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WHO Rips off WBNS


IdiotsOutWanderingAround

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WHO-TV13, the perennial number two in the Des Moines market has been running a new promo lately. Its one, that personally made me do a double take the first time I heard it. The best way to describe this promo, a blatant ripoff of WBNS-TV in Columbus. See for yourself:

 

WHO PROMO:

http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8848886&nav=menu100_10_1

 

ORIGINAL WBNS VERSION:

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Well, I'll give them credit for it being a pretty good ripoff. Almost too good... from the "we've been following this breaking news (story) all night long" line to the lower third graphic thing. WHO didn't include all their classic logos though, I didn't see the red circle 13 used before the current logo.

 

With the internet, it's easier for creative departments to see what other stations are doing. Since WCCO unveiled their

, KOLD and to an extent,
have "copied" the idea.
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Didn't WTHR also run their own version of the WBNS promo? That is more acceptable however, because WBNS and WTHR are both owned by Dispatch. I think the thing that really is classless in the WHO version is the word-for-word lifting of the script--even the weather anchor says the same thing "our live Doppler shows the bulk of the precipitation..."

 

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In full disclosure, I also lifted the Alamoth Lane song for use in the end-of-the-semester montage I edited for SJSU's student newscast.

 

But come on, WHO creative services... at least incorporate a little originality into your own promo...

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Either WBNS or Alamoth Lane (the band) must have sold the rights to creating the promo. I imagine the band signed their life away to let WBNS use it originally.

 

Who knows...we could be seeing this in more markets and WBNS could be making some serious money on the rights to this type of promo.

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This is really not that uncommon.. Just like with graphics, stations have been "ripping off" promos from other stations for many years.

 

 

Many stations also don't just outright "rip off" a promo from another station either. I know a couple stations here in Chicago sometimes gets calls from other stations across the country (non-network O&O's) that have seen promos used here. The call usually gives kudos (does some ass kissing) to whomever came up with the promo and asks if they can use the promo at their stations in their own market. As far as I know, the answer has most always been yes.

 

 

Creative/Promo people I know at stations I've worked at don't really care if a promo that they make is used by another station, whether it's a "blatent ripoff" or a "total ripoff", just as long as it's in a different market. The general TV viewers (who the promos are aimed to and trying to grab the attention of) really don't see and really don't care that a promo at WBNS is also used at WHO. Heck, how many different stations in different markets have had a Gari "Hello" promo using Gari's exact same "happy caring people" stock footage? Many more than this WBNS/WHO promo..

 

 

If you see something somewhere that you truly think will work with your station in your market, go for it. Just as long as it's a once in a long while type of thing at a station, it's ok.. It becomes a problem if, for example, WHO is constantly taking other station's promos to use for their own.

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I am a total sap for retro promos...for whatever reason I love em.

 

I think they did a great job with the promo. However... the same exact lines as the original... come on guys! Change it up!

 

Of coarse they HAD to get the rights from Alamoth Lane to use the song. That's just common sense!

 

The big thing I noticed though ...the 2 previous logos to the current logo, are not in this promo. Wonder why?

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Either WBNS or Alamoth Lane (the band) must have sold the rights to creating the promo.

 

Station's don't sell 'the rights' to promos, therefore, WBNS will make no money. The band may get mentions/attributions on-air and online but very little, if any, money.

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Wow. That promo was something else. I do think that WBNS was the better of the 2. I think tho, that WHO-TV had to get some type of permission from WBNS to get the approval for this.

 

I wish that WHO-TV used a bit more origniality. However, I would love WGAL to do this when the 60th Anniversary of Channel 8 comes in February.

 

-- Matt

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As mentioned right above -- my blog idopromoz.blogspot.com has the details straight from the station itself.

 

Basically - WHO did the right thing and contacted WBNS and got the rights to use it.

 

If you're interested at all in promotion - please check out my blog, updated daily!:

 

idopromoz.blogspot.com

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