talkingaway wrote: ↑Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:47 am
I can't say for sure, but it is interesting that they're doing Providence and not Boston. Granted, the cities are only an hour from each other, but I'd imagine just in terms of raw population, Boston (and the immediate outlying metro cities and towns) would have a bigger contestant pool, but maybe they've come to Boston so often that they're trying some of the outlying cities? Or maybe they're letting the Providence affiliate tape a "here's what the J! auditions are like" bit for the local news; WBZ in Boston has done a couple of these.
Pretty sure a big driver of which cities they visit is the amount of promotion the local station is willing to give them (in terms of both airtime and money, e.g., paying for the contestant staff's travel and hotel rooms).
I've seen talk of local stations paying for this, but that really doesn't make sense for a station to do. Does anyone have confirmation that local stations actually pay for this to happen?
I would think the reason for Providence is because it is in between NYC and Boston, and is cheaper to travel to/stay in.
I can't say if stations pay for the staff's travel and hotel rooms, but I'm sure there's lots of these fluff pieces from the local news station:
That in itself is probably good payment for both J! and the local affiliate - higher J! ratings benefit both entities, even without the quid pro quo of a travel stipend being paid by the affiliate.
It could also be something as trivial as logistics, or, like you said, something as mundane as keeping expenses down. I'm sure it's cheaper to run auditions in Providence, and I think there's a good chunk of people in Boston who would be willing to make the small trek for an audition.
talkingaway wrote: ↑Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:47 am
I can't say for sure, but it is interesting that they're doing Providence and not Boston. Granted, the cities are only an hour from each other, but I'd imagine just in terms of raw population, Boston (and the immediate outlying metro cities and towns) would have a bigger contestant pool, but maybe they've come to Boston so often that they're trying some of the outlying cities? Or maybe they're letting the Providence affiliate tape a "here's what the J! auditions are like" bit for the local news; WBZ in Boston has done a couple of these.
Pretty sure a big driver of which cities they visit is the amount of promotion the local station is willing to give them (in terms of both airtime and money, e.g., paying for the contestant staff's travel and hotel rooms).
I've seen talk of local stations paying for this, but that really doesn't make sense for a station to do. Does anyone have confirmation that local stations actually pay for this to happen?
I would think the reason for Providence is because it is in between NYC and Boston, and is cheaper to travel to/stay in.
I can't say if stations pay for the staff's travel and hotel rooms, but I'm sure there's lots of these fluff pieces from the local news station:
That in itself is probably good payment for both J! and the local affiliate - higher J! ratings benefit both entities, even without the quid pro quo of a travel stipend being paid by the affiliate.
It could also be something as trivial as logistics, or, like you said, something as mundane as keeping expenses down. I'm sure it's cheaper to run auditions in Providence, and I think there's a good chunk of people in Boston who would be willing to make the small trek for an audition.
any ratings bump for either J in a single market, or the local news in said market would not be enough to make the budgetary decision on the part of J to go to any given city--a 10th of a point in Providence or even Boston won't do anything. Plus ad revenues are only set during sweeps weeks, so the gain would be even less.
Magna wrote: ↑Sat Jan 11, 2020 8:14 pm
I'm still in the pool. Wish I could take the test for real.
Why? Taking the test for real means maybe not getting randomly drawn to have an audition to put you in to the pool that gets you a shot at being on the show...I'd much rather have my current position of being in the pool than being out and hoping to not only pass a test, but then be randomly drawn.
The status I would most like to have is "former contestant" so I don't have to keep going through this process.
Magna wrote: ↑Sat Jan 11, 2020 8:14 pm
I'm still in the pool. Wish I could take the test for real.
Ditto. In the pool until March.
+1 but I hope I never need to take the online test again!
Me too, but I'm losing faith in getting the call. Time is running out.
Good luck. If you exit the pool in March, I'd advise you to take the test again at the end of January. This question has been asked and answered, but if it's that close, I feel you have nothing to lose by putting your name back in the mix.
I do think it's strange that they offer the test at different times every year, but there must be a reason. April last year and now Jan, but the taping schedule is ostensibly the same?
Magna wrote: ↑Sat Jan 11, 2020 8:14 pm
I'm still in the pool. Wish I could take the test for real.
Ditto. In the pool until March.
+1 but I hope I never need to take the online test again!
Me too, but I'm losing faith in getting the call. Time is running out.
Good luck. If you exit the pool in March, I'd advise you to take the test again at the end of January. This question has been asked and answered, but if it's that close, I feel you have nothing to lose by putting your name back in the mix.
I do think it's strange that they offer the test at different times every year, but there must be a reason. April last year and now Jan, but the taping schedule is ostensibly the same?
changing dates probably has more to do with securing travel plans/filming clues
I would absolutely take the test if my time up was that close because by the time they have the auditions, you'd be out of the pool. However--I would also notify TPTB if invited to audition.
If I recall, last year we had some minor drama / complaints about the necessity to include a picture with the sign-up, which I guess winds up being a picture on the membership profile. Has there been any official explanation for the change (a year ago)? I assume this would only be known from people who got the audition call. I would not expect them to profile test takers from the photos by age or gender or whatever. But they gotta get a Boomer filter in there someplace .
I uploaded a silly picture with my nephew but I'm not trying to actually get a call. At least just for the purpose of taking the test you can just upload a picture of a cat or something. Or maybe wear one of those brown bags on your head with a vintage Alex mustache on it?
Disclaimer - repeated exposure to author's musings may cause befuddlement.
The disqualifier is physically going to an audition (although if you have already received an invitation to one and plan on going, I wouldn't take the test). Simply being in the pool is irrelevant.
The disqualifier is physically going to an audition (although if you have already received an invitation to one and plan on going, I wouldn't take the test). Simply being in the pool is irrelevant.
I think we're defining "being in the pool" differently, then. I have always defined "being in the pool" as having been invited to, AND completing, an audition. If, as you've pointed out, the disqualifier is "physically going to an audition", then how is being in the pool irrelevant?
ParrotRob wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:25 am
I think we're defining "being in the pool" differently, then. I have always defined "being in the pool" as having been invited to, AND completing, an audition. If, as you've pointed out, the disqualifier is "physically going to an audition", then how is being in the pool irrelevant?
Fair point. Being in the "waiting for an audition pool" is irrelevant. Being in the "passed the audition pool" is relevant. But as mentioned above, if you're coming out of the audition pool in the next two or three months, I'd just go ahead and take it.
QuizGeek75 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:59 am
I am really disappointed with the audition cities they have. Not all of us have the funds to fly out to audition and being from Denver, California is the only state that is closest to me.
Your point about cost is valid, of course, and it's why they have this national tour in the first place. But I wanted to make sure you know that a Denver-Minneapolis round trip flight is typically around 100 bucks.
This was the audition trip I took in August 2017, albeit in the reverse direction. My total cost (flight + transit + one-night airbnb + food) was ~$300. Given that the Minneapolis light rail runs from the airport to downtown, you could probably be even thriftier!