“Colorado & Company,” KUSA-Channel 9’s pay-and-say chat show, turns 1 today.
Here’s hoping a bakery owner wants to come on, free cake in tow.
Like many of my predictions that didn’t come true – I forecast, for example, that People magazine wouldn’t last six months – “C&C” has proven me wrong. I thought people would tire quickly of watching guests pitch products.
Instead, the show, hosted by happy faces Denise Plante and Scott Patrick, has turned out to be a cash cow for Channel 9.
A year into it, executive producer Dreux DeMack couldn’t be happier if he invented a new kitchen tool. “What we saw from the beginning was how can we best serve the client and make the show more appealing?”
They’ve certainly done that. Local businesses and community groups pay a fee for time on the air with Plante and Patrick and answer difficult questions, like, “You must be happy working at a furniture store.”
To their credit, producers make it clear that the “guests” are pitchmen and pitchwomen. After each eight-minute portion, there is a graphic that says, “(So-and-so) paid for this segment.”
“This is not a news program,” DeMack said. “We make no claims that this is news at all.”
Other stations have begun to take notice. Gannett TV outlets in Sacramento and Atlanta started their versions of “C&C” last week and a Salt Lake City station is considering the idea.
“It’s making a lot of money,” said Patrick, who also still hosts his own syndicated “Hollywood One-on-One.” “I didn’t know what to expect. I chose to do it because I think this idea is going to be around. It gives people access to television. The money counter starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 10:59 a.m., when Judge Judy comes on.”
Around the dial
Channel 9 led all competitors with 58 nominations in the Heartland Emmy Awards announced Friday. Other Denver stations and their nominations: KCNC-Channel 4, 49; KMGH-
Channel 7, 17; KDVR-Channel 31, 16; KTVD-Channel 20, 6; Rocky Mountain PBS, 5; KWGN-Channel 2, 4; Univision, 2, and FSN Rocky Mountain, 1. The awards, which cover TV market areas in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming, will be handed out Oct. 29 at the Seawell Ballroom. … A star is born? Channel 4 reporter Jodi Brooks took the lead in local coverage of the rebuilding in New Orleans, culminating in a 30-minute live special that featured riveting looks at the people most involved … Karla Martin, 45, known as “Karla With a K” on the Charley Martin-Hal Moore radio show, died Saturday in Phoenix following a stroke. Charley asks that contributions be made to the Make-a-Wish Foundation … Quotable: “I believe this type of programming … is going to be an integral part of television.” Scott Patrick
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
