Peter Poggione

Fox 5 Forced To Punt On First Down

admin — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:59:40 +0000

The national ads that ran during Sunday’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLV were universally panned as being bland and boring. That’s actually a better review than the local-market ads in Las Vegas received because, well, they never ran and nobody had a chance to see them.

The NFL doesn’t allow casino-related advertising inside its broadcasts, but reportedly had been relaxed about enforcing the rule during the regular season and playoffs. So Las Vegas Fox affiliate KVVU Fox 5, thinking it was good to go, sold the bulk of its Super Bowl inventory to casinos.

But it turns out the NFL decided to enforce the rule for the Super Bowl and served Fox 5 with notice so close to kickoff, the station simply didn’t have time to sell the spots to other advertisers. And that’s why viewers were inundated with promos for the Fox 5 news team instead of Station Casino buffet ads.

A source close to the situation said the casinos drove up the cost of local ads and gobbled up the inventory, which priced out other regular local advertisers. The same source estimated Fox 5 lost more than $500,000 in income because of the “misunderstanding.”

Live From Las Vegas, It’s Saturday Night!

admin — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:27:47 +0000

Was it just me, or did Shelley Berkley’s acceptance speech Tuesday night look like a Saturday Night Live skit?

From the sign-waving, face-making flanker who looked like she could be Berkley’s sister, to the gum-chomping, crowd-scanning son at her side, the cast of characters on stage with the landslide Congressional winner could have arrived directly from central casting.

What took the scene over the top, though, was when Berkley, with that unmistakable voice of hers (cranked all the way up to 11 mind you) started chanting “Haaaarry! Haaaarry! Haaaarry!” to the partisan crowd awaiting Senator Harry Reid’s victory speech. It was Roseanne Roseannadanna without the attitude.

Nonetheless, congratulations are in order for Berkley, who enthusiastically represents all of us in Southern Nevada.

Life After Death at City Center’s Vdara

admin — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:12:16 +0000

Photo Credit: La Citti Vita

It turns out the “Death Ray” at City Center’s Vdara on the Las Vegas Strip isn’t as deadly as it sounds. A source close to the matter tells me that since the story about a potent reflection that rips through parts of the pool area when the sun hits the glass building just right went international, the phones have been ringing off the hook.

And it’s not just media looking to jump on the story. It’s bookings. The so-called negative publicity has been a boon, giving credence to the old PR axiom, “just spell the name right.” In this case, it’s D-E-A-T-H R-A-Y.

Not to be outdone!

admin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:18:29 +0000

Now that my longtime friend and former colleague from days on the sports desk at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Royce Feour, has joined the blogosphere, I figure it’s time for me to stop sitting on my fingers and let them hit the keyboard once again.

My last blog died a terrible, untimely, and entirely accidental death about six months ago. Since then I’ve also gone through a few changes on the professional front, so I’ve had enough excuses to justify my non-existence on the worldwide web. But no more!

I will now start ranting again on whatever comes to mind…which is usually something related to marketing, sports, betting, pop culture, media and/or Las Vegas. Stay tuned. Don’t touch that dial.

And please, check out the web site for my new company – SQUEEZ marketing + communications.