Get Featured On TV: 3 Steps To Get Interviewed On Television & TV Pitch Example Tips

Written by Julie Parise

Many of our clients come to us asking if we can get them featured on TV. It’s a goal for many entrepreneurs and authors. Doing television interviews can solidify you as an expert in your field, gain exposure for your business and help you connect with potential clients. 

But how do you write a compelling pitch that will be successful? In this blog, we will go over: A TV pitch example, the steps you need to take to prepare for any on-camera interview, and how to turn one TV interview into many, many more. 

#1: Understand the television landscape.

If you want to get featured on TV, you should understand the current atmosphere in television production. What do we mean by that? Well, newsrooms everywhere are shrinking. Even national networks in New York & Los Angeles. At the same time, newscasts are getting longer, as stations add more shows and extend news programming. 

For you, this means the producer you are pitching is probably doing the work of more than one person, while at the same time, receiving hundreds of pitches per day. The bottom line is that you want to make sure you stand out when you pitch yourself — and get your point across quickly. 

#2 Timing is (almost) everything: Don’t keep producers waiting

You also want to respond to any reply quickly. If a producer or reporter responds to your pitch to talk about interviewing you, do not wait to respond. You might feel the need to spend hours crafting a perfect response to their inquiry, including all your credentials and thoughts on the topic you’d like to speak about. Don’t do that (they won’t have time to read more than a few sentences, anyway). What will help most is responding quickly and succinctly while making yourself available. 

TV staffers work on a day-to-day basis, and rarely plan more than a few days in advance. That means if they want to speak with you, they likely want to speak with you ASAP. Producers are on a deadline all day long, and at the end of the day, they have to get their show on the air, no matter what. 

If you take too long to respond, or if you can’t work with their schedule, they will move on and find someone who answers their phone or email faster than you — even if you are more qualified to talk about the subject. 

#3: Provide context as to why the topic is important and why you should get featured on TV

As an author or entrepreneur, you are passionate about what you do, and you have a deep knowledge of why it’s important. Television producers or reporters might not. So tell them — but do it the right way. Don’t start your pitch by rattling off your background, accomplishments, and credentials. That’s a quick way to get your email sent to the “junk folder.” 

Remember that it’s not really about you. It’s about the bigger story. So focus on that. Every day in editorial meetings, producers and reporters have to pitch their story ideas to their bosses, and they are often grilled about why that story will matter to their viewers. Give the person you’re pitching ways they can fight for your story. 

Early on in your pitch, mention who this story affects and share a quick, intriguing statistic to prove your point. Connect the dots for the person on the other end of the email, and explain in 1-2 sentences why it’s important to the particular set of viewers the show reaches. Then share how you are uniquely qualified to talk about it. Briefly. Finally, include some bullet points that share quick talking points you’re qualified to speak on. 

Check out the TV pitch example below for more details. 

Bonus: The TV Pitch Example Tips

To be successful, a TV pitch will have the following: 

• A personalized greeting including the producer, anchor or reporter’s name
• An opening line indicating what topic you are writing about, why it matters, and that you’ve been following their current coverage
  • “I saw [insert TV program name here]’s piece on the school district’s proposed new, earlier start times. This will cause a ripple effect that will change the lives of not just students, but parents and caregivers as well.” 
• Any relevant statistics, plus why you should be the go-to person to speak to this
  • “Did you know that the most recent studies suggest that teens get 10 hours of sleep per night? As a teacher of more than 30 years, and the parent of a teenager, I know that the students’ sleep habits will be interrupted and just how devastating this can be.”
• 2-4 Bullet points that share specific talking points you expand on if interviewed
  • “I’d love to speak to one of your reporters to talk about any of the following topics: 
    • What the earlier start times would mean for a local student and their family
    • Why well-rested students perform better and how to manage a morning routine
    • Steps local parents can take to help stop the district from changing the schools start times”

For more information on getting featured on TV, plus a full TV pitch example, check out our TV pitching course by clicking here.