Celebrating Maryland's Masterpiece

"Frederick is Maryland's masterpiece...the classic American story of home, church, school and work..."
--- New York TImes

What would happen if two of Frederick's leading media players came together to tell these hometown stories in a brand new way? What if these two companies could find a way to bring these stories to prime time television, every night of the week? What if these programs offered advertisers an opportunity to reach 84% of all households in Frederick County at a price they could afford?
Forget the "What if..." It's here! We're talking about FNP TV. Real Life. On TV. Every Day.
Celebrating its first anniversary this month, FNP TV is comprised of two, 30-minute programs: Frederick 360 and Hello Frederick. Owned by the Frederick News Post, and produced and distributed by the McCoy Media Group, FNP TV offers news, information, lifestyle and entertainment. From Someone You Should Know to Go and Do and everything in between, FNP TV is for Frederick, and about Frederick.

Why FNP TV
There's a lot to recommend our town's first commercially-supported television network. FNP TV allows business owners to:
Target Your Customers
Your ad reaches nearly 200,000 people! That's 70,000 households, all located within buying distance of your products and services!
Show, Don't Tell
TV gives you a chance to let your strengths shine. Frederick TV will give your message life and movement!
Emphasize Your Message
FNP TV amplifies everything else you're doing in your marketing campaign, bringing that top-of-the-mind awareness that helps customers really focus in.
Extend Your Reach
Studies report that the average American watches 7 hours of TV every day. Hard to believe, but as long as they're watching, why not have them watching YOU?
You Can Afford It
Special introductory ad packages and affordable ad production rates make television advertising more accessible than ever before.
Credibility & Service
FNP TV is owned and produced right here at home. We're going to do all we can to make sure you're satisfied!

Reaching the Holy Grail
All media attention is important to an effective marketing campaign, but TV exposure is the holy grail. And every campaign, no matter what the budget, can grab a TV producer's attention. The secret? A well-crafted press release that presents your company as a newsmaker. This is easier than you might think. It's all a matter of finding the angle. Think about your company. Even if your product or service isn't newsworthy, there's something unique about how you do business. How about the way your company is structured, or the way you manage your people? Do you encourage job sharing, or telecommuting? Are there other family-friendly aspects to your employment package? Do your employees volunteer in the community? When you really think about it, you can probably come up with a dozen news stories that would catch the attention of a TV producer.
As the producers of Frederick 360 and Hello Frederick for FNP TV, we're always looking for ideas. Got one for us? Send your press release to info@fnptv.com.

FNP TV: Getting Involved
The influence of TV exposure on your customer is tremendous. That's because we watch TV with less bias than we read ads. Having your message on TV is credible-- and powerful.
FNP TV offers different opportunities for community businesses to get involved-- all at remarkably affordable rates. On both Frederick 360 and Hello Frederick, you can purchase a traditional :30 second commercial placement. On Hello Frederick, however, you can also purchase content segments-- mini "infomercials" that tell the community who you are and what you do. We also have "Sponsored by" and "Brought to you by..." underwriting opportunities that give companies a tremendous amount of exposure, every single day.

A Mass Media Requirement
New and growing businesses need marketing plans as surely as they need business plans. If you've got one, that's a step in the right direction.
What's that? Your marketing plan for 2008 didn't include TV? You didn't even know there was a local TV forum for your advertising messages when you made that marketing plan? Well, keep in mind that your plan is not supposed to be a prison. Rules are made to be broken. Give yourself a little room to make changes as you go along to take advantage of new opportunities.
TV is a great way to describe the features and benefits of your product or service in detail. You can show viewers their key features-- including pricing, service, distribution and placement--and focus on how it differs from the competition.

The Value of Channle 10
FNP TV leases airtim from the local cable franchise, and broadcasts daily on that company's Channel 10. A new episode of each of our programs, Frederick 360 and Hello Frederick, debuts each Tuesday evening, and repeats a total of 21 times every week. (See www.fnptv.com). Heck, we even stream the programs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on www.fnptv.com.
Did you now that well over 80% of Frederick County subscribes to this channel? Located at between a major DC (WCBS/Channel 9) and Baltimore(WBAL/Channel 11), FNP TV is in a prime position to reach people who want to know about your products and services.
Advertisers and sponsors report great results in ever-increasing numbers. Why not put FNP TV to work for you?

Reaching New Market & Customers
You're not going to reach new markets and new customers by advertising in the same old places with the same old message. That doesn't mean you have to buy a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal or a 60-second commercial during the Super Bowl. Conventional marketing wisdom says "Target your advertising as narrowly as possible to the media that will reach your best customers. So if you're a company whose customer base is Frederick County, FNP TV is a great place for you to be.
There's also an adage that says "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got." Ready to do something different? Branch out! Drop us a line at info@fnptv.com and let us put the power of Frederick's only commercially-supported TV programs to work for you.

What's Stoping You?
Many companies believe that TV advertising is beyond their means. Granted, buying a spot on Lost or Extreme Makeover: Home Edition might well break the bank, but advertising on a local cable TV station is surprisingly affordable. For example, an ad on FNP TV costs less than $10 per spot! For placement on a media that reaches over 80% of Frederick County households, that's a great value.
MMG's TV commercial prices start at $400. So what's stopping you? You could be on TV in the next couple of weeks!.

Living the Dream
They say the difference between a dream and a goal is a plan. So if your goal is to be successful, and you'd like to do more than just dream about it, write a marketing plan.
Okay, I can hear you. I'm too busy to write a marketing plan. My reply? You're too busy NOT to write a marketing plan. Remember: all plans are imperfect things. How can we possibly plan for a future we know nothing about. Even so, a marketing plan is not an exercise in futility. An inaccurate plan is far better than no plan at all.
You don't need a hundred pages; a half-dozen will probably do fine. Pick a time each month when you're going to look at it. I scan ours every pay day-- it helps me to connect that bi-weekly review with something I always remember ;) We're a small business, so our plan covers one year. Any more than that doesn't make sense for us. Circumstances change, key employees leave, markets evolve, customers come and go...so I've learned that while planning ahead makes sense, being flexible makes even more.

The Zen of Your Business
Despite my best efforts, every business day starts out with a bang. Phones ring, people call, partners huddle and customers need attention. That's reality. It can be really hard to switch gears and focus on the big picture. Day-to-day operations can be all-consuming. You need to take time periodically to really think about your business. Are you staying true to the spirit of the business, even if its substance has morphed a bit? Are you getting what you want out of it? Is it time to define a niche, or should you remain a generalist. How about your employees? Would you want to work at your place if you were them?
When you're writing your marketing plan, and then while you're reviewing it regularly, discipline yourself to do some of this high-level thinking. Turn off your cell phone, power down the Blackberry...do whatever you need to to get away if you need to.

Marketing Check-up
Set aside some time and ask yourself these questions about your business:
Does your marketing message adequately describe how your product or service will benefit your clients?
How competetive is your pricing? Do some reconnaissance.
Which media will you use in your marketing campaign? Consider mixing it up. An integrated mix of various elements is the goal.How Do your marketing materials present you in the way you want to be perceived? Is it time to upgrade?

Powerful Numbers!
FNP TV is streamed 24/7 on www.fredericknewspost.com, the County's busiest Web site with 1.2 MILLION unique visitors every month. That's a ton of traffic, and with a link to FNP TV right on the Home Page, we average over 20,000 hits a month-- on the Web site alone! ots more.