All 22 Gannett Broadcasting television stations are airing a three-part medical series in primetime. “The Cutting Edge” marks the first time that Gannett has created and aired its own original series across all of its TV stations in primetime.
“As part of its long-standing commitment to the local communities it serves, Gannett Broadcasting launched The Cutting Edge to inform and help local viewers deal with some of the most serious health issues facing Americans today,” the company said of the primetime series.
“The Cutting Edge: Fighting Fat” was the first episode of the series and aired on Wednesday, September 7th. Gannett reports that it was watched in nearly 400,000 TV households.
The next two specials in The Cutting Edge series will again bring together medical experts’ knowledge and the personal stories of those affected by two major health conditions: cancer and heart disease.
“The Cutting Edge: Beating Breast and Prostate Cancer” will air on October 8th at 8:00 pm on the Gannett stations. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the latest advances in diagnostic and treatment methods for breast and prostate cancers. Local on-air talent will visit some of the most respected hospitals in the country where medical experts will demonstrate the latest technological and surgical innovations in cancer treatment. Gannett Broadcasting reporters will also meet with cancer patients who have turned to alternative methods of treatment in the hope of finding a cure.
In the final special, airing in late October, “The Cutting Edge: Attacking Heart Disease,” will look at the future of diagnostic and treatment technology for heart disease. It will focus on some of the newest preventative therapies, the ways doctors are making heart surgery less invasive and more effective, as well as lifestyle changes that people can make now to improve heart health before it ever becomes a problem.
Gannett Broadcasting is also leveraging Gannett’s many assets to promote the new series across all platforms – on-air (on all 22 TV stations), online (text chats, social media, microsites) and in print (through regionalized ad placements in USA TODAY). Gannett’s TV stations are running live text chats across time zones to connect consumers with local medical experts and encouraging conversations about in real time on Twitter using the hashtag #cuttingedgemed and on Facebook.
RBR-TVBR observation: Note to FCC Commissioner Michael Cipps: Broadcasters are serving their local communities, even in primetime.
