Sharron Davis, Director of Sales at KFDX, speaks to Megaphone TV about her station’s success in helping smaller advertisers find results through interactive sponsorship.
At KFDX-TV, serving Wichita Falls, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma, community is everything. The station has long been the local leader in ratings and engagement, thanks to its deeply rooted relationships with viewers and advertisers alike. Recently, we sat down with Sharron Davis, Director of Sales at KFDX, to discuss how interactive sponsorships powered by Megaphone TV have opened new revenue streams and strengthened local partnerships, without eating into commercial inventory.
Tell us a bit about KFDX and the community you serve.
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Sharron Davis: We’re a small market, Market #150, covering Wichita Falls, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma—split by the Red River. We’re about two hours from both Dallas and Oklahoma City, and probably the biggest city in between. I’ve been at the station almost 30 years, and KFDX has been the number one station in the market that whole time, thanks to how community-focused we are. We’re an NBC affiliate and also operate a FOX affiliate, KJTL. Last year, we were honored by the Texas Association of Broadcasters as Television Station of the Year across all market sizes. That recognition came from our community efforts: food drives, blood drives, telethons for local nonprofits. It’s a big part of who we are. |
“It’s brought in new dollars. Plain and simple.” – Sharron Davis, Director of Sales, KFDX. |
What does your local advertising market look like?
SD: It’s changed a lot over the years. Auto used to be huge, but there’s been a lot of dealer consolidation. Now, banks, hospitals, and casinos across the Oklahoma border are prominent advertisers. But really, mom-and-pop businesses are our bread and butter. We’re affordable, and those small businesses can see real success advertising with us.
What challenges were you facing before you started using Megaphone TV?
SD: One big one we didn’t even realize was a problem until Megaphone came along: user-generated content. Getting legal clearance for photo or video submissions used to be such a mess—tons of paperwork and backend chaos. It was so inefficient that we often avoided those types of campaigns altogether.
Megaphone TV simplified everything. Now, any time we ask viewers to submit content, we use your platform. It’s become second nature.
What’s the experience been like for advertisers?
SD: They love it. That first interactive sponsorship we pitched sold instantly—and it wasn’t cheap. The client was just blown away by the preloaded graphics, the QR code, the whole viewer experience. They thought it was the coolest thing they’d ever seen.
Creativity sells. You bring a strong idea, they’ll find the money. That’s where Megaphone TV really helps us shine.
How does Megaphone TV help your local advertisers, especially smaller ones?
SD: These mom-and-pop shops don’t usually have access to agency-level creative. With Megaphone TV, we give them that kind of interactivity without the agency price tag. They can be on TV, mobile, connected TV—all for the cost of the promotion.
What impact has it had on your sales inventory?
A typical “Question of the Day” interactive sponsorship on KFDX.
SD: Huge. Most of our Megaphone TV content runs during the newscast, so it doesn’t eat into our commercial inventory. We do a “Question of the Day” in the morning and evening with different sponsors. Our 6 PM news is an hour long, and that question might appear three or four times in the show—tons of exposure, no inventory lost.
We also run a “Marquee Matchup” during high school sports segments, again fully sponsored, and it’s all bonus time. We’re monetizing every inch of the screen.
Have you experimented with interactive commercials too?
SD: Yes, and we’re excited about it. We just pitched a local pizza restaurant on a trivia-based interactive 30. We’d run a QR-enabled trivia question like “What’s the most popular pizza topping in America?” and then follow up with a 15-second spot offering a coupon.
We’re waiting to hear back, but the client loved the idea. It gives viewers a reason to interact and the business a chance to drive traffic with a real incentive.
What has all this meant for your bottom line?
SD: It’s brought in new dollars. Plain and simple. Before Megaphone, we might’ve run a billboard spot and hoped for visibility. Now we’re getting real engagement. We also post our questions to Facebook, tagging the sponsor again—more exposure without spending extra.
“The biggest win so far,” according to Sharron, was this Super Bowl spot and the campaign built around it.
The biggest win so far was during the Super Bowl. We pitched a Convention and Visitors Bureau on a campaign with four trivia questions during the pre-game. Their ad ran during the game, and participants could enter a draw to win a weekend getaway. It was such a hit they asked sister stations in nearby markets to replicate it. That single campaign transformed the relationship—we’d never booked any money from that client before. Now we’ve got a full summer campaign lined up and expect more for the holidays.
What role has the Megaphone TV team played in your success?
SD: The custom pitch decks you build save us so much time. We send over logos and a spot, and you send back a ready-to-go presentation—with a QR code, visuals, flow, everything. All we have to do is pitch and sell.
What’s next for you and Megaphone TV?
SD: We’re planning summer giveaways with that Convention and Visitors Bureau—concert tickets, things like that. We’re also looking ahead to the Olympics and already brainstorming trivia and engagement ideas. Megaphone TV always comes up when we’re planning creative.
It’s become a go-to. Other platforms we’ve signed up for have fallen by the wayside. Megaphone TV is the exception.
Would you recommend Megaphone TV to other stations?
SD: Absolutely. And I already have. Other stations in our group have reached out, and I tell them: this works. It engages viewers, impresses advertisers, and opens up new revenue. What more could you ask for?