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This is a copy of my welcome email to tv news executives

I am delighted that we are connected.  As you probably know, I am a former ABC News global correspondent.  But my roots, and I suppose much of my reporting DNA, are in local TV News:  KPIX 1968-75, WFAA 1966-68, and KHFI 1965-66 (it was a VHS station that didn’t have the budget to hire me until LBJ and Lady Bird turned down a KTBC option of a new show called Batman.)   And you can relax, this is not a job pitch.  I have reached out to you and other local TV executives in order to share some ideas I have developed over my (so far) 49 years of TV reporting.

I am convinced of two things.  The well being of local TV news is critical to our democracy, our need for reliable information about our local communities.  Second, local TV stations are uniquely placed to attract younger viewers, and web visitors.   My next message will be the first in a series of thoughts on techniques I believe might be of use, subject to your own circumstances.  My experience and advice in these emails is free.

I will not second-guess what local news staffs are doing.  It’s a tough business in a tough environment, and back seat drivers don’t help.  But if any of my ideas seem relevant, you are more than welcome to use them.   And if you do not want to read about them, just drop me an email and I can take your name off of this email tag.  I hate unwanted emails and do not want to be the source of them.

I am not paid to publish my ideas.  There is no third party involved.  I will not ask you to signup and subscribe to anything.  I hate that too.  If there is an agenda it is my instinct that that I might some day return to local news to put my work where my mouth is.  In the meantime, I hope I can be of some help with ideas from someone who can never repay what I learned in Austin, Dallas and San Francisco.

Regards,

Mike