As a former television news special projects producer, I can't turn off sweeps month ideas. I still see them everywhere.
So, as I have done in the past, here are some quick sweeps stories ideas I jotted down for you. Some may make my non-TV blog readers roll their eyes, but a TV manager might not be able to resist them.
Some of these stories will be unique to Houston or Texas, while others can be used anywhere. And some can be used anytime. In fact, you can probably pull some of 'em out for years!
Toxic clothes
A friend of mine bought new socks, put them on and went running without washing them. This happened for a week until all the new socks were out. He then got a fever and a rash. A doctor had to prescribe him something to get over it. Turns out, the doctor thought it could be the chemicals in the clothes that are in there to keep them looking nice for the sales rack. Here is a post another blog wrote about this topic. If you need more, go with this angle too. Cue scary voice over...
Facebook finding you
TV stations always jump on social networks and privacy or some other issue during sweeps stories because they can make it all sound scary. Facebook just made an announcement it will stop profiles from being unsearchable in its graph. Maybe Zuck should have waited until after November TV sweeps. You can use creepy music and graphics, shoot monitors and hands in dark rooms, MOS interviews...etc. to really freak out the viewers. Then you can offer these tips to help viewers be safe. It doesn't even matter this will be weeks old by the time the story could hit the air.
New kind of meth in Texas
On a really serious note...Some middle school girls were just caught with a new kind of liquid methamphetamines in Texas City. This can totally be expanded on. Then add in some stuff about the flesh eating Krokodil drug.
Vampire Face lift
Enough said. If there is a TV sweeps period without beauty news, was there really ever a sweeps period to begin with? Here is a Houston place that is offering the vampire face lift - just giving you a chance to use Twilight clips.
Freezing fat off
I did this story back in 2010 when I was freelancing at KIAH 39. Fox 26 KRIV did it again in 2013. I'm sure some other station did it in between those times too. Time to pull it out again. TV sweeps are like the environment...keep on recycling my friends and freezing the fat.
Feral hogs
KENS San Antonio nailed it with this headline: Bubba's Bacon Station promoting wild boar as feral hog solution. Do something in your DMA about feral hogs. Go to a trapper for some scary night vision video of them...the hogs, not the trappers (although you might have an editor check that video for good trapper footage - you never know).
Then you could ask me about my Bolivar Peninsula story, but that could require open records requests and would be a better May sweeps story anyway.
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