Are Your Bosses Cool with This?

I don’t think there is any media company out there that is more protective of “the brand” than Disney.

With that being said, I’m surprised that Disney, the owner of WLS, the number one station in Chicago, is okay with this.

WLS Meteorologist Cheryl Scott’s was touting on her Instagram page that she can be found on Cameo.

If you don’t know what Cameo is, it is where B-rated Actors and Athletes will send you a video if you pay them.

In other words to can pay 1970’s Partridge Family actor Danny Bonaduce $69 bucks and have him wish you a happy birthday, or say what you want.

Scott comes in $40 bucks cheaper than Bonaduce at just $29 dollars.

I guess my first question; is Disney and WLS cool with their main-line talent shilling videos on Cameo? Does station management know about this?

I looked at the description and here’s a screenshot:

It doesn’t mention anything about the money going to charity, but in Scott’s intro video, she claims that proceeds will go to the American Read Cross.

While I think it’s great that she is sending all/some of the money to the Red Cross, I think this is a bit of a blurred line.

Here’s another issue, many people don’t watch the intro video on Cameo. They watch the examples that the talent does for other people. So, since it doesn’t say that Scott is racing money for a charity, to many it might just look like cheap money grab.

I am surprised that big brand protector Disney would sign off on this.

Now, think about this. Over at WMAQ in Chicago, you have longtime Meteorologist Andy Avalos.

Say someone in the WMAQ Creative Services Department requests a video from Scott saying, “I’m WLS Chief Met Cheryl Scott and I don’t think there is anyone better than Andy. Andy is the best at his job and no one in town is better.”

Scott just thinks she’s giving a shot out to a guy named Andy and has no clue that it was requested by someone at WMAQ. Next thing you know, it’s used in a promo on the NBC O&O.

I’m all for raising money to help out a charity, but this feels a bit like a slippery slope.

Just saying.