WKMG and WESH
2 special programs airing this week
focus on the opioid crisis in two specials airing this week.
In July, WKMG-Channel 6 aired staggering footage of a dead woman brought back to life with the medication Narcan. The moment the woman sat up was startling, her mother tells the CBS affiliate in the special “Opioid Nation: An American Epidemic,” airing 10 p.m. today.
The title reflects the program’s intent to bring home the dire nature of the opioid crisis, which includes heroin, fentanyl and prescription drugs such as Methadone, Oxycodone and Hydrocodone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.
“I think there is still a lack of awareness,” WKMG news director Allison McGinley said. “With law enforcement, it’s very much a crisis in their minds. With the governor and the current administration for Florida, it’s seen as a crisis. When it comes to our communities, if it’s seen as a crisis, it’s not talked about.”
WKMG hopes to change the situation, and so does WESH-Channel 2, which will present “Matter of Fact: State of Addiction” at 10 p.m. Sept 13.
“There is no doubt that the opioid epidemic is a national emergency,” said Soledad O’Brien, host of the WESH special. “Each day brings more disturbing instances of overdoses and family tragedies, and — although it is hard to watch — these stories need to be told.”
The specials are a response to the National Association of Broadcasters’ call a year ago to fight the opioid crisis through news coverage and public-service announcements.
“It was the inspiration,” said WKMG General Manager Jeff Hoffman. The CBS affiliate is part of the Graham Media Group, and CEO Emily Barr decided the stations needed to do more, he added. Most of the group’s seven stations will run a special this month.
WESH and sister station WKCF-Channel 18 are part of Hearst Television, whose 30 stations will present the “State of Addiction” special next week in 26 markets across 39 states. Hearst started the “State of Addiction” initiative in January, and its stations have supplied more than 1,600 stories since then. WESH produced a half-hour special in April.
“Matter of Fact” is the name of O’Brien’s magazine program, nationally syndicated by Hearst, and she will host the live program from the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
“Part of reason for us to do this is to raise the awareness and amplify the discussion and make it OK to talk about,” said Barbara Maushard, Hearst Television senior vice president for news. “It’s about people making their own difference. All we can do is provide information and get that dialogue going and keep it going.”
Both broadcast groups are carrying on a longtime industry commitment, said Dennis Wharton of the NAB. “We have a megaphone to listeners and viewers like no other platform,” he said. “When you’re talking about a health crisis, who better to take it on than local broadcasters?” Wharton praised Hearst and Graham Media Group, saying they “have a public service ethic that is remarkable.”
Both specials will reach out to viewers. “Throughout the show, we’ll be using social media engagement, tweeting quotes from interviews and asking people to use #stateofaddiction to post pictures and videos of loved ones and their stories,” said Maushard, a former news director at WESH.
The goal is to create a virtual Wall of Remembrance for those who have been victims of the epidemic. “We want to help remove the stigma and provide a space to acknowledge shared loss,” Maushard said.
Hearst will partner with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on promoting National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 28. Hearst is working with the national nonprofit Partnership for Drug-Free Kids on connecting viewers with resources.
Maushard estimated that the WESH special will feature about 30 percent local content and the rest will come from other Hearst stations.
McGinley estimated 70 percent of the WKMG special is local with the rest coming from stations in the group. The local segments include a visit to Port Canaveral, where a dog sniffs out drugs; a look at the effects on infants, who are cared for by volunteers; and a conversation with recovering addicts.
WKMG will use a phone bank during its live, commercial-free telecast hosted by anchor Matt Austin. Today’s coverage will extend to the station’s website, clickorlando.com. The station will reach out via Facebook, too, and hopes to bring in local leaders for digital town halls later.
“Over the past three years, we’ve done a significant amount of reporting on the subject, but over the past couple of months, it’s grown exponentially,” McGinley said. “No. 1 because we’ve made a commitment to it, but No. 2 because stories are out there and revealing themselves.”