Archive for the ‘From The Editor’ Category

Poll: do you agree with Dudley’s take on Sanders?

March 8th, 2010 joel

I had to chuckle at the complaints I received over the wording of my poll about P&T reader usage of Erie Times-News content. Even though over half of poll respondents paid for home delivery of the newspaper, including 41% getting it every day, they objected to my describing their willingness to pay for content as something they should be proud of! In fact, nearly two-thirds of respondents said they paid for the paper at least once a week.

I know it’s shocking (not), but the medium became the message once again this week. Last Sunday, ETN’s John Dudley called out Indianapolis Colts defensive back Bob Sanders for his perceived morph into a media “control freak.”

Dozens of Erie readers freaked at Dudley’s column, and flooded the paper’s mailbox and P&T’s comments stream with negative reaction. I’d like to give you a chance to chime in.

On a scale of one to three, how much do you agree with John Dudley's criticism of Erie native and NFL star Bob Sanders?

View Results

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Poll: how often do you buy or read the paper?

February 22nd, 2010 joel

In our Super Bowl ad poll, P&T readers matched the sentiments of the nation in general in their love for the Betty White/Abe Vigota ad. Quick…what was the product the spot advertised?

I’m shining the light on the newspaper biz a bit this week starting with a poll about your consumption of the primary news operation in Erie: the Erie Times-News. How often do you read it, and do you spend any money to get it?

How often do you buy or read Erie Times-News content?

  • I am a proud seven-day home subscriber (41%, 26 Votes)
  • I rarely read ETN content anywhere (19%, 12 Votes)
  • I only read the GoErie.com online content at least weekly (16%, 10 Votes)
  • I am a Sunday edition home subscriber (11%, 7 Votes)
  • I buy the Sunday-edition at a newsstand (10%, 6 Votes)
  • I purchase the paper at a newsstand at least three times weekly (3%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 63

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Posted in Polls Tags: , , , 17 Comments »

Poll: favorite Super Bowl ad?

February 8th, 2010 joel

Some 86% of our poll respondents thought that it would take at least three years, if ever, for local HDTV to arrive in Erie. Meanwhile we will just endure the standard def news and commercial cutaways.

A shocking yet exciting win for the New Orleans Saints last night in the Super Bowl.

It is also the Super Bowl of television advertising, with businesses spending between $2.5 and $3 million per placement. I missed having Pepsi in on the party, but there was some good creative here.

Here was my favorite, from Audi (always loved Cheap Trick!):

What was yours?

Of the USA Today top 10, what was your favorite Super Bowl ad?

  • Mars Snickers/Betty White & Abe Vigoda play football (40%, 16 Votes)
  • Doritos/Dog with bark collar (15%, 6 Votes)
  • Audi A3 TDI/Green Police (13%, 5 Votes)
  • Anheuser-Busch/Clydesdale's friend (10%, 4 Votes)
  • E-Trade/Talking baby explains to girlfriend (10%, 4 Votes)
  • Monster Worldwide/Musical beaver (8%, 3 Votes)
  • Bud Light/House of beer cans (3%, 1 Votes)
  • Bridgestone/Whale cargo (3%, 1 Votes)
  • Coca-Cola/Sleepwalker (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Budweiser/Teamwork bridge (-2%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 40

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Posted in Polls Tags: , , , , 4 Comments »

Poll: How soon for local HDTV?

January 25th, 2010 joel

Blogs are the thing to P&T readers.

When we asked how often you read Erie-based blogs, two-thirds of respondents said that they were connected to local blogs at least weekly.

Peyton Manning

So I’m watching the Colts put the hurt on the Jets on my sib’s 50″ 120 Hz HDTV. The WSEE/CBS pass-through looked amazing. The game footage, the graphics, replays and the commercials were sharp and effective.

But then they went local. Actually the upsampling of the standard def spots and promos didn’t totally fall apart, but compared to the net, the local origination left a lot to be desired.

Now I know that the cost of changing over the local side is in the millions, and considering that we are still in a recession, that kind of capital outlay is difficult. But if not now, then when?

How soon for local HDTV?

  • I can't see it happening in the foreseeable future (63%, 25 Votes)
  • It will take 3 years (23%, 9 Votes)
  • Between 12-24 months (13%, 5 Votes)
  • Sometime in 2010 (1%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 40

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Posted in Polls Tags: , , , , 13 Comments »

Press and Tower Podcast-Jan. 13, 2010

January 13th, 2010 joel

A.J. Miceli in the WERG Audio Production Studio

The significance of the tectonic change in the media landscape locally and nationally in the last decade has not been lost on AJ Miceli.

The chair of the Comm Arts department at Gannon University sounds off on the toll taken and opportunity embedded in the state of media today after such a period of change that we find ourselves in.  In our podcast, we discussed a broad range of topics, hopefully with a firm grasp of the tough reality that media organizations find themselves in. Thanks to AJ for taking the time with me and thanks to you for listening.

Download The Press and Tower Podcast for Jan. 13, 2010 or listen below.

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Posted in Podcasts Tags: , , 2 Comments »

Poll: how often do you read blogs from Erie?

January 11th, 2010 joel

Dozens of readers weighed in on our year-end poll asking whether the traditional media outlets in Erie would survive the next decade.

Nearly two-thirds said that there’s either not a chance or not likely that every “press and tower” will still be functioning in 2020. Less than one-quarter had a positive take on the viability of newspaper, TV, and radio.

This week, let’s look at new media. In the past several months I’ve been writing a weekly post for ErieBlogs.com titled the ErieBlogs.com Post of the Week. It ’s a chance to spotlight the great writing and diverse viewpoints on dozens of blogs throughout the local area.

My question is, are you reading them?

Other than P&T, how often do you read any Erie-based blogs?

  • Daily (39%, 20 Votes)
  • Few times per week (20%, 10 Votes)
  • Only occasionally (18%, 9 Votes)
  • Never/no answer (12%, 6 Votes)
  • At least weekly (8%, 4 Votes)
  • Few times per month (3%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 51

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Posted in Polls Tags: , , 2 Comments »

Top Erie media stories of 2009

January 1st, 2010 joel

Happy New Year and welcome to the “teens!”

As was the case with much of the last ten years, the decade ended last night with the media front and center of culture’s conversation. With top-talker Rush Limbaugh finally released from a Honolulu hospital, and Fox viewers in O&O markets thankful for a momentary reprieve from losing their football, media doings are never far from top-of-mind.

Here’s the top stories we were talking about in 2009, by month:

  • January: local TV stations and the Times-News cover the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20th
  • February: longtime Erie broadcaster and cancer machine inventor John Kanzius succumbs to cancer on February 18th
  • March: Nancy Dymond replaces David Calabrese as market manager of the Connoisseur Media radio cluster in Erie
  • April: a video capture of an apparently intoxicated off-duty Erie Police officer uploaded to YouTube created a local and national controversy about police relations with the minority community, and the new reality of social media
  • May: Lilly Broadcasting merged the newsrooms of WICU and WSEE, resulting in the elimination of about a dozen off-air and on-air jobs
  • June: WICU is the final TV station to switch off their analog transmitter and put Erie completely into the digital television age
  • Wards react to the reveal July: The seven day build of a home for Erie’s Clara Ward culminated in the July 2nd reveal of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition house
  • August: Star 104/WRTS increased it’s dominance in Erie radio as the Spring 2009 Arbitron ratings were released
  • September: Former Erie Congressman Phil English began his high profile blog “Presque Isle to the Potomac” on GlobalErie.com
  • October: The Erie Times-News was named Newspaper of the Year by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
  • November: Erie’s most-visited media website, GoErie.com underwent a major redesign
  • December: The weekend of December 12th and 13th turned out to be one of national media attention on Erie, as Saturday Night Live mentioned the fictional “Erie Chamber of Commerce” as part of a PGA spoof over the Tiger Woods controversy, then a two-hour special episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition showcased the work of thousands of volunteers impacting an eastside Erie neighborhood.

Next week, we’ll talk with one of Erie’s top media watchers about the past year and what we might see in the new year. Stay tuned.

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