As Christmas is to fat guys with bushy, white beards, so is Halloween to the countless paranormal research groups across America and throughout the world.
Largely left to their own devices during the rest of the year, ghost hunters often find themselves to be the center of attention during October's spooky season.
It seems that every local TV station and newspaper has the requisite showcase of their community's resident ghost hunters.
For those who partake in the process, it is no doubt fulfilling to finally receive attention for their work, even if it winds up being overdubbed with the Ghostbusters theme song at the end of the evening newscast.
Additionally, much like Black Friday serves to fill the coffers of many retail stores, Halloween can be a boon for paranormal groups seeking new members or places to investigate.
This may explain why many groups are more than happy to tote along a skeptical meteorologist from the local news once a year to show the world their work.
And, who knows, a weary weatherman one year could always evolve into the group's 'technical advisor' the next, provided something truly strange unfolds during the investigation.
An attempt to catalog all of the TV stations that called upon area ghost hunters this year would have us here until next Halloween, but here's a small sampling of some of the localized offerings...
Haunted Tales from Greenville, South Carolina (WYFT)
Investigating a Haunted Civil War-era Home in Knoxville, TN (WATE)
Duluth, Minnesota Paranormal Society Investigates the Unexplained (KQDS)
Meet the Ghost Hunters of Sherman Texas (KXII)
Cincinnati's Ghost Hunters (WCPO)
Ghost Hunters Investigate Haunted Louisville, KY Jail (WAVE)
No doubt, if you're nightly news has not featured area ghost hunters yet, there's a good chance you'll see them sometime this evening.
Unfortunately, it's also highly unlikely that these same outlets will be as interested in their EVPs and creepy photos come November 1st, but they may as well enjoy the spotlight while it lasts.