GAME SHOW PROMOTION GRADUATES

MIKE REYNOLDS Bank of America is going to school with Game Show Network’s biggest promotion to date. B of A’s student banking group, a first time advertiser on Game Show, is the key sponsor of the network’s Get Schooled Tour, which begins March 15. It will give away $140,000 toward the college education of winners who will be picked on each of the tour’s stops. Other sponsors include CompUSA, World Book Encyclopedia, Sony Electronics, Sketchers USA, Spencer Gifts, collegeclub.com (which is providing prizes) and Premiere Radio Networks (which will provide promotion at each tour stop). The tour will be promoted on Game Show Network and with on-site displays in Bank of America branches and CompUSA stores. The tour is designed to promote the network and local cable operators. It rolls through 13 markets beginning in San Francisco at the Sony Metreon (Sony owns a stake in Game Show). Other stops include Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and St. Louis. In most of the markets the operator is Comcast, which is in the process of converting AT&T Broadband systems to the Comcast brand. Charter is the operator in two of the markets. “It’s a great vehicle to position ourselves as a young-skewing network,” said Dena Kaplan, SVP of marketing at Game Show. We’re about game play, and we’re about education. And we’ve got all these partners that we’re working with.” The hosts of some of Game Show’s original programs will act as masters of ceremony at the local events, including Todd Newton of Whammy, Kennedy of Friend or Foe?, Graham Elwood of Cram and Marc Summers of WinTuition. In each market, contestants will be chosen randomly from entry forms filled out on-site and will be winnowed to three who compete for the $10,000 grand prize. People attending the event can participate in raffles and try interactive game demonstrations, as well as receive on-site student financial aid information. For viewers unable to attend in person, Game Show is holding an online competition on gameshownetwork.com, where another $10,000 prize will be available.