“Gimme 5” kicks off tonight
B.T.L. may have doubled the cost of local phone calls, but that won’t stop your phone from ringing tonight for the start of the annual Gimme 5 promotion. Jacqueline Woods reports.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
This year the show promises to be bigger and better, as Channel 5 celebrates its tenth anniversary. The birthday bash marks the achievements the television station has made since its first local newscast was aired on December ninth, 1991.
Stewart Krohn, Managing Director, Channel 5
“You get the feeling that we’ve almost been kind of presenting an ongoing history of the nation. You look back over what we’ve covered in the news and what we’ve done entertainment-wise, and you see a real progression. It’s been very satisfying.”
Stewart Krohn, Channel 5’s Managing Director, says the station’s success would not have been possible without the support of its viewers and advertisers. To show their appreciation, nine years ago Krohn and his staff started Gimme 5, which has become one of the most popular TV shows of the year.
Stewart Krohn
“It’s really the most fun time of the year. When we first did it nine years ago, it was in reaction to try and find a way to give back something to both our viewers and to our advertisers. We’ve got the greatest viewers in the world, I’d like to think we’ve got the greatest advertisers in the world as well. We can only succeed with the support of these two groups of people. And Gimme 5 is a way of showing our gratitude to our viewers, who essentially get as many free raffle tickets as they want, and our advertisers who kind of donate the prizes, but they also get the exposure.”
And more dollars than ever are being exposed, as this year’s grand cash prize has doubled in honour of the tenth anniversary.
Mary Rhaburn, Producer, Gimme 5
“Airline tickets, we have from the three major airlines, Taca, Continental and American Airlines. We have hotels, stays like in Chaa Creek, an overnight for two. We will be having lunches, brunches at the Princess, Radisson. We will also be having Friday night with the airlines tickets, our grand prize because of our tenth anniversary this year, it’s going to be ten hundred dollars instead of five hundred dollars.”
The fun starts at 8:00 tonight but remember in order to win …when your phone rings you must answer…”Gimme 5.” Reporting for News 5, Jacqueline Woods.
Hosting the annual week of fun are Neil Hall and Janelle Chanona. Tonight’s special guest is Karaoke Queen Rina Villanueva.
