Here's what Mr. Tunnell posted a few years ago with regard to Solo on TV.
Matt Murray
mattm@optonline.net
Bob T. wrote:
OK, Matt, I'll jump in. I definitely have a different view on the subject
than anyones else I've seen yet. <g>
People who think Solo deserves to be on TV because it's more exciting than
sports that are currently getting air time are missing the point. Sports
shows currently on the air are *not* on the air because they're exciting.
They are on the air because advertisers pay for the air time. Period.
Paintball is on the air because a few paintball product companies are buying
enough commercial time to convince ESPN to put paintball games on the air to
space out the commercials. NFL football is on the air only because the car
companies,
breweries, pretzel makers, and pizza delivery services buy the air time.
It's really no different than when Ron Popiel buys a half-hour on channel 52
to sell a Vegematic, Pocket Fisherman, or Chia Hair.
Obviously, advertisers are more willing to buy airtime if they think lots of
people (or at least the *right* people) are watching. There is a direct
relationship between viewership and spending by advertisers, but program
directors expect the people with the dough (advertisers) to prime the pump.
Wouldn't you?
Heck, I've been producing television programming since 1980. I've produced
programming featuring everything from Indy Cars and Top fuel Dragsters to
kids on skate boards and inner-tubes, and I can tell you this: making an
exciting 23-minute tv show is the easy part -- it's convincing potential
advertisers to *buy* the 7 minutes of commercial time that's the hard part.
You wanna see Solo on tv? OK, IMNSHO here's what you do:
1) Hire an Executive Producer to assemble and direct highly capable
production, sales, and admin teams. Hopefully, Rally/Solo's new
Marketing/Advertising person will fill the bill. Otherwise, find someone
with a *passion* for the project, because there isn't going to be any money
in it for quite a while.
2) The production team should consist of experienced production and
post-production professionals who understand the television industry as well
as the unique appeals of Solo. If their names and reputations are familiar
to the sports networks, so much the better.
3) The sales team needs to be armed with enough demographic and
psychographic info about the potential viewership to choke a horse. They
also need inside contacts at a dozen potential advertisers. They also need
a few years experience dealing with, or working at, advertising agencies and
know -- and can fluently explain -- the difference between a GRP and an RPM.
4) The sales team, once they get preliminary positive feedback from
advertisers, needs to "sell" the sports networks on the idea. If they can't
sell a national package, then the admin team needs to start clearing
individual stations all over the country.
5) If the sales team gets positive feedback from the advertisers, and the
admin team gets positive feedback from the networks or affiliates, then the
production team can go about putting together a way-cool autocross tv show.
Oh yeah, expect to spend at least $50k to produce a show shot at one event,
on one location, and with a no-name announcer (celebrity Corvette drivers
notwithstanding ;-). Wanna make the advertisers hungry to come back for
more so you don't have to do this all over again next year? Plan on
spending $75-100K.
Can it be done for les money? Sure.
Can it be done with less people? Sure.
But like anything else in life, you'll get what you pay for.
And so will the advertisers.
Just my opinion...
Bob
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