In this current economic situation, consumers are looking for value, which I interpret as quality at a reasonable price. Why not begin to find out the current "hot" used cars in your market and have several local dealers, some of which could even be advertisers, price these vehicles if they have on their lots. Do this on a weekly basis.
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| Supplier Curbs Health Care Costs |
TI Automotive is large automotive supplier, based in Warren, Michigan, specializing in fluid storage, transfer and delivery systems including brake, fuel and air conditioning applications. The company employees over 20,000 people at 130 facilities in 29 countries on six continents, with 2003 sales over $2.5 billion. At their Global Fluid Carry Systems operation in Warren, an innovative program has just begun to help contain rising health care costs. President Rich Kolpasky tells me that they now offer a "health care boot camp" to train workers how to live healthier lives. The company sets aside one hour a week to enrollees to attend this boot camp, and the company pays for most of the cost. I encourage you to do this story! Contact TI's press person, Laura Oliveto (AutoCom Associates) at 248 647-8621 or loliveto@usautocom.com
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I would like to introduce you to the International Model Car Builders' Museum which is a great story for local TV or radio stations in Utah, or any visiting national print or broadcast organization. The museum honors the wonderful world of the history of the model car hobby. It was established in 1990 and has gathered into one place thousands of items of memorabilia about the hobby of constructing scale miniatures of car. Their Web page (see link below) introduces you to the history of the museum by looking at some parts of the collection. They do a great job in classic car model-promotions. You can also examine some documents and other bits of written memorabilia from the hobby. If you have the time, you can read about some of the most colorful personalities and their models in the history of the model car hobby. There are plenty of photographs, and you will also find out how you can join our efforts. You are in for quite a treat. Contact Mark Gustavson at: 801-523-3683 or email at the site: http://www.themodelcarmuseum.org/
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Do you think car repair and maintenance is just a man's job? Think again! While car care has typically been thought of as "men's work," the Car Council says women represent 60 percent of automotive service customers in North America, spending more than $300 billion dollars annually on vehicle maintenance, repairs and used vehicles. Good local story here. How are car service and repair centers addressing this marketing opportunity? Do women have special needs that have been unaddressed until recently? How many women will you find in the waiting room of a car dealer's service department?
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| MotorCities Heritage Tours |
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| MotorCities Executive Director Mark Pischea |
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If you are a U.S. broadcaster working in an industrialized area, most likely you live in one of the twenty-five National Park Service National Heritage Areas. Did you even know they exist? Of interest to automotive reporters is the MotorCities-Automobile National Heritage Area. This area is most of southeastern Michigan, including Detroit, Flint and Lansing. The history of American automobile manufacturing has produced several interesting historic sites from very obvious places like Greenfield Village, the Ford Rouge Plant Tours, The General Motors Building, the Edsel & Elanor Ford House, plus not-so-obvious sites such as the remarkable 1933 Diego Rivera murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts. MotorCities Executive Director Mark Pischea recently explained the purpose and value of the Heritage Area before a meeting of the Automotive Press Association of Detroit. "Rather than retreating from our auto heritage for fear that it exposes us as a ‘rust belt’ state, we must embrace our heritage as what defines us as a people and a region. We should celebrate the contributions we’ve made to the world, and creative genius that still exists here today. Because if you have a passion for cars, or have an interest in history or is you love great stories, this is the only place in the world where you can experience it all." This is a story that is ripe for the taking. The MotorCities-Automobile National Heritage Area has created pamphlets and Website information to help visitors tour touring these historic sites in much the same way you might visit a National Park. This is also a wonderful resource for broadcaster working on an automotive piece that can benefit from a little history. Contact them at www.autoheritage.org or www.ExperienceEverythingAutomotive.com or at (313) 259-3425
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| Crossover Car Wash Prices |
If you take a look at your local car wash posted prices, and you'll find something similar to this, "Car Wash $5.00, Trucks $6.00." In this age of crossover vehicles, what happens when a Chrysler Pacifica pulls up to get clean? Is it a car or a truck? Same with a new Chevy HHR, it's a truck, but it will probably pass for the car price!
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Tuner cars are hot! Chances are, many of your viewers are tuner car owners. A tuner car is a regular production vehicle that has been modified to look and sound sweet on the street. General Motors and has launched a "Tuner Garage" on its GM.com website. It's currently under construction, so check back later. But you don't have to wait. You could create and produce your own "Tuner Garage" segment on a weekly basis, showing what someone has done to personalize his/her own vehicle. I'm certain that a local dealer in aftermarket parts would be happy to sponsor this segment.
Here's a handy link: http://www.gm.com/company/gmtunersource/html/tuner_garage.htm
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Canadian performance small car builder, Keith Losier, developed this ground breaking, one-of-a-kind ION Quad Coupe. If features one of the first known vertical door kits found on a Saturn, a custom fabricated interior which houses a serious sound system, and 7 LCD monitors creatively placed throughout the vehicle. Featured on the cover of the April/May 2005 issue of Performance Audio and Sound, and winner of the 2004 SEMA GM Compact Design Award, this Saturn continues to gain notoriety.
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| Promote Kid Car Seat Safety! |
Here's an astounding statistic: 4 out of 5 child car seats are used improperly. Please check out the website www.safekids.com for more information. You could help promote safe use of child car seats by using part of your crew van artwork dedicated to a message about child safety!
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| The safekids.com van |
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Here are some recent top ten selling vehicles in the USA, as reported by MSN. How does this compare in your community? (Source: automakers sales figures compiled by MSN)
Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, Toyota Camry / Camry Solara, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Impala, Ford Taurus, Nissan Altima, Ford Explorer
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| 1997 Suzuki Sidekick |
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Your station could do weekly features with people who've solved the problem of trying to buy a car on a limited income. Here's a photo of Kate Anderson of Hill City, SD who purchased a 1997 Suzuki Sidekick for her daily drive from home to her job as office manager at the Haney Camp near Mt. Rushmore, SD. As she says, "I bought it because of South Dakota roads. I need four-wheeldrive! It's small and easy to drive but works just as well as a more costly SUV."
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| Kids Take Great Car Photos! |
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Childen love cars, so it's best not to ignore them when doing stories about new vehicles or industry improvements. Get their reaction to make your story a great story. Kids know how to cut through the clutter and will always give you an honest evaluation of any design exteriot or interior design change. Better yet, this is an important bit of any consumer evaluation. Don't forget them!
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What makes a good driver? Each viewer you interview will have a different answer to this question! It?s a good story that can include someone who?s just won a safe driving award compared to someone who?s racked up a long list of tickets. Remember, the person who says, ?I?m a good driver, I have never had a ticket,? may not be a good driver just because he's never been caught! Just ask the cops! Journalists creating a story may want to also visit the "Disaster of the Month Photo Page" featuring unusual car crashes from around the world. (click at left to get a link.) I'll bet many of the drivers of these cars thought they were good drivers!
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| Name This Car! |
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How well do your viewers know their car grilles? Show viewers a close-up photo of a car grille and see how many correctly identify it. Their could be similar to Jay Leno's "JayWalking" segment on the tonight show.
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| Create A "Viewer Car Team" |
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| Norm & Harve: A Dream Team! |
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Why not create a "Viewer Car Team" at your staton to evaluate new cars? You could select members from viewers who requested to be on the team. It would be best to get a good cross section of people with interest in both domestic or foreign vehicles and manufactueres within both these groups. Age differences should also be represented. You could have great fun using them when the auto show comes to town, and on a regular (monthly?) basis.
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| Have Kids Draw Concept Cars |
Kids love cars and have some great ideas about improved car designs. Why not have your station do what the folks at the Chicago Auto Show do each year; ask grade students to draw their very own concept cars. Take a look at this drawing by "Rabecca, grade 6." She drew the "Car of the Furure. It is Eatable. The 2023 Krispy Kreamy Donut (car!)"
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| "Corvette With Boost" 2005 |
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| "Atomic Bomb Car" 2005 |
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| Car Problem Solver Segments |
In most households, the car is the second biggest investment a family will make. So why not offer your viewers weekly service tips about their cars? Viewers could call or write in questions that you own "Mr. Goodwrench" could answer with a well-produced show and tell segment.
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