Reporting from the middle of a busy highway toll plaza, or reporting from down in a sinkhole. Those are two things that may have made you shake your head when watching Eyewitness News this past month. You may have asked yourself, "Are those reporters crazy?"
No, maybe they’re just trying to win a TV.
Since November, WFTV has been encouraging its reporters and photographers to liven up their live shots. The contest, we’re told, includes a grading system with the reporter and photog with the top scores winning plasma TVs at the end of May.
The station’s promotions department has been really pushing this contest, one that everyone is encouraged to take seriously. But one WFTV source told us that the emphasis is still on doing the best stories. Besides the stand-up contest, we’re told there is also an ongoing contest for who can break the biggest and best stories that the other stations don’t have.
The Orlando Sentinel has more on the stand-up contest.