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Success Story: Atlantic City Sings Praises of Choirs

Jan 12, 2004  •  Post A Comment

More than 33 million tourists visit Atlantic City, N.J., every year for its entertainment offerings, but at holiday time the locals come out to hear children’s singing voices fill the halls of Hamilton Mall for a WMGM-TV promotion.
“We invite choirs from local schools to sing for the cameras. Each is given 15 minutes to perform at the mall,” said John Ford, general sales manager of WMGM-TV. “We tape about 25 different choirs that come to perform, and divide the [performances] into half-hour shows.” The performances are aired the week before Christmas through Christmas Eve.
The NBC affiliate, whose sale to Access.1 Communications should be final by the end of the first quarter, brings four sponsors on board every year. “We feature the sponsors not only in the program but in the print advertising and through on-air promos,” Mr. Ford said.
“It’s been a very popular program over the years. Everyone has a child performing, and it really strengthens our bond with the community,” he said. “Sponsors are always happy to support a program that will support the children of their customers. And it’s a nice revenue-raiser.”
Mark Wampler, general manager of Hamilton Mall, said the event is win-win. “It gets us on the air during the holiday season,” he said. “Each time they show the schools, they are showing the mall. It’s been a pleasure to host the event for the past 17 years.”