Game Show Network hopes to boost interest in the fifth season of original game show Lingo with a five-city contestant search tied to local promotions with Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable affiliates.
“We’re giving fans around the country —online Lingo players via the Lingo Grand Prize Tournament, as well as local Lingo viewers with the contestant search — an opportunity to test their smarts for a chance to compete on the next season of the show,” said GSN senior vice president of marketing Dena Kaplan.
The starting gun sounds for the local contestant search April 17 in Boston during radio station WZLX’s “Finish Line Festival” at the Boston Marathon. GSN and Comcast will set up in Boylston Plaza in front of the Prudential Center.
Comcast will also be the partner in the April 22 Sacramento, Calif., event at the Westfield Galleria at Roseville, before the tour moves to another Comcast-sponsored appearance at the King of Prussia Mall, near Philadelphia on April 29.
On May 6, Time Warner and the network will look for contestants at the Summit Mall in Akron, Ohio, before the tour concludes with a May 13 Comcast-backed event at the Stonebriar Centre in Dallas.
For its part, GSN will send e-mails to its member database in the markets while providing signage and fliers in the malls and other locations. GSN on-air spots, tagged with national show sponsor Purina Friskies cat food, will also trumpet the local events, led by Lingo co-host Shandi Finnessey.
Two people per market will be selected for a trip to Los Angeles for a chance to compete on the show. To qualify, potential contestants will take a Lingo word test then answer questions for an on-camera interview. Attendees at each of the events will be given products from Purina, plus GSN premiums.
Users of GSN’s interactive Web site can compete in the eight-week online tournament. The high scorer for each week wins a Los Angeles prize package.
The online portion will be promoted on television, on GSN.com banners and on sites that feature “GSN Cash Games.” The network has created new Lingo premium items that can be earned by online players or purchased at its online store.
