entire night of network programming would have to be pre-empted, despite still being in rerun mode that time of year. No doubt there are some Love Network stations who are reluctant to give up "60 Minutes", "Desperate Housewives", "The Simpsons" or their local newscasts. I foresee the telethon still either being dropped entirely in more markets, or moving to lower-tier stations (CW, MyNet, indies) where network programming is a low-priority or a non-issue.

Speaking of that, in Seattle the Love Network affiliate here is KCPQ-13, which has ran the telethon since the 1980s. KCPQ also runs MyNetworkTV on KZJO-22 (JoeTV). Wonder if KZJO will play the telethon rather than KCPQ, which is tape-delayed (8 hours from 9-5pm).

-crainbebo

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Jerry can reach more people on Facebook than he can on TV in this day

 

[TopOfThePops]

They should do something like "best Of moments". Clips with Frank,Sammy,Dean etc.. I would watch if they were to do something like that.