In Local Television Common wisdom has it that television as a public relations medium is only useful for large, well-funded campaigns and that smaller groups, such as local libraries, would make better use of limited PR resources by pitching stories to the local newspaper or nailing up posters. Television is a medium of real-time consumption and as such, has a voracious appetite for content.
Content starved producers are frequently willing to make deals.
California's Gold' airs on all 13 PBS affiliates in the state and is used in over a thousand schools and libraries. For example, as this is written, the show is working on a program looking back at the Harvey Girls who once operated the Harvey Houses that lined rail lines across the west. By looking into their historical collections, libraries near the West's historic rail lines may find relevant photos or stories. Local television programs often focus on local events and you may be able to successfully pitch a story about your library to a producer if you adhere to a few DOs and DONTs as outlined in Secrets of working with broadcast media . So don't be a victim of 'common wisdom' and ignore the possibilities of promoting your library on television.