Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Bravo, Matt Lauer, New York Fashion Week, ProjectRunway, Super Bowl, Television, Weinstein Company, White House
NBC says it has landed the “first television interview from the White House” with President Obama since his inauguration. The live interview, with NBC News’s Matt Lauer, will air during the pre-game show before Sunday’s Super Bowl. More of the interview will air the next day on “Today.” (Iwantmedia 1/27, http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/01/61930374/1 1/26)
Advertisers are paying NBC as much as $3 million for 30 seconds of airtime during this year’s Super Bowl — 11% more than the $2.7 million that Fox charged during last year’s game. Companies say they’re spending big because no other event captures the interest of 100 million viewers. (Iwantmedia 1/27, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-superbowl27-2009jan27,0,7885040.story 1/27)
Tire maker Bridgestone Americas Inc. is again sponsoring the Super Bowl halftime show and will unveil two new TV ads, including one set in space that an executive says is very “high-tech as far as the graphics.”
Lifetime’s “Prayers for Bobby,” the story about a woman whose gay son kills himself, attracted 3.8 million total viewers and a 3.1 household rating in its debut this past Saturday. The premiere pulled in 1 million women in the 18-to-49 age group and 1.1 million women 25-to-54, the network’s two most-important demographic categories. Multichannel News (1/26)
The next season of “Project Runway” may never make it to television, but producers plan to film the big New York Fashion Week finale anyway. The show remains tied up in lawsuits between NBC’s Bravo, its producers at the Weinstein Company and new “Runway” owner Lifetime. (Iwantmedia 1/27, http://www.nypost.com/seven/01272009/tv/can_runway_make_it_work__152186.htm 1/27)
CBS revs up for the fourteenth edition of The Amazing Race on February 15 at 8p with Phil Keoghan as host. (Cynopsis 1/27)
ABC will debut the new Better Off Ted March 18 at 830p following Scrubs at 8p. On Thursday nights beginning March 26 at 8p, ABC will pair the new Megan Mullally/Cheryl Hines comedy In the Motherhood followed by Samantha Who? at 830p. (Cynopsis 1/27)
News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch, who turns 78 in March, is said to have “hazy” succession planning. Murdoch dying in office without an anointed family heir could force News Corp.’s board to appoint a new CEO itself — and that person might not be any of Rupert’s offspring. (Iwantmedia 1/27, http://www.businessday.com.au/business/decision-time-is-looming-for-the-murdoch-family-20090126-7q1f.html 1/27)
ABC approved a redo of the 1980s miniseries V about alien lizards landing on the planet. Scott Peters (The 4400) writes the new adaptation and also will executive produce along with Jason Hall of HDFilms. Warner Bros. Television produced the original miniseries and will produce the pilot. (Cynopsis 1/27)
CBS okayed a pilot presentation for a reality program titled Missing You from executive producer Shaun Cassidy about a team of investigators focusing on new missing-persons cases each week. Cassidy and Ned Nalle created Missing You and Nalle will also executive produce along with James Bruce and Raquel Productions. (Cynopsis 1/27)
The Senate passed a bill that would extend the transition to all-digital TV signals from Feb. 17 to June 12, with the hope that those who have not yet prepared for the switch will do so in the additional months. 
ClipSyndicate (1/26) , The Washington Post (1/27) , Reuters (1/27)
In his first meeting as acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Copps said the FCC’s near-term agenda will be “DTV, DTV and DTV,” and he urged commissioners and staffers to conduct business in a more inclusive manner. These changes, Copps said, will “make the FCC more transparent, open and useful to the stakeholders that we serve. And when I say stakeholders, I include not just the industries that we regulate but, more importantly, all citizens.” TVWeek.com (1/26) , Broadcasting & Cable (1/26)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Monsters vs. Aliens, New York, Real Housewives of Orange County, Super Bowl, United States
During NBC’s Super Bowl XLIII broadcast on February 1, viewers will need 3-D glasses to view a 90-second commercial promoting the March release of animated movie Monsters vs. Aliens from DreamWorks Animation. DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said the 90-second commercial plus giving away 150 million pairs of 3-D glasses through 28,000 retail locations via the Pepsi/SoBe Life displays will cost “tens of millions of dollars” and he calls the deal “perhaps the biggest media-advertising event in history.” A single 30-second ad in the Super Bowl is tabbed at approximately $3 million. (Cynopsis 1/6)
Is it wrong that I want to rubber band the glasses to my mom’s dog and see what happens? All in good fun…
The eighth season opener of A&E’s “The First 48″ attracted a record 2.3 million viewers, according to the network. The episode, which originally aired Jan. 1, won the much-coveted adult 18-to-49 and 25-to-54 demographics as well. Multichannel News (1/5)
Bravo is back in Manhattan as season two of The Real Housewives of New York City debuts February 17 at 11p following the finale of The Real Housewives of Orange County. The series will shift to its normal time slot of Tuesdays at 10p starting February 24. (Cynopsis 1/6)
To promote the new season of “Big Love,” a drama about a polygamous family, HBO is installing billboards in New York and Los Angeles that feature headphone jacks that allow passers-by to plug in and listen to people confess secrets. The campaign, by BBDO New York and other shops, is based around the tag line, “Everyone Has Something to Hide,” and also includes a microsite and performing street teams in major cities. The New York Times (1/5)
NBC News is denying a Drudge Report story claiming that conservative author Ann Coulter has been banned from the network after “Today” dropped her from Tuesday’s program because of breaking-news events. “We look forward to welcoming her back in the future,” says NBC. (Iwantmedia 1/6, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i27e6523c216f71f782c2de31d9dec3fb 1/5)
If only they could ban Crazy Train Coulter… And yes, I say this with full liberal bias.
As more cable channels produce must-see programs, a top-rated cable outlet could come to reach as many viewers as one of the broadcast networks, according to industry analysts. Within three or four years, “you probably could lose one” of the major broadcasters. (Iwantmedia 1/6, http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=133514 1/5)
TV and film company Lionsgate has acquired the TV Guide Channel and TVGuide.com from Macrovision for $255 million. For Lionsgate — which controls channel FearNet with Sony and Comcast and soon will launch pay-cable movie channel Epix with Viacom and MGM — the move represents deeper involvement in the cable arena. The Wall Street Journal (1/6) , Advertising Age (1/5)
CBS plans to reduce capital spending to $350 million this year and would sell more radio stations at the right price, according to CEO Les Moonves, speaking at an investor conference. He adds that he is optimistic advertising will recover: “CBS is going to get the bulk of that revenue.” (Iwantmedia 1/6, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a87gPx6Opxhk 1/6)
WGN America formed a new partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to begin airing the first-run, original show WWE Superstars beginning this April. WWE Superstars, a 60m weekly series produced by WWE, will highlight various Superstars and Divas from the three WWE franchises. The program will air Thursday nights at 8p and 11p and with a third run on the weekend. (Cynopsis 1/6)
New York viewers will get extra financial insight into the current economic crisis as The New York Times business reporter/columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin hosts a new seven-episode series It’s the Economy, NY! What’s Happening and What It Means to You. From WNET.ORG, the series opens this Thursday on New York public television stations THIRTEEN at 8p and WLIW21 at 1130p. During each episode, Sorkin will interview top financial leaders focused on topics important to New Yorkers. (Cynopsis 1/6)
Time Warner Cable is signing a new deal to carry CBS’s flagship network and Showtime premium channel. CBS and Showtime will be part of Time Warner Cable’s “Start Over” feature that lets viewers restart shows and the “Look Back” service that makes programs available for three days. (Iwantmedia 1/6, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aISSWRB.Occo 1/6)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Comedy Central, Daily Show, Jon Stewart, NBC, NBC Universal, Republican National Convention, Super Bowl, Wall Street Journal
Comedy Central’s Daily Show with Jon Stewart released audience numbers from its coverage of the Democratic National and Republican National Conventions. The Daily Show averaged 1.7 million total viewers and 1.1 million A18-49 viewers over the two weeks of coverage (Tuesday-Friday each week). Specifically, the Daily Show averaged 1.5 million total viewers and 1.0 million A18-49 viewers during the DNC, then up for the RNC with an average of 1.8 million total viewers and 1.1 million A18-49 viewers. (Cynopsis 9/12)
If I may, The Daily Show’s coverage of both conventions was brilliant. Hysterical and informative simultaneously.
(Below) Seriously VH1. No NEW LOVE SHOWS. God. They should re-name the network at this point. Lame Ass Reality Shows1 Too long? How abut LARS1? Sorda sounds like sars. I dig.
In a new reality series, VH1 will help Antonio Sabato Jr. find his true love, reports Variety. The as-yet-named series from Ish Entertainment will follow Antonio as he searches for Ms. Right. (Cynopsis 9/12)
Even in a weak economy, companies including PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch are once again investing in expensive, high-visibility Super Bowl television ads. General Electric, the parent of NBC Universal, said it has already sold 85% of its spots, up from the usual 60% this time of year. The Wall Street Journal (free content) (9/12) , Advertising Age (9/11)
Video-on-demand capabilities offered via cable companies, now available in about 39 million U.S. homes, or 35% of the country, will increase to 63.6 million and 54%, respectively, by 2012. That’s according to a report from Interpublic’s Magna unit, which goes on to say that DVR penetration, now at 27.2 million homes, will hit 43 million by 2012. MediaPost Communications (9/11)
Cablevision said it would begin rolling out its network-based digital video recorder early next year. The company’s plans on the DVR front have led to legal battles with movie studios, the most recent of which was won by Cablevision. xchange (9/11) , Light Reading (9/11)
AT&T, seeking to add more television subscribers, is asking U.S. regulators to force Cox Communications to provide access to San Diego Padres baseball games. Cox’s regional sports network is “illegally preventing” AT&T’s U-verse TV service from airing the games, AT&T claims. (Iwantmedia 9/12, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=a_5bkq9MvnDY 9/11)
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Filed under: TECHNOLOGY | Tags: American, Football, History, NFL, Sports, Super Bowl, United States, us
A new study from Frank N. Magid Associates shows that 5.5 million Americans bought their first HDTV set during the period from last year’s holidays to this year’s Super Bowl. The report went on to say that 3 million homes added a second HDTV during that period and that 10 million U.S. home now have two or more high-def sets. (Multichannel News 4/24, Ars Technica 4/24)
