The 54th Annual Grammy Awards (airing Sunday, Feb 12 on CBS) will have “record-breaking distribution around the world,” reports Broadcasting & Cable. The show is cleared to air in 195 territories, including on Global Television in Canada; Channel 4 in the UK; MNET in Africa; even in Russia, on REN TV.
Chrysler Group’s U.S. dealers have “swung into action” to defend Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad, reports the Wall Street Journal. The “Halftime in America” spot featuring Clint Eastwood has been derided as political and pro-Obama, drawing ire from among others Rush Limbaugh. The dubious connection: the Obama administration after four years is only in its halftime. Chrysler’s Dealer Council called an emergency meeting and issued a statement that "We have no doubt that this ad had no political agenda of any kind but rather [was] a statement of fact and hope for the future for all of us and America."
Also from Broadcasting & Cable, Fox will end House after eight seasons. This eighth season will end on episode 177. “House M.D.” has declined in ratings, and Fox needs some room on the schedule with “Alcatraz” performing well and the new drama “Touch” launching in March.
Roseanne Barr will be back on network TV this fall. Director Gail Mancuso (who directed Barr’s first sitcom “Rosanne” on ABC for seven seasons) has signed on to direct “Downwardly Mobile,” about life in a trailer park, reports Deadline Hollywood.
BBC America will launch its first original program, “Copper,” to air summer 2012. Set in post-Civil War New York (but shot in Toronto), the series will follow Irish beat cop Kevin Corcoran as he patrols NYC’s notorious Five Points neighborhood.
Upfront TV: “NCIS” at 200 | Super Bowl Tops Itself | “Voice” Soars | Hispanic News, English Language
- Kudos to CBS and “NCIS,” which tonight will air its 200th episode. The Navy/legal drama debuted in 2003, with actor Mark Harmon at the helm, who was best known for his work on NBC’s “St. Elsewhere,” and as a hunk-for-hire on such shows as “The West Wing.” “NCIS” has defied the approaching-a-decade malaise, delivering an average 22.7 million viewers for new episodes this season. 100 episodes is industry standard to reach syndication level. The record number of episodes in history television belongs to “Gunsmoke,” which ran for 20 seasons and 635 episodes.
- Super Bowl XLVI attracted a record 111.3 million total viewers, reports Media Life, to become the most-watched broadcast in television history. This is the third year running that the Super Bowl has set the record, held until 2010 by the series finale of "M*A*S*H" in 1983. It was also the highest-rated Super Bowl in 26 years, with an average 47.0 household rating and 71 share. The game took a 40.5 share among adults 18-49.
- The post-Super Bowl Season 2 premiere of “The Voice” on NBC took a 16.3 rating adult 18-49 rating, and 37.61 million viewers, reports TVByTheNumbers. This was NBC’s best rating for an entertainment telecast since the “Friends” finale in 2004, with a 24.9 share.
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that NBC’s WMAQ-TV Chicago had a right to deny long-shot GOP presidential candidate Randall Terry a Super Bowl ad spot, reports Broadcasting & Cable. FCC ruled that while broadcasters must make ad time available to qualified candidates, WMAQ judged fairly that Terry was unqualified, given his showing at the polls. The ad reportedly contained graphic images of aborted fetuses, which Terry believed was behind the denial.
- Univision and Disney are in talks for a Latino-oriented 24-hour cable news channel, in English. As TVNewsCheck reports, neither company will confirm or discuss the project, but are likely to launch the channel in time for the November presidential election. The 2010 census revealed that U.S. born Latinos comprise nearly 60% of the growth among U.S. Hispanics over the last decade, and that an increasing number speak English as a first language.
Upfront TV: “Sons of Anarchy” Renewed | NBC Dooms “The Firm” | 20/20 Dominates 18-49
- Before Season 5 even airs, FX has renewed its biker drama “Sons of Anarchy” for a sixth season, reports TVByTheNumbers, and creator Kurt Sutter has been signed to a new three-year deal. “Sons of Anarchy” is expected to return in October of this year. The Season 4 premiere, which aired September 6 of 2011, was the most-watched program in FX history, with 6.5 million viewers.
- NBC has “effectively cancelled” the lawyer-in-trouble drama “The Firm,” reports Broadcasting & Cable. NBC has moved the series to the Saturdays 9 p.m. slot to “burn off” its remaining original episodes. “The Firm” was on Thursdays at 10 p.m. (a slot held for more than a decade by “E.R.”). NBC will premiere its new drama “Awake” beginning March 1, with repeats of “Grimm” running in the slot until then. “The Firm” drew a meager 0.8 rating with adults 18-49 in last Thursday’s airing.
- ABC finished #1 on Friday among adults 18-49; the network crowed in a press release that “it was the Net’s 4th straight Friday to deliver the #1 position against its network rivals.” ABC’s 20/20 took the night’s #1 position among that key young-adult demographic. Perhaps it was the subject matter: 20/20 featured an in-depth look at marriage and divorce, Hollywood style.
- More signs of struggle at the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN); “The Rosie Show” shed more staffers last week, to a total of 30 employees and contractors, and has moved taping to a smaller studio. As Crain’s Chicago Business describes, host O’Donnell is trying to “find the right formula to boost ratings,” which now average only 200,000 viewers, as opposed to its premier at 500,000. The show has done away with some fun-based elements like a game show segment, in favor of one-on-one interviews.
8% Rise in Network Primetime CPMs, Analyst Predicts
Pivotal Research Group, a New York-based equity research firm, is projecting 8% in cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) in network primetime. Analyst Brian Wieser expects this to be a boon for those broadcasters. RBR.com quoted Wieser as saying he expects “These seemingly favorable price increases to positively impact sentiment around ad-supported media stocks including CBS, Comcast, Walt Disney and News Corp.” Cable networks (including Time Warner, Discovery and AMC) will likely enjoy a “halo” effect.
In last year’s upfront market, broadcasters ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC saw CPM prices increase by 9% reported paidContent, while cable networks jumped 12%. So this is good, and perhaps unexpected news for the networks. If Internet video has reached a tipping point (with announcements like original content from Netflix and Hulu), it “doesn’t appear to be coming at the expense of traditional TV,” suggests paidContent.
While that 8% is a very educated guess, it is an imprecise one; advertisers may surprise the networks at the negotiating table—chiefly by not showing up, or by putting their ad dollars online. In a worst-case scenario Wieser believes that the rise could be as low as 5%.
Upfront TV: Fox Leads Again | Sports TV Ads Strong | Amanpour’s Double Duty | Lingerie Bowl IX
- Fox News continues its lead in news viewership, handily pulling in the most viewers for its coverage of Tuesday’s Florida Republican primary. As Broadcasting & Cable reports, the channel averaged 2.5 million total viewers from 8-11pm EST. CNN took second place with 1.09 million total viewers, and MSNBC third with 984,000. FNC also led among the adults 25-54 demographic, with 641,000 viewers to CNN’s 402,000 and MSNBC’s 245,000.
- Ratings took a sudden drop at ABC/Disney’s “Live! With Kelly.” For the week ending January 22, rating dropped 10% from the same week a year earlier, to a 2.7 household rating from a 3.0. “Was it the weak line-up of cohosts for the week?” asked Hollywood Reporter. Guest hosts included Seth Meyers, Mario Lopez and long-ago “Saturday Night Live” comic Dana Carvey. Disney countered that it was that long-time host Regis Philbin had announced he was leaving the show, that same week in 2010, so the weeks were not comparable.
- Sports TV advertising rose 5.9% in 2011, reports Media Life, to about $11 billion—about four times the pace of the overall media economy. One possible reason: consumers seeking lower-cost entertainment will stay home and watch the cable TV they pay for, rather than spend $10 a ticket to go to the movies.
- Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour will return to CNN Worldwide with her signature show “Amanpour,” spearheading a new CNN International lineup, the network announced. This in addition to her duties as global affairs anchor for ABC News. How she will manage a daily show on CNN, while globetrotting for ABC, neither network has confirmed.
- The Lingerie Football League (LFL) will broadcast its Lingerie Bowl IX at 4pm EST. With the Super Bowl kickoff at about 6:30, sports fans can enjoy both, broadcaster MTV2 enthuses. The Philadelphia Passion and Los Angeles Temptation will play at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena. With five expansion markets in 2011, and LFL Canada, Australia and Europe in the works, LFL claims to be the U.S.’s fastest-growing pro sports league with sell-out crowds and, of course, record internet traffic. No word yet on advertisers, but past supporters of LFL have included Hard Rock Café, Rawlings and Sony.
Upfront TV: ABC Orders Dramas | HBO Renews “Luck” | Hoboken Bans “Shore” | “Bang” Beats “Idol”
- ABC has ordered four hour-long drama pilots for the coming season, reports Deadline Hollywood. Marc Cherry’s “Devious Maids” is based on a Mexican telenovela. Cherry is behind “Desperate Housewives.” Michael Green’s “Gotham” is a cop drama about finding a magic parallel universe in NYC. In “Zero Hour,” conspiracy theories come true. And ABC Studios’ “Penoza” has a wife taking over a crime syndicate from her assassinated husband.
- HBO has renewed “Luck,” its horse-track drama starring Dustin Hoffman, just two days after its Sunday premier. The premier drew 1.1 million viewers, and another 711,000 for its 10pm reairing, and 420,000 for its 11pm reairing. The Season 2 order is for 10 episodes. One of the drama’s executive producers is David Milch of “Deadwood” fame
- Kia and Starbucks have signed on as official sponsors of NBC’s “The Voice” in Season 2, alongside Sprint, reports Broadcasting & Cable. All three sponsors will be featured during the season premier on Sunday following Super Bowl XLVI. Sprint will sponsor social media around the premier, including a streaming commentary by correspondent Christina Milian.
- The city of Hoboken, NJ has denied “Jersey Shore” entrance, reports The Wrap. 495 Productions wants to shoot a spinoff in Hoboken, but was denied by the The Hoboken Film Commission. The Commission did not cite bad taste among its reasons; rather, the 24-hour filming permit would violate the city’s regulation against filming past 11pm in residential areas. And the unstructured production style would provide no site control, said Hoboken’s chief of police.
- “The geeks have bragging rights over the superstar strivers,” says an Associated Press news story. CBS’s half-hour comedy “The Big Bang Theory” drew a slightly larger audience than Fox's “American Idol”, by 16.13 million viewers to 15.56. A slight lead, “But significant,” opines TVNewsCheck. “Bang” is the first scripted series to beat “Idol” in head-to-head competition.
Upfront TV: Clear Channel Buys Seacrest | Priceline’s Motive for Murder | X Factor Axings
- Clear Channel will today announce its acquisition of a minority stake in Ryan Seacrest Productions. As the New York Times reports, this cements an already tight bond, as Seacrest, is a host, producer and spokesman for Clear Channel. No word yet as to the sum of Clear Channel’s investment in Seacrest, but he is expected to produce scripted and unscripted TV shows and other content. . Ryan Seacrest Productions currently produces “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” for E! and is producing new reality shows for Bravo and CMT.
- Why did Priceline.com kill off William Shatner and its “Priceline Negotiator” after 14 years? Priceline.com says launched the ad because the company is moving toward fixed-price discounts, whereas Shatner and the Negotiator had become to heavily identified with negotiating a price, reports Yahoo Finance.
- Former New York governor and CNN anchor Eliot Spizer will host “Countdown” this week, covering for an ailing Keith Olbermann, reports TVNewser. Spitzer will co-host “Countdown” with Bill Press for tonight’s Florida primary coverage. This will be Spitzer’s first hosting job since he left CNN in July, 2011. TVNewser speculates that this is a test-drive for a more permanent gig. Interestingly, CurrentTV took out a full-page ad in yesterday’s New York Times promoting its political coverage, with pictures of hosts Cenk Uygur and Jennifer Granholm—sams Olbermann, with whom the network has had fractious relations.
- Simon Cowell has canned “The X Factor” judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul as well as host Steve Jones, reports New York Daily News. Cowell produces the performance competition show for The Fox Network, and is purportedly miffed over lower-than-expected ratings. No word yet as to replacements, though Mariah Carey is a likely candidate; Cowell supposedly wanted Carey as a judge in Season One, but declined as she was pregnant at the time.
Fox News Channel Marks 10 “Most Watched” Years
Today’s Nielsen ratings for Sunday will cement Fox News Channel’s 10th-straight year as the most-watched cable news network, reports New York Daily News.
FNC in 2011 averaged 1.86 million viewers in prime time; rival MSNBC averaged 775,000 and CNN, 689,000. For January 2012 prime time, FNC has averaged 1.98 million, CNN 875,000 and MSNBC 817,000. Finally, FNC is posting 1.11 million on a total-day basis, versus 454,000 for MSNBC and 449,000 for CNN.
The figures are even more impressive, surrounding GOP Primary Coverage. As Multichannel News reported, FNC averaged 2.63 million viewers between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Jan. 22, covering the South Carolina Primary. That is more than double the viewership of CNN (1.21 million watchers) and MSNBC (985,000). Further, it took an average 703,000 viewers 25-54, versus 417,000 for CNN and 240,000 for MSNBC, respectively.
FNC launched 15 years ago, and quickly took heat for its “bend to the right.” No matter, Fordham University Professor of Communication and Media Paul Levinson told the News. “What’s often overlooked when people talk about Fox News is they…focus on the politically conservative commentary (but) miss how it’s been as an overall news organization.” Fox News chairman Roger Ailes banked on vivid commentary, said Levinson, and a commitment to round-the-clock news.
Upfront TV : CNN Patents Magic | Lowe’s Leaves “Muslims” | SAG Award Champions | “Office” To Return
- CNN wants to trademark its “Magic Wall,” the interactive touch screen that it introduced during the 2008 primaries. As TVNewser reports, the multi-touch display is now used by practically ever television news outlet and in sports broadcasting. ABC, ESPN and CNBC can keep their magic walls, they just can’t call them magic walls.
- Lowe’s has joined the list of advertisers jumping ship from TLC’s “All-American Muslim.” This after pressure from groups like the Florida Family Association which labeled the show "propaganda" that presents a "clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values." The show follows five Muslim families living in Dearborn, Michigan, and has become a “lightning rod,” as Lowe’s described it in a statement on Facebook. Despite the company’s “commitment to diversity and inclusion,” it called itself “sincerely sorry…we’ve managed to make some people very unhappy.”
- Rumors abound of a spinoff to “The Office,” with Dwight as the central character. But “The Office” is certain to be renewed rather than replaced. The TVByTheNumbers “Bubble Watch “ predicts that all of NBC’s comedies, even the lagging “Community,” will be renewed in 2012.
- HBO led the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night, taking five out of nine TV awards. “Boardwalk Empire” won for outstanding ensemble in a drama series, and lead actor Steve Buscemi for outstanding male actor in a drama series. Broadcast TV took only two awards—“Modern Family” (ABC) for outstanding ensemble in a comedy series, and Alec Baldwin (again) for outstanding male actor in a comedy series.
Advertising to Millennials? Do It Digitally and Keep It Short, Says Study
“The 79 million Millennials in the U.S. have an estimated purchasing power of $170 billion dollars per year," said comScore Vice President Bert Miklosi. "Their comfort-level with the Internet and technology in general makes the digital medium an ideal platform for reaching these individuals.”
The digital market research firm has released its report Next-Generation Strategies for Advertising to Millennials. The report highlights results from the company’s study that identifies unique characteristics of the “Millennial generation” (persons born between 1981 and 2000, thus, 12-31 years of age). comScore examined Millennials’ responses to different types of advertising, including TV and digital, compared to older generations, and how marketers can most effectively target this demographic segment.
The medium is ideal, but the Millenial is generally more difficult to persuade via advertising than their older counterparts. This said Miklosi underscores “the importance of creative and messaging optimization in driving worthwhile returns from an investment in advertising to this segment.” Also true, to quote the report, “It is harder for advertising to achieve breakthrough and catch the attention of Millennials, who are notorious for multitasking and short attention spans.” In fact, their immediate recall is the lowest of any age group—at 43%, 9% lower than that of seniors. Still, their delayed recall was strongest among age groups, at 24%.
Courtesy comScore, Inc.
Other key findings:
- The defining characteristics of Millennials include their comfort-level with new technologies and cultural diversity, as well as being accustomed to on-demand access to entertainment, continual stimulation and extreme multitasking.
- Millennials tend to be less interested and more difficult to connect with, capture attention, impress, convince and entertain. Millennials also appear to be more price-sensitive, perhaps due to lower disposable incomes.
- Digital advertising performs better in relative terms among Millennials than does television advertising.
- Across generations including Millennials, the presence of key creative elements in advertising, coined by comScore as the Validated Drivers, were shown to relate strongly to successful advertising.
- Millennials are highly engaged with the content that they choose to view, within both television and digital environments. Engagement has been shown to amplify the effectiveness of advertising, so when targeting Millennials, it is important to utilize engaging content to help boost returns from investments in advertising.