Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: CNN, Fox News Channel, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, MSNBC, Prime time, Television, Time Warner, Viacom
The NBC drama “ER” will air its series finale Thursday after 15 seasons, leaving behind a splintered prime-time landscape as the networks struggle to compete in a digital world. Executive producer Neal Baer admits: “I doubt we will ever see the likes of a show like ‘ER’ again.” (Iwantmedia 3/30, http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-er28-2009mar28,0,1083134.story 3/28)
Time Warner’s CNN is set to finish March third in prime-time ratings behind Fox News Channel and MSNBC, the first time this has ever happened for the channel that pioneered the cable news genre. CNN is suffering more audience erosion than its rivals. (Iwantmedia 3/30, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090328/ap_on_en_tv/tv_cnn_in_third 3/27)
NBC sliced the cooking competition series Chopping Block from its primetime schedule after airing episodes for only three weeks. NBC told affiliates last Thursday night the series will be off Wednesday nights as of next week, replaced with reruns of Law & Order: Criminal Intent previously seen on NBC. Chopping Block, featuring Chef Marco Pierre premiered March 12 and NBC will likely air the remaining episodes at a later date. (Cynopsis 3/30)
MTV is adding more music videos to its schedule — at 3 a.m. The Viacom network is launching “AMTV,” a six-hour block for music videos and related programming, harking back to MTV’s origins as a 24-hour home for music videos. The new schedule gives MTV a “palette to experiment.” (Iwantmedia 3/30, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/business/media/30mtv.html 3/29)
Tiffany “New York” Pollard returns to reality TV in a new series for VH1 titled New York Goes to Work opening May 4 at 10p. Viewers will vote via their mobile phones each week on three possible job opportunities for Tiffany. If she does well and impresses her employers, she gets a $5,000 weekly bonus, but if she quits, gets fired or messes up, she gets nothing. Episodes will be available at VH1.com the day after each air on the network. (Cynopsis 3/30)
CBS dropped the most in four months in New York trading Monday after UBS analyst Michael Morris recommended selling the shares because the advertising slump may be deeper and longer than expected. Industry-wide ad sales in 2010 will be “very similar” to this year. (Iwantmedia 3/30, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=awY0atdMmecA 3/30)
As expected, Charter Communications has filed for bankruptcy as a way of restructuring its debt. As a result of the move, the country’s fourth-largest cable company will gain about $3 billion through refinancing and new equity investment and pare back its debt load by about $8 billion. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (3/28) , Light Reading (3/27)
Comcast is reconfiguring its video-on-demand architecture and, according to this article, is developing two centralized libraries for its VOD assets, one in West Chester, Pa., and the other in Denver. The initiative apparently will enable the cable firm to offer more than 100,000 VOD titles and a platform for serving personalized ads on a national basis. Comcast officials declined to comment. Multichannel News (3/30)
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Filed under: MISC | Tags: CBS, CBS Corporation, National Amusements, Sumner Redstone, Viacom, Walt Disney, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort
Sumner Redstone’s family holding company, National Amusements, is said to be kicking off an auction to sell parts of its movie-theater chain. The move aims to pay down debt and help Redstone avoid having to sell some or all of his controlling stakes in Viacom and CBS. (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123808650011149523.html 3/27)
Nearly 800 jobs are being eliminated at Disney’s Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, sources say. Disney, which employs about 62,000 “cast members” in Central Florida, is making cuts as the company reorganizes its domestic operations. More layoffs are expected. (Iwantmedia 3/27, http://www.clickorlando.com/money/19026688/detail.html 3/27)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE, Feature, ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA | Tags: Apple, Austin, Austin Texas, Digital Hollywood, iPhone, Jeff Zucker, Laughing Squid, NBC, Philippe Dauman, South by Southwest, SXSW, Twitter, Viacom
SXSW VS. DIGITAL HOLLYWOOD NYC
Photo Credit: Scott Beale / Laughing Squid
SXSW
Vs.
Digital Hollywood
Being that I’ve just come from SXSW in Austin, it’s a bit of a culture shock arriving at Digital Hollywood this morning in NYC. Before I give you the highlights from today, how about I start with a top ten list on the major differences between SXSW and Digi Hollywood? I tried to make it a mix of pros and cons for both but by and large, my mission here is simple humor. I’m good for that.
The Top Ten List: SXSW vs. Digital Hollywood
1) Digital Hollywood attendees think ‘monetization’ whereas SXSW attendees think ‘audience size’…by and large.
2) DH peeps rock a suit. SXSW…more like whatever they rolled out of bed in after a night of binge drinking at Pure Volume.
3) DH: Wine. SXSW: Beer and the more the better.
4) DH: Dell SXSW: Apple
5) DH: More coat check. Less filler. SXSW: More stickers. More graffiti. More idea generation. Less shampoo.
6) DH: No Wi-Fi (except in the conference center using some convoluted means to log on) SXSW: Wi-Fi convention-wide (with small exceptions) AT&T…not so much.
7) DH: Overheard in the bathroom: Nothing. SXSW: Overheard in the bathroom… Friend1: I just joined twitter this morning. Friend 2: JUST this morning?!? Friend1: Yah. (obvious embarrassment)
8) DH: What’s twitter? SXSW: Holy sh#t! Did you see that last guy’s tweet?! Someone just won SXSW Bingo.
9) DH: Keynote: Jeff Zucker (CEO NBC) SXSW: Keynote: James Powderly (Co-founder Graffiti Research Lab)
10) DH: The entire traditional media universe peppered with some digi distribution folks. SXSW: The entire web development community with little to no content creators.
In case you need another visual to drive this one home, have at it…
SXSW
DH
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Arts, Cable television, Comedy Central, Dane Cook, MTV, Nickelodeon, Television, Viacom
Nickelodeon will premiere the computer-generated series “The Penguins of Madagascar” on March 28. The series, based on the movie “Madagascar” from DreamWorks, will debut at 8 p.m. for a couple of weeks before settling into its regular time slot of Saturday mornings at 10 on April 18. TVWeek.com (3/11)
Comedy Central has secured the rights to televise comedian Dane Cook‘s latest stand-up special, “Isolated Incident.” The Viacom network will premiere the special May 17 at 10 p.m., release a related CD two days later and then follow that up in the summer or fall with a DVD. Variety (3/11)
BET’s second season premiere of its gospel competition series Sunday Best last Sunday at 9p, delivered a 1.3 coverage rating and attracted 1.7 million total viewers. In addition, the Sunday Best season opener was the #1 primetime original series on television among Black households. (Cynopsis 3/12)
CBS ordered four new scripts of its Monday night comedy How I Met Your Mother, per TVWeek. The early order is for the 2009-2010 season, allowing producers time to plan the show’s fifth season. The announcement also gives fans of the show a hopeful reprieve as the series will most likely be back in the fall with a full order. (Cynopsis 3/12)
FOX picked up the new 13-episode medical/mystery drama Mental from Fox Television Studios. The 60m series, slated to premiere this summer, is produced in association with Fox International Channels (FIC) and was shot at Fox TeleColobia last year in Bogota, Colombia. The series stars Chris Vance (Prison Break) as Dr. Jack Gallagher, a young psychiatrist who becomes Director of Mental Health Services at a Los Angeles hospital and subsequently butts heads with his new conservative boss and former lover, hospital administrator, Nora Skoff played by Annabella Sciorra (The Sopranos). (Cynopsis 3/12)
NBC is rolling out a new reality competition series that embraces the family road trip, reports THR. Great American Road Trip, produced by BBC Worldwide, will focus on seven families as they drive cross-country to iconic tourist destinations like the Grand Canyon and at the same time watches as they compete in various elimination challenges. (Cynopsis 3/12)
Viewers will get a free preview of CBS College Sports Network starting this Friday through April 7, cites Multichannel News. The network, with 30 million subscribers currently, will be available during the preview to an additional 20 million subscribers. During the preview window, viewers can take in coverage of Men’s Division 1 college basketball tournament including two first-round out-of-market games and the tournament’s official highlights show, NCAA March Madness Highlights powered by Pontiac. Some of the affiliates participating in the preview are Dish Network, Charter and Comcast in Seattle and San Francisco as well as Time Warner Cable in New York City, Los Angeles and Texas. (Cynopsis 3/12)
Former Jericho star, Skeet Ulrich was picked to head CBS‘ drama pilot Back, reports THR. Produced by CBS Paramount, Back is about a man (Ulrich) who returns home after being reported missing for eight years following 9/11. (Cynopsis 3/12)
Ashley Jensen, seen recently on ABC’s Ugly Betty, was tapped for CBS‘ pilot Accidentally on Purpose, per THR. Jensen will play best friend to Jenna Elfman’s character, a movie critic who gets pregnant after a one-night stand with a younger man. (Cynopsis 3/12)
According to a study by Rider Research, the US pay-TV market is doing well as the number of pay-TV subscribers increased by 362,000 during fourth quarter 2008. The report bases its findings on data found in quarterly financial reports from phone, cable and satellite TV companies. The three companies that did the best were Verizon with 303,000 new subs, followed closely by DirecTV with 301,000 and AT&T with 264,000. Losses for fourth quarter were also reported from Comcast at -233,000 subs, Time Warner Cable at -197,000 and Dish Network at -102,000. (Cynopsis 3/12)
Comcast has used an array of aggressive pricing, innovative features and “triple-play” packaging to become the third-largest domestic phone company, the firm said. The country’s largest cable TV provider began offering phone service in the spring of 2005 and now has just under 6.5 million subscribers. Reuters (3/11)
Cablevision, the cable provider with the highest penetration of digital service in the country among the major cable players, has announced that it will stop offering customers analog TV service by the end of the year. Cablevision, which already has gone all-digital in parts of New York, said just 5% of its 3.1 million video subscribers currently were on the analog expanded-basic tier. Reuters (3/12) , The New York Times/GigaOm (3/12)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Arts, CBS College Sports Network, Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO, Sex and the City, Television, USA Network, Viacom
USA Network‘s “Burn Notice” pulled in a whopping 6 million viewers for the finale of its second season, coming in third in its time slot behind new episodes of “E.R.” on NBC and “Eleventh Hour” on CBS. “Burn Notice” also scored big with the 18-to-49 demographic group, amassing 2.74 million in the advertiser-coveted segment. TVWeek.com (3/6)
America’s Best Dance Crew finale on MTV Thursday night delivered a 2.97 rating among the 12-34 set, the highest delivery for this series, season to date, out delivering it season to date average of 2.2 rating by 22%. For the whole of the season, America’s Best Dance Crew reached 70.7 million total viewers, and 32.9 million in its sweetspot, persons 12-34. (Cynopsis 3/9)
Scott Carlin, HBO‘s president of domestic distribution, and his team will meet with potential buyers this month about syndication sales of three of the network’s iconic hits: “Entourage,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Sex and the City.” And, despite the economic conditions, Carlin is optimistic about chances for the shows: “Everything has its own life and time. We think now is a pretty interesting time to begin having some conversations with people about these shows.” Broadcasting & Cable (3/9)
Epix, the forthcoming Viacom-Lions Gate-MGM movie channel, is having trouble securing distribution with cable and satellite TV companies. Carriers are skittish about adding a pricey new network during a recession. In response, Epix could turn to online pathways into the home. (Iwantmedia 3/9, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/03/studios-epix-ve.html 3/6)
If it’s March, it must be madness. That’s what CBS College Sports Network and the NCAA are hoping, at any rate, as they begin offering multichannel providers the sophomore season of “NCAA VOD: The Best of March Madness.” “March Madness is a huge event and VOD is an asset that MSOs and other distributors can use to differentiate their products and drive their business,” said Bob Rose, executive vice president of distribution for CBS College Sports. Multichannel News (3/8)
The new AT&T-sponsored Music Vault will enable users to unlock a virtual portal that offers access to music videos from MTV Networks that have never before been released on the Internet. Fans access the videos via an online trivia game and can share their access with friends. (Iwantmedia 3/9, http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/19998 3/6)
CBS and NBC, looking to cut costs as advertising shrinks, are turning to Canadian television producers for new shows. Both networks will debut shows that are filmed and set in Toronto. Canada is “palatable” to U.S. audiences; Canadians “drive on the same side of the street.” (Iwantmedia 3/9, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=afYDvToAWJks 3/9)
Bravo’s luxurious mix of shopaholic housewives, millionaire matchmakers and fancy chefs is displaying a good amount of resiliency against hard financial times. In February, the NBC Universal network reported a 16% increase in young-adult viewers over the comparable period in 2008. Variety (3/6)
Fox’s lucrative “American Idol,” the most-watched U.S. television series, is “the last of its breed,” says Fox exec Mike Darnell. “I don’t believe there will ever be another show like this,” as the consumer pool is increasingly splintered by broadcast, cable, DVRs and the Internet. (Iwantmedia 3/9, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090308/ap_en_mu/american_idol_empire 3/8)
Tosh.0 is a new weekly series ordered by Comedy Central with host and comedian Daniel Tosh. The series will include ten episodes, airing weekly, and set to premiere in June. The mission of Tosh.0 is to change the way people think about the internet, with a closer look at blogs, vlogs, tweets and pokes. (Cynopsis 3/9)
ABC has ordered a new single camera pilot called Pulling, from ABC Studios. Based on the 2006 British series, the story is about three women who decide to live together after one of them breaks off her engagement just 24 hours before the wedding. (Cynopsis 3/9)
Disney-owned SoapNet, the cable channel that, so far, has featured reruns of daytime soaps in prime time, is getting into the business of original, scripted programming. Brian Frons, who oversees the network, said SoapNet was investing in two original series — “Julia’s Tango” and “Santa Monica” — and would present them to ad buyers during the upfront selling season. TVWeek.com (3/8)
As the economic tailspin continues, advertisers increasingly are considering the value of the 10-second commercial. These quick-hitting spots, according to Kal Liebowitz of KSL Media, typically cost less than half the price of a 15-second spot and often run in relatively clutter-free environments that are outside of commercial pods. TVWeek.com (3/8)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Arts, CBS, Jeffrey Bewkes, Philippe Dauman, Television, Television network, Time Warner, Viacom
MTV’s recent ratings hurdles can be attributed in part to the poor performance of reality competition series in repeats, says Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman. “We are aiming to have more diverse genres of original programming.” He adds: MTV is “still an extremely vibrant brand.” (Iwantmedia 3/3, http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=101322 3/2)
Live viewing at CBS, Fox, NBC, My Network TV and The CW are dropping, according to a report from Los Angeles-based advertising agency RPA. Ratings are being hurt by fewer new shows and the return of shows that typically wouldn’t have been renewed, among other factors. (Iwantmedia 3/3, http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/189241-Report_Ratings_Picture_Not_Pretty.php 2/27)
The deflated economy may have created one bright spot for ESPN: More sports-loving men are taking a larger role in making household financial decisions. “Most of the research now shows it is a dual decision,” said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN/ABC Sports customer sales and marketing. “A guy is very much involved in that, so I think there’s a change in the male consumer — there’s a change in the economy — and we like our position based upon that going forward.” MediaPost Communications (3/2)
Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes says the media company will consider making acquisitions that do not present “stupid prices and execution risks.” Also: While the Time Inc. magazine division is translating well online, separating it from the rest of the company could “make sense.” (Iwantmedia 3/3, http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090302-712580.html 3/2)
U.S. television networks may sell fewer advertisements before the start of the 2009-2010 season, according to CBS chief Les Moonves. Prices for such “upfront” ads are expected to rise. He adds that CBS is producing fewer pilot TV programs to cut costs. (Iwantmedia 3/3, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aDNf1HCStaWo 3/3)
Lionsgate has officially closed its $255 million acquisition of TV Guide Network and TV Guide Online from Macrovision. The cable TV channel currently is available in about 83 million homes. Home Media Magazine (3/2) , Variety (3/2)
Google TV Ads, a program aiming to improve the relevance of television advertising, is signing up CNBC, the third network to be added as a result of a partnership with NBC Universal. The Internet giant says is “looking forward to launching MSNBC, Oxygen and SciFi in the coming months.” (Iwantmedia 3/3, http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/03/02/google-tv-ads-scores-cnbc-deal 3/3)
While Dish Network is posting a 24% increase in fourth-quarter profit, the No. 2 U.S. satellite television provider is losing thousands of customers, reflecting intensifying competition. Similarly, EchoStar is reporting a quarterly loss of almost $700 million owing to a handful of one-time costs. (Iwantmedia 3/3, http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Satellite-TV-firms-take-hit/story.aspx?guid=%7BEF69AD28%2DDA23%2D4C7F%2DBF04%2DFCB0136AD12B%7D 3/2)
Via deal with DirecTV, CBS College Sports Network has expanded its overall household reach to 30+ million subscribers, and has been moved to DirecTV’s Choice Xtra package, making it available to a wider audience. CBS College Sports is also available thru DirecTV’s Premiere package and Sports Pack. (Cynopsis 3/3)
Charter Communications has introduced a new cross-platform package of sports content called Sports View Plus. The new offering, which costs $10 a month, combines linear digital-TV channels such as CBS College Sports, ESPNews, Fox College Sports and Fuel TV with access to Web sites such as FOXSports.com, MLB.com and NASCAR.COM. OneTRAK (3/2)
TiVo lost 611,000 net subscribers in the last 12 months, to stand at 3.3 million as of Jan. 31, says CEO Tom Rogers. However, cable giant Comcast is making progress in deploying its DVR service, he adds. Plus, Comcast “is in the process of adding and sharpening offers.” (Iwantmedia 3/3, http://www.multichannel.com/article/189366-TiVo_Loses_611_000_Subs_Over_Last_Year.php 3/3)
RCN has formed a partnership with SnagFilms.com that will give the cable provider access to nearly 600 documentaries available on the Web site. In return, SnagFilms will get a widget on RCN’s Web site and a SnagFilms movie of the week on RCN’s linear and on-demand channels. Broadcasting & Cable (3/2)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Fox News Channel, Nashville, Showtime, Television, Toni Collette, Tony Robbins, United States of Tara, Viacom
President Obama’s first primetime press conference Monday night, airing live from 8p to 9p drew in nearly 49.5 million viewers over eight networks – ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Univision, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC. The hour also posted a combined 30.8 HH rating. (Cynopsis 2/11)
Details of the programming philosophy behind Epix — the premium cable channel formed by Viacom, Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate that will launch online in May 2010 and on TV that October — are beginning to take shape. According to this report, Epix this summer will begin shooting “Tough Trade,” an original scripted drama about the high and low notes of a family musical dynasty in Nashville, Tenn. The Hollywood Reporter (2/10)
Showtime gave a renewal nod to The United States of Tara for a second season. The drama starring Toni Collette as a woman with multiple personalities has averaged 2.1 million viewers per week, including repeat airings. (Cynopsis 2/11)
As this is my favorite show this season, I praise the TV gods over this announcement.
NBC approved a new series featuring peak performance strategist Tony Robbins. The series is described as life-changing as Robbins will mentor participants through personal challenges offering them a chance to refurbish their futures. Reveille will produce the series. (Cynopsis 2/11)
NBC selected two more comedy pilots: The first called Community is billed as similar to the movie Stripes set though in a community college and the second one is a cast-contingent pilot order for 100 Questions for Charlotte Payne. (Cynopsis 2/11)
MTV is giving rapper/record producer Snoop Dogg his own weekly variety show called Dogg After Dark. Premiering next Tuesday at 9p, the Los Angeles-based series will highlight interviews, sketch comedy and music performances. (Cynopsis 2/11)
Anne Heche will co-star in upcoming HBO comedy series Hung, playing the ex-wife to Ray (Thomas Jane) who is remarried. Production for the series begins mid-March with a premiere date expected in June. (Cynopsis 2/11)
The CW is moving the twelfth season premiere of America‘s Next Top Model to March 4 at 8p, a week later than planned. The opening episode also expands to two hours. (Cynopsis 2/11)
Shares of Time Warner shares dropped nearly 8% in New York trading Tuesday after Sanford Bernstein analyst Michael Nathanson downgraded the media giant to “market perform” from “outperform,” driven by declines at AOL and the Time Inc. magazine publishing unit. (Iwantmedia 2/11, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=auIz_yeGg_xw 2/10)
Up until very recently, the prevailing wisdom among media analysts was that “content is king.” Now, movies, television shows, magazines, radio programming and Internet content are being devalued. “No one knows to what extent content will be ‘re-valued’ as the economy improves.” (Iwantmedia 2/11, http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1878711,00.html 2/11)
An increasing number of Americans are cutting their ties to cable companies and traditional DVD outlets in favor of the growing availability of free or low-cost video content that can be found online at places such as Hulu.com and Netflix.com, according to this story. Estimates suggest that cable subscriptions are down more than 1 million U.S. households and that DVD sales fell 8% last year. CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones Newswires (2/9)
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