State Agency Buys TV Coverage

The Charleston Gazette reports that "the state Division of Natural Resources pays a local TV station for control over the content of a news segment about outdoor life in West Virginia."

The $90,000-a-year contract with the owners of WCHS-TV and WVAH-TV calls on them to "produce and air 52 90-second 'West Virginia Wildlife' segments, as well as 30-second ads that lead into the segment," The Gazette reports.

DNR's Wildlife Resources Section provides the topics, sets up any necessary interviews, and has final approval over all segment scripts as well as promos and commercials, the newspaper found.

"While the station does acknowledge the sponsorship, there is no indication during the news broadcast that 'West Virginia Wildlife' is any different from other news segments," the article said. "But unlike other advertisers, who might sponsor the station's weather coverage every night, DNR dictates its own coverage."