Entertainment Giants Expected to Report Higher Q4 Profits

News Corp., Walt Disney Co. and Time Warner are expected to report higher December-quarter profits than they earned a year earlier.

Online Syndication Hot Subject for Local Stations

'Jiggle TV' in syndication

The hottest topic at the this week’s National Association of Television Program Executives conference was online syndication, with local television stations staying busy buying syndicated programs for their websites.

AP Board Approves New Pricing Plan Despite Editor Protests

The AP Board of Directors has approved a plan for a new rate structure, despite the fact that two groups of newspaper editors have protested that the new rate cuts don’t go far enough.

Nielsen Issues 2008 Guide to the Super Bowl

The Nielsen Company last week released its annual “Guide to the Super Bowl,” which showcases a wide range of consumer and media information about the most notable marketing event in the U.S. - the NFL’s Super Bowl - scheduled for February 3 in Glendale, AZ, MarketingCharts reports.

truTV’s ‘Star Jones’ Cancelled

Star Jones’s show on truTV has been cancelled, due to the rebranding and programming refocus of the network, wrote evp/gm Marc Juris in an internal memo.

Atlanta Billboards to Post Updated Super Tuesday Results

Click to enlarge

About 20 electronic billboards in Georgia will post updates of election results from the state’s presidential primary elections on Tuesday, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, they will post the winners.

Clinton Books One Hour on the Hallmark Channel

Hallmark tear-jerker?

The Clinton campaign has bought an hour on the Hallmark Channel for the evening of Feb. 4, the night before Super Tuesday, to air part of its Voices Across America national town hall.

NY Times Co. Posts 5.6 Percent Ad Revenue Declines

Advertising revenue for the New York Times Company’s news operations fell 5.6 percent in the fourth quarter and 4.7 percent for all of 2007.

Direct Marketing ROI for Auto Retailers Nearly $34 for Every $1

Auto retailers spent $7.3 billion on direct marketing campaigns in 2007, driving $248.1 billion in sales - for a return on investment of $33.81, according to the Direct Marketing Association’s first-ever “Direct Marketing Facts and Figures in the Automotive Industry” report, writes MarketingCharts.

comScore Releases U.S. Internet Year in Review

comScore has issued a report highlighting the major trends in U.S. internet activity in 2007, including top gaining properties and site categories, and core search market growth.

Top internet brands, including Google, Facebook, Wikipedia and Craigslist, were among the winners of 2007, writes MarketingCharts, citing comScore’s data.