Saturday, September 23, 2006
CNN NOT Connected to Amherst IDA Spot
Source: The Buffalo News A Florida television production company that charged the Amherst Industrial Development Agency $19,000 for a series of five-minute segments of television exposure on CNN has no connection with the cable news giant, a network spokeswoman said Friday.
In addition, the Florida producers of "Pulse on America" have no right to claim they are connected to CNN or CNN Headline News, CNN spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said.
"We don't do that," she said, referring to the "Pulse on America" program.
CNN's lawyers were checking into the matter, she said, following a story in The Buffalo News about the IDA's purchase of time on CNN through the Florida producers.
"These are clearly advertisements. They have nothing to do with Headline News, and that is why we're checking into it," Goldberg said.
The Florida producers, Platinum Television Group, completed their taping session for the segment on Thursday and left town, according to James J. Allen, executive director of the Amherst Industrial Development Agency.
Allen said he expects the Amherst segment to appear on the CNN Headline News network starting next month.
Fran Pahl, a public relations consultant for the Amherst agency, furnished copies of documents explaining how Platinum obtains broadcast time on the cable news network.
According to the documents, CNN Headline News grants cable television providers, such as Time Warner and Adelphia, with two "slots" of cable time each hour, which the cable providers can sell. The slots, each five minutes long, are scheduled at 25 and 55 minutes after the hour.
Platinum Television buys these commercial slots from the cable providers and uses them to air its segments.
The documents also explain that Platinum and its programs "have no direct affiliation with the networks on which they air." CNN's disclaimer was the latest twist in a long-running dispute over the Amherst IDA's role in local development. Allen claims his agency was chosen for the broadcast because it is more respected nationally than locally, where it is under fire from the Amherst Town Board and the Erie County IDA.
Allen said he suspects his agency caught the attention of someone outside Western New York, who convinced Florida producers to do a segment on the IDA's role in local development.
In addition, the Florida producers of "Pulse on America" have no right to claim they are connected to CNN or CNN Headline News, CNN spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said.
"We don't do that," she said, referring to the "Pulse on America" program.
CNN's lawyers were checking into the matter, she said, following a story in The Buffalo News about the IDA's purchase of time on CNN through the Florida producers.
"These are clearly advertisements. They have nothing to do with Headline News, and that is why we're checking into it," Goldberg said.
The Florida producers, Platinum Television Group, completed their taping session for the segment on Thursday and left town, according to James J. Allen, executive director of the Amherst Industrial Development Agency.
Allen said he expects the Amherst segment to appear on the CNN Headline News network starting next month.
Fran Pahl, a public relations consultant for the Amherst agency, furnished copies of documents explaining how Platinum obtains broadcast time on the cable news network.
According to the documents, CNN Headline News grants cable television providers, such as Time Warner and Adelphia, with two "slots" of cable time each hour, which the cable providers can sell. The slots, each five minutes long, are scheduled at 25 and 55 minutes after the hour.
Platinum Television buys these commercial slots from the cable providers and uses them to air its segments.
The documents also explain that Platinum and its programs "have no direct affiliation with the networks on which they air." CNN's disclaimer was the latest twist in a long-running dispute over the Amherst IDA's role in local development. Allen claims his agency was chosen for the broadcast because it is more respected nationally than locally, where it is under fire from the Amherst Town Board and the Erie County IDA.
Allen said he suspects his agency caught the attention of someone outside Western New York, who convinced Florida producers to do a segment on the IDA's role in local development.
# posted by ATN @ 10:02 PM 
