1510 H Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20005; Phone: 202/898-8111
Editor's Note: The nature of plugging this media outlet is strictly hit or miss - there aren't a lot of in-betweens. What works in radio is news that can be fed to millions of people in mini soundbites or information that's part of sometimes lengthy and highly-analytical news programs that are flavored with a lof of opinion. That means you need an editor or anchor on your side. And that's likely to take a lot of instinctive timing; for instance, don't call when a major news story is breaking - check the wires before you pick up the phone.
| Sections |
Business Coverage seizes on every possible angle: News can include the typical buzz about mergers or acquisitions or a profile about a business exec. |
| Editors | Business Editor and Anchor: Ed Silk Fax: 202/898-8147 |
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Days to Contact Days to Avoid |
Silk goes live six times a day and puts out several pre-recorded versions of business news as well. The worst time? On the bottom of the hour between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST. |
| Methods | Don't try to pitch Silk over the phone. He wants releases and story leads to be sent by regular mail. |
| Comments | Silk wants you to fax him news with some lead time and he wants to be alerted of product info. that's about to break so he can plan for it. |
| Sections |
Entertainment The emphasis here is movies, books, TV and music with a variety of programs airing Monday through Saturday, including those that are heavy on features and those that showcase interviews. Coverage includes host Dennis Daily's "American Montage" and Pat Nason's "While We're On the Subject." |
| Editors | L.A. Bureau Chief: Pat Nason Phone: 213/580-9882 Address: 201 N. Figueroa Street Suite 280 Los Angeles, Ca. 90012 |
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Days to Contact Days to Avoid |
It's touch and go since this is a two-man operation and they're pretty much always under the gun. Get your pitch in early in the week and early in the day. |
| Methods | They don't want faxes because they "can get lost." The best route is to drop something in the mail with a lead time of several weeks and then always follow up with a call. This is one group that wants to hear from you, so forget the rhetoric and deliver the facts. These radio journalists are well-seasoned and a good judge of what has merit. |
| Comments | "Sometimes I only have a minute, but I always listen to a pitch," Nason told us. "A lot of the times our decision on whether we'll pursue a story or not is admittedly seat-of-the-pants or based on gut instinct." So, if you call and give them a pitch that's a gem, it's possible you'll strike gold and they'll give you "the courtesy of another look." |