Proof that watching a Nexstar station can give you gas. 

WTEN in Albany doesn't feel like their news product will be good enough to draw in viewers for the November book. So, they have decided to resort to straight up bribery. 

FTVLive has obtained the internal memo sent to the staff from WTEN Executive Producer Ryan Mott.

Starting Today, the station is "kicking off a major undertaking."

A huge investigative story?

No.

A sweeps piece that will show how tax money is being wasted?

Nope.

It's the News10 Mohawk Honda Gas Giveaway.

Yep, the station is giving away a free gas card, not once a day, not twice, but eleven times a day.

Here is the internal email, obtained by FTVLive with the details of this "major undertaking."

From: "Mott, Ryan" 
Date: October 18, 2017 at 5:28:01 PM EDT
To: WTEN News DG , WTEN Stories DG , WTEN Morning News Group DG
Cc: WTEN News Managers DG
Subject: THE NEWS 10 MOHAWK HONDA GAS GIVEAWAY!!!!!

We’re kicking off a major undertaking starting Monday!
 
What:
News10 Mohawk Honda Gas Giveaway
We’ll be doing a call-in contest 11 times a day.
It will run every weekday from October 23rd to November 17th (M-F)
The 10th caller for each contest will win a $50 gas card.
That’s a grand total of 220 winners.
They will each be put into a drawing for $1000 Grand Prize.
 
When:
The contest will run at 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a, Noon, 4p, 5p, 6p, 7p, 10p, 11p.
Producers need to vary the times they initiate the contest.
Producers need to let desk/phone operator know when they plan on running the contest in their shows.
 
How:
Callers will call the 3rd News Desk Phone. *518-433-4295*
The phone will not have calls forwarded to it.
It has a unique ringer, so when you hear it, do not do a generic pick-up.
The phones will be manned by the desk primarily, but will occasionally need people to man the phone.
If you are on the phone, simply pick up and say “Caller Number 1-9, try again next time”
On Caller number 10 get their NAME, NUMBER, ADDRESS. Tell them congrats and that cards will be sent out when the contest concludes in mid-November.”
*WRITE DOWN THAT INFORMATION ON THE LOG SHEETS NEXT TO PHONE*
*TELL PRODUCER THE NAME AND HOMETOWN OF WINNER*
 
 
GG TEASE PUSH:
This begins tomorrow to let people know we are going to do it. You can use it periodically to remind people about the contest.
 

GG CALL NOW PUSH:
Use this in your show to initiate the contest. It’s broken down into hours (except the 6p/7p/11p).
So one day you could start the Call Now Push at4:10pm, another day you could start it at 4:45pm.
 

GG GRAND PRIZE PUSH:
Use this around 10 minutes after each contest concludes. Anchors can give shout out to winner, tell viewers contest is over now, but another chance next hour.
Also that all winners are eligible for grand prize of $1000 at the end of the contest.

I will put all three PUSHES into EVERYDAY ELEMENTS RUNDOWN.
I will send them out in ENPS as well.
I will write a few variations of the copy, but anchors will need to ad-lib and have fun with it.
 
WE NEED TO START RUNNING THE TEASE FOR THIS TOMORROW AM, AND ALL OVER THE PLACE UNTIL MONDAY MORNING!
 
 Ryan Mott
Executive Producer
WTEN-TV