Do you ever notice those clever "banners" which flash on screen during stories? How can you not? They're omnipresent, even oppressive. You know, "Hilton's Check-Out Time" when Paris leaves jail, or "iMania!" for the iPhone buildup. Often the banners end with question marks, which is a feeble attempt to push the envelope: "Is Bill Gates Evil?" "Steve Jobs a Jerk?" (translation: we think so, but we have to be "objective" so let's just pose the question).
At CNBC we call these banners "dekos," based, I guess, on the software program we use to generate them. No one else in broadcasting calls them "dekos." Just us. It's just one more thing newbies at CNBC have to re-learn when they join this network. But I digress.
Sometimes the dekos are actually quite good. I like to reward good. So once in a while I hold a contest for "Best Deko," and the winner gets a $10 Starbucks gift card. A select group in the newsroom votes in secret, and I count the votes. Therefore, I personally cannot vote, and none of my entries are up for contention. But I throw them in there anyway just to confuse people.
Here is the latest batch of nominees which have aired over the last few months:
From Meghan Reeder, producer for "Squawk Box:" for a story about coups at shareholder meetings with dissidents gaining board seats--Grand Theft Boardroom.
From Peter Schacknow, senior producer for "breaking news": for the New York Post being so desperate it's reversing a price hike and going back to 25 cents--New York Postmorten
From Michele Braithwaite, a writer for Closing Bell: Dairy farmer using manure to create methane power--Cow Power.
Reporter Mike Huckman: McDonalds tests new bigger burger to go after Burger King and Carl's Jr--Here's the Beef.
Three dekos for one story from Ben Berna, producer for "Squawk on the Street": segment on transport stocks (yes, these aired!):
Go Truck Yourself
Get Your Ship Together
Hauling Assets
Two for one story from veteran CNBC writer Andy Fisher: Buffett buying railroads:
Buffett is Getting into Training
Some Men Collect Trains
My own feeble contributions, three for three different stories:
Labor shortage due to border crackdown--Migrant Headache
Dying bees threaten almond crop which needs them for pollination--No Almond Joy.
Bad weather hurt Cheesecake Factory--Someone left CAKE out in the rain.
One of my favorites comes from "Anonymous," but aired on "Street Signs": fighting child obesity--No Child With a Fat Behind.
AND THE WINNER!! As voted by the newsroom...
Rich Fisherman, senior producer for "Morning Call": U.S.-Russia missile tensions--Putin on the Risk.
BLOG BONUS!
There's also a separate category I publish internally, seen here for the first time! These are dekos which did NOT air, for obvious reasons.
Mike Huckman: 'Hooters' opens restaurant in Israel--Chooters has Chutzpah.
John Klekamp, an "honorary deko writer" from News 12 New Jersey: same story on Hooters--Holy Glands.
Also from Klekamp: Snapple being sued for not being "all natural"--Crapple.
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