By Rick Griffin
Tribune Media’s two Southern California TV stations, KTLA-TV/Channel 5 in Los Angeles and KSWB-TV/FOX 5 in San Diego, are sponsors of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s 34th annual Bike MS Bay to Bay Ride, a cycling fundraiser on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22 and 23.
KTLA-TV reporters Sam Rubin and Eric Spillman haven’t missed riding in this event in a decade. KSWB-TV anchor Raoul Martinez and reporter Heather Lake also will be riding.
The National MS Society is expecting more than 2,500 riders will help raise more than $2.5 million in donations for MS research and programs and services for people with MS. A two-day, 100-, 125- or 150-mile ride from Irvine to Carlsbad will begin on Saturday, Oct. 22, and end the next day. On Sunday, Oct. 23, two route choices will include a 50-mile ride from Carlsbad to Hospitality Point on Mission Bay or a 25-mile ride starting and ending at Hospitality Point.
Registration donation is $400 per rider for each of the four rides. For registration information, visit www.BikeToFinishMS.com.
In related news, Tribune Media Co. recently announced it has renewed multi-year affiliation agreements with Fox Broadcasting Company for six Tribune TV stations in six markets, including KSWB TV in San Diego. The other stations were KTXL-TV in Sacramento, WXIN-TV in Indianapolis, WTIC-TV in Hartford, CT, WXMI-TV in Grand Rapids, MI and WPMT-TV in Harrisburg, PA. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
‘Gun Sports Radio Show’ Now on the Air
San Diego radio station KCBQ-AM 1170 The Answer, operated by Salem Communications Corp., is hosting “The Gun Sports Radio Show,” heard from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. According to producers, the show promotes the fun world of guns sports. Listeners include people who own firearms for recreational shooting as well as personal protection.
The show is co-hosted by TV and radio personality Dave Stall, known for covering the automotive industry, and Lance Pelky, a board member with the San Diego County Gun Owners, a political action committee promoting Second Amendment rights.
Recent guests on the show have included: Michael Schwartz, San Diego County Gun Owerns executive director; Joy Holyfield, assistant manager, Gun Range San Diego; state Sen. Joel Anderson; state Assemblyman Brian Jones; former San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders; Jim Kindrick, president of the San Diego Air & Space Museum; and Danny Kaplan, found of Guns and Moses, a shooting club.
“Lance and I felt there was a real need to provide a program to showcase the rich variety of the sport of shooting and allow San Diegans, from the curious to the avid sportsperson, to learn more about this exciting sport and give a voice to the numerous law-abiding gun owners in San Diego county,” said Stall. “The show has caught on with listeners who enjoy the sport, as well as non-shooting sports persons who are interested in the topic.”
SAFE Hosts Golf Tournament
The San Diego Advertising Fund for Emergencies, better known as SAFE, a volunteer, non-profit organization providing confidential financial assistance to local advertising and marketing professionals and their families facing a life crisis emergency, will host the annual SAFE San Diego Open Golf Classic, a fundraising golf tournament starting at noon on Friday, Oct. 14, at Riverwalk Golf Club, 1150 Fashion Valley Road, in San Diego’s Mission Valley area.
Cost to play is $150 for individuals or $600 for a foursome. The after-golf party, featuring prizes, giveaways, buffet, silent auction and raffle, begins at 5 p.m. Cost to attend the party is $25 per person. To RSVP, visit www.safesandiego.org. Sponsorships are available by contacting contact Marla Stephens, marla@cmediaconcepts.com, or Rodger Seelert at rodger@mediaaccesspartners.com.
At the after-golf party, SAFE will announce its winner of the first annual Mike McCarthy Spirit Award. Nominations for the award can be submitted at www.safesandiego.org/nominate. The award is for someone who works in San Diego’s marketing and advertising industry who has given their time and energy in the spirit of philanthropy, mentoring, industry and civic involvement. McCarthy worked in television sales in San Diego and Los Angeles. He worked at KFMB-TV for about nine years and at KNSD-TV for about 15 years before being named VP of sales with KNBC Channel 4 in Los Angeles in 2004. In October 2008, he suffered a heart attack at his Burbank office. He was 50.
SAFE is supported by volunteers in the advertising, communications and marketing industries. Since its founding in May 2000 by SDX, formerly the San Diego Advertising Club, SAFE has approved more than 90 grants totaling about $500,000. Over the years, SAFE grant recipients have needed assistance with such expenses as utilities, food, gasoline and rent due to a variety of emergency situations ranging from life-threatening disease to accident, injury or employment interruption.
San Diego AMA to Discuss Lead-Generation Technology
San Diego’s American Marketing Association chapter will host “Get Ahead With Lead Generation Technology” from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Downtown Works, 550 West B Street downtown. The program will feature a panel discussing the current tech-scape for awareness and inbound marketing tactics, including search engines, tagging, retargeting, programmatic advertising and social network analysis. Speakers will include representatives from Raindrop Marketing, Ignite Visibility, SearchMetrics and Goodway Group. Cost to attend is $15 for members of AMA and the SoCal Marketing Club and $30 for guests. To RSVP, visit www.sdama.org/events.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.