TVBR's Daily Morning Epaper

Be prepared for the 4th quarter with TVBR.
Our middle name is Business for the televisiom business today. It is your business so take control.
Trial Subscription Sign Up

Volume 23, Issue 166, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher

Friday Morning August 25th, 2006

TV News ®

OK deal seals top 50
MyNetworkTV has filled its last top-50 market hole with KAUT-TV Oklahoma City, the current UPN affiliate in market #45 owned by the New York Times Company. The newbie net also announced affiliates in Providence, Dayton and a triple-play in Montana. With the additions, Fox Television Stations CEO Jack Abernethy says MyNetworkTV is past 96% of US households coverage for its September 5th launch. The NY Times Company recently acquired KAUT from CBS to give it a duopoly in OKC with KFOR-TV (NBC). "We believe that original primetime programming, coupled with strong syndicated programming, local news and sports, will be a winning formula," said Tim Morrissey, Divisional VP for the NY Times Co. Broadcast Media Group. The affiliation with LIN's WNAC-TV in Providence (#51) had already been reported by TVBR. In Dayton (#59), Sinclair will carry MyNetworkTV on a DTV multicast of WRGT-TV, the Fox affiliate. In Montana, Max Media will carry MyNetworkTV programming on its three Fox affiliates in place of the UPN fare they currently air. Those stations are KMMF-TV Missoula (#168), KLMN-TV Great Falls (#189) and KBTZ-LP Butte-Bozeman (#193). Each is operated in a duopoly with Max Media's local ABC affiliate.

Watchdogs lure Commissioners
to Milwaukee meeting
No, the FCC hasn't scheduled any of its public forums on media ownership yet. But media watchdogs Free Press and the Center for Media and Democracy remain in the business of setting up such events, and they have another one on the docket. It'll take place Thursday, 9/7/06 at UW-Milwaukee Helen Bader Concert Hall, Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts. If you guessed that the commissioners planning to attend are Democrats Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, then you have obviously been paying attention to how these things work. The hook to get citizens to attend is this: "Do you want more quality journalism? Are you concerned about the consolidation of media ownership? Do you think important issues don't get enough air time? Is your community fairly represented in the media? Here's your chance to tell the Federal Communications Commission!" They are even willing to bus in a load of citizens from Madison if there are enough takers. According to Matthew Larar's Lasar Letter, another session is scheduled for Los Angeles' Davidson Conference Center, with Reps. Dianne Watson (D-CA) and Hilda Solis (D-CA) joining the Commissioners. Lasar also says that a teach-in is being scheduled for San Francisco by the Media-Alliance and the National Latino Media. Organizations there are also angling for one of the FCC's six meetings with a petition drive, following in the footsteps of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who has already proposed Washington State as a location.

TVB finds correlation between
spot spend and vehicle sales
A Television Bureau of Advertising analysis of 2Q '06 automotive ad spending data compiled by TNS Media Intelligence points to a strong correlation between spot TV ad spending and vehicle sales. "I think the message here is indisputable," said Chris Rohrs, TVB president. "Buy spot, sell cars." As a group, the "Big Three" (GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler) reduced spot TV spending by 1.3% during the second quarter and vehicle unit sales declined 12%. On the other hand, the "all other" grouping (led by Toyota) increased spending on spot TV by 8.7% during the quarter and realized a unit volume increase of 5.2% in an overall market that was down 5.5%. Toyota, in fact, pushed its spot TV spending up 14.1% during the quarter and its unit sales grew 11.8%. Volkswagen had a 40.1% increase in spot spending and enjoyed the largest unit volume growth (up 14.3%). Of the top spenders in the "all other" group, only Nissan reduced spot spending for the quarter; Nissan's 19.5% cut in spot TV spending correlated to a 10.6% drop in unit sales volume. TVB's analysis includes all three tiers of automotive spending: factory, dealer associations and individual dealers.
| View 2Q data | View 1st Half data |

Hispanic and Asian audiences growing
Nielsen Media Research reports that Hispanic/Latinos and Asians are the fastest growing ethnic segments of the US population. Both groups posted US household gains of 3.6% in Nielsen's re-ranking of its TV market data for the coming 2006-2007 season. Overall, US households increased by 1.1%.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Tony Malara dead at 69
Former CBS Television Network President Tony Malara died yesterday at a hospital in Syracuse, NY after suffering a heart attack last week. After being admitted to a hospital, he was diagnosed as suffering from acute myeloid leukemia. Malara was 69 and would have turned 70 next month. Malara most recently owned Malara Broadcasting, which owned TV stations in shared services agreements with Granite Broadcasting in Ft. Wayne, IN and Duluth, MN. After starting in local broadcasting in upstate New York, Malara joined CBS in 1978 and rose to President of the network in 1982. In a 1988 reorganization he became President, CBS Affiliate Relations Division, and retired in 1995. He was a past President of the New York State Broadcasters Association and at the time of his death was a director and member of the executive committee of the Broadcasters Foundation.

TVBR observation: We were acquainted with Tony only in his post-CBS years. Given his track record, we presume he was a tough businessman. You would never guess it from his bubbling, funny personality and clever wit. He will be sorely missed by those who knew him better and we will recall fondly his days of emceeing the annual Broadcasters Foundation events. A case could be made that Tony spent his career on the wrong side of the camera.

Ad Business Report TM

CBS combining outdoor & wireless
CBS announced plans for the first ever network television marketing initiative that combines outdoor advertising with wireless distribution. Beginning this September, mobile users will be able to download free clips from the Network's new primetime lineup directly at CBS Outdoor billboard locations via MobiZone, created exclusively by Kameleon Technologies. The billboards, which will be located in Grand Central Station in NYC, will enable the mobile user to watch a clip from a new CBS primetime series. Once the mobile user chooses to activate their cell phone or PDA, the clip can be automatically downloaded via Bluetooth connectivity and can be played on the screen of their mobile device. Downloads from the network's four new primetime series -- Shark, Smith, Jericho, The Class and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation -- can be played almost instantly. The clips can then be saved or passed on to family and friends. Kameleon Technologies is an international mobile technology company based in Paris with offices in Cambridge and New York. MobiZone is a hardware/software solution that lets mobile users download free brand and media content via Bluetooth. No software application is required on the user's Bluetooth-enabled handset.

TVBR observation: This should likely become ubiquitous in the coming months. Talk about immediacy. And why stop at billboards? One would assume MobiZone-type offerings could be made at retail or supermarket checkout lines; in airports, etc. From the Kameleon website: "Equipped with a Kameleon Mobipoint, any object can communicate wireless with a standard mobile phone user (or a PDA user) using the Kameleon version, innovative and improved, of Bluetooth. The user can detect the object equipped with the Kameleon Mobipoint from his mobile phone and catch in "one click", the information associated automatically, intuitively and instantaneously. For example, anyone will be able to watch the multimedia content associated to a billboard, a merchandise display, a work in a museum..."

More on Toyota's
sponsorship of Fox streaming
Fox Digital Media's Fox on Demand service, via the local websites of nine Fox O&O stations is a first for local stations streaming network programming (8/21/06 TVBR #162). Free streaming of select episodes of "Prison Break," "Bones," "American Dad," "The Loop," and "Stacked" is supported by Toyota, the exclusive sponsor. We asked Kim McCullough, Corporate Manager, Marketing Communications, Toyota, more about the effort:

What drove Toyota to see the value in this platform - enough to be the sole sponsor?
"This program is targeted to the Toyota Yaris campaign, designed to develop deep and meaningful connections with the target audience - "the upbeat indie." The upbeat indie is a pop diver and uses media as social currency. In so doing, they are not just watching their favorite show once on TV, but watching repeats, viewing online, texting their friends, chatting in communities, etc.... Sole sponsorship provides Toyota an exclusive, non-cluttered environment that delivers impact and a meaningful connection."

Are you planning to use the Fox streaming platform for local spots in the future, in conjunction with national? Will it be worked with local dealer groups?
"We believe consumers are interacting and engaging with multiple media sources - including digital applications (e.g. websites) with local TV stations. This program is a great test and learn opportunity for Toyota to further understand how consumers engage with content on multiple and unique media platforms - regardless of the geographic distribution. Toyota will continue to be a leader in testing and learning new innovation and technology and will apply and share key learned insights throughout the company (e.g. with dealers)."

Washington Media Business Report TM

FTC forms net neutrality task force
The advent of converging technologies and related regulatory developments has inspired the agency which will bear much of the brunt to put together a task force to get ahead of the curve. The agency is the Federal Trade Commission and the issue is the Internet. And FTC Chairman Platt Majoras knows where the major sticking point will be. In announcing the formation of the task force, she said, "I also have asked the Internet Access Task Force to address what is likely the most hotly debated issue in communications, so-called 'network neutrality'." She added, "The FTC's Internet Access Task Force is looking carefully at the issues raised by calls for network neutrality laws. . . . I urge caution in proceeding on the issue. I...question the starting assumption that government regulation, rather than the market itself under existing laws, will provide the best solution to a problem." However, proponents of network neutrality have something to point to that calls the effectiveness of the market into question. Art Brodsky of watchdog Public Knowledge, writing for TPM Café, noted that two big phone companies, Verizon and BellSouth, effectively raised broadband prices in tandem. They did this by not passing on to consumers the savings realized by the elimination of FCC universal service fees which formerly applied to the service. Verizon kept the cash inflow alive as a "supplier surcharge, " while BellSouth called it a "regulatory cost recovery fee." Brodsky commented, "Raising prices in a restricted market may or may not be classified as 'anticompetitive conduct,' but it's a sure sign that competition doesn't exist."

Internet Media Business Report TM

CBS adds more
shows to innertube
To gain additional exposure for some key freshman and sophomore series during the fall launches, CBS announced plans to stream episodes of several of its primetime shows produced by Warner Bros. Television and Twentieth Century Fox Television free of charge on CBS's broadband channel innertube. Starting in September, shows being offered include the freshman series Shark, as well as the sophomore series How I Met Your Mother, The Unit, freshman series The Class (pictured) and Smith, as well as the sophomore series The New Adventures of Old Christine. With all six shows, each of the first four original episodes of the season will be available for viewers to watch for free on innertube for a week following its Network broadcast. As previously announced, innertube will also provide free streams of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Jericho, NCIS, NUMB3RS and Survivor. Current innertube offerings include the web-exclusive series "InTurn," "Animate This!," "House Calls" and episodes of "Big Brother: All-Stars."

AOL Video launches movie downloads;
to offer content from Fox
It looks like Fox's recent announcement to stream content over its O&O sites isn't an exclusive thing. AOL has unveiled partnerships with 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group that will offer consumers downloadable movies through the AOL Video portal (www.aolvideo.com). These new partnerships complement the 17 video content partnerships and more than 45 on-demand channels that AOL Video announced in July. Popular movie titles will be available for purchase and download with prices ranging from 9.99 to 19.99 per movie. As part of AOL Video's VOD channel line up, content from Fox Entertainment Group and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will be accessible through the AOL Video portal's online interactive programming guide (IPG). Some of the features, such as classic TV shows, will be free and accompanied by commercials. Others, such as episodes of Fox's "24" and "Prison Break," will be available for download for a fee.
| See content available in the coming months |

TVBR observation: The competition is getting fierce. Yahoo, iTunes and AOL are making deals right and left in the online video distribution biz. Amazon is readying its own launch. Google recently struck a deal with MTV Networks for online content. The content providers gain revenue from these new placements, but may lose traditional television viewers. That's the fear with some, but we doubt it. Anyone discovering content they like online or wirelessly may be driven to an appointment on the couch to see it on a bigger screen. New media content offerings are in some ways just tiny ads for bigger programming slates. Creates word of mouth, etc. So no worries and the more the merrier.

Ratings & Research

Judge Judy on a roll
This week Paramount's "Judge Judy" moved up into a tie for #1 with perennial heavy-weight "Wheel of Fortune" from KingWorld. Not to worry, CBS Corp. owns both syndication companies. Here is a look at the most recent week in syndicated TV, as supplied by the Syndicated Network Television Association (SNTA), based on data from Nielsen Media Research.
| View the Chart |

Next Week...

BRANDING
Brandcasting with Snapple and WFNX
Jay Coleman, EMCI President, organized a deal that took WFNX-FM Boston commercial free for six weeks this summer, with Snapple as sole sponsor. He calls the promotion "brandcasting," and it's gotten quite a bit of interest from broadcasters.

MEDIA BUSINESS REPORT
Rashid Tobaccowala, chief innovation officer of Publicis Groupe Media (PGM) and Denuo CEO. Publicis Groupe's Denuo unit is a new strategic initiative designed to anticipate and exploit the rapidly changing digital, interactive and mobile communication environment.

Stock Talk

Tiny gains for the day
Government reports that new home sales fell last month and durable goods orders declined reassured Wall Street traders that the Fed will not need to raise rates again - but they did not go on a buying spree. The Dow Industrials crept up seven points to 11,304 and other major indices were also slightly higher.

TV stocks were mixed. Hearst-Argyle had the best day, up 2.4%, and Entravision gained 2.2%. Gray Television (common) fell 1.9%.

Stocks

**Here's how stocks fared on Thursday**
Company	Symbol	Close		Change	Company	Symbol	Close		Change
Acme	ACME		5.16	-0.04	LIN TV	TVL		6.46	-0.04
Belo	BLC		15.72	unch	McGraw-Hill	MHP		56.25	+0.31
CBS CI. B	CBS		28.28	-0.06	Media General	MEG		37.35	+0.25
CBS CI. A	CBSa		28.35	+0.08	Meredith	MDP		46.62	-0.02
Clear Channel	CCU		28.13	+0.18	News Corp.	NWS		19.50	+0.05
Disney	DIS		28.95	-0.24	Nexstar	NXST		4.36	-0.03
Emmis	EMMS		12.23	+0.15	NY Times	NYT		22.23	+0.06
Entravision	EVC		6.88	+0.15	Ion Media	ION		0.92	-0.02
Fisher	FSCI		40.04	+0.04	Saga Commun.	SGA		7.49	-0.02
Gannett	GCI		55.07	-0.01	SBS	SBSA		4.25	+0.06
Gen. Electric	GE		33.85	+0.06	Scripps	SSP		43.44	+0.13
Granite	GBTVK		0.12	-0.01	Sinclair	SBGI		7.52	-0.03
Gray	GTN		6.08	-0.12	Time Warner	TWX		16.43	-0.11
Gray, C1. A	GTNa		6.76	-0.08	Tribune	TRB		31.53	+0.22
Hearst-Argyle	HTV		22.06	+0.51	Univision	UVN		33.91	+0.05
Journal Comm.	JRN		10.81	+0.11	Wash. Post	WPO		744.00	unch
Lincoln Natl.	LNC		59.70	-0.35	Young	YBTVA		2.44	-0.11

Bounceback

Send Us Your Opinions We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to tvnews@rbr.com

Below the Fold

Ad Business Report
CBS combining Outdoor and
Wireless for the first ever network TV marketing initiative...

More on Toyota's
Sponsorship of Fox streaming...

Internet Media Business Report
More shows to innertube
CBS plans to stream episodes of primetime produced by Warner Bros...

AOL Video launches
Movie downloads; to offer content from Fox...

Ratings & Research
The Judge is on a roll
That is Judge Judy moved up into a tie for #1...

More News Headlines

NABOB taps keynoters
The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters is drawing close to its 30th Annual Fall Broadcast Management Conference. The event will be held from 9/6/06 through 9/8/06 at the Fairmont Washington Hotel. The Association has now announced its lead speakers. Both are prominently identified with the Democratic Party. One is the former Vermont Governor and presidential aspirant and current Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean. The other will be former President/CEO of the NAACP and current United States Senate candidate for the State of Maryland Kweisi Mfume. Both will speak at noontime events. Mfume will appear Thursday 9/7/06 and Dean will hold down center stage Friday, 9/8/06.

TVBR Radar 2006

Television News you won't read any where else. TVBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.

Calhoun jumps from GE
to take the challenge at VNU
Folks at Billboard, Radio & Records, Adweek, Nielsen Media Research and such have a new boss at VNU corporate headquarters. He has no media background, but David Calhoun is definitely a heavy-hitter as far as Wall Street is concerned.

TVBR observation: One does not leave a Vice Chairmanship at GE at the peak of one's working life to preside over a break-up, so this move makes it clear that the new owners are out to build VNU (or whatever new name it soon takes) and have brought in a superstar CEO to take command. Our sources say the new owners have confidence in Susan Whiting as CEO of Nielsen Media Research and they recently brought in publishing veteran Robert Krakoff to head up VNU Business Media USA, so Calhoun doesn't need a background in media to do his job - streamline operations, set strategy to grow each of the businesses and tell the company story to the financial community. Folks on Wall Street who were familiar with Calhoun at GE were shocked that he went to a company as small as VNU to be CEO, but he indicated to Bloomberg that he was looking for an entrepreneurial opportunity. We doubt that his family ! will need to relocate to The Netherlands. Look for VNU to move its corporate headquarters to New York and, once the heavy lifting has been accomplished, launch an IPO.
08/24/06 TVBR #165

Miles taking buying at MediaCom; Mandel movin' on up to GroupM
After WPP Group's purchase of Grey Global Group last year, which includes its media agency MediaCom, it was probably only a matter of time before agency-world icon Jon Mandel (Chairman/MediaCom US and Chief Global Buying Officer MediaCom Worldwide) would be brought into the GroupM fold. GroupM oversees all of WPP's media agencies, including Mediaedge:cia, MindShare, Maxus and MediaCom. More details in
08/24/06 TVBR #165

Supremes turn deaf ear to EchoStar
DBS video entertainment provider EchoStar will have to abide by the provisions of the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act and cease the importation of distant network signals into markets where they are otherwise available from local sources. EchoStar had its pleadings shot down at the Eleventh Circuit back in May, and now has failed to get an emergency Supreme Court injunction staying that court's ruling pending an appeal to the highest court.
08/23/06 TVBR #164

Campaign money flowing
through broadcast outlets
TNS Media Intelligence's Campaign Media Analysis Group is keeping track of that most seasonal of advertising categories, political, and in keeping with all the tea leaves and crystal ball readings that have preceded them, CMAG is finding record amounts of money being spent on advertising in support of both issues and candidates. YTD, 311M has been spent already, a figure CMAG calls "stunning." And that's just for local television, and it constitutes a 150% increase over the comparable period in the last midterm of 2002. The battle for Congress is generating much of the heat.

TVBR observation: Political will be a category just like auto and the best advise is have a sales/marketing team in place to develop this business. Politics is business.
08/23/06 TVBR #164

Fox buys up the blinks
Clear Channel Radio and Fox Broadcasting announced a first-of-its-kind national radio campaign that uses "blinks," the shortest-length radio spots available. "Blinks" will be used to support the fall season premieres of Prison Break, House and The Simpsons. Conceived by, and running exclusively on, 1,100 CC Radio stations, "the first "blinks" - running every hour from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Kaye Bentley, Fox Broadcasting SVP, tells TVBR they chose the blinks because they've got iconic shows like The Simpsons, House and Prison Break. "We figure at this point it's just a tune-in message, a real quick 'tonight-tonight-tonight' message.

TVBR observation: Good move on the part of Fox and Clear Channel. Now this is how a Radio Blink should be used. Listen to the audio Blink spots only in TVBR as we have the Audio Content. See Ad Business Report section in
08/22/06 TVBR #163

CC settles 'Shellhammer suit'
Clear Channel confirms to TVBR the company has settled a class action lawsuit (known as "Shellhammer suit") in San Francisco Superior Court relating to claims for overtime and expense reimbursement by a proposed class of current and former account executives in California. "The settlement occurred before trial, there was no judgment, and Clear Channel did not admit liability," a company spokesperson said. We heard the settlement was for 22 million, but could not get a confirmation. The settlement included a full gag order, so read the details in
08/22/06 TVBR #163

State Broadcast Association
President for one of the nation's top broadcast associations seeks a replacement for its retiring executive. Applicants must have broadcast management experience; knowledge of broadcast governmental, legal and regulatory affairs; an awareness of small and medium market broadcaster needs; ability to plan and coordinate a convention, workshops, seminars, and solicit event sponsors. Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
See TV Careers

Regional Account Executive
LIN Television West Michigan is looking for a Regional Sales professional for WOODTV8, WOTV 4 and WXSP TV. No Phone calls
See TV Careers

Editorial & Sales Reps
Working for a print trade with no growth? Working for B&C, MediaWeek, TVWeek, or any other TV/Cable Trade publication? TVBR is looking for that one or two key experience pro’s. Capitalize on your experience, contacts, relationships, and secure your future growth. NO Relocation necessary. Contact TVBR publisher Jim Carnegie in confidence at publisher@rbr.com

Hard finding that key person
to fill the important position at your organization? Media HeadHunters is the place that key media firms use to get results. See Media HeadHunters and get results with service--Period.

Other Links

State Associations

Contact Us

Help Desk

__FIRST__ __SECOND__ :
Having problems with our epapers?
Please send Questions/Concerns to:
Memberships@rbr.com

If you wish to remove your name completely from our database use this link __UNSUB__

TVBR Epaper -- 108 annual
or just 9 a month