The “Today” show received $280K from tourism groups to film in Charleston

Saturday, December 1, 2018

The Charleston and South Carolina tourism departments are spending almost $300,000 to bring NBC’s “Today” show to the Charleston Wine + Food Festival in March. However, one of the buyers defines the expected payoff as “priceless.”

“This is not going to drive ticket sales this year, but it certainly will in subsequent years,” Explore Charleston spokesman Doug Warner said. “It creates that brand awareness and national attention, just like we saw with the eclipse.”

Explore Charleston and Discover South Carolina each gave almost $140,000 to help underwrite the production costs associated with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb’s visit.

Charleston Wine + Food denied revealing its share of the total bill. However, the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau five years back paid $350,000 to support an hour-long “Today” segment starring the same co-hosts.

Warner explains that the trip made a valuable impression on both of them.

“For example, when Jackie Gifford was there for Travel + Leisure to announce The World’s Best (Awards), Kathie Lee and Hoda went on for three minutes about Charleston,” Warner says. “That’s kind of priceless.”

“Today” this week aired its plans to revisit Charleston. Standing in front of a giant screen displaying Charleston scenes, Gifford said, “It’s one of the most enchanting, adorable towns I’ve ever been in America. We’ve already been there. We don’t usually repeat, but it’s worth repeating over and over again.”

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