TV stations and especially Fox owned TV stations love to have their people be followed on Facebook.

TV stations don't own Facebook and really don't have much control over the social media site. Yet, they are willing to do just about anything to get followers.

Stations will give away money, iPads and even a car if it gets people to follow their talent on Facebook.

As to why stations put so much time, money and effort into getting people to "like" them on Facebook is one of big mystery to us here at FTVLive.

Why not spend that time, money and effort into promoting your website, which is something you DO actually own and have control over?

The Fox O&O's have a TV screen in their newsrooms with which talent is getting the most interaction on social media.

It's like the could care less how many viewers visit their website, but get 200 Facebook "likes" in an hour and you are the golden child.

At WTVT, the Fox O&O in Tampa, Weatherman Paul Dellegatto saw a big spike in his Facebook followers and he didn't even have to post a bikini picture to do it.

A woman named Irma as in Hurricane Irma boosted Dellegatto's social media ranking.

The Tampa Business Journal says that Dellegatto gained more than 70,000 followers during Irma, the biggest spike he’s ever seen.

At 270,000 fans, he’s the most-followed Tampa meteorologist on Facebook.

So while the bosses have to be thrilled that their Weatherman is killing it on social media, what does it really mean for the station?

That's the question FTVLive has been asking for years and no one has yet to give us a satisfactory answer.

FTVLive almost never posts to Facebook and we don't spend hours each day promoting our social media. Yet we have watched our traffic increase over 2000% in the past 3 years.

TV stations need to put the effort into THEIR digital product and not the one owned by Mark Zuckerburg.

But hey, if you want to follow us on Twitter? Here's the link.