D S Simon Productions

D S Simon Productions is a New York headquartered company that "produces and distributes video and audio via satellite and hard copy to the broadcast media." 

Services
According to the 2004 Green Book produced by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) the company’s services "include: Video News Release/B-Roll production and distribution; Satellite Media Tours; Corporate Video; Live Remote Segments; In-studio Interviews; Electronic Press Kits (EPKs); PSAs; Event Broadcasting; and Webcasting, all of which individually, or in combination, help companies as well as PR firms and their clients achieve their communication goals." (PSA is the acronym for Public Service Announcements).

"Female Driven"
In September 2008, D S Simon announced it would produce "Female Driven," a "an automotive lifestyle television program for the Lifetime Television network that will also be offered to local and national stations from coast-to-coast." The show features Lauren Fix, a sponsored-video personality also known as the "Car Coach."

Fix will also star in D S Simon "Satellite Media Tours, Web video content and national programming from the four major auto shows across the country," in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and New York. "We're excited to add Lauren to our talent roster, and establish a foothold in the automotive event marketplace," said Doug Simon. The article referred to Fix as "an authoritative addition to D S Simon's stable of talent."

Social Media Buzz
In July 2008, D S Simon announced a new offering, "Social Media Buzz," which "builds upon its distribution capabilities (online video is distributed with text to broadcast, the Internet, and other outlets) with increased outreach to Web influencers, viral distribution through social networks and other new media, and proprietary Web design, video storage, and metrics reporting," according to PR Week.

Video news releases
On its website the company states "we develop Video News Release (VNR) campaigns that reach a nationwide television audience with your most effective message." Central to achieveing this is researching the concept ahead of production by "conducting surveys of TV news producers and reporters at stations across the country". 

"Our strategy is to involve news decision-makers in the VNR process before scripts are written or any production dollars are spent. This invaluable insight prevents you from wasting money on a weak VNR and strengthens the VNRs you do decide to produce, increasing your audience reach," it states.

One a VNR is produced and transmitted the company boasts that it can closely monitor the extent to which it was used. "We encode your story using proprietary Nielsen SIGMA technology. The result: tracking that provides detailed information on station usage, markets, dates, times aired and Nielsen audience numbers," it states on its website.

In November 2003 the company announced that with Pathfire were "working together to distribute video news releases, b-roll footage and other short-form content directly to newsroom desktops in broadcast newsrooms throughout the U.S." 

Guaranteed placement
The firm also offers "guaranteed placement" VNRs, where air time is purchased for the segments. D S Simon "guaranteed placement" segments air on two health-related networks. The firm describes the "Health Club Broadcasting Network" as "one of the most effective ways to guarantee reach to well-educated, health-oriented, affluent Nielsen-measured viewers in key markets." The other option, "AccentHealth," provides programming to "10,000 physician's waiting rooms nationwide."

Expanding to the Midwest
In its August 28, 2006, issue, the Holmes Report wrote that D S Simon had established a Midwest office:
 * D S Simon Productions has opened a new office, with full production capability including edit suites and a satellite media tour studio, in Chicago. Jim O’Reilly has been named vice president for the Midwest region after spending the past six years in the firm’s New York headquarters as manager of video production. Prior to joining D S Simon, O’Reilly worked in television news at KYW, the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia and led the launch of Philadelphia’s 24-hour cable news operation.

Fake news for the fit
"D S Simon Productions has signed on with the Pathfire digital distribution network," reported Jack O'Dwyer's Newsletter in November 2003 (Vol. 36, No. 44, Nov. 12, 2003).

The article also reported that DSS "will now be the VNR provider for ClubCom Health Club Broadcasting Network, which provides programming to health and fitness clubs in the U.S. Outlets include Gold's Gym, New York Sports Clubs and others. Simon guarantees an audience of about a half million viewers."

Personnel

 * Doug Simon - Founder and CEO
 * Eric Wright - Vice-President, Marketing & Business Development
 * Elesia Carey - Vice-President, Sales, PR Video Services
 * Suzanne Murphy - Manager New Business Development
 * Jonathan Poretz - Vice-President, West Coast Operations
 * Jim O’Reilly - Vice-President, Midwest Operations
 * Sue Berg
 * Sonia Martin
 * Julie Edelman

SourceWatch resources

 * Video news releases
 * National Association of Broadcast Communicators

Contact information
229 West 36th St 12th Floor New York, NY 10018 Phone: 212.736.2727 Fax: 212.736.7040 Email: news AT dssimon.com Web: http://www.dssimon.com/

Articles

 * Press release, "D S Simon Productions Plays a Roll in Releasing the Results of the Lifesavers Poll," D S Simon Productions via Business Wire, April 12, 2000.
 * "Pathfire delivers video content to newsrooms with D S Simon", Broadcast Engineering, November 4, 2003.
 * "Transcript to VNR Teleconference", O'Dwyers PR Daily (sub req'd), March 17, 2005.
 * Doug Simon, "Leading VNR Firm Responds to the Recent FCC Public Notice on Video News Releases", Business Wire, April 14, 2005.
 * Christie Casalino, "Gaining exposure with proper disclosure", PR Week (sub req'd), October 3, 2005. (This is an article on Satellite Media Tours).
 * Diane Farsetta and Daniel Price, "Shopping Advice from a Store-Bought Expert", from "Fake TV News:Widespread and Undisclosed", April 6, 2006.
 * Tonya Garcia, "DS Simon offers market insurance on services," PR Week, November 26, 2008.