Fox TV has gone to what was described as unprecedented expense to fly at least one promotion executive from 145 of its 210 affiliates to Los Angeles to discuss plans for the launch of the U.S. version of The X Factor , produced by and featuring Simon Cowell as one of the judges, Broadcasting & Cable magazine reported on Thursday. According to the trade journal, Fox paid for the airfare, hotel rooms and other expenses for more than 200 people who attended the two-day conference this week. It quoted one unnamed affiliate exec as saying, "This kind of promotion based around a single show is unprecedented. ... I've been affiliated with Fox a long time, and I've never seen them doing anything like this." The attendees heard from Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Rice, Marketing President Joe Early, and Cowell, who presented clips from the British version of X-Factor and answered questions about plans for the show, describing in particular how Fox will support local talent competitions. "Fox has put their money where their mouth is," Angela Riley, promotions director at KLSR Eugene, OR, told B&C .

04/03/2011