Andrew Schmertz

Andrew Schmertz is currently the co-founder and CEO of Hopscotch Air, an FAA certified air taxi operator. [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/andrew/schmertz He previously was Managing Director at WNET-TV, the flagship station of PBS, where he oversaw several local programming initiatives. 

From 2005-2008, Andrew was a senior producer with Medialink Worldwide (now Synaptic Digital), the leading producer of video news releases (VNR) :

He was also a co-founder of Creative News Group, a small New York based video production company. CNG was sold to WNET in 2008.

Andrew Schmertz at Medialink
Andrew Schmertz's work for Medialink was reported video news releases in the April 2006 report Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed by Diane Farsetta and Daniel Price of the Center for Media and Democracy: "WSJV-28 in South Bend, IN, introduced a VNR produced for General Motors as being from "FOX's Andrew Schmertz," implying that Schmertz was a reporter for the local station or the FOX network. In reality, he is a publicist at the largest U.S. broadcast PR firm, Medialink Worldwide. Another Medialink publicist, Kate Brookes, was presented as an on-air reporter by four TV stations airing a VNR produced for Siemens." 

All VNRs that Schmertz appeared in were clearly identified by Medialink as a VNR and who the corporate sponsor was. However, stations failed to provide this information to viewers.

Below are this and other VNRs involving Schmertz:
 * General Motors VNR March 2006
 * General Motors VNR June 2006
 * Allstate VNR September 2006

Background
A 2008 biographical note states that Schmertz is "a licensed pilot with land and sea ratings, and is the co-founder of Hopscotch Air. An experienced broadcast journalist, Andrew was a reporter for Business Week Television, the weekly finance show of Business Week Magazine. He also anchored business reports for ABC stations, including WABC, WLS, and the ABC News One feed service. Previously, Andrew co-produced and hosted inflight, business news programming for British Airways. The program was sponsored by Merrill Lynch, where Andrew also consulted on various webcasting projects. Andrew has also served as a general assignment reporter for New York 1, Time Warner's 24 hour New York City newschannel, covering some of the city's biggest stories. He began his television career at News 12 Long Island. Andrew has a law degree from Fordham University Law School."

Working for Medialink
In February 2004 he appeared in a Medialink VNR for General Motors as a "reporter".

In a PR Week articles on media services for companies Schmertz described Medialink's Medialink Health Services as being available to help do targeted drug promotion. "There are significant guidelines when it comes to the promotion of prescription pharmaceuticals, and the appropriate delivery of those messages ensures that everyone in the chain of production is protected," Schmertz said.

"Our expertise in this area helps us deliver sensitive healthcare news and information that is both beneficial to consumers and compliant with FDA and FTC regulations."

Affiliations
A biographical profile states that Schmertz's work history includes :
 * Managing Director, WNET-TV, September 2008 — June 2010; the flagship station of PBS.
 * Co-Founder, Board Member, Hopscotch Air, Inc, 2007 — Present; Co-Founder of air taxi business. Based at Republic-Farmingdale Airport, Long Island, NY
 * Senior Producer, Medialink Worldwide, February 2005 — August 2008
 * Anchor/Reporter Business Week TV, 2000 — 2004;
 * New York 1 News; 1994 — 1998;
 * Reporter, NY1 News, 1994 — 1998;
 * Associate Producer/Reporter, News 12, 1992 — 1994.

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Fake news

Biographical Notes

 * "Andrew Schmertz", LinkedIn, accessed October 2008.

Stories by Schmetz for BusinessWeek TV

 * Stories by Schmetz for BusinessWeek TV, BusinessWeek TV archive, accessed October 2008.

General Articles

 * Craig McGuire, "Media distribution, the healthy way", PR Week, November 21, 2005. (pdf)
 * Diane Farsetta and Daniel Price, "A Few Good Wrenches", from "Fake TV News:Widespread and Undisclosed", April 6, 2006.