Five years of product pimping on Colorado & Company

An October 2004 Message column focused on Colorado & Company, a Channel 9 offering in which businesses paid for the privilege of being treated as talk-show guests. Essentially, the program is a super-sized commercial, although industry types prefer the term "advertorial" -- and given the continued popularity of infomercials on late-night TV, it's no surprise that the concept has spread since then, with Martino TV on the Deuce and Channel 31 and Channel 4's Haystack Colorado being two prominent local examples. As for the original recipe, it'll celebrate its fifth annversary next Monday with an array of clips from past episodes -- essentially old ads within a new ad. How meta, and how nice for Denise Plante, who's co-hosted the program since its inception, first with Scott Patrick and now alongside former Channel 4 sportscaster Mark McIntosh. As journalists worry about cuts in news budgets that could leave them career-less, she's got one of the safest gigs in local TV. Ironic? Just a little....

Look below for Channel 9's take on the Colorado & Company festivities.

"COLORADO & COMPANY" TURNS FIVE!

Anniversary Show Planned

Denver, CO -- With more than 1200 original LIVE broadcasts under its belt in five years, KUSA's "Colorado & Company" is blowing out its fifth candle on Monday, September 14. The LIVE anniversary show at 10 a.m. will celebrate many of the program's past guests and showcase several clips from the first five years of the successful program. Host Denise Plante has been with the show from the very beginning. Colorado & Company airs Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. on 9News.

The advertorial format offering advertisers a longer venue to feature products and services debuted September 13, 2004, and led to several new advertorial shows within the Gannett Broadcast Group. In addition to commercially sponsored segments, Colorado & Company has provided non-profit groups and community health organizations across Colorado exposure to an audience they might otherwise not have.

"We've been pleased to continue the community supportive relationships of KUSA on Colorado & Company for five years now," said Executive Producer Dreux DeMack. "Viewers have learned about Colorado companies on the show and to balance that, we've also had some big names in entertainment, the national literary community and many other areas of American culture. It's been fun and very unique for sure and there's no other show quite like it on Denver television."

Nielson ratings for Colorado & Company continue to prove the show as a leader in the market and the nation for original programming with commercial content and other topics of interest to viewers. "Our staff is committed to giving viewers an alternative to other morning programming," said 9NEWS President and General Manager, Mark Cornetta. "We feel after five years, we have set the standard for LIVE magazine talk shows that offer so much about Colorado. I'm proud of what this staff has done and how we continue to grow despite tough economic times."

The show is simulcast online on Colorado & Company's website at www.coloradoandco.com. A new, interactive website is in the works for launch in early 2010 and will give viewers more opportunities to learn about guests and watch past shows.