The Orlando stations are active participants in local charities. WFTV held two back-to-school initiatives as part of its 9 Family Connection, one asking viewers to donate lightly used laptops and tablets, and another that came up with 3,000 backpacks full of supplies for needy students.
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WKMG raised $700,000 for students needing school supplies with an August 26 phone bank on behalf of A Gift For Teaching. “Every day is a chance for us to build our brand and engage our audience,” said Jeff Hoffman, WKMG VP/general manager.
WOFL’s community initiatives include Fox 35 Back to School Supply Drive and food drive Fox 35 Pay It Forward. Telemundo 31 held multiple COVID phonebanks this summer, providing viewers with vital health information.
As the pandemic took over last year, WESH organized phone banks and virtual food drives. The station raised over $2 million for Second Harvest in 2020. “We recognized early that the need for food was at an all-time high,” said John Soapes, WESH president and general manager. The money raised, he added, “speaks to the character of this market.”
