More Than 70 Papers Apply to Star on NBC Reality Show

At his media blog, Jim Romenesko reports that “More than 70 editors and publishers have responded to NBC Peacock Production’s casting call for a reality series about a small-town newspaper.” Do they want to be famous, or do they just want to keep their papers afloat?

Producer Cara Biega “noted that she was impressed with how amazing their stories are,” according to Stan Schwartz of the National Newspaper Association, which is helping NBC Peacock select the right newspaper setting. Biega told Romenesko there would be a meeting about selecting a newspaper for the series on Wednesday.

Romenesko was amused by this reply on his Facebook page from former Washington Times reporter Sean Scully: “The producers missed out on their chance to follow my dramatic life: Two and a half hours last night hearing about water and sewer rates, followed by a late dinner of cheese, crackers and beer. That, friends, is the reality show about small town weeklies.”

(HT: Dan Isett)