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Former TV news producer gives insider tips on how to get booked on national TV
Every day, cable TV producers book guest after guest to appear on TV. So, how do you become one of those people?
How to Get On National TV Immediately: A blog about the secrets to TV booking success.
Kris Ruby, CEO of Ruby Media Group, discusses personal branding, how to brand your business, and how to get your business featured on TV.
TV & MEDIA BOOKING: HOW TO GET BOOKED ON NATIONAL TV
Everyone wants to be on TV, but not everyone knows how to position themselves as an expert in order to get booked on TV.
Whether you are working with an agency, a publicist, a TV booker or directly with a producer, here are the top things you need to do to maximize your chances of frequent on-air success:
- Brand yourself in a specific category. Producers are looking for subject matter experts to comment on breaking news stories, recent studies or trends. They want to work with specific experts as sources who can speak to highly technical content in a specific vertical. Brand yourself as the go-to expert in a niche category.
- Stay on top of industry news. Set up Google Alerts on the top keywords associated with your industry. Read the news daily to stay on top of industry trends.
- Personalize the news with your unique view. After you have identified a breaking news story you could comment on, write out your hit points on the topic. What is your unique opinion or slant as a subject matter expert on the story? What are the top three points you would want to get across on air if you had the chance to share your view on the story?
- Create a custom media list. Identify the producers who are covering your beat. Once you have identified them through Cision, Vocus or even Twitter, create a customized media list in Excel with their contact information. Only target producers who actually cover the type of news you want to speak about.
- Watch the shows you pitch. Do your research before pitching. You can be more effective getting booked on TV by watching the shows you pitch by looking for trends and the types of guests that are booked.
- Repeat the cycle. Continue to repeat the process as new stories come out in your field. Be persistent. Sometimes, your hit points could be great for a segment but the producer wants to go in a different direction. Other times the producer may love your points but already has someone else booked. If you want to make a name for yourself in the news, you have to be part of the news cycle.
As long as you continue to craft targeted, timely pitches to the right people — and stay on top of the news cycle — you too can start building your brand with TV appearances.
You’re on air all the time, not only when you are on TV.
Your social media is an extension of your on-air presence. It should help you get booked.
How do you get your brand out there on social media and make producers remember you?
Be Memorable. Too often, people are afraid to say things against what is politically correct or what is perceived to be outside of the current social norms. When you look at legacy media, who are the hosts and the anchors that people love or they respect? It’s typically the hosts who are really willing to put it all out there, put it on the line, and be the voice of the people. The same is true when it comes to new forms of media such as podcasting or social audio and live podcasting like Twitter Spaces.
Building your corporate influence with TV Publicity
The truth is, it is difficult for producers and TV guest bookers to put you on air if no one knows who you are. This is where a TV booking firm can help you. When a booker or producer Googles you, it is critical that you have already established trust, authority, and digital expertise.
TV BOOKING CHECKLIST
What Else Goes Into A TV Booking? Using Television As a Media Tool: Media Relations and getting exposure through national TV.
What does a TV booker do?
A TV booker is responsible for booking national television and radio.
Talent & Guest Booking 101
Guest bookers must have impeccable news judgment. They are responsible for booking guests on live TV shows. Talent bookers cultivate relationships with PR firms and tap into their rolodex to book top guests who are newsmakers, influencers, analysts, and industry experts.
What does a TV guest booker do?
- Pitch original segments; Identify, cultivate relationships and book top guests who are newsmakers, influencers, analysts and subject matter experts
- Conduct pre-interviews and organize relevant segment research for booked guests
- Work with the Senior Producer (Live Broadcast) and editorial team to develop and launch original new live programs
- Collaborate with Producer on the development of daily rundowns, story selection, bookings, graphics generation, video editing and script writing
- Coordinate with on-air talent on research/pre-interviews
- Book guests with diverse points of view for panel discussions
- Deliver detailed and accurate guest coordination information to technical/control room team for in-studio or remote interviews
- Work on post-production editing, writing and distribution for VOD
- Respond quickly to breaking news with last-minute guest bookings
- Collaborate across the organization to book guests for breaking news
TV BOOKER DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Book top-tier guests for the show on a daily basis
- Conduct pre-interviews and research packets for various guests and on air segments
- Strategize and collaborate with colleagues about the best guests to book for the show and best booking approaches
- Pitch different guests and topics that would be a good fit for the show
- Pitch unique and interesting stories that viewers will relate to
- Manage daily deadline turnarounds of a live show
What are the responsibilities of a TV booker?
A TV Booking Producer is responsible for booking guests, writing pitches, and handling newsmaker requests. TV Bookers also write the rundown for feature and segment production on daily news segments and create a strategic vision for bookings. A booker serves as a TV show’s booking representative and is responsible for continuously upgrading bookings for live daily news interviews.
The Booking Producer is also responsible for researching and pitching unique new guests, and compelling segments daily, and for future TV production planning. A TV booker is proficient in all aspects of television production including graphics, editing, digital news gathering, and live remote broadcasting.
A TV Booking Producer must be able to react quickly in breaking news situations and line up elected officials, lawmakers, outside reporters, and industry experts while a TV show is live, as well as when news breaks during the day.
TV Booking Producers use social media platforms to find new guests involved in breaking news situations. They are responsible for booking both remote and in studio guests.
TV bookers develop, cultivate, and maintain new guest relationships on behalf of the program and the network. Bookers usually have a strong rolodex of TV guests and on-air talent that they port with them from one network to another. The best TV bookers thrive in a fast-paced environment where changes happen minute to minute and hour by hour.
TV BOOKING TIPS:
How to get on TV as an expert
Find out who books each tv show:
- What is your subject matter expertise?
- What type of guests does the show typically have on?
- Target the booker or producer.
Topic: What guest will you pitch for a topic that ties into the news cycle?
Who: Who is the best booker or producer to pitch at the show?
PR Pro Tip: You have to know who is booking the guests for that show before reaching out.
Show:
- What show do you want to be a guest on?
PR Pro Tip: Watch the show before pitching.
Media is a powerful PR tool for any business looking to grow to the next level.
Earned media exposure is a great way to market your business through third party endorsements from trusted publications and outlets that your customers read.
If you run a business, getting in touch with the media on your own is a daunting task. That is where the help of a PR firm like Ruby Media Group comes in.
We know that producers and bookers in a TV studio are looking for, how to make them interested in a guest and how to tell your story in an interesting way that gets you booked.
Business PR Tips: How to keep your business ideas featured in the media
How can Executives get booked on TV?
Every executive wants to become better known on TV. But most don’t know how to do that. How does an executive go about doing that?
How do you make the switch from podcasting to being a little bit more broadly known in the media?
Tips for Getting Booked on TV Talk Shows
If you want to be more broadly known in traditional media, the first thing is to tap into the national conversation.
Understanding the news cycle.
- What are reporters covering? Search Google News daily.
- What are people talking about online and what topics are trending? Use social listening tools.
- Are you talking about those topics on your podcast?
A producer’s going to hear it and you could be invited on as a guest to talk about the areas that you are speaking on, but if you’re talking about things that are far removed from what you’re seeing covered on the news, that’s going to be significantly harder to make the leap.
- If you do a good enough job of discussing relevant topics, quotes and clips may be taken directly from your show.
If you want to break into TV news, watch TV.
Turn on the television and listen to the anchor. What are they talking about? Are you actually talking about those topics? If not, start today!
NYC TV BOOKING COMPANY | RUBY MEDIA GROUP
Can A PR Firm Help You Get TV Bookings?
Ruby Media Group gives you exposure with TV appearances, press placements, radio interviews, and more. Our team has years of experience getting doctors, lawyers, politicans, and executives publicity to help grow their presence on digital platforms.
We take the time to get to know you and your story so we can create effective publicity campaigns. Get started today with a free consultation.
RMG is a full-service media relations and public relations agency located in New York. RMG strategically creates publicity plans to meet your unique PR goals while maximizing local, regional and national media exposure.
Gain Access to journalists, producers, podcasters and reporters.
The truth is, getting booked on TV is hard. You need access to producers, bookers, and people who know you can perform well on air. Despite what anyone tells you, it is hard to get featured on TV unless you know someone. We regularly get out clients featured on TV as well as in newspapers, on trending digital websites with high domain authority, and in prominent podcasts and radio shows.
Broadcast Media Advisor | High Impact Media Coverage
Prior experience in broadcast TV is required for any successful publicity campaign. This is where Ruby Media Group stands out from the competition.
As an on-air television commentator and contributor for editorial outlets, RMG’s Founder Kris Ruby knows how to effectively pitch doctors, lawyers, executives and medical experts to the media.
Kris has built relationships with reporters, journalists, bookers and producers for over a decade.
If you’re looking to get booked on TV, then you need to work with the best in the business. With over 15 years of PR experience booking guests on TV, they know exactly what it takes to get you in front of the camera. Ruby Media Group is well connected and respected within the TV cable news industry and has endless relationships with former TV news producers and bookers. You can be sure that RMG will get your message out there loud and clear. Contact Ruby Media Group today to start making your dreams of appearing on national television a reality!
National TV Publicity Firm | Ruby Media Group
Get publicity for your business
The top NY PR firm receives media requests daily from producers and journalists looking to fulfill editorial needs, podcast booking needs and tv booking requests.
Want to be considered for these media interviews and publicity requests?
Contact us today to learn more about our PR services!
High-impact media coverage.
🌟 Our NYC PR services include 🌟
- Publicity & Media Relations 📢
- Crisis Communications PR 🔥
- Media Booking 📺
- Social Media🗣
- Content Marketing | SEO 💬
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- Podcast, Radio, TV Booking 🎙
Looking to hire a television booking firm?
Ruby Media Group provides TV booking services, national media placement, and executive media training for individuals looking to be on air.
Our company works with former television executives who leverage a vast network of contacts to maximize our clients’ visibility on top news networks.
RMG works with leading business executives, politicians, doctors, and key opinion leaders, to help them secure new opportunities to appear on television.
Ruby Media Group works directly with former longtime television executives, bookers, and TV producers based in Manhattan, New York.
Searching for PR Firms near me? Contact us today.
TV networks depend on having a constant flow of verified experts to flesh out stories and provide expert commentary.
Imagine what it would feel like to get the call for your opinion on the issues that matter most?
Ruby Media Group is respected by TV producers nationwide for their ability to connect guests with the right shows. That means you’ll have an advantage over other experts when it comes time to pitch yourself as a guest expert. Because RMG has such strong relationships with producers, it’s also likely that your appearance will result in significant media exposure – something no other agency can offer.
So if you’re looking for an experienced and well-connected PR firm who can help you get booked on TV, look no further than Ruby Media Group!
GET BOOKED ON TV
Do you dream of getting booked on TV as a guest?
Being a guest on a talk show can boost your credibility, visibility, and brand exposure.
If you’ve ever wanted to share your expertise, story, or product on TV, now’s the time to make it happen.
Learn how to refine your message, perfect your media kit, and shine on air.
The spotlight could be yours—are you ready? Let’s talk about how to get you there!
ABOUT
Kristen Ruby is well connected and respected in the cable news industry. She knows the right people to talk to in order to get you booked on your dream channel, show, or network. If you are looking for media and PR exposure and want to be seen by a large audience, then contact Ruby Media Group today. You can trust RMG to get the job done right while providing you with top-notch client service.
* This article originally appeared in FORBES
© 2016 Ruby Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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KRIS RUBY is the CEO of Ruby Media Group, an award-winning public relations and media relations agency in Westchester County, New York. Kris Ruby has more than 15 years of experience in the Media industry. She is a sought-after media relations strategist, content creator and public relations consultant. Kris Ruby is also a national television commentator and political pundit and she has appeared on national TV programs over 200 times covering big tech bias, politics and social media. She is a trusted media source and frequent on-air commentator on social media, tech trends and crisis communications and frequently speaks on FOX News and other TV networks. She has been featured as a published author in OBSERVER, ADWEEK, and countless other industry publications. Her research on brand activism and cancel culture is widely distributed and referenced. She graduated from Boston University’s College of Communication with a major in public relations and is a founding member of The Young Entrepreneurs Council. She is also the host of The Kris Ruby Podcast Show, a show focusing on the politics of big tech and the social media industry. Kris is focused on PR for SEO and leveraging content marketing strategies to help clients get the most out of their media coverage.