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Billy Mays' pitches to live on

By WALT BELCHER

wbelcher@tampatrib.com

Published: July 3, 2009

TAMPA - Billy Mays' death Sunday leaves a void in the infomercial world that won't easily be filled, industry insiders say.

But his death, apparently from heart disease, doesn't mean his infomercials will go away immediately.

His 30-minute pitches for Mighty Putty and Mighty Mendit are on hiatus but will return Monday.

Mays' funeral will be held today in the Pittsburgh suburb where he was born and raised.

Media Enterprises, maker of the glue products, calls it a moment of "advertising silence for the world's greatest infomercial voice."

The commercials will resume, said Bill McAlister, president of Media Enterprises, "because Mays would want the show to go on."

Mays wrapped his last commercial for OxiClean on June 25 in New Jersey, the state where he got his start.

Blue Moon Studios director Fred Vanore says none of the last commercials will be aired. Instead, the studio is working on a memorial OxiClean commercial to honor Mays that will begin airing next week.

Mays' commercial for the Jupiter Jack, a cell phone accessory that turns the car radio into a wireless speaker system, will continue as long as it is effective, says AJ Khubani, founder and CEO of TeleBrands.

He says the decision to keep airing the Mays infomercial depended on several factors, including what Mays would want and his family's wishes.

Another important question, Khubani says, is "will people continue to respond knowing that Billy has passed?" So far, there has been no change in direct sales of Jupiter Jack.

Mays' reality television series "Pitchmen" ends its first season at 10 p.m. Wednesday on the Discovery Channel. The series was renewed, but Discovery officials have not announced whether it will continue.

Sam Catanese, head of Infomercial Monitoring Service, says the Mays infomercials probably will begin to disappear after about 30 days.

Catanese also says there will be new "pitch people" rising up because of the attention focused on Mays and "Pitchmen." "There are already people sending out tapes and resumes, claiming to be the next Billy Mays."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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