Scott Paton

Hilton Magazine

Hilton Hotels - January 17, 1985

Circa 1983, a group of colleagues (Paul Hall, Jim Hampton, Ken Draper) and myself were all working together at a radio syndication firm in Los Angeles. We would often brainstorm ways in which we could marshal the storytelling gifts we utilized in our broadcast productions in a more lucrative way. The collective manifestation of our ideas was "Hilton Magazine," the very first, in-house TV programming vehicle to spotlight the amenities of the host hotel, as well as the services and products of nearby merchants. This closed-circuit television travelog became a lucrative advertising vehicle for the hotel chain as well.

Among the many locations for which we produced local editions of "Hilton Magazine" were New York, Miami, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Diego. Our deal with the Hilton Corporation was negotiated directly with Barron Hilton, son of founder Conrad Hilton, and grandfather to future celebrity-for-celebrity's sake, Paris Hilton.

(It appears that none of the original "Hilton Magazines" still exist, on the Web or otherwise. However, the videos found on the Internet for the New York Hilton seem to be produced in the same style and spirit as many of the episodes of the original show. I'm proud to have played a part in creating a vehicle that was a new and effective means of marketing and communication.)

Hilton Video Links