Video: Media gets scammed $20,000 for celebrity voice over video.
Had I been at last night's council meeting where they showed a video about Media narrated by Terry Bradshaw, I would have demanded our money back right on the spot. This is the 4:19 minute video that took 10 months to produce at a cost to Media Taxpayers of $20,000. At that much money, this is nothing more than a scam by a celebrity voice over. Interesting enough, the company who produced it WAS investigated and fined by the Florida Attorney General for just that. Mayor McMahon and Brian Hall didn't know that until it was brought to their attention last year, yet they still proceeded with this video while not placing it out to bid which they should have been required to. They got caught in a classic sales pitch by nothing more than a telemarketer making cold calls.
There are many companies in the area that could have done a better job, much sooner and for a lot less money. Truthfully, any kid in high school with a three year old computer could have done a better job. As for this being showed nationally? Good luck! Check out the limited airings and times this clip is expected to be played.
This deal wasn't about Media, it was about Mayor Bob McMahon marketing himself at our expense. Media Borough owes this community an explanation. As a taxpayer, Media should demand it's money back!
I guess my first thought is 'what is the purpose of this'? Is it meant to increase tourism or business traffic? If so, more attention should be focused on why travelers should come to Media and where can they shop, eat, play. This is a lot of talking heads but no real information to the average tourist. I take exception to the verbiage that "Media works closely with county government and the local school district" HA! If they did, we'd have an open, working bridge on Third St that our school buses could cross, because Media would have 'worked' with County Council on the most recent agreement to open said bridge! The only thing I agree with in this video is the excellence of our schools. But that won't bring visitors or commerce to Media. If anyone can explain a definitive purpose for this expenditure, please enlighten - it's certainly not to bring tourists. (Besides, we don't have anywhere for them to sleep!)
ReplyDeleteI love Media, but this four minute video was so boring I could barely make it through. Nobody is going to watch this show, and the economic impact will be zero. Well no, actually the economic impact is -$20,000. Scams will always be a part of life. This one has all the raw ingredients: it plays on emotion (I love my town and want people to know it!), it plays on ignorance and stupidity (someone actually believes this has a $20,000 production value!), and importantly it digs into a pile of "other people's money". This has to be so humiliating for the mayor.
ReplyDeleteits really AWFUL! When is the nexy election for Mayor and who is running?
ReplyDeleteErin W.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is quickly becoming tiresome due to the constant ranting.
If we can't rant what will we do all day at work????
DeleteI've always hated media anyways; my girlfriend lives there and thinks it's the best, but it's not. Now I know that I'm being subjectively opposed to it, but nonetheless I'm going to be arrogant and ignorant in my statement: that it has nothing interesting or fun to do. : )
And it's not fun for all ages
The only good thing is that the waitresses at Pinocchio's make every alcoholic drink stronger than it should be. Keep it up girls.
Seriously. Between this and the constant Front St. Bridge ranting, I hardly check this blog anymore.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Erin, this blog is always centered around the same four issues (hotel, Wawa, our mayor, the Third St bridge)
ReplyDeleteBoring....
But, this video totally sucked!!!
The blog sometimes gets wrapped up in rants about the same old stuff over and over again. But I still read it...
DeleteMedia Boro council GOT SCAMMED!!!!
ReplyDeleteLast night I watched a screening at the MEDIA YOUTH CENTER MYFI Group.
These 13 to 15 year old children made two better movies.
It is sad that we the tax payers funded this junk to the tune of 20,000.00 dollars.
Tedman has done SO much more with this blog than the Mayor has over these many years. I think Tedman should make a video in support of his candidacy for mayor...THAT's what Media needs!
ReplyDeleteI wish us Upper Providence residents could vote. Tedman would have my vote.
ReplyDeleteI think scam is a bit extreme, but I have a hard time taking anything Terry Bradshaw does as worth any amount of money. Clearly the bulk of the $20k went to having a celeb voice on the video.
ReplyDeleteTuesday's business aside, I think the next one of these needs to be done by students at Penncrest in consultation with the borough. I'd love to see a student led approach to the endeavor.
Great idea!
DeleteAs soon as I saw the first ten seconds of this video, I knew it would be all over this blog. After 9 months of lambasting, were you going to praise it!?
ReplyDeleteIf it was a decent video, I am sure Tedman would have been man enough to say so. However, my wedding video was of much better quality than this video, and didn't cost anywhere close to 20 grand! What a waste of money!
DeleteFor anyone that wasted four minutes of their life to watch this video, it was clear there is absolutely no way to defend this expenditure. So I was curious how the defenders of the current power structure and status quo would react. And now we have the answer. Instead of defending the video, attack the blog! Embarrassing. But I guess we can't blame Bush (or can we?), so let's blame ATM.
ReplyDeleteEmbarrassing. I was proud of Media until I saw that video.
ReplyDeleteThey got exactly what they deserved for spending 30% of their annual contingency on a sales pitch. What really happened here is the local elected officials attempted to build their egos in the hopes they would appear on TV. By the way, show me another government entity with a $60,000 contingency in its operating budget! The least they could have done was hide the slush in a valid expense account.
ReplyDeleteWow... A $60,000 contingency... every year? Think about what that could have been used for.
DeleteTedman! Now this is an issue. Our government is taxing us more than it needs, and they're bold enough to leave it in a category called Contingency. I know you can't comment cause your party is just as guilty as the other. That's why we need true independents on Council, not a phony group of recycled politicos.
ReplyDeleteBorough budget is available to
DeletePublic. Check facts. There are Line items for every expenditure, and these funds did not come from a "contingency ".
Awful. Terry Bradshaw was never in Media. Just a voice over.
ReplyDelete