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Metro goes to the Olympics

By Jo Mannies, Beacon political reporter

Posted 1:23 pm Fri., 2.12.10

TV viewers of tonight's Olympic opening ceremony in Vancouver got a look at the first campaign ad for Metro's effort to win St. Louis County approval in April of a half-cent sales tax hike to add extra money to the transit agency's depleted coffers.

Washington University chancellor Mark Wrighton, University City loop businessman Joe Edwards, former Cardinals pitcher Al Hrabosky and even Fredbird were featured in the 30-second spot that promotes the importance of public transportation.

What the spot doesn't do, though, is mention Proposition A, which will be on the April ballot.

This ad fits the mold of a traditional political TV ad campaign, which begins with a general positive spot (for individual candidates, such ads are often rosy and biographical.)

Once viewers had heard and seen lots of testimonials of how good the candidate (or in this case, Metro) is, the next round of ads will focus on what the ad's sponsors want the viewer to vote for.

(Click here to read more details, including reaction, to the ad campaign, as reported earlier today by Post-Dispatch transit writer Ken Leiser.)

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This Saturday was the debut of a new show by The Improv Shop that will bring out of town improv teams to St. Louis to play for — and with — a local audience. The Road Show brought teams "Everybody Grok" and "Felt" from Chicago.

We talked to Eric Christensen, producer of the Road Show and member of local improv team "Ted Dangerous"; Katie Nunn, member of "Ted Dangerous" and improv coach; and Melanie Penn and Ranjan Khan, members of local teams "Melanj" and "Magic Ratio"; about the St. Louis improv scene and why it's important to welcome teams from other cities to perform here.

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