TV Charity Drives: Toys for Tots, Money for Stations

WUSA's Green said there was no connection between Inova's sponsorship and the news coverage. Asked why only Inova's medical specialists were interviewed during the series, he said, "They are experts in this subject."

Quinn said that the hospital suggests stories to WUSA and supplies the station with patients and doctors to be interviewed, but that doing so is unrelated to Inova's partnership and advertising: "Inova is a preferred source for Channel 9 news. It's our pleasure to help them."

WUSA and WRC solicit the most paying sponsors for station-run community campaigns. WRC runs drives year-round. In a document aimed at would-be advertisers, WUSA makes clear that such "public service" campaigns are potential brand-building exercises.

"Many area businesses, like your own, have partnered with us and reaped enormous benefit with brand and image identification, as well as being recognized as a 'community-minded' company" by sponsoring such efforts, the station says in its "Community Outreach Opportunities" document.

The document lists such "opportunities" as sponsorship of Channel 9's school-supply and food drives and the Buddy Check 9 campaign, which promotes early breast cancer detection and awareness.

Green and Michael Jack, WRC's president and general manager, insisted that viewers are aware that advertisers that are referred to as "partners" or "sponsors" of a station-run fundraiser are paying the station to participate. "We clearly identify that by saying 'brought to you by' or 'sponsored by' or ' in cooperation with' or whatever the term is," Jack said. "So it's clearly stated in the spots. It's understood by those of us in the broadcast industry."

Both stations declined to say how much they charge advertisers to participate in such programs, and they said they never promise the sponsors news coverage. "There's full church-and-state separation," Jack said.

Asked for an instance in which a paying sponsor was not interviewed, Jack said he could not recall that happening. He added: "We interview all kinds of people who are involved in our events. [Sponsors] are obviously very engaged in the particular event" and therefore newsworthy.

Atlanta-based SunTrust has been one of the most active sponsors of station campaigns, supporting Channel 9's toy and food drives and Channel 4's winter-coat drive. Terri Copeland, SunTrust's senior vice president, declined to discuss how much the company spends on each partnership.

SunTrust has bought commercials promoting its involvement in the charitable efforts. At the same time, the stations' news departments have given the bank complimentary coverage. Top company executives, for example, were featured this past fall on "Eyewitness News" reports about Channel 9's school supply drive, Copeland said.

Copeland herself appeared on Channel 9's noon newscast Dec. 6, in an interview about Toy Drive 9, which the station runs in conjunction with the area's Toys for Tots program. Anchor J.C. Hayward spoke with Copeland exclusively for 2 1/2 minutes of the half-hour broadcast. During the interview, the station posted a slide about the toy drive that included SunTrust's logo and that of co-sponsor Wal-Mart.

"We here at Channel 9 would like to thank you, SunTrust Bank, for all your support throughout the years," said Hayward, who did not mention that SunTrust paid Channel 9 to be involved in the effort.