According to Thursday’s Nielson ratings, the Baltimore market was the largest audience for Barack Obama’s Wednesday night infomercial, with a household rating — the percent of U.S. households that tuned in — of 31.3. According to Nielson, one ratings point equals 1 percent of a given market’s total television households, meaning close to one-third of Baltimore’s television households watched the paid program.

The national household rating for the infomercial — the first political telecast from a presidential candidate since Ross Perot in 1996 — was 21.7. Nielson monitored viewing for six major networks in 56 local television markets, including Philadelphia, which came in second with a household rating of  29.0, and Portland, Ore., which had the lowest household rating of 14.2.

Interestingly, the highest- and lowest-rated markets were both located in historically Democrat states. Are the residents of Baltimore buying what Sen. Obama is selling?

EMILY ARNOLD, Special Publications Editor

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Around election time, Washington players and reporters do a lot of speculating about who will win plum posts when the new president comes to town. Although these types of things interest me, political appointments at the national level rarely affect my work directly at The Daily Record, so I tend to do a little less nosing around.

However, this year, word has it that environmental-industry types are whispering that Maryland’s own U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest could snag the job of director of the Environmental Protection Agency if Sen. Barack Obama, a Democrat, is elected president.

The combo seemed slightly odd to me, since Gilchrest is a Republican, albeit a champion of the Chesapeake Bay who recently received kudos from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. With a little digging, I found out that Gilchrest — who lost in the primary to Andy Harris — endorsed Obama in September.

For a little authority on the topic, I talked to Frank Maisano, a wind-development advocate, who initially tipped me off to the Gilchrest rumor. Here’s what he had to say:

“You look for people that are qualified and would be interested in filling the spot, and in all circumstances, Wayne Gilchrest fits the bill. He’s very well liked by the environmental community for a Republican. All of those things make him a very likable and interesting guy for a position, especially if Obama wants to pick someone who is highly respected by enviros.”

“By the way, I think Wayne Gilchrest is out of a job as of next year.”

Maisano had no tips on any Marylanders Republican nominee Sen. John McCain might pick if he’s elected.

DANIELLE ULMAN, Business Writer

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Here at The Daily Record, we’re busily preparing for Election Day coverage (from a business-and-legal perspective, of course). Only 5 days to go!

Arguably the closest – and most interesting – race in Maryland is unfolding in the 1st Congressional District, where Democrat Frank Kratovil is battling it out with Republican candidate Sen. Andy Harris. Incumbent Wayne Gilchrest lost to Harris in the primary election.

Since this is sure to be a closely-watched race come Tuesday, take a minute to watch the video profiles of both candidates below. The interviews were conducted by Kate Amara of WBAL-TV here in Baltimore.

And check back in on Tuesday to find our Web and multimedia coverage of Election Day. If you have any suggestions, comment on the post below.

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At a press conference earlier today at UMB Biopark hosted by the GBC, a number of medical institutions and colleges voiced their support for the Light Rail Red Line Alternative 4C.

The Alternative 4C plan would create an east-west light rail line that would stretch 14.6 miles from Woodlawn to Johns Hopkins Bayview. The plan calls for two tunnels—one under Cooks Lane and another under downtown Baltimore and Fells Point.

The alternative line, which is projected to cost $1.6 billion, would carry 42,000 passengers per weekday – more than triple the number of riders that are currently using existing bus routes in the corridor, according to Donald C. Fry, CEO of the GBC. It would take 41 minutes to take the red line from one end to the other, half the time of the current bus route.

But what seemed to be the paramount issue today was the importance of keeping area college students happy enough to stay in Baltimore after they graduate.
According to Kristen Campbell of the Baltimore Collegetown Network, the most important issue to area students is transportation.

With a red line, there would be connecting stops to both the existing light rail and metro systems, making it easier to get to areas such as Fells Point and Hopkins Bayview from schools in the county.

What’s the next step, you ask?

Next month, there will be four public hearings, beginning on Nov. 6. After the hearing process closes on January 5, the Maryland Department of Transportation will meet with the governor with the information gathered. They will then announce a locally preferred option that gets submitted to the federal government.

It might sounds like it’s a ways off, but from a budget standpoint, the building of the line could start as early as July 2012.

Below is a video from the press conference. Click here for more information on the public hearing dates.

RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter

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No one should be alone on election night.

At least that’s what the owners of the Morton’s steakhouses in Baltimore and Annapolis say. Now, instead of obsessing over exit poll numbers and watching the broadcast media race to call states for the candidates in the dark confines of your TV room, Morton’s is hosting a Super Bowl-like evening dedicated to watching the general election results.

Guests can join other political junkies in the restaurants’ boardrooms while watching the results and ordering from a prix fixe election menu priced at $52.95. For election night only, Morton’s is also offering three cocktails — the Republicantini, the Democratini, and the Undecided-tini, all for $11 each.

Realistically speaking, dinner and just a couple of drinks will run about $100 including tip. And since the event is from 5:30 – 11 p.m., I’m betting many people there won’t have just a couple drinks. Depending on your perspective, the cost either isn’t worth it or just a drop in the hat for the chance to watch election results with other rowdy politicos.

Not to feed into a political stereotype (but I guess I am), based on the average cost and the upscale location, which party do you think will be more represented? Democrats or Republicans?

Either way, kudos to Morton’s for setting up the event — it’s a great way to capitalize on what’s sure to be a highly electric night.

LIZ FARMER, Business Writer

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An Obama campaign commercial running in North Carolina called “Down to The Wire” features some of the actors from HBO’s Baltimore-based crime drama The Wire (Marlo Stanfield, Kima Greggs, Lester Freamon, Cutty Wise, and others) urging voters to cast their vote for the Democrat in this year’s election.

It’s not immediately clear why the cast of The Wire would have an impact on the race in North Carolina more than in, say, Virginia.

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The Huffington Post reports that the cast of the show is on a tour of North Carolina campaigning, among other places, at universities, which could explain part of it – The Wire was a big college hit.

There also seems to be a trend of celebs campaigning to their respective TV shows’ constituencies – for example, Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander pushing Obama to Jewish voters. So what does that make this? The Wire selling Obama to…ex-pat Baltimoreans?

ROBBIE WHELAN, Business Writer 

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It’s been quite a good month for two Baltimore area marketing firms.

Warschawski, a public relations and marketing agency, was recently named the national “Small Firm of the Year” for the third year in a row by PR News, a national communications industry resource.
Warschawski beat out finalists Airfoil Public Relations (Detroit and San Francisco), Makovsky + Co. (New York City), Merritt Group (D.C., Northern Virginia and San Francisco), Susan Davis International (D.C.) and Tiller LLC (New York) for the honor.

David Warschawski, founder of the Baltimore-based firm, called the recognition a “mind-blowing honor” in a news release. “Receiving this recognition for three years in a row is tremendous validation of our core beliefs — we are simply thrilled!” he said.
Meanwhile in Owings Mills, MGH Inc. is making its own waves and announced today it has won four new accounts. They are:
•    public relations, interactive and word-of-mouth advertising for Baltimore International College,
•    PR outreach for Common Ground Alliance (which operates a national call-before-you-dig phone line),
•    word-of-mouth marketing for Idaho-based Lee Read Jewelers, and
•    creating interactive kiosks for BACVA.

The agency also announced the promotion of six employees into management roles to help with its expanding public relations and word of mouth marketing divisions.
Comments or tales you’d like to share about these companies — or any other area marketing firm news — are welcome…

LIZ FARMER, Business Writer

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In reporting on today’s story on Marylanders’ changing dining habits, I spoke to Barb G. Buehl, the president of the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce, about why Western Maryland had the highest percentage of people reporting they were dining out less today than a year ago (62 percent of responders versus 53 percent statewide).

She said that the restaurateurs she spoke to were not reporting a significant decrease in sales and couldn’t offer up an explanation herself — other than per capita income in Western Maryland is lower compared to the D.C. suburbs (where 52 percent of responders said they are dining out less, according to a poll conducted by Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies).

But Buehl did note several restaurant owners and staff at the sit-down establishments said they had seen a decrease in tipping.

On the one hand it’s reasonable — folks still want to treat themselves to an evening out, but they skimp on what’s seen as the “extras.” But tips to the waiters and waitresses aren’t really extra — many are paid minimum wage or less because the tips count toward their wages. If tipping is down, it’s like getting a salary cut without doing anything wrong.

Is this fair? Or is this just the gamble people take when they work in the restaurant industry?

LIZ FARMER, Business Writer

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Golf World, one of the country’s most prominent golf newsweeklies, released its first annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

Awards were given to the top 50 public, private and resort courses in the country based on criteria such as the quality of the course, condition, reputation/prestige, service and caddie program.

Two Maryland courses made the lists—and they’re not Congressional Country Club and Baltimore CC.

Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace was ranked by readers as the 9th-best public course in the country, and Caves Valley Golf Club (pictured above) in Owings Mills got the 36th spot for top private course.

Even if you find many of these course rankings unimportant (trust me, I do sometimes), you have to realize that this is a big deal for Bulle Rock and Caves Valley.

Let’s start with Bulle Rock. They have hosted the McDonald’s LPGA Championship the past four years, and now it looks like the LPGA will bail on the site after next year. Poor attendance and a decrease in charitable donations spelled the end for the course. I’m sure there are plenty of locals wondering how Bulle Rock is seen by others outside of the mid-Atlantic, and the ranking says a lot.

As for Caves Valley, we haven’t heard much about the course since the 2002 US Senior Open. Despite strong crowds and a thrilling finish between Tom Watson and Don Pooley, the course was seen by many players as a drag to walk. Even at the NCAA Championships in 2005, several of the college golfers I spoke to said it was a lovely course, but too many steep climbs and long walks between holes tired them out.

I expect both venues will actively pursue major tournaments in the near future, and these rankings should provide a boost.

RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter

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Jay Leno as the next Walter Cronkite?

Well, not exactly, but a new study has found that viewers of late-night comedy shows like Leno’s Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman and the Jon Stewart Show pay more attention to the campaign in network and cable news coverage than non-viewers.

The study, conducted by Lauren Feldman of American University and Dannagal Goldthwaite Young of the University of Delaware, will be detailed in the upcoming issue of the journal Political Communication.

Young and Feldman argue the shows hosted by Leno, Letterman and Stewart act as gateways to traditional news.

“Young says critics of political entertainment should find comfort in the fact that these shows appear to ‘encourage’ rather than ‘discourage’ attention to political campaigns,” the release said.

Perhaps another example of that connection is vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin’s appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live last week. That episode gave the show its best ratings in 14 years, and Web site hits of the video have totaled nearly 9 million.

But if all the campaign hoopla, stunts and jokes have those already interested in politics scrambling for more, what happens to the undecideds? Does this kind of exposure turn them away from wanting to learn more about the candidates?

LIZ FARMER, Business Writer

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