Just how much is METRO spending on ads?

(9/25/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- How about that for a news bulletin -- gas price are high. Apparently the folks at METRO think spending lots of your money to tell you that is money well spent.

Just how much of your money is METRO spending to convince you to ride the bus and rail you are already paying for? And is it the job of METRO to convince us in the first place?

"This is the METRO Report, your source for news and happenings with your host, Elliot Roberts," said the ad METRO is running on its website.

Who's Elliot Roberts? Let's go to METRO headquarters and find out.

"I'm looking for Elliot Roberts," we said when we went into METRO headquarters.

"Who's Elliot Roberts? We asked METRO's George Smalley.

"He's an actor," said Smalley.

He's an actor you paid to do an imitation of Steven Colbert. You can catch his show on Comedy Central.

But its Roberts, not Colbert who's got a hot bulletin for Houston drivers.

"Dateline Houston, gas prices rise with the tide," we're told on the spot.

Betcha didn't know that.

"We're trying to add a little levity, a little lightness to an education piece," said Smalley.

We showed the video to bus passengers next to METRO headquarters.

"You think it was funny?" we asked.

"It was stupid," said one person.

Hundreds of thousands of Houstonians ride the bus, but why talk to real people when you can hear what you want to hear from paid actors who sing the transit agency's praises.

. Of course they were all reading from the script METRO wrote. We know, we have a copy.

This one METRO video production cost $46,000 of your money to make.

Do you think that was money well spent?

"No, money wasted," said METRO passenger Dionne Smith.

That includes more than $1,000 for the actor's makeup and $1,600 for mobile dressing rooms downtown.

"I think it's absolutely crazy to spend money on something like that, no," said METRO rider Tim Williams.

You won't see production anywhere on television, but there it is on the METRO web site. How many of you go to METRO's web site for a good laugh?

Next time you go to the movies, you can also see your tax dollars at work.

"Was it your idea," we asked Smalley.

"You don't like it?" he asked us.

"We all know if an earthquake occurs, the likely result would be a bus in your back yard," I said. "It's a little bit of a stretch, no question. We wanted to have fun with it."

The movie trailer cost $68,961 of your money to make and took three days to scout a location to shoot the video, even though METRO has more than 25 park and ride lots.

"Odds are, there's one near you," the ad says. "Maybe even in your own back yard."

Add another $115,000 to run the video before movies in 13 theaters. You paid talent fees of $3,750 for the actors. Apparently, no one in METRO's $3 million a year marketing department could do it as part of their work day.

One of the park and ride lots is down in Missouri City. There are plenty of empty spaces there. Its near Frank Wilson's house, METRO's chief executive officer, but he doesn't use it even though the 163 downtown express can drop him off just a couple of blocks from METRO's headquarters. And the other bus connects to the METRO Rail that runs right next to Wilson's office.

"He's busier than the average commuter," I said.

"Certainly there is a higher expectation on a CEO about how they spend their time and make most productive use of time," Smalley replied.

But METRO spends your money telling you how much work you can get done on mass transit

"With the study time I get on the bus, I got a 'C+' in history," said an actor in the spot. "METRO rocks dude!"

But of course, Wilson gets a $1,000 a month car allowance. So maybe gas prices don't hit his wallet the same as yours.

You can see the videos for yourself here. But something you won't see in the ads is a way to ride the bus and rail system absolutely free whenever you want. We know how and we will show you Wednesday night at 10pm.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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