We only had four television stations in my hometown market — yes, this was the pre-cable days of yore — but during the holidays, these stations always recorded (probably on videotape – gasp) personal greetings from the station employees and their families.
These holiday hello’s were always fairly predictable. Staged shots in front of a Christmas tree. Fake snowball fights outside the station. Watching the family dog run off with a present — oh no! But it was still fun to see the people both behind of and in front of the cameras outside their work comfort zone, goofing off with their families.
Over the years, we also got to watch their kids grow up…and the spouses come and go. It was a mini-soap opera cast with local characters, showing only at the holidays.
I had thought this a small town phenomena. Since I left my hometown for college, I haven’t noticed the larger markets adopting such a practice.
And then this year, in New York City, I have seen two stations send greetings from their local employees: WNBC, the big boys, with a graceful gathering near the Rockefeller Center ice rink, and one of the local cable access channels (name unknown), who did the more silly situational humor I remember from my youth.
Kudos to NYC, the biggest little town that I have ever lived in! You’re keeping the holiday spirit alive in ways big and small.
