It’s sweeps season for people working in and watching tv.

TV stations will do anything to get you to watch. Used to be, that meant producing stories people would watch and talk about around the water cooler the next day. Now, it seems giving stuff away is the s.o.p.

Stations give away cars, tanks of gas, Kroger cards, concert tickets, paternity tests.

Yup, where else but Memphis does a television station promote “Paternity Case Number of the Day”?

here’s the pitch on the WPTY website:

“Watch Maury weekdays at 4pm for the “Paternity Case Number of the Day”, which will be displayed during one of the commercial breaks. Then watch Eyewitness News Everywhere at 5pm that same day, immediately following Maury, for the cue to call. Be the designated caller with the correct “Paternity Case Number of the Day” and win! It’s that Easy!!!”

Hey…I’m not necessarily criticizing WPTY. Getting the best ratings money can buy is the same whether it’s a DNA test or a hybrid-car or a Wal-Mart gift card. But what does this say about the people and the city of Memphis that paternity tests are as much in demand as full tanks of gas?