Regis and Kelly Spin-Offs to Nova Scotia
A week ago the government of Prince Edward Island and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) were getting a lot of flak for paying $1 million to bring up the Live! with Regis and Kelly to island of Green Gables. Of course anyone with any marketing sense at all knows that the only act bigger than Regis and Kelly is Oprah Winfrey and that makes them a draw even if they shot the show from inside a cave. In other words it was a remarkable coup and I hope the idea people get rewarded.
During the first of the projected four broadcasts of Live! With Regis and Kelly produced on Prince Edward Island, the province climbed almost to the top of the list of most-searched topics on Google in the U.S.
$1 Million: Not Really a Lot of Money Anymore
For those in the public who do not agree, let me explain this in dollars and “sense.” $1 million is not a lot of money anymore. With transportation and the production staff this amount probably doesn’t cover all the expenses, rather it covers the bases. The real advantage is the ratings the show gets when it is taken to a new location. This boosts television revenues.
P.E.I Regains its Place as a Tourist Draw
When Kelly Ripa came to P.E.I. she didn’t stay in her hotel room. Instead she went sightseeing and horseback riding. Then she told the world about how great the island is on her highly-rated shows. Regis wasn’t idle either. He went on a lobster boat and that little snippet probably gave a tremendous boost to the sagging lobster industry as a whole. And just think of the thousands of people who flocked to the island to get a peak of the dynamic duo.
(Kelly just told the viewing audience. . .”You should get on a plane and come here now. . .This is really that great of a place!”)
Nova Scotia Spin-Offs
For many tourists coming to P.E.I. would include a tour of Nova Scotia as well. So even though this province is not getting the direct benefits of Regis and Kelly the whole Atlantic region is reaping the rewards from the publicity. This includes secondary markets such as transportation, B & B’s and hotel rooms. And this is sorely needed when the Nova Scotia tourism industry has taken the hits of a dismantled southern ferry service and a depressed American economy.
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