Another Sweeps Has Passed

I've only worked in T.V a year and a half, but it seems each ratings period is tougher than the last.

Ratings, or "sweeps", happens 4 times a years. Feb, May, July, and November. This is when the number of people watching TV really matters. Our rating, in comparison to the competition, helps us determine what we can charge for advertising. The higher the rating, the more money we can charge for advertising. Makes sense?

The most important newscast is the 10 o'clock news. And as an NBC affiliate, that means the new Jay Leno show is our new "lead-in", the show which leads into our news. If the lead-in has a good rating, then the news usually has a good rating too. This is because people are lazy and will usually watch the news on the channel they're already watching.

Jay Leno is not my favourite person. His average rating during the month of November was a 4.0.

At our competition, the CBS affiliate, they have shows like "The Mentalist", all the "CSI" shows, "Medium", and "NCIS" at their lead-ins. Needless to say, these shows are more popular than Jay Leno, with average ratings of 14.0.

This puts KSL at a huge disadvantage. This means my job, getting people to watch the news, becomes even more important. That's where my promos come in. We bust our butts to make eye-catching promos for specific stories. The promo will run for a few days, trying to get as many eyeballs as possible to see the promo so they will purposely tune-in to our news when the story runs.

I am happy to report, after a tough start... WE KICKED BUTT!
This is from the press release:

"At 10 p.m., KSL 5 News was the nation’s top-performing newscast among NBC affiliates.

Monday through Friday, KSL 5 News at 10 grew its lead-in ratings 253 percent. The Jay Leno Show provided an average 4.0 rating Monday through Friday and the average rating for KSL News at 10 was a 10.1."

What was the rating at the competition? 9.1. This means they lost viewers every night at 10 p.m., while our news GAINED viewers every night at ten. People are actually changing the channel to watch our news!

I am sooooooo proud to work for a quality T.V. stations like KSL. And I'm so glad we have amazing stories to promote. I've already posted a couple of my promos from this past sweeps. Here are my final 2.

The first is for another investigative piece. One of our reporters went undercover with the "Utah Valley Special Victims Unit." As soon as they told me that, I had a brilliant idea for the promo. Watch and see!




Here is my other promo. It was for a Carole Mikita piece. She's the religion reporter. This means she covers everything LDS-related.

The story behind this story is amazing too. You see, the LDS church is very tight-lipped when it comes to the media, even if the story we're trying to cover is a positive one.

Carole has amazing contacts at the church and once she found out a missionary couple played a huge role in helping kids in Cambodia, she set out to find them. Unfortunately, the Missionary department of the church didn't want to play ball, and never found (refused to find) this couple for Carole.

Days went by with no luck and Carole, who is LDS herself, told me she was at the point where she was praying and asking the Lord to help her find this couple. At the last minute, the head of the Humanitarian Department at the church came to Carole and handed her a piece of paper. It had the name and number of the missionary couple, who were happy to talk about their humanitarian mission in Cambodia. It was amazing to see Carole get teary-eyed as she told me this story.

That's another reason I love KSL. We have the Lord on our side. (KSL is owned by the LDS church.)

Here's the promo for the story.



And here's Carole's story.

My Husband: The Closet Twilight Fan

I am not a Twi-hard. Let me get that out right now. But I enjoy the books and being able to talk about them with friends and family - and even perfect strangers.

T.B. Harker has always teased me about the books and my excitement over the movies.

That is...until now.

A few months ago, we were on our way to a wedding reception in Ogden, a good hour away, and T.B. Harker asked if we could listen to his audiobook. I agreed, reluctantly, because I didn't know what the book was.

He hooked up his iPod, and to my astonishment, found out he was half-way through the first Twilight book. I was SHOCKED. This is the man who's been teasing ME for years!

My hubby's excuse? He wanted to be more educated when he made fun of Twilight.

Not convinced? I didn't believe him either. And now I am outing him.

On Halloween, we drove to St. George, 4 hours from where we live. T.B. was already on the second book. We listened to "New Moon" the whole way there and back! I was in heaven! My hubby even has opinions about what's going on in the books. He is NOT a passive listener!

T.B. even offered to pre-purchase tickets to "New Moon" for us weeks before it came out! Yes, my husband OFFERED to see the Twilight movie WITH ME! People were shocked to find out T.B. Harker was taking me to the movie, saying he was getting "major husband points." Yeah right. He was equally excited to see the movie, he just hid better.

I asked Tom a few weeks ago if he was "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob". He said he was "Team Victoria." In case you don't know, Victoria is the vampire who's trying to kill everyone.

We're in St. George again for Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful the truth is finally coming out.

We started listening to "Eclipse" on the way down, and I discovered what side T.B. is REALLY on.

My hubby is "Team Edward".

My hubby thinks Bella is an idiot in every book, but especially in the third for wanted to spend time with Jacob even when she's in a serious relationship with Edward. I think Edward comes across as controlling and over-protective. I am Team Jacob, at least, until the fourth book when it become irrelevant.

So what does this say about my husband? Do you think he's doing all this for me? So we have another topic of discussion? Or do you think he is really enjoying himself and is a secret "Twi-hard?"

Either way, I'm LOVING it!

And The Winner Is...

Bag #11!!! The Flower Power Black Strap Bag with the pink flower.

Good Choice Voters!!

Here's how the votes broke down:
Bag #11 - 4 votes
Bag #7, Brown/Blue Flower Wrist Bag - 3 votes
Bag #15, Black Gym Bag - 3 votes
Bag #2, White Formal Wrist Bag - 2 votes
Bag #4, Light Green Wrist Bag - 2 votes
Bag #9, Flower Power Brown Strap Bag - 2 votes
Bag #13, Light Green Polka Dot Strap Bag - 2 votes
Bag #1, #6, #12, & #14 each received one vote.

Want to know who won the beautiful bag? Watch and find out! (Yes, I know I look awful. Please don't make fun.)



Thank you to everyone who voted. This will not be the last time I give away free stuff on my blog. This has been so much fun for me! And hopefully for you too.

If you did not win a bag, don't forget you can get one 15% percent off at lillymaebags.com with the coupon code 74860. A few people commented they would like a certain bag, but with a strap instead of a bracelet, or vice versa. Or they wanted a certain bag, but with a flower, or with the eyelet for headphones. My friend is more than welcome to take requests and customize the bag for you. Just send her a note on the "contact us" page on her website.

I have a few already on my wish list and I know I'll be giving a few of these away at Christmas. SUCH a good (and inexpensive) gift idea!! Plus, now I know which bag everyone likes. Tee Hee!

The LillyMae Bag

A friend of mine makes these ADORABLE bags. They're called LillyMae Bags and I love them!

The idea behind them is they're small enough to fit everything you need - hands free. She has them perfectly measured to fit ANY cell phone, plus your cards and money.

There's two kinds: the wrist bag and the waist bag. The wrist bag hangs on your wrist by a cute beaded bracelet. Perfect for a night on the town!

The waist bag doubles as a shoulder bag and is equally cute. The strap is even adjustable. Here's my friend modeling her bag for me. She calls these her bags made for moms by a mom (she has four kids.)

She started making the bags just for herself, but everyone started wanting them, and voila, a business was born. She even has a website where you can now buy her bags! Her prices are super reasonable considering she makes them herself. Some day soon these bags will be in stores everywhere, but I know you don't want to wait that long. My friend said I could offer all my blogger friends a coupon for 15% off her bags! Just type in the coupon code 74860 and she'll know you got the discount through me. Before long people will say "Is that a LillyMae?" and you'll be able to say "It's my LillyMae ORIGINAL!"

As part of this super-fun arrangement, my friend said I could give a LillyMae bag away FOR free on my blog. The only problem is I couldn't decide which one to pick, she has soooo many cute bags to choose from!

So here's the deal. I'm going to post a picture of each bag, with a corresponding number. I want you to VOTE for the one you like best and want me to give away for free. Everyone who votes will be entered into a draw for the winning bag. Easy enough right? Voting will end next Sunday at noon Mountain time, and the winner will be posted Sunday night.

I expect men to vote too. LillyMae Bags would make a great gift for your wife or daughter.

I tried to take some artsy photos. Hope you like them. Click on the photo to make it larger. (Yes I have plastic on my stairs. Don't make fun.)

Ready? Here we go! Sorry about the weird layout, it didn't work out a well as I'd hoped.

1. Black/Red Paisley Wrist Bag

2. White Fomal Wrist Bag

3. Satin Brown/Blue Wrist Bag

4. Light Green Wrist Bag

5. Pink/Brown Wrist Bag

6. Brown Polka Dot Wrist Bag

7. Brown/Blue Flower Wrist Bag (I really like the beads on this wrist bag)

8. Brown/ Blue Polka Dot Wrist Bag

9. Flower Power Brown Strap Bag (I personally LOVE the ones with flowers)

10. Brown/Blue Polka Dot Strap Bag

11. Flower Power Black Strap Bag

12. Blue Polka Dot Strap Bag (Still needs the strap)

13. Light Green Polka Dot Strap Bag

14. Orange Flower Strap Bag

15. Last but not least, the Black Gym Waist Bag. This is one of my favorites, and one I will be buying from my friend. When I go to the gym, I have no pockets and I end up sticking my iPod in my pants and carrying around my cell phone like an idiot (and forgetting it almost every time on the treadmill.) This is the perfect answer to that problem. See the industrial eyelet? That's for your headphones. Brilliant! See? --------->

So leave your vote for your favorite bag in the comments section. If you live in Canada, no worries, I will find a way to get you the bag if you win. If you vote and I don't already know your address, you must be willing to provide it if you win. If you don't provide it in a timely manner, you forfeit your prize and it will go to someone else.

Happy Voting!!

The self-proclaimed T.V. critic

I work at a T.V. station. This means 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, there are 5 televisions in front of me, each on a different station. So when the four major networks roll out their new fall shows, some of them are bound to catch my eye.

I won't play favorites here. Just because I work for an NBC affiliate, doesn't mean I only watch NBC shows. The only bias I have is comedies over dramas. I'm a sucker for a good sitcom.

The following are more like rants than critiques, but hey, it's my blog, my rules.


First up: "Glee"

This new show on Fox gets credit for being original...sort of. It's High School Musical - with soap-opera drama. It's American Idol - with more dancing. It's Degrassi - with singing.

You'd think a show with all this would be a gold mine, but too bad the acting sucks. It's as if they took all the crappy extras from "Hero's". I counted 4 "Hero's" rejects in the first episode.

Some of the songs I enjoy, others just make me feel REALLY awkward, like when the glee teacher himself sings.
For example: Bust-a-move

As much as the acting is disappointing, I will keep watching. What can I say? When a teenager gets pregnant, I'm glued. I'm a sucker for teenage soap operas. That, and I need to keep up on the gossip for when I talk on the phone with V. Pigeon. It's WAY more interesting than our own lives. But still, some good actors would make this show a million times better.

I will say one thing, if the glee teacher doesn't end up with the guidance councilor, I'm going to be really mad. I mean, his wife is FAKING her pregnancy! How stupid can the husband be? Oh, and the fact the football hero actually thinks he got his girlfriend pregnant even though they never had sex? I mean plu-eeeze! Teenagers aren't that stupid right?


Next up, ABC's "Modern Family".

The show definitely has it's moments. It's based on three families. The grandfather and his hot new Columbian wife (and her 10-year-old son). The grandfather's daughter, her husband and their three kids. They're the only "normal" family in the show. And then there's the grandfather's son, and his gay partner. They just adopted an Asian baby named Lily.

The gay couple makes it a little Liberal for some people, so I usually don't have anyone to talk to about this show. But it's the show I find myself quoting the most. It has an "Office" type feel where the characters talk to a camera away from the scene.

Here's a preview.

Then there's NBC's "Community".

You may recognize the main actor, Joel McHale, from E!'s "The Soup". He's probably a little funnier there. Stand up is his element, but he doesn't make a bad actor. His character's name is Jeff.

The show is set at Greendale Community College. Jeff is forced to go back after the legal firm he's working for realises he doesn't have a real law degree. He's a con artist. Gets what he wants just by talking, except for the girl he likes, that is.

The character who makes the show for me is Abed. He's the Indian student who becomes friends with Jeff. He super talkative and quirky. I LOVE him.

Here's an little snippet for your viewing pleasure.

P.S. Chevy Chase is the surprise actor in this show. I'm too young to have appreciated much of his earlier work, but he seems alright! LOL!

And last but not least, my FAVOURITE new show. CBS's "Accidentally on Purpose".

Remember Dharma and Greg? I never really watched that show, but Jenna Elfman totally makes this show for me! She's plays Billie, an almost middle-aged woman who works as a movie critic. She goes to the bar one night, picks up a much younger man, and voila, finds herself pregnant. Since she's nearing the end of her fertile years, she decides to keep the baby... and the father. Turns out the father is living in his van, so she invites him to live with her, as roommates, nothing more. When he declines, saying, "I don't want to complicate your life," she says "Why stop now?" That's one of my fav lines so far.

Billie is one of those main characters who's funnier than all the rest of the characters combined. I think she's the only one who has a real hold on who her character is. It seems the other characters are still finding their "niche". Except for the pot head character, that is. I mean, that character doesn't take a brain surgeon. I can't tell you how much I love this show.

WATCH WATCH WATCH!

The Mittens

I first saw them on the Today show. Someone from the Vancouver Olympic Committee gave a pair of these mittens to Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira.

And I was in love.

They're so simple, yet so gorgeous, and I always need more items to show my Canadian pride. Plus I have no doubt they will be the super-hot item during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, kinda like the ugly blue beret that was so hot during the SLC Olympics (that you can now buy at DI for 50 cents).

I did some research, found out they were only 10 dollars (sold out everywhere online), and immediately e-mailed my mother-in-law. She was coming down to Utah the following week, so I asked if she wouldn't mind picking me up a pair at the Bay or Zellers.

Like the amazing mother-in-law she is, she was at the store very THAT day on her lunch break. Except there was a problem. They were sold out. The employee told her they have been sold out since 2 hours after they went on sale - a few weeks prior, and it was VERY unlikely she would find any mittens for me. Mamma Harker was put on a waiting list at number 99!

I was crushed, but not without hope. It was my DESTINY to be with these mittens.

I e-mailed every member of my family in Canada and told them they were now on a mission to find me these mittens. I know I sounded like desperate teenager, but I didn't care. I was officially obsessed.

Exactly two days after I sent out my plea, I got an e-mail from my dad. It said:

"Hi L.A. The Place d'Orleans Bay had just received a new shipment when I was in there today - so I bought you a pair. Happy Birthday! The saleslady figured they would all be sold by tonight!"

That is soooooo my dad. Being coy when he knows he just made me the happiest girl in the world! I know he was proud of himself. Once I knew the package was in the mail, the wait began.

Things take sooooooo long to ship between Canada and the states.

Then finally, two weeks later...


They're even more fabulous in real life! And so warm. And they fit me perfectly!

Oh, you noticed my make-up matches the mittens? You're so observant! Wondering if I did that on purpose? Oh, yes I did! Yes, these mittens were worth the effort.

Dad, the heart in the last picture is for you. You are the best dad in the whole world! I love you.

Jealous V. Pigeon???

The Promo that Broke Me

Stephanie Nielson is a blogger, just like me! Except unlike me, she has more than two posts. But hey, I'm just a beginner.

A year and a half ago, Stephanie was in a plane crash with her husband and another friend. Their friend died. Her husband was burned, and so was Stephanie. Except Stephanie's burns covered more than 80 percent of her body.

Although Stephanie lived in Arizona at the time, she has ties to Utah, and her blog the NieNie Dialogues is really popular here, so KSL covered the story a few times.

Stephanie's appearance has changed dramatically since the crash. And now she lives in Provo (just like me). It took her a long time to post pictures of her "new self" on her blog, but as she's adapted to her new life, her fan base has grown immensely.

A few weeks ago, Stephanie and her husband were on Oprah. I watched the episode while at work, and cried. She is an amazing person, with an amazing spirit, and an amazing testimony of the gospel.

KSL is the first local station to get a sit down interview with Stephanie. The reporter, Ed Yeates, has come out of retirement temporarily to cover her amazing story. He even uncovered details NOT revealed on Oprah. I don't want to give it away, but it's pretty juicy!

Because I was already a fan of Stephanie's (and I'm the only girl in promotions), it was unanimously agreed that I should do the promo. I watched Ed's interviews with Stephanie, and cried all over again. Although her face is scarred, she still resonates beauty. I'm not used to getting so attached to someone I've never met.

Please watch, and be kind. I worked really hard on this promo. Then watch her story on KSL 5 News at 10 on Thursday, Nov. 5th. There's so much in the story that I couldn't get into a 30 sec promo. I know Ed will do the story justice.

Lance, thank you for your help with editing. You did a great job.
Stephanie, thank you for letting the world into your life.