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Volume 23, Issue 104, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
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Friday Morning May 26th, 2006
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Television Business Report returns Tuesday, May 30.
The RBR/TVBR offices will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day.
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TV News ®
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 TV is cyclical -
get used to it
Mark Fratrik, VP and Chief Economist for BIA Financial Network (BIAfn), is predicting that US television stations will take in 22.2 billion in revenues this year, up more than 7% from 2005. However, the bulk of that 1.5 billion gain from last year's 20.7 billion is going to come from political spending, continuing the two-year pattern that has become increasingly apparent in recent years. Back in the 1980s and '90s, growth in other major ad categories, led by automotive, could be counted on to fill the growth gap in non-election years. "We don't have that anymore," Fratrik told TVBR. "There aren't any big categories that would bolster an odd year TV increase." So, assuming US economic growth stays on track, he's predicting a gain of only 1% in TV station revenues for 2007. Multiplatforming was a big topic at both the TVB and NAB gatherings this spring and Fratrik is a big believer in developing new outlets for local TV station content as a future growth driver. "Local television stations are in precarious positions and must think creatively to drum up new revenue streams. We believe there will always be a strong desire from the public to have access to local community and regional news. It is just a matter of the stations themselves identifying a mode in which consumers will be receptive to receiving it, and a method that can be profitable," Fratrik said. Those revenue streams are small now, but five years out he predicts that some smaller broadcasters may generate up to 25% of their revenues and 40% of their cash flow from platforms other than their main TV channel.
Put a fork in it, the TV season is done -
and three nets can claim to be winners
To no one's surprise, the season finale that crowned Taylor Hicks the 5th "American Idol" gave Fox big numbers on the final night of the May sweeps and nailed down its second straight TV season victory in the key 18-49 demo. Preliminary figures from Nielsen Media Research pegged the total audience for "Idol" at 36 million. The strong finish nosed Fox ahead of resurgent ABC in the 18-49 demo for the 2005-2006 season, but ABC had plenty to brag about, finishing a close second in the demo most prized by advertisers and having the most improved numbers of any network pretty much across the board. CBS, of course, finished the sweeps and season comfortably ahead in total viewership. So, of the big four, that left only NBC as the one without a particularly good story to tell - except for wait until next year. Univision also had plenty to brag about. Having been in the mainstream Nielsen ratings for only two sweeps periods, the Spanish TV leader was quick to point out that it beat at least one of the big four - ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC - for the Adults 18-34 demo on 14 of the 28 nights in the May sweeps. "In addition, among total viewers (P2+), Adults 18-24, Adults 18-34 and Adults 18-49, Univision finished the May 2006 sweep as the 5th ranked broadcast network in prime time. The network also delivered its second highest Adult 18-49 prime time audience performance compared to any May sweeps period," Univision noted.
| Here are the final Nielsen tallies for the big four, as provided to TVBR |
 Networks sue Cablevision
over new DVR
The major TV networks and Hollywood studios have asked a federal court to block Cablevision from introducing a new type of digital video recorder (DVR) that they say violates their copyrights. Rather than having the consumer store shows on a hard drive in their home, this DVR uses a centralized computer system controlled by the cable company for time-shifted viewing. The lawsuit filed in a New York federal court seeks an injunction barring Cablevision from beginning a test of the "network DVR" system on Long Island. The plaintiffs include Twentieth Century Fox Films (owned by News Corporation), Paramount Pictures (Viacom), Disney Enterprises, CBS Broadcasting, NBC Studios (NBC Universal), ABC Television Network (Disney) and Universal Studios (NBC Universal). For its part, Cablevision insists that the system doesn't violate copyright laws and is a consumer-friendly, cheaper alternative to the DVRs that are currently available.
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 ABC stands firm as
Hastert demands retraction
ABC News is standing by its story that House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is under investigation by the FBI in a corruption probe, even though the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a statement stating flatly, "Speaker Hastert is not under investigation by the Justice Department." Hastert is demanding a retraction. Following that statement from DOJ, ABC News posted an update on its website insisting that its report was correct. "Despite a flat denial from the Department of Justice, federal law enforcement sources tonight [5/24] said ABC News accurately reported that Speaker of the House Dennis Hasters is 'in the mix' in the FBI investigation of corruption," ABC News said. So far, no other media organization has reported that Hastert is being investigated, except to report on the ABC story along with Hastert's denial and demand for a "full retraction." Conservative bloggers, meanwhile, were gleefully speculating that ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross, who reported the original story, could soon be heading down the same path as CBS' Dan Rather, who stepped down under pressure following a botched "60 Minutes II" story on President Bush's military record.
Legislators may throw weight behind lighter indecency bill
With fine-raising bills passed by wide majorities in both the Senate and the House, it appears that the legislation is on the on-ramp to becoming a law. This is especially true with an important member of the House saying that when it comes to resolving differences between the two versions, he'd be happy to accept the weaker Senate version. According to reports, that member is House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Joe Barton (R-TX). The streamlined Senate version of the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act calls for a tenfold increase in FCC fining power for an incident of broadcast indecency, taking the dot out of 32.5K to make it a hefty 325K. The House version would take the ceiling up to a round 500K, and has additional provisions to target performers (the Senate simply goes after broadcast licensees) and mandate license revocation proceedings for repeat offenders.
 TVBR observation: Indecency
Just when it looked like this bill would languish for the third straight year, Senate sponsor Sam Brownback (R-KS) and majority leader Bill Frist (R-TN) were able to bypass the Senate Commerce Committee (and those who would offer amendments) and get Brownback's version passed by unanimous acclimation. If Barton is willing to go along with the Senate version, it looks like it is going to happen. It always seemed like a mortal lock, since it was difficult to find anyone on Capitol Hill who was opposed to it. (Because of this near unanimity of opinion, it is almost useless as a campaign issue, since support comes from both parties and all points on the ideological spectrum.) The question is whether or not it is a nuclear reaction to a minor problem. We again challenge anybody to listen to the radio or watch broadcast television between now and 10PM tonight. The odds are overwhelming that no matter where you tune in, you will not be subjected to indecent material. Whatever that is, by the way, since the latest FCC attempt to clear up the definition is just as confusing as all prior attempts. It may be that the bill constitutes mutually assured litigation, just as Commerce Committee Ted Stevens (R-AK) fears. Once this gets into the courts, who knows what might happen? We would rather hear an occasional naughty word than have people worried about their next re-election campaign messing around hallowed First Amendment territory.
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| Wall Street Media Business Report TM |
Moonves gives investors his two cents worth
CBS Corporation CEO Les Moonves has told Wall Street that he's not in the market for a major acquisition. Meanwhile, he's just sold the company's theme parks for 1.24 billion and he's working to sell nearly a billion bucks worth of radio station. Clearly the company has plenty of cash on hand - so the board of directors has decided to send more of it to the shareholders. Instead of 16 cents per share, the quarterly dividend is now going to be 18 cents - a 12.5% increase. "I'm pleased to announce the second dividend increase since we became a new company. This represents a 29% increase in our quarterly dividend since the start of the year," said Moonves. The increased dividend will be paid July 1st to shareholders of record on June 5th. As he announced the increased dividend at CBS's annual shareholders meeting, Moonves also said he expected to see profits rise for the CBS News division with Katie Couric coming onboard this fall as anchor of the "CBS Evening News."
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Ad Business Report TM
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 KFC wants Idol runner-up
Although Katharine McPhee didn't become the 2006 American Idol on Wednesday, KFC is offering the future star her first corporate recording deal - a chance to write and star in an upcoming ad for its newest product, KFC Famous Bowls. The 10,000 dollar commercial recording deal plus a year's supply of KFC Famous Bowls offer stands until 6/7. "KFC feels strongly that both finalists are true winners and we are excited to offer the runner-up an opportunity to further showcase her talents in an upcoming KFC Famous Bowl commercial," says Scott Bergren, KFC EVP/Marketing.
Yahoo! and eBay form ad pact
Yahoo! and eBay announced a partnership that has boosted recent talk that they may end up merging. With this deal, Yahoo will be the exclusive third-party provider of all graphic ads throughout eBay's site. Yahoo! will also use eBay's PayPal system to allow its own customers to pay for Yahoo! services. Yahoo! search features will be integrated into a co-branded version of the eBay toolbar, and the two will explore developing "click-to-call" ad technologies on their respective sites. Click-to-call provides a link inside an ad that allows users to directly call the advertiser to make a transaction. Under the pact, which gives Yahoo access to eBay's huge base of online shoppers, the companies will begin to roll out joint initiatives later this year. This will include a testing phase that will take place over the next several months, with a plan to achieve full implementation in 2007. "Our consumers will benefit from the combination of Yahoo! and eBay's leading technology and services, providing them with one of the best online experiences," said Terry Semel, Yahoo! CEO. "Yahoo! holds a leadership position in all forms of online advertising. This partnership with eBay provides us with a great opportunity to further extend our sponsored search and graphical advertising reach to one of the largest and most active communities on the Web."
Kimberly-Clark moves creative to JWT
Kimberly-Clark is reportedly consolidating creative duties for its personal-care brands (Kotex, Huggies, Depends and Poise) with JWT, besting the incumbent Ogilvy & Mather. The value (business in NA and Europe) is 200M. JWT already handles the company's brands including Kleenex, Scott tissue, Cottonelle, Viva and Andrex, a European brand. Media remains with MindShare.
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| Wireless Media Business Report |
 Making mobile video
a viable advertising option
By Brian Wieser, CFA
(from April's RBR/TVBR Solutions Magazine)
Mobile video represents a tremendous opportunity for the telecommunications, broadcasting and advertising industries around the world if it is successfully deployed. How the industry participants move forward will have a significant impact in affecting the growth of this medium. We anticipate that advertisers' active involvement will ultimately drive new revenue opportunities for broadcasters and carriers alike. Carriers and broadcasters will need to work together to identify optimal business models and support the availability of content consumers will demand in the future. Among the hundreds of millions of consumers around the world with access to mobile video, relatively few actually watch it today. There are several reasons behind this fact, including relatively limited content options, expensive handsets capable of playing video and associated subscription fees.
| Read More... |
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| Media Markets & Money TM |
 LIN shopping PR TV
LIN Broadcasting may make a balance sheet move which would involve getting out of the Hispanic television business by shedding two Puerto Rico stations and a related cable operation operating on the mainland. WAPA-TV, which LIN acquired from GE Capital for 69.6M back in 1998, and WJPX-TV, which came from Paxson for 11.2M in 2000, are the stations. WAPA America is an Hispanic cable channel which has been operating since 2004. LIN exec Gary Chapman explained, "Our Puerto Rico-related businesses have been great growth engines for LIN, but as we look to the future we have decided to focus on our core business: TV stations and digital media in the continental United States. A sale of the Puerto Rico assets would allow us to utilize some of our federal net operating loss carryforwards and strengthen our balance sheet." LIN takes pains to make clear that divestiture of the assets is guaranteed.
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| Washington Media Business Report TM |
Network neutrality hearings on the Hill
Broadcasters do not really have a dog in this portion of the telecom fight, not any more than all citizens have a dog anyway, but we tuned in to check out the opening remarks anyway. Those who favor network neutrality and want to see it maintained, like John McCain (R-AZ) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), basically want it to operate like it has, and like the phone system. As each phone call is treated the same, they want all Internet content providers to be treated the same. They believe this is not adding any regulation at all, other than to charge the FCC with ensuring that network neutrality remains the prevailing rule of the virtual road and that big companies don't become gatekeepers. The other side, voiced by John Sununu (R-NH) and an ad campaign making the rounds in the Washington market (if not elsewhere), do consider maintenance of net neutrality to be added regulation, and say that if its worked just fine without regs, none should be added until it is shown they are needed. Bill Nelson (D-FL) probably spoke for many Americans when he noted that net neutrality is a complex issue and needs a great deal of study.
TVBR observation: Our self-serving two cents? If we understand it correctly, gate-keeping and hefty pay-to-play fees are what consumer organizations fear, at the cost of the wide variety of readily accessed information, opinion and entertainment under the current system. As a small company that is a daily traveler on the Internet, we certainly don't want to be forced into a bidding war with companies we compete with like Clear Channel, Reed or VNU for fair treatment and presentation. We say, keep the phone call model. Our legal hinge? That's what Internet access providers must live with if they want to use our public right of way. If Verizon doesn't like that, there are lots of other ways to earn a dime. Maybe they can set up a hot dog stand/cell phone kiosk near the Smithsonian...
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| Entertainment Media Business Report TM |
 Big send-off planned for Katie
She may be heading to rival CBS, but NBC is throwing a big on-air party next Wednesday (May 31st) to say goodbye to Katie Couric. No doubt her final day as co-host of the "Today" show will be a ratings goldmine for the Peacock net as celebrities parade through to bid farewell to Couric, who has interviewed countless Hollywood, political and other famous figures over the past 15 years. So far, the list of those slated to drop by includes performances by Tony Bennett, Martina McBride, Idina Menzel and Megan Hilty from the Broadway musical "Wicked," and the cast of the Broadway musical "Jersey Boys."
NBC rethinks its fall schedule
It looks like someone at NBC was thinking along the same lines as when we warned this week that with all of the networks putting such an emphasis on Thursday nights this fall that "there's a real risk - indeed, a near certainty - that some shows that could have been winners on less competitive nights will go down in flames" (5/22/06 TVBR #100). NBC has high hopes for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," but rather than put it up against both ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and CBS' "CSI," NBC has now shifted it to Monday night. Instead, it will counter-program dramas with "Deal or No Deal." Those changes, of course, have created a chain reaction of program shifting.
| Here is the revised NBC schedule for this fall |
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| Ratings & Research |
Raymond battles back
The frequent syndicated ratings battle for 2nd place was won by "Everybody Loves Raymond" this time around, bumping "Oprah" back the 3rd after a tie for 2nd the previous week, as reported by the Syndicated Network Television Association (SNTA), based on data from Nielsen Media Research. You could say that "Wheel of Fortune" is the "American Idol" of the syndicated world - pretty much always guaranteed to come in #1.
| View the Chart |
Readership increasing steadily for newspaper front sections; 11 other sections in decline
 From 2000 to 2005 the percentage of adults reading the front section of a daily newspaper increased from 51.4 to 53.0% in the 87 metro markets surveyed regularly by The Media Audit. The percentage of adults varies from 68.2% in the New Haven metropolitan area to 41.8% in the Las Vegas market. There are 16 markets where more than 60% of adults read a front page section regularly and 19 markets where less than 50% read a front page section regularly. "The same research shows the percentage of adults reading the other 11 sections of a daily newspaper declined," says Bob Jordan, president of International Demographics, which produces The Media Audit. "The declines tell an interesting story. The severest decline in percentage of readers was in the weekend television guide book. Its percentage of readers dropped from 31.9 to 23.1 between 2000 and 2005. It appears to be the most vulnerable product because it can/and has been most easily duplicated by other media." The Movie/Entertainment section readership dropped from 26.5 to 23.1 while Travel sections dropped from 19.6 to 17.7 and Lifestyle/Fashion from 23.7 to 21.7. The demographic profile of the front page readership shows the group to be better educated and more affluent than the general population. Those earning more than 50,000 in annual household income index at 108 (100 is average of the general population). Those earning more than 75,000 and more than USD100,000 have indexes of 113 and 117. Those with liquid assets of 100,000 or more, 250,000 or more, index at 126 and 135. Those who traded stocks/bonds/securities during the past year index at 125. More than 74% of the front page reader group says they voted during the past year in a local, state or national election.
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| Stock Talk |
Inflation? What inflation?
Modest GDP growth and a drop in existing home sales calmed Wall Street fears about inflation and further Fed rate hikes. The Dow Industrials moved up 94 points, or 0.8%, to 11,211. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were each up over 1%.
Nearly all TV stocks had an up day. CBS shot up 3.5% for its widely held Class B stock and 3.4% for Class A after announcing an increase in its dividend. Gray Television saw its common rise 3.2% and its Class A 3.8%. Fisher Communications gained 2.2%.
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| Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Thursday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
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Acme
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ACME
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4.99
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unch
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LIN TV
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TVL
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9.20
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+0.26
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Belo
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BLC
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16.95
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+0.19
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McGraw-Hill
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MHP
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52.25
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-0.17
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| CBS CI. B |
CBS |
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26.30
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+0.90
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Media General
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MEG
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38.46
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-0.35
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| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
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26.27
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+0.86
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Meredith
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MDP
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49.80
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-0.16
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Clear Channel
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CCU
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31.14
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+0.40
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News Corp.
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NWS
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19.64
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+0.19
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Disney
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DIS
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30.15
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+0.01
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Nexstar
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NXST
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5.19
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+0.07
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Emmis
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EMMS
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16.09
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+0.21
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NY Times
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NYT
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24.74
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+0.10
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Entravision
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EVC
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8.05
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+0.09
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Ion Media
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ION
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0.83
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unch
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Fisher
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FSCI
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43.49
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+0.95
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Saga Commun.
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SGA
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9.65
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+0.07
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Gannett
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GCI
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53.78
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+0.06
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SBS
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SBSA
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5.61
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+0.10
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Gen. Electric
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GE
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34.42
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+0.16
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Scripps
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SSP
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45.82
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+0.25
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Granite
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GBTVK
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0.21
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+0.01
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Sinclair
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SBGI
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8.44
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+0.03
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Gray
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GTN
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6.81
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+0.21
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Time Warner
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TWX
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17.44
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+0.08
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Gray, C1. A
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GTNa
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6.82
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+0.25
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Tribune
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TRB
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27.90
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+0.22
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Hearst-Argyle
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HTV
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22.33
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+0.15
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Univision
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UVN
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35.60
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+0.39
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
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11.81
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+0.05
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Wash. Post
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WPO
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784.54
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-3.01
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Lincoln Natl.
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LNC
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56.10
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+0.38
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Young
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YBTVA
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3.18
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+0.10
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Bounceback
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 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to tvnews@rbr.com
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Below the Fold
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Wall Street Media Business Report
Moonves gives two cents worth
That he's not in the market for a major acquisition..
Ad Business Report
Yahoo! and eBay form ad pact
Partnership that has boosted recent talk that they may end up merging...
Media Markets & Money
LIN shopping PR TV
Balance sheet move which would involve getting out of the Hispanic TV biz...
Entertainment Media
Business Report
NBC rethinks its fall schedule
Looks like someone at NBC was thinking as TVBR was about Thursday night...
Ratings & Research
Readership increasing steadily
For newspaper front sections; 11 other sections in decline...
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More News Headlines
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BCFM/BCCA name award winners
Pam D'Elia, Corporate Director of Credit and Collections for the Cox-owned TV rep firms, will receive the Broadcast Cable Credit Association's (BCCA) member Contributor Award during the organization's annual conference June 11-13 in Orlando. Also being honored is Ron Wilkinson, Controller for Emmis Communications' WKCF-TV, conveniently located in the host city, Orlando. He will receive the Jack Zwaska Career Achievement Award from the Broadcast Cable Financial Management Association (BCFM), parent organization of BCCA. BCFM and BCCA hold their annual conferences jointly.
USPS debuting
Amber Alert stamp
The US Postal Service is issuing a new stamp honoring the Amber Alert system used to find missing children. USPS unveiled the stamp at a ceremony in DC yesterday, which is National Missing Children's Day, in front of John Potter, Postmaster General, Alberto Gonzales, US Attorney General and Regina Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs & the National Amber Alert Coordinator for the DOJ. A second ceremony will be held in Arlington, Texas, where Amber Hagerman, after whom the program was named, was kidnapped. The new stamp depicts a mother and child embracing and says, "Amber Alert saves missing children."
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May RBR/TVBR
Digital Magazine
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Take a look at what's in the May RBR/TVBR Solutions Magazine:
We track the latest evolutions and address the latest topics with our annual Television Upfront feature, speaking to everyone from CBS's Jo Ann Ross to NBC's Keith Turner; TWC's Liz Janneman, OMD's Joe Uva and Magna Global's Bill Cella.
We asked Christine McKenzie, Chrysler Group Executive Director of Brand Events and Agency Relations all about the importance of their annual Media Day in Detroit.
We take a look at the annual Hispanic Radio Upfront events in NYC and interview Colleen Brown, President and CEO of Fisher Communications.
These and other hot industry issues addressed in May.
Read RBR/TVBR in 2 simple steps:
1.Create a simple account with Zinio and download the Zinio Reader.
2. You can then download the
May Issue of RBR/TVBR
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TVBR Radar 2006
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Television News you won't read any where else. TVBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
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Shivering SHVA ruling
handed to EchoStar
DBS Dish Network operator EchoStar was soundly defeated in the 11th Circuit in Atlanta in a suit brought by ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC concerning the illegal importation of distant signals into local markets. Found to be a violation of copyright law, EchoStar is barred from continuing the practice. EchoStar was ordered by Judge William Dimitrouleas to turn off ineligible subscribers.
05/25/06 TVBR #103
Google moves to
place video ads online
Moving forward this week with a new service for its AdWords platform that will place video spots on websites where it sells ads. Google is working hard to branch out into traditional media as well, buying DMarc Broadcasting in January to help its own advertisers conveniently buy radio spots online. Google's announcement comes a week after AOL said that it had acquired Lightningcast, a company that sells video ads on some 150 sites.
TVBR observation: Just be very careful with Google or anyone that is not familiar with your business. On this one, our TVBR observation is to walk around the pool a few more times before you jump in.
05/24/06 TVBR #102
CBS names radio markets to be sold
To divest 35 radio stations in 10 markets it wants to exit. The tally comes to 39 stations, four more than Moonves indicated last week. The list is not limited to smaller markets. Included are three markets in the top 30.
RBR observation: Our first thought - wouldn't it be more than interesting if hometown boy Randy Michaels were to buy that four-station Cincinnati cluster and start over again? These are certainly not the dregs that CBS is out to sell. With only two stations in San Antonio the company needed to get bigger or get out - and CBS is not in a mode to buy radio stations. Fresno and Greensboro were publicly shopped before then pulled back when CBS (then Infinity) didn't like the market conditions. Interested? Here is the shopping list see
05/24/06 RBR #102
Newbie nets filling up
their local dance cards
Today's Jeopardy (apologies to KingWorld) answer: Burlington, VT. The question: What is the largest US TV market that does not yet have an announced affiliate for either the CW network or MyNetworkTV, both set to launch this September? Burlington is DMA #90 and at least one of the two newbie nets has a home in each of the 79 larger markets - and both do in most cases.TVBR observation: Logic would dictate that the flurry of affiliate announcements from the CW should slow down, now that only smaller markets and less than 10% of US TV households remain to be covered. Clearly there were lots of local stations interested in winning the local rights to a schedule made up mostly of the top shows from the soon to be extinct WB and UPN networks. Now lets see if any network can market their products and keep front mind awareness in this heavy competitive environment. For the list see
05/23/06 TVBR #101
Equity firms claim victory
in VNU buyout
Sometimes we amaze ourselves. With 80% as the target for acceptance of a 9.7 billion bucks equity consortium buyout of VNU, we asked earlier this month "We wonder, what will happen if the final tally on May 19th is 79%?" That is exactly what happened.
TVBR observation: It is now certain that Nielsen Media Research will have a new owner. So, what does that mean to you? Well, the new owners need to find a new CEO. It is virtually certain that the VNU name will be jettisoned and the company reincorporated in the US, where most of its revenues originate, and look for an IPO for a stock that will eventually trade on the NYSE. Nielsen Media Research, and the market research division, AC Nielsen, as its core operations. Many observers believe they will sell off all or most of the publishing and trade show unit, including such well-known titles in the US as Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and Adweek. Stay tuned for the next episode.
05/22/06 TVBR #100
Analyst predicts spirited
bidding for Univision
Wachovia Securities analyst Marci Ryvicker predicts a bidding war for Univision, with the price potentially going above 40 bucks per share. But while some mega-media companies have been kicking the tires, she expects the showdown will be between two consortia of private equity firms. To review the two potential bidders see
05/19/06 TVBR #99
Granite sues over WB shutdown
After seeing the sale price drop 30 million bucks for his two stations in San Francisco and Detroit, Don Cornwell is going to court to try to get back some of that lost cash.
TVBR observation: We noted back in January when the launch of the CW network was announced that CBS and Time Warner/Tribune were careful to say that UPN and The WB were being shut down, not merged to create the new CW network. No doubt the lawyers for Granite will argue that what was announced on January 24th was "the merging of the UPN and WB television networks" - the terminology used yesterday in Granite's announcement of the lawsuit.
05/18/06 TVBR #98
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