Reader Raves is different from other “Best of” polls because the questions are all open-ended and all of the votes are write-in ballots. People are not asked to choose from a multiple choice list that someone else has put together.
SPRINGFIELD - Rave on.
Reader Raves, the new promotion by The Republican and MassLive.com that asks readers to declare their favorites in a wide variety of categories, is starting to pick up steam one week into its launch.
Mark French, advertising director for The Republican, MassLive and El Pueblo Latino, said so far thousands of people have checked out the promotion and several hundred have actually submitted votes.
“Considering we just launched the promotion, this is a pretty good start,” French said. “I would like to see a minimum of 3,000 total votes by the end of the month, but I think 5,000 isn’t totally unrealistic.”
The voting concludes April 29.
To vote, go online to: www.readerraves.com.
The promotion asks people to declare their favorites from across the broad categories of News, Business, Entertainment, Pioneer Valley Life and Sports.
Reader Raves is different from other “Best of” polls because the questions are all open-ended and all of the votes are write-in ballots. People are not asked to choose from a multiple choice list that someone else has put together.
Indeed, there is no list.
If you want to vote for “Benny the Bucket Man,” as someone did, in the in the category of Best Street Musician, then no one is stopping you.
Incidentally, Benny the Bucket Man is in a neck-and-neck pitched battle with “Steel Drum Guy, Northampton,” “Joe Minuge,” “Hamp Jazz Guy” and “none.” Through midday Friday, each had one vote, and one gets the feeling that this one could go down to the wire.
The open-answer format does add an element of “anything goes” whimsy in some places.
In the category of Best Place to Propose, the responses include the usual romantic haunts like Forest Park, Skinner Mountain or the Quabbin Tower. But there’s also a few wildcards, like “anywhere,” or “in person, LOL” and “Bondi’s Island.”
Bondi’s Island actually got two votes.
The answers cannot be tracked back to the individual respondents, so any claim that the votes for Springfield’s legendary sewage treatment plant were cast by people waiting their turn in divorce court would be completely unsubstantiated.
Reader Raves has the usual leaders in the usual categories. For example, the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Road Race is ahead of the pack in the best road race, and The Big E kicks butt as the best fair.
There are still some surprises though.
For example, in the area of favorite television personality, there could be an upset in the making.
Carrie Saldo, the host of WGBY 57’s nightly “Connecting Point” program, is leading long-time abc40 - FOX 6 anchor Dave Madsen, by 14 - 11. Saldo is also running laps around “any of the Jackies on Channel 22.”
Madsen has been anchoring the local news longer than the the entire careers of most people in television. Most people in television this side of Ray Hershel, anyway.
Saldo’s “Connecting Point” has only been on the air since January of last year.
Saldo, contacted Friday by The Republican, resisted any “David v. Goliath” or “Little Engine that Could” analogies, Instead she opted for a diplomatic approach.
“I’m proud to be mentioned in the same poll as perennial favorite Dave Madson, and I wish him luck along with the others,” she said.
She added the voting so far “is a clear reflction of the quality of WGBY’s programming and the dedication that our entire production staff puts into each and every show.”
French, The Republican Executive Editor Wayne Phaneuf and marketing director Maureen Sullivan are scheduled to appear on “Connecting Point” in a segment scheduled for broadcast at 7:30 p.m.
Their appearance is part of the Reader Raves promotion in the valley media. In the interest of full diclosure, they were booked for the program before anyone looked at the voter tallies for best TV personality and before Saldo was approached for an interview.
French and Cynthia Simison, The Republican managing editor, are also due to appear on WHYN FM Monday at 8 a.m.
Reader Raves is intended to be a twice-yearly promotion.
This round will focus primarily on activities popular in the summer and fall, such as best summer camps and best ice cream spots.
Round 2 is planned for September and will focus on activities reflecting the change of seasons.
Reader Raves follows the success of two recent Valley Food Championships promotions by The Republican and MassLive.com in which readers nominated their favorite pizza shops and burger joints; a panel of three judges from The Republican determined the winners.
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