KBA'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

September 2, 2021

COVERING HS SPORTS DURING COVID

BEST PRACTICES PREPARED BY THE KBA AND KHSAA

The Kentucky Broadcasters Association and the Kentucky High School Athletics Association provide the following best practices for covering high school sports during the COVID pandemic:

Check with the home school regarding masking and other COVID protocols, for both inside and outside events. We know that isn't popular in some circles and is challenging in doing what we do, but please understand in many cases, they do not have a choice.

If your vaccination status is affirmative and if and only if you are comfortable doing so, you may consider sharing that information with your site contact. This is not required, but many are extremely sensitive to non-vaccinated individuals intermingling in areas where students or staff are located and may be more comfortable knowing this fact. And they are trained in protecting private information as that is part of their daily job responsibilities.

Be aware that most schools, if not all, are currently requiring the wearing of masks while inside a school and that many schools will be applying that protocol to all persons in the press box or press area regardless of whether it is inside or outside, if it is enclosed.

Please only bring persons with your broadcast team that are essential to the broadcast and avoid bringing family members or others along for the duration of the pandemic to aid the schools in their own strategies around the virus.

Please consider doing all interviews with non-broadcast team members outside of any enclosed press box.

Please advise the KBA and the KHSAA Communications team if you encounter issues surrounding the ability to do live audio so that they jointly can partner in resolution.

HAL ROGERS: KENTUCKY'S LONGEST SERVING MEMBER OF CONGRESS

The Kentucky Broadcasters Association would like to congratulate Congressman Hal Rogers who today will become Kentucky’s longest serving Member of Congress.

To celebrate this milestone, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers and Kentucky Speaker of the House David Osborne will be honoring Congressman Rogers in the Kentucky Senate Chambers on this afternoon at 2:00 PM.

Since 1980, Congressman Rogers has been elected to 21 consecutive terms representing the people of Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District, currently encompassing 30 counties across southern and eastern Kentucky. (And he has announced that he plans to run for a 22nd term.)

The Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives confirmed that on September 2, 2021, Congressman Rogers will have served 14,852 days in office, surpassing the late U.S. Rep. Bill Natcher, a Democrat from Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District in western Kentucky. Congressman Natcher served 14,851 days in office from his special election on August 1, 1953 until his death on March 29, 1994.

Kentucky’s Congressional Delegation also plans to host a celebration honoring Congressman Rogers, the Dean of the delegation, on Capitol Hill later this year after Congress resumes its legislative work. The U.S. House of Representatives is not currently in session.

POYNTER WEBINAR:

REPORTING ON DEATHS BY SUICIDE

SEPTEMBER 15TH 12:00 - 2:00 PM EDT

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, in fact far more people die of suicide than homicide, yet it gets a fraction of our media coverage. This workshop will help you find ways to cover this epidemic of preventable deaths by boosting your awareness, knowledge and skills in covering this vital topic.

This workshop is led by The Poynter Institute’s Al Tompkins and Kelly McBride who have taught thousands of journalists worldwide how to ethically cover difficult issues.

This webinar is provided as a free service to KBA member stations.

CNN MENTIONS KBA IN NEW STORY ABOUT LEADER MCCONNELL'S VACCINATION PSA

McConnell urges Americans to get vaccinated in new PSA

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is expanding his efforts to convince more Americans to get vaccinated against Covid-19 with a new public service announcement available for TV stations to air nationwide.

Read more
www.cnn.com

DOWNLOAD VACCINE PSA HERE

WCYN CELEBRATES 65TH ANNIVERSARY

CYNTHIANA STATION SIGNS ON-AIR SEPTEMBER 1, 1956

JEFF SCHMIDT'S SALES TIP OF THE WEEK

THE TORX SCREW

You walk into a hardware store, you’re greeted by an enthusiastic salesperson who exclaims, “We have a sale on Torx Screw bit drivers today, would you like me to show you?” How do you respond? Most likely, “No thanks, just looking.” Until I recently purchased a Jeep, I had no idea what a Torx screw was. Torx is a trademark for a type of screw drive characterized by a 6-point star-shaped pattern. The purpose of the Torx drive system is to be able to tighten a screw more securely without stripping it. They are now common in decking materials for home improvement and in cars and SUV’s because of the ability to securely fasten. Now that I have a Jeep, I actually need Torx screwdrivers.

How does a lesson on hardware and tools fit into a sales tip?

Last week I had the honor of participating in a panel discussion hosted by SoCast Digital. On the issue of radio stations expanding digital sales one of the questions was do you throw all available options at your clients and hope something sticks?

Digital is simply a tool in your toolbox of marketing options and platforms. Leading with a digital product would be like the hardware store seller leading with a Torx screwdriver. What we mean by that is whether you are selling digital, or traditional media, it all starts with strategy. Determine what the client needs, then choose the appropriate tools in your toolbox to accomplish those needs. The question of selling more digital is a function of two things:

Knowledge - Understanding what the tool is used for, what it does best, and how it works.
Application - Identifying clients who have a need for what the tool does.

Rule number one that we teach our advertisers is that people don’t buy products and services, they buy what the product or service does for them. Similarly, when selling advertising, your clients aren’t buying :30’s, :60’s, banner ads, or targeted display, they are buying what those services can do for them.

Identify what the client is trying to accomplish, then recommend the tools in your toolbox that can help them achieve their objectives. It all starts with a solid foundation of knowledge. Knowing what each of the tools in your toolbox does is critical to being able to offer the expert advice and recommendations your client’s need.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can also connect with him by email JSchmidt@rab.com or on Twitter and LinkedIn.

To learn more about RAB's online certifications, on demand webinars and Leadership Masterclass, please go to kba.org, Member Benefits, RAB Total Access. Provided as a free service to KBA member stations. If you need assistance logging in, please contact Amber Rhodes at amber@kba.org.