Milwaukee’s NBC affiliate TV station stirred some bad feelings after marketing an offer to local Black-owned businesses the opportunity to appear on a morning program during Black History Month, but only if they were willing to pay $1,000. .

WTMJ-TV sent marketing emails to several black business owners in the area offering them the opportunity to join TMJ4’s daily lifestyle program “The Morning Blend”, which airs weekdays at 9 a.m.

The email included an attachment with a Black History Month graphic explaining how important it is for the program to highlight Black-owned businesses during February.

The attachment reads, “For The Morning Blend to highlight Black-owned businesses during Black History Month, celebrate their contributions, promote diversity, amplify voices, tell their stories, and foster inclusivity and understanding in the community. It’s important to give.”

The flyer was distributed by TMJ4 to black business owners in the Milwaukee area.

Business owners who pay will receive a copy of the section. “This is a great opportunity to tell your story and reach members of your community,” the attachment reads.

It offered that a business’s “investment” would be $1,000, which the email said was a discounted price.

“If you’re going to invite us to celebrate Black History Month, we shouldn’t be charged to come celebrate Black History Month,” said Tomira White, owner of Delicious Bites on the east side of Wauwatosa.

Tomira White, owner of Delicious Bites at 6538 W. North Ave. in Wauwatosa.

TMJ4’s station manager, Greg Schraufnagel, told the Journal Sentinel that “The Morning Blend” is a lifestyle program, not part of a news division, and it is common for the program to have sponsored content. “That’s always been the format of the show,” he said.

“The Morning Blend” has been on the air for 18 years.

Schraufnagel declined to go into specific details of the show’s makeup, how many segments it sponsors, its specific practices for reaching out to potential guests, or whether the program has charged for Black History Month segments in the past. “Things are evolving all the time,” he said.

“We will all learn from this.”

But he added that “we don’t charge anyone at all to be on the news or for any news coverage.”

It is widely considered unethical for a news organization to pay sources for information or access, and is advised against by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Kimberly Adams, owner of Signature Sweets, has appeared in many forms of media, including the Food Network. She posted about the email on Facebook on Wednesday, prompting several other Black business owners to come forward to express that they had also received the email and felt insulted by it. His post had been shared dozens of times and had received nearly 100 comments by Friday evening.

“You know, usually when someone is celebrated or honored they don’t pay to be celebrated or honored,” White said.

Schraufnagel called White on Friday afternoon to apologize for the marketing efforts, White said. “I really appreciated it,” she said.

He told the Journal Sentinel, “I reached out to members of our community who expressed opinions about it, to explain the nature of the show, that it is paid content, and to express that we need Black people. Sorry about the association with History Month.” , “Everyone I talked to was understanding.”

Drake Bentley can be reached at [email protected] or 414-391-5647.

This article originally appeared on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: TMJ Morning Blend invites Black businesses to air on price

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