Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Arts, Comcast, Fox Broadcasting Company, Hollywood Los Angeles California, JayLeno, NbcUniversal, Television, Television program
The deal between Comcast and NBC Universal is moving toward a likely official conclusion as media honchos gathered this week at 30 Rockefeller Plaza to kick tires, scrutinize balance sheets and perform due diligence. (The Wrap 10/22)
Jeff Gaspin, NBC Universal’s top television exec, claims that NBC will no longer program to profit margins — meaning no more “Jay Leno”-like programming that is profitable merely because it is cheaply produced. The announcement is said to be “stunning” Hollywood. (The Washington Post 10/23)
Stunning yes, if you consider that Marc Graboff (Co-Chairman/NBC) mentioned mere days ago at Digital Hollywood LA how profitable Leno was for the advertisers and how he considered that things were going “well.”
To satisfy the “Gleeks,” aka fans of new frosh series Glee, FOX said it will release the first 13 episodes of its music-filled drama on DVD at the end of this year, per Variety. ‘Glee’ Season One: Road to Sectionals will be available in stores by December 29. The 13-episode set will also contain a director’s cut of the pilot episode as well as behind-the-scenes features, cast audition clips and music performances from the show. Later in mid-2010 the full first season of Glee will be released on DVD, picking up the new original episodes slated to air on FOX next spring. The 13-episode set, coming out this December will also include a voucher toward the purchase of the full season box set. (Cynopsis 10/23)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: CBS, Denver Nuggets, Hasbro, JayLeno, JeffZucker, Los Angeles Lakers, NbcUniversal, Television
ESPN on Tuesday night attracted a record-setting audience of 8.1 million viewers to its telecast of the opening game of the NBA Western Conference finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets. ESPN will carry Game 2 of the best-of-seven series tonight at 9 o’clock Eastern time. Multichannel News (5/20)
MTV has announced that it will premiere the newest installment of its venerable series “The Real World” on June 24. This time around — the show’s 22nd season — the cast of eight will congregate at a hotel in Cancun, where it will set up house and try to get along in the celebrated Mexican beach resort town. Variety (5/20)
The planned joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Kids to create a new channel for children with shows that are based on the toy maker’s products has received initial clearance from the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department. The $300 million deal calls for Hasbro to have a 50% stake in the network. Broadcasting & Cable (5/20)
CBS is scheduling two strong returning shows, “Medium” and The Mentalist,” later in prime time, aiming to take advantage of NBC’s risky decision to give its 10 p.m. slot every weeknight to Jay Leno. “It’s a huge sea change,” says CBS chief Les Moonves of NBC’s Leno move. (Iwantmedia 5/21, http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cbs21-2009may21,0,3206747.story 5/21)
Moving Jay Leno to prime time is the biggest priority for NBC Universal, says CEO Jeff Zucker, addressing a gathering of 155 local-station reps. Broadcasters can’t “keep their feet planted in the cement blocks of the past. … “I’m not going to end up like Detroit or local newspapers.” (Iwantmedia 5/21, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/554e7c76-4594-11de-b6c8-00144feabdc0.html 5/21)
Science Channel’s new series “Science of the Movies,” which is set to premiere next Tuesday, will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the technology used to make science fiction films. In the first episode, host Nar Williams talks to John Dykstra, the man who invented a motion-control rig used to create the shot of the Death Star explosion in the 1977 “Star Wars” film. TVWeek.com (5/20)
Despite possible legal challenges, Cablevision plans to deploy its Remote Storage-DVR this summer, a service that allows cable-television subscribers to record shows on the cable company’s servers rather than on a home DVR. Programmers claim the service violates their copyrights. (Iwantmedia 5/21, http://www.pcworld.com/article/165282/cablevision_to_launch_controversial_remote_dvr_this_summer.html 5/20)
Cablevision has added high-definition programming from Starz Entertainment’s Starz on Demand and Encore on Demand services to its video-on-demand menu. Content includes original series such as “Crash,” “Head Case” and “Party Down” as well as theatrical titles such as “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.” Home Media Magazine (5/20)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: AmericanIdol, JayLeno, JeffZucker, National Football League, NbcUniversal, Oprah Winfrey, Television, The New York Times Company
As expected, Comcast and the NFL Network have made final a carriage deal. The agreement means that the National Football League‘s cable channel will be available by Aug. 1 on the digital-basic tier of the country’s largest cable provider, adding 10.8 million subscribers to the network’s roster. The Wall Street Journal (5/20) , The New York Times (5/19
As Fox’s “American Idol,” U.S. television’s No. 1 series, ends its eighth year, the juggernaut is seeing a 8.4% drop in average audience this season. While advertisers spent $903.3 million on “Idol” last year, it “has begun to show signs of wear,” analysts say. (Iwantmedia 5/20, http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2009-05-19-ratings-american-idol_N.htm 5/19)
A few years before NBC signed up Jay Leno to host a nightly series in prime time, the network approached both Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman about taking on similar gigs. NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker says Winfrey declined his offer to move her show to the network. (Iwantmedia 5/20, http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003977.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 5/19)
The season two finale of HISTORY’s Ax Men on Monday at 10p attracted 1.1 million A25-54 and 1.9 million total viewers. (Cynopsis 5/20)
The final episode of the first season of “River Monsters” on Animal Planet drew 1.4 million viewers, good enough to make the show the most-watched in the network’s history. “River Monsters” averaged 1.4 million viewers in its eight-episode first year, topping “Whale Wars,” which averaged 1 million viewers in its freshman season. Multichannel News (5/19)
A special sponsorship with Subway sandwich shops is enabling NBC to renew “Chuck” for a third season. Subway played a role in an episode of the series last month. Chuck’s girlfriend, Sarah, works at a mall food court. She could be selling Subway sandwiches next season. (Iwantmedia 5/20, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/business/media/20adco.html?_r=1 5/20)
ABC confirmed the following returning series Better Off Ted, Castle, Scrubs, True Beauty, America’s Funniest Home Videos, The Bachelor, Brothers & Sisters, Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Private Practice, Supernanny, Ugly Betty, Wife Swap, 20/20 and Saturday Night College Football. Cynopsis 5/20
Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation are working on a triple crown of sorts. The two companies, which collaborated on “The Penguins of Madagascar” and recently announced plans for “Kung Fu Panda: The Series,” now say they will team up on a pilot for Nick based on DWA’s “Monsters vs. Aliens” movie. The Hollywood Reporter (5/19)
Eight of the 11 new shows ABC is lining up for next season are made by outside suppliers, breaking with tradition. The move could save money for ABC because most shows fail, losing millions for the studios that produce them. Even successful programs typically lose money. (Iwantmedia 5/20, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-abc20-2009may20,0,441327.story 5/19)
Comcast Corporation made an agreement with Disney and ESPN Media Networks to add ESPNU to its Digital Classic level as well as ESPN360.com to Comcast.net. The launch of ESPNU will coincide with the opening of the college football season. This launch takes ESPNU to more than 46 million subscribers and ESPN360.com will be available to almost 41 million homes. Cynopsis 5/20
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Cartoon Network, Gordon Ramsay, JayLeno, Kitchen Nightmares, National Basketball Association, National Football League, NBA, NBC
Hoping for input into Jay Leno‘s fall primetime program, the NBC affiliates board is conducting a study to keep local newscasts from suffering due to the network’s decision to move “Leno” to 10 p.m. The study will help reveal, for example, the ideal length of Leno’s monologue. (Iwantmedia 3/24, http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/190391-NBC_Affils_Launch_Study_to_Shape_Leno_.php 3/23)
In a sign that media rights for major sports may defy the recession, the National Football League is entering a four-year extension with DirecTV valued at $4 billion — a 43% increase over the current deal. The league will soon seek new deals with broadcasters. (Iwantmedia 3/24, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123786503490122053.html 3/24)
Lifetime’s latest adaptation of a Nora Roberts novel, “Northern Lights,” attracted 4.5 million viewers in its premiere on Saturday night. The movie scored 1 million women between the ages of 18 and 49 and 1.2 million in the 25-to-54 group. Variety (3/23)
Hmmm…could their affair have anything to do with it? Don’t know what I’m talking about. Grab an Us Weekly or check out your favorite gossip blog.
Fox has ordered up a second season of Kitchen Nightmares feature Gordon Ramsay‘s visits and fixes of restaurants in dire need of help. (Cynopsis 3/24)
Turner is expanding its 25-year relationship with the National Basketball Association with a number of projects in development for the television, online and mobile platforms. First up is a short-form TV series about the kids of NBA players titled “My Dad’s a Pro,” which is slated to debut on Turner’s Cartoon Network this fall. The Hollywood Reporter (3/23)
A year ago, the smart money was on GE dropping NBC Universal, but the media company has shed its “black sheep” image and is a cash-contributing asset, according to this report. GE’s overall profits were down 22% in 2008, but NBC Universal, with cable assets such as USA and Bravo, saw profits increase 1%. The New York Times (3/23)
AT&T’s U-verse IPTV service is expanding its ethnic programming line-up adding international channels to serve Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese and Korean viewers in the U.S. New offerings include Mandarin-language based ET News and ET Global; Hindi-based STAR India PLUS, added to the South Asian package for no extra charge; Korean drama and variety channel MBC America; and the Vietnamese-dubbed TVBV drama channel. (Cynopsis 3/24)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Broadcasting & Cable, David Chase, JayLeno, NBC, NBC Universal, Talk show, Television, Tonight Show with Jay Leno
President Obama will take his economic strategy to Jay Leno‘s comic couch on Thursday in the first appearance by a sitting U.S. president on a late-night TV talk show. Obama will appear on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” to discuss his economic plan and “other topics.” (Iwantmedia 3/17, http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE52F5MR20090316 3/16)
HBO has landed David Chase and Brad Grey — the masterminds behind “The Sopranos” — to create a miniseries titled “Ribbon of Dreams” that will chronicle the birth and rise of the American movie industry. It’s unclear, at this point, exactly how long the miniseries will be or when it will begin production. The New York Times (3/16)
Oxygen, according to this article, is nearing a deal to pick up a series based on saucy Dallas-based chef Blythe Beck. Sources quoted in this report say that the show, which has performed well in test screenings, would be titled “The Naughty Kitchen.” The NBC Universal-owned channel said a deal had not yet been made final. Variety (3/16)
The Council for Research Excellence next week will release what is described as “the largest and most significant observational study of media activity ever undertaken.” It’s expected that the results will indicate which age groups do the most media multitasking, if young viewers are abandoning traditional TV and the volume of commercial time viewers take in. Broadcasting & Cable (3/16)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: ABC, Broadcasting & Cable, CBS, JayLeno, NBC, Shelley Conn, Television, United States
“American Idol,” the most-watched show on U.S. television, drew a 10% lower rating than last year in the opening of its eighth season on News Corp.’s Fox, according to initial ratings. The talent contest won its time slot with a 16.7 rating over two hours Tuesday night. (Iwantmedia 1/14, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=agshJR9rQJG4 1/14)
Late-night king Jay Leno may be turning from a winner to an also-ran for NBC. Ad buyers won’t spend as much on his new show in the 10 p.m. time slot as on his ABC and CBS competitors, says Andy Donchin, director of TV ad buying at Carat USA. “Leno won’t win the time period.” (Iwantmedia 1/14, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aejIqNWbUuZA 1/14)
The 90-minute season finale of VH1′s “Real Chance of Love” attracted a robust 4.2 million viewers and put up a 2.3 ratings in the advertiser-friendly 18-to-49 demo. The performance was good enough to make the show the most-watched nonsports program of the evening. Broadcasting & Cable (1/13)
Who are these people that watch this show? Now, I’m known to watch other soul-less reality series like The Hills and The City but here is where I draw the line of dribble….
The first full week of the new year shows USA Network delivered six of the top 10 most-watched shows on ad-supported cable. According to Nielsen data for the week ended Jan. 11, USA averaged 3.09 million prime-time viewers and was No. 1 in the 18-to-49 and 25-to-54 age demographics. Mediaweek (1/13)
BBC America heats things up next month as a new drama/thriller series Mistresses makes its U.S. debut on February 20 at 8p. The plot centers on four thirtysomething college friends, played by British actresses Sarah Parish, Sharon Small, Orla Brady and Shelley Conn, who all have experienced infidelity and love. Following the premiere, episodes will air Fridays at 9p. (Cynopsis 1/14)
You know how you can tell this isn’t an American series? 3 out of 4 of these actresses are brunettes.
MTV Network’s Logo unveiled a new documentary film series focusing on people, issues and places important to the LGBT community. The films, profiling such notables as Keith Haring and David LaChapelle, will air simultaneously on Saturday nights beginning Jan. 17 at 8 pm ET/PT on Logo and mtvU and be available online at Logoonline.com. (Cynopsis 1/14)
(Below) And to the current head of the FCC, Kevin Martin, I’ll burn a candle in your honor…and then step on it. Given Genachowski’s (try saying that once out loud) position on investment in broadband access to the public, I think we’ll all get along just fine.
President-elect Barack Obama intends to nominate his technology advisor Julius Genachowski to take over as chairman of the FCC, according to reports. A former classmate of Obama’s at Harvard Law School, Genachowski helped shape the President-elect’s detailed technology platform which includes ardent support for net neutrality principles and investment in communications infrastructure to help bring affordable broadband access to all communities in the U.S. (Cynopsis 1/14)
Sony Pictures Television has acquired Michael Davies’ Embassy Row production company, a move that brings Davies, whose production deal with Sony just expired, in-house at SPT on a full-time basis. “Michael is an incredibly savvy producer,” SPT President Steve Mosko said. “He has a unique understanding of the formats and how to make these shows work in network, cable and syndication.” The Hollywood Reporter (1/14) , TVWeek.com (1/13)
Comedy Central officially launched in HD on Cablevision Systems yesterday with close to 200 hours of programming in native high definition. Mainstays The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report will initially be upconverted from standard def but will shift to native HDTV in the near future. (Cynopsis 1/14)
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