You're in sweeps every day

Happy first days of sweeps. Ok, everybody panic.

That's right, viewers at home who generally watch one station will suddenly slap themselves in the forehead after seeing a promo called "Stairway to Death" and yell, "Wow! You can die on an escalator! We'd better watch the other station!"

In reality, sweeps were over and won or lost months ago.

Viewers are slow to change their viewing habits. They grow comfortable with a newscast because it delivers what they want every day, not just during three twenty-eight-day periods each year.

Yes, everybody does special series or single stories designed to lure the viewer during these crucial months, but these days viewers are wise to those old tricks. They may tune in for a story or two, but chances are they'll go back to their comfort zone. And with everyone doing the same thing, most sweeps stunts cancel themselves out.

You wanna move that comfort zone and win February sweeps? Don't give your viewers garbage in December and January when everyone else does. Break some big stories and be the only game in town. That's how you get people to sample your product.

And here's a wild concept... promote them with the same effort you do during sweeps.

Every war is won or lost before it is fought.