NBC Considers ‘Creative Approach’ to Upfronts
NBC still says'maybe not'
An NBC spokesperson has said that changes will be made to this year’s upfront, and that an announcement about those changes can be expected “shortly.”
»
NBC still saysAn NBC spokesperson has said that changes will be made to this year’s upfront, and that an announcement about those changes can be expected “shortly.”
email this
permanent link
The price for ads during prime time on the broadcast networks has been climbing, despite the fact that ratings shortfalls in the low double-digits have hit NBC, CBS and ABC.
email this
permanent link
TV network executives familiar with the situation say the WGA is expected to present new terms to members over the weekend, and the writers strike could be resolved as early as next week.
email this
permanent link
News Corp. president and COO Peter Chernin said Fox will not abandon TV’s upfront process. His comments came during a News Corp. conference call with analysts and reporters, as the company announced its highest quarterly operating profit ever thanks to strong broadcast and cable TV unit results.
email this
permanent link
NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker is considering scrapping its May upfront presentations in the face of the writers strike that is causing so much uncertainty in the television industry.
email this
permanent link
Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network are all but sold out for the weeks leading up to the holiday; Cartoon Network withheld a small percentage of fourth-quarter inventory during the upfront, to make it available for scatter.
email this
permanent link
Media agency Carat today issued an official paper explaining why the C3 ratings are the best ratings currently available for use as currency in TV buying and selling. At the same time, it has come to light that an industry audit of Nielsen’s commercial minute ratings will not be completed until January - five months after the audit was expected to be completed.
email this
permanent link
The so-called C3 rating has served to artificially tighten the television ad marketplace, sending scatter prices soaring, said Bill Koenigsberg, founder and CEO of Horizon Media, during an International Radio & TV Society panel.
email this
permanent link
Networks are gleeful as the strong fourth quarter scatter market pulls double-digit price increases over what they inked during the upfront sales period. Media buyers are reporting increases from 12 percent to nearly 100 percent for some cable networks, MediaPost writes. Women-targeted networks Oxygen, SoapNet and WE are seeing particularly large price hikes.
email this
permanent link
Data from the summer months using the new C3 currency (commercial ratings combined with live-plus-three-day program ratings) may have network and cable executives, as well as media buyers, nibbling their fingernails. Cable executives, in particular, are concerned about how the new ratings will fall out when the fall season is in full swing, writes Mediaweek.
email this
permanent link
The Hallmark Channel is expected to close out its upfront sales today, having inked deals in the single to low double-digit CPM increases based on what is being called the C3 metric (average commercial ratings combined with live-plus-three-day program ratings), writes the Broadcast Newsroom.
email this
permanent link
More than half the syndication upfront has been completed, and the market is proving more robust than in years past, writes AdAge.
email this
permanent link
In a multimillion dollar deal, Chrysler has partnered with Nickelodeon for the first time, to plug its 2008 Town & Country minivan, specifically emphasizing the vehicle’s Sirius-powered Backseat TV.
email this
permanent link
In the CW’s second upfront, the network exceeded revenue goals, pulling in volume increases of 2 percent for a $640 million take.
After three weeks of delay between the time the networks made their upfront presentations and the time deals began to be written, the upfront is suddenly almost complete.
email this
permanent link
The upfront could be wrapped up by Friday, network and agency executives believe. Some networks have already sold most of their spots scheduled to run during prime time.
email this
permanent link
NBC U’s chief Jeff Zucker has said that he believes the network will take in $4 billion during the upfront, writes the New York Post.
email this
permanent link
After several false starts, the upfront market may begin to move in the next few days to early next week.
While the broadcast networks have said they will make upfront deals based on average commercial minutes and live-plus-three-day data, at least one cable network has said the commercial ratings data is too new and needs time before it becomes the standard.
email this
permanent link
More executive shake-ups are occurring at NBC Universal, this time affecting executives at the very top. The Peacock is expected to announce today that it has fired Kevin Reilly, the network’s entertainment president since 2004.
email this
permanent link
