So to speak.
She made a few more notes on her tablet. “Okay. I’ll talk to Eddie and Gladys and explain about the indecency restrictions for broadcast shows.”
She had a good idea what the requirements were but would have to look up the specifics. She had a feeling the TV duo were not the types to be intimidated by vague rumblings of FCC rules. She would have to go into the discussion armed.
“You are getting thrown in the deep end, aren’t you?” Mayor Marsha smiled at her. “This is only your second day. I hope you’re not regretting your decision to take the job.”
“I’m not,” Maya assured her. “I love a good challenge.”
“Then consider yourself blessed.” The mayor glanced at her notepad. “Next up we need to discuss our new video campaign. The city council wants a two-pronged approach. The first set of videos will be about our town slogan. Fool’s Gold: A destination for romance. The second set will be in support of general tourism.”
They’d discussed the new campaign at Maya’s interview. “I have a lot of ideas for both,” she said eagerly.
“Good. We’re still coming up with more ways to use the videos. They’ll be put on the town’s website, of course. But we’ll also want them to be used for commercials. Both on the internet and television.”
Maya nodded as she typed on her tablet. “So thirty-second spots for sure, with additional cuts of the material in one-and two-minute lengths? The message varying, depending on the target audience?”
“I’ll leave the technical aspects of it to you, Maya. Also, any ideas you have for increasing viewership of the videos would be appreciated. The city council is a dynamic group, but we’re not tech savvy. You’re going to have to lead the way on that.”
“Happy to.”
She had some contacts, she thought. Not anyone at the FCC, but friends in advertising who would be happy to brainstorm ideas. It would be easy to edit material so that it appealed to different interests. Focus on the outdoor activities the town had to offer on ESPN and sports websites. Show family-friendly things to do on cable channels more traditionally watched by women, with links on websites that appealed to women with children.
While this kind of work was different from what she was used to, she was excited by the possibilities. Her previous job, at a local TV station in Los Angeles, had become too comfortable. And her attempts to get hired by the network had failed, leaving her at loose ends. The job offer in Fool’s Gold had come along at exactly the right time.
“You’re going to need some help,” Mayor Marsha told her. “There’s simply too much work for one person. Especially if we want the videos done by the end of summer.”
Maya nodded in agreement. “I’d prefer to do the editing myself. There’s an art to it.” And trusting someone else with her content would be difficult. “But I could use someone to help preproduction and during the shoots.”
“Yes. Plus an on-air talent person. Is that what it’s called? Or is host a better word?”
Maya felt a minor twinge. After all, in a perfect world, she would be hosting the videos. But the truth was, the camera didn’t love her. It liked her well enough, but not so much with the love. And in the business that was any kind of recorded media, passion was required. Which meant they needed someone who dazzled on-screen.
“Someone local?” she asked, thinking of all the sports celebrities in the area. Plus, she knew that action movie superstar Jonny Blaze had just bought a ranch outside of town. If she could get him, that would be a coup.