Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
In a Cinderella story that will become legend, Saturday’s Kentucky Derby witnessed Mine That Bird and jockey Calvin Borel winning the race after starting in last place with 50-1 odds, catapulting NBC to its highest ratings for the sports event in 17 years. During 6-7p, the race posted a 10.2 rating and a 22 share among households, according to Nielsen’s overnight ratings. This is the best Kentucky Derby performance since 1992 and a +7% increase in viewers compared to 2008. (Cynopsis 5/5)
A tax bill that was 36% lower than the comparable quarter in 2008 along with a 2.1% increase in advertising revenue helped Discovery Communications put together a robust earnings statement in the first quarter. DCI posted revenue of $817 million during the first three months of the year and turned a profit of $119 million, up from $34 million a year earlier. The Wall Street Journal (5/5) , OneTRAK (5/4) , Reuters (5/4)
AMC’s third season of original drama Mad Men began production and is slated to premiere this August. (Cynopsis 5/5)
The premiere of Disney Channel’s "Jonas" this past weekend attracted 4 million viewers, including 2 million in the 2-to-11 age demographic. In head-to-head competition, the freshman series outdrew Nickelodeon’s well-established "Fairly OddParents," which had 3.6 million viewers in its first half hour. Broadcasting & Cable (5/4)
Jenny McCarthy is poised to become the next star in Oprah Winfrey’s media empire. McCarthy is entering a deal with Winfrey’s Harpo to develop projects, including a syndicated talk show. The first collaboration under the pact is a blog by McCarthy on Oprah.com. (Iwantmedia 5/5, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i06056b3e4345348447df69f8ec765ae3 5/4)
FOX handed frosh series Fringe a full-season order for next season. Fringe has been a consistent time period winner among A18-49 on Tuesdays at 9p and the first season wraps May 12 at 904p with special guest star Leonard Nimoy. (Cynopsis 5/5)
Additionally, FOX ordered a second season of the animated Family Guy spinoff, Cleveland even before the series premieres this fall, reports THR. (Cynopsis 5/5)
CW will be out of the Sunday programming business entirely as of next year. The CBS-Time Warner network is in talks with affiliates to give up five hours of network time, 5 to 10 p.m., on Sunday, which has long been a weak spot for CW and its WB Network predecessor. (Iwantmedia 5/5, http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003188.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 5/4)
FX has locked down the network rights to eight films, including "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "The Wrestler," "Taken" and "Marley & Me." The deal, believed to be worth about $80 million, kicks in about 30 months after the films’ theatrical releases, which means "Wolverine" could run in late 2011. Variety (5/4)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Several media and tech giants are rumored to be circling Twitter, the hit microblogging service. Companies are said to be expressing a "proper level of interest" to Twitter’s execs. Among the so-called interested parties: Apple, AOL, Comcast, Cisco, Microsoft, News Corp., Yahoo. (Iwantmedia 5/5, http://kara.allthingsd.com/20090505/ignore-the-twitter-buyout-rumors-heres-the-facts-in-five-beyonce-madonna-approved-steps/ 5/5)
A half-dozen Fox television stations are set to test "Beyond Twisted," a half-hour reality series produced by Harvey Levin of "TMZ" that will offer "engaging and shocking" user-generated content from YouTube and other sources, along with commentary from the show’s staff. (Iwantmedia 5/5, http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003179.html?categoryid=1071&cs=1 5/4)
A new crop of "hyperlocal" news sites is growing into the void left by failing local U.S. newspapers. Most of the sites focus on a community in a tight geographic area. Some sites publish reports from volunteer reporters; others aggregate news on a block-by-block basis. (Iwantmedia 5/5, http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/05/01/future.online.news.hyperlocal/index.html 5/1)
The Federal Trade Commission will investigate whether Apple and Google are in violation of antitrust laws because their boards of directors share two members, a potential violation of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, according to published reports. At issue is whether Apple and Google should be considered direct competitors. The Wall Street Journal (5/5) , The New York Times (5/4)
CBS is combining its digital music assets to form the new CBS Interactive Music Group, a business unit bringing together CBS Radio’s music sites and audio streams, various mobile applications and the Last.fm site. The group will share "technology resources to realize cost efficiencies." (Iwantmedia 5/5, http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1307085 5/5)
Web studio Revision3 launched its latest web show, JV’s World, the first of three new programs coming this summer. JV is a local San Francisco DJ-turned talking web head who takes aim at banal pop culture icons. (Cynopsis 5/5)
Television Week, the TV industry trade publication published by Crain’s Communications, will cease print publication and become online-only beginning in June. "This is clearly a new era for publishing," says publishing director David Klein. "We know we must adapt." (Iwantmedia 5/5, http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/05/television_week_to_become_webo.php 5/4)
The number of households watching Internet videos on television sets will grow to 24 million in the next five years, according to research firm In-Stat, and revenue generated by Web-to-TV streaming services will be $2.9 billion by 2013. "Once Web-to-TV video becomes simple and convenient, mass consumer adoption will follow quite rapidly," said Keith Nissen of In-Stat. Multichannel News (5/4)
Filed under: WIRELESS
AT&T confirmed that RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 8900 will launch on its network beginning in early summer. The Curve, featuring GPS, Wi-Fi and an iPhone-busting 3.2 megapixel camera, has been out on T-Mobile since January, but integration with AT&T’s hot spot network could really make this a must have. (Cynopsis 5/5)
Thanks in part to an aggressive buy-one-get-one promotion, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Curve device sold so well last quarter that it beat out the iPhone in the U.S., according to new estimates from NPD Group. Smartphones, which comprised just 17% of total phones sold during Q1 of 2008, jumped to 23% of overall sales during Q1 of 2009. (Cynopsis 5/5)
Top Selling Smartphones in the U.S. – First Quarter 2009
- RIM BlackBerry Curve (all 83XX models)
- Apple iPhone 3G (all models)
- RIM BlackBerry Storm
- RIM BlackBerry Pearl (all models, except flip)
- T-Mobile G1
Source: NPD Group
Half of the users of MySpace will be on mobile in two years, according to John Faith, general manager of the News Corp. online social network. "We have seen 450% year over year growth in mobile subscribers. The time of the mobile Internet is now." (http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132539 5/4)
To pull smartphone users from Microsoft’s e-mail clients, Google on Monday trotted out a new BlackBerry converter the company hopes will eventually entice business customers to convert to Google Apps. The Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server, scheduled for a July release, is aimed at making it simpler for BlackBerrys to link with such hosted applications as Gmail, Google Calender and Contacts, Google said. Computerworld (5/4) , The New York Times/ReadWriteWeb (5/4)
Filed under: GAMING
Sony’s PlayStation 3 isn’t setting the game-console business on fire just yet, but that could change dramatically in the next three to five years, according to David Reeves, the executive who last week retired as president of Sony Europe. "I don’t think it will be next year, but in three to five years [the PlayStation 3] will become dominant on the market," he said. "The legacy will be that people will see a tortoise and hare situation. In a way, in the end it will be a dead heat. People will say ‘PS3 took a while to get going, but it really caught up very quickly and confounded many of the critics from the first year.’" CNET (5/4)
Filed under: TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft says it is laying off more workers, almost completing its plan to cut 5,000 jobs by June 2010, and is leaving the door open for yet more job cuts: "We will continue to monitor the impact of the economic downturn and if necessary, take further actions on our cost structure. (Iwantmedia 5/5, http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE5444NM20090505 5/5)
Samsung, according to this article, is preparing a 50-inch plasma TV that is only 1.14 inches thick. The big, skinny model boasts 1080 resolution and weighs in at a relatively diminutive 57 pounds, which is about 20% lighter than previous models on similar display size. Electronista (5/4)
Looking to help viewers navigate a dizzying array of content choices, Vizio and Macrovision have signed a multiyear licensing agreement that will pave the way to incorporating the latter’s interactive program guide into the former’s future products. "We recognize that consumers today have an unprecedented amount of content to choose from across a growing number of digital channels and sources," said Matthew McRae, vice president of Vizio products. "Simplifying that user experience is a critical part of our design philosophy." TWICE (5/4)
Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
TNT’s presentation Thursday of the Boston Celtics-Chicago Bulls first-round playoff game attracted a record-setting 5.35 million viewers. The game, which ended up being a triple-overtime classic, was such a big hit that most of the male-skewing shows on NBC lost audiences to TNT that night. Variety (5/3)
Since I just visited the TNT NBA studio in Atlanta last week, I thought I would include the photo. Watched the Saturday night game with some crazy Boston Celtics fans in LA. The photo below is from Saturday’s game in which Chicago lost to the Boston Celtics. Check out the Boston Celtics fan on the right. Don’t you kind of want to hit him?
"Weekend Update," the satirical television news segment on NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," will be produced as a series of half-hour specials next season. The specials are likely to air on Thursday nights, the home once again of a critically praised comedy lineup on NBC. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/arts/television/04nbc.html 5/3)
Despite ranking third in ratings among A18-49 this past Thursday night, NBC is giving its newer police drama Southland a second season chance. The series, from creator John Wells (ER), was given a 13-episode order for a probable fall return on Thursdays at 9p. The 10p Thursday slot where Southland now resides, is reserved for NBC’s anticipated Jay Leno primetime program. Paranormal crime drama Medium also received a renewal order over the weekend. NBC is also finalizing a renewal order for its new midseason sitcom Parks and Recreation starring Amy Poehler and two other series, Chuck and Law & Order will likely be renewed. (Cynopsis 5/4)
The U.S. Supreme Court is ordering a federal appeals court to re-examine its ruling in favor of CBS over entertainer Janet Jackson’s 2004 Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction." The $550,000 fine imposed by the Federal Communications Commission on CBS could be reinstated. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090504/ap_en_tv/scotus_fcc_janet_jackson 5/4)
Revenue is drying up at local television stations, thanks to new technologies, shifting demos and the down economy. New sources of income aren’t materializing quickly enough to offset the ebbing tide. "There’s no way to mitigate the losses," says NATPE head Rick Feldman. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003095.html?categoryid=1682&cs=1 5/1)
Mark Burnett Productions made a deal to adapt the comedy Head Case, the original series shown currently on Starz, for audiences outside the US, reports Variety. (Cynopsis 5/4)
With Viacom’s advertising-revenue growth estimated to be underperforming its rivals, CEO Philippe Dauman may need to overhaul management at the media giant’s cable networks, observers say, including the floundering MTV. More "drastic options" include replacing Dauman. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124120066977377863.html 5/2)
Cable programmers increasingly are looking overseas to grow their network brands, according to this report. The latest international travelers are Scripps Networks and Cablevision’s Rainbow Media, who are joining the ranks of Discovery Communications and Turner Broadcasting on the global stage. Broadcasting & Cable (5/4)
Disney’s Bob Iger comes in at No. 3 ($51.1 million) on a list of the 10 highest-paid CEOs for 2008, according to an analysis of chief execs in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090502/ap_on_bi_ge/us_ceo_pay 5/2)
Satellite-television provider DirecTV plans to combine with Liberty Media’s entertainment unit, gaining control of Game Show Network and three regional sports channels. The move allows mogul John Malone to have more direct control over both DirecTV and Liberty Entertainment. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://www.smartmoney.com/news/ON/?story=ON-20090504-000279-1109 5/4)
Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
A rough copy of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" leaked onto the Internet may have kept some moviegoers away from the film’s opening this weekend. But the true impact is hard to calculate. An exec with backer 20th Century Fox admits: "I don’t know that we’ll ever know" the effect. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE5421WG20090503 5/3)
I’m distracted from caring about the success of this film as I stare at how disturbingly gorgeous Hugh is in this picture. That’s right. We’re on a first name basis…
YouTube, seeking to monetize as much of its content as possible, is sending notices to content producers who have inked branded integration deals with advertisers, reminding them that they are not allowed to post commercial videos on the site without permission. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/digital-downloads/broadband/e3i3744fbefe2a504e91db238addd1c4d76 5/3)
Hulu premiered an exclusive clip of Disney Pixar’s upcoming film on the site today. Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
Observers expect new MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta to concentrate on the 13- to 34-year-olds who make up much of the audience of the online social network. Audio and video are likely to be increased. MySpace "sees itself as a media platform, akin to a television." (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/technology/companies/04myspace.html 5/3)
The White House is starting to use Twitter, Facebook and News Corp.’s MySpace to connect with Americans. President Obama’s administration is creating pages on the social-networking sites, which have already attracted more than 100,000 followers — mostly on Facebook. (Iwantmedia 5/4, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aKakW6.eXd3s 5/3)
Only one third of online U.S. homes currently own a DVR, but almost everyone has a computer, and all those people increasingly are using them to watch full-length TV shows. According to this report, most viewers watch online because they missed the show when it was on TV, they can watch their favorite show anytime they want, it’s free to watch, there are fewer ads and they can watch old TV shows that are no longer on TV. Advertising Age (5/4)
