Making airwaves: Paul Keener, marketing director, KFVS12, Cape Girardeau

The proposed switch from analog to digital television has been a hot topic these days. For decades viewers and broadcasters had time to prepare for the Feb. 17 switch. But a bill passed by Congress last week gives stations the option of keeping that same date or switching on June 12. The analog-to-digital switch remains one of the most significant changes since stations transitioned from black and white to color. Southeast Missourian business reporter Brian Blackwell sat down with KFVS12 marketing director Paul Keener to discuss the confusion surrounding the switch and other changes Keener has seen in the industry.

Born in Charleston, Mo., Keener graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1982 with a major in mass communication and management. He joined KFVS as a teleprompter operator after taking his last final examination at Southeast. Since then he's been a production technician, newscast director, studio supervisor, production supervisor and promotion manager. Keener was named marketing director in 1999. In addition to his duties as marketing director for KFVS, Keener also markets Heartland's CW, KFVS12.com, the Tube Music Network and the StormTeam Weather Network.

Keener and his wife, Connie, have two children. Their son, Thomas, attends Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., and is majoring in criminal justice. Their daughter, Lyndsey, attends Cape Girardeau Central High School.

When he's not in the office or spending time with his family, Keener enjoys running, cycling, golfing and watching television programs. Keener also is active in the community, serving on Southeast's Mass Comm Professional Advisory Council, Raycome Media Marketing Advisory Board, CBS Promotion Caucus and is a member of the Advertising & Marketing Professionals.

Q: Who influenced you in your decision to enter a career in television?

A: My television broadcasting professor Fred Wyman was a pioneer. He inspired me to stay in this business and we still keep in touch to this day. Fred gave me more perspective about changes that were happening in the industry.

Q: What changes have you seen in the business?

A: The addition of 500 channels is one. I remember a time when we had only three channels. Now there are a lot more choices and competition. That's good for the consumers but it's difficult for advertisers. There are so many more channels now that it's like adding 50 more teams to Major League Baseball. You end up with mediocre baseball. We have a lot of people on TV that wouldn't have made it in the day when we had only three channels.

The corporate culture has changed as well. We have to do more with less is the mentality and that gets tiresome. Raycom is one of the best to work for but the industry itself is caught in this corporate culture.

Q: With so many changes in the industry over the years in many media outlets, you have a lot of employees who remain at KFVS for an extended amount of time. How is feat accomplished?

A: It is a little bit unique in this day. Every place has turnaround — even here — but there are a core of us who are loyal to the institution of KFVS. We still see it as an institution that has been here since KFVS radio began in 1925. Our general manager is big-hearted. He really cares about the employees from the top down. In this area local media are a novelty, whereas in a larger metro area those of us in the radio, TV and newspaper industry may get lost in the shuffle.

Q: Every week I read about media outlets who have laid off employees. What do you see as the future of the media?

A: Some of that is the result of tough economic times. The future of the media is hard to determine. All of us adapt to it. And all of the media outlets have some form of convergence. There's a purpose for all of us.

Whatever happens, I do know we won't operate the same way we do now 10 years down the road.

Q: What's the reason for the economic straits many media organizations are in?

A: Greed. Many media organizations are also making short-sighted decisions during this economy. What they are doing now is damaging them for the future. We have to figure out ways to stay relevant.

I believe viewers are getting spoiled. They're wanting it their way, right now.

Q: Much has been made about the switch to digital television. How has the change affected KFVS?

A: This has been a mess behind the scenes. A forced mandate by the government when they were not ready has been a mess.

We spent 18 months with educational programs to get the public ready. There's no telling how much airtime that cost us. Now here we are 10 days out from the switch and we have to delay it. I know we can't continue with an analog signal past June 12. It will cost KFVS a lot of money directly. We're still digesting this and don't know what the requirements are for switching before June but I do know it won't be on Feb. 17. At the time being we'll run analog and digital transmitters.

And the tubes to run the analog system are on borrowed time. We'll have to replace them, which is very expensive for only a few months.

We think that everyone was aware of the transition. So to that extent we succeeded in educating the public. But there are always those who never will be ready for the transition and will proscrastinate.