| WGA Strike Central: Day 88 |
NBC announces programming slate for February
 As the WGA strike continues, NBC has put together its original programming slate for February, with a sweep-month lineup that includes the series premieres of "Lipstick Jungle" (2/7), "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad" (2/18), "Amne$ia" (2/22) and "quarterlife" (2/26), the two-hour "American Gladiators" winter finale paired with the high-octane action adventure movie of the week, "Knight Rider" (2/17) -- plus a two-hour "Las Vegas" on 2/15. The competition continues with boardroom moments on "The Celebrity Apprentice" and results on "The Biggest Loser." NBC will also unite with Kay Jewelers to celebrate Valentine's Day with a week of marriage proposals as five couples from around the country share their intimate moment with viewers during primetime interstitial segments the week of February 10-14.
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TV News ®
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Consumers Union monitors DTV awareness
Watchdog Consumers Union, citing results of a survey it conducted in mid-December 2007, notes that only 18% of all US adults figure to lose television service 2/17/09 with analog broadcast television enters the history books, and conversely, almost two thirds of US adults are aware that the change is on its way. However, buried under those top-line numbers are others which are cause for concern. CU's Chris Murray and Joel Kelsey met with reporters to share their results yesterday.
| Read More... |
Belo TV revenues grew in 2007
Despite it being an off-year for elections, Belo Corporation's TV division grew revenues 0.8% in 2007, although Q4 revenues were, predictably, down, but only 2.4%. Belo gave a preliminary report on its 2007 results yesterday as management met with investors in New York to discuss the coming split of Belo into separate public TV and newspaper companies. Spot revenues were down for the Belo TV group - down 1.1% for the year and 5% in Q4 - but other revenue sources made up for that. Ad revenues for the TV group's websites rose 41% in 2007 and 43% in Q4. Retransmission consent revenues, which account for 3% of total TV revenues, totaled 22 million in 2007 - a figure that Dunia Shive, who'll be CEO of the post-split TV company, said is expected to grow. The company is currently in negotiations with cable giant Comcast on a new retrans agreement. She told the gathering that digital multicasting represents another long-term growth opportunity for the company. What about 2008? Shive said the TV group is currently pacing flat with Q1 of last year, noting that Belo had the Super Bowl on five CBS affiliates last year versus one Fox affiliate this year. Also, most political revenue isn't expected until the second half. "As for full year 2008 guidance, we expect total revenues to be up in the mid-to-high single digits depending on the strength of political in our markets. We expect Internet revenue growth to be less than the rate experienced in 2007 but still to be up strong double-digits. We expect operating expense to be up in the mid-single digits," Shive said.
Bob Schieffer sets retirement
Veteran CBS News correspondent Bob Schieffer says he'll retire as host of "Face the Nation" when a new US President is inaugurated in January. Interestingly, he did not announce the retirement plan via CBS, but rather in comments to the Associated Press. Shieffer, who was interim anchor of the "CBS Evening News" between Dan Rather and Katie Couric, has been the host of "Face the Nation" since 1991. He has covered Washington for more than 30 years for CBS and the network's bio bills him as "broadcast journalism's most experienced Washington reporter." Schieffer, who turns 71 next month, has been with CBS News since 1969, joining the network from an anchor post at WBAP-TV Dallas-Ft. Worth after earlier working as a reporter at the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.
TVBR observation: Another high-profile passing of the torch. We now wait to see who will get the nod to succeed Schieffer as the Chief Washington Correspondent for CBS News and/or host of "Face the Nation." Schieffer has seldom missed a broadcast of the Sunday political talk show. Subs have included Scott Pelley and Jim Axelrod.
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A legal eagle eye view of NYPD Blue case
The topic is broadcast indecency. Attorney Peter Gutmann of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC has taken a look at the FCC's 1.43M fine aimed at 52 ABC affiliates and O&Os. The stations can take heart that the FCC's ruling was exceptionally slow: the episode in question aired in 2003 when the top drawer indecency fine was at the now bargain basement price of 27.5K a pop. Gutmann points out, however, that in order to levy the fine, the FCC had to expand the definition of indecency to include views of the human buttocks. The justification for this was cited as "common sense." ABC plans to appeal, and in the meantime, the Supreme Court is considering whether or not to insert itself into the fleeting indecency case which the FCC lost at the appellate level.
| See the Hot List on tvbr.com for more from WCSR's Gutmann |
One week seems to spawn another
The total media attention paid to the 2008 campaign during the week of 1/21/08-1/27/08 was exactly the same as during the prior week of 1/14/08-1/20/08, at 39%, according to the latest coverage survey from the Project for Excellence in Journalism. The #2 story remained the same as well. It was the US economy, and its coverage actually gained steam, rising from 12% to 19% of the newshole. With nearly 60% of the journalistic focus lavished on two stories, there wasn't a lot of room for much else. Coverage of the untimely passing of actor Heath Ledger was alone in 3rd place with only a 4% share. Conversely, when tiny percentages are enough to make it onto the overall top ten list -- and four stories made the list with a mere 1% share -- then idiosyncrasies are sure to appear on the individual media top ten lists. This week was no exception to that general rule, with 15 stories percolating below the overall top ten here or there. Cable perhaps set the standard for idiosyncratic coverage, again supplying almost wall-to-wall election material with a 61% share, hitting the #2 and #3 stories, then moving completely off the overall chart for its own seven remaining top ten stories.
| Top ten lists here |
 Sean Young heads to rehab
after DGA awards spectacle
Actress Sean Young has entered rehab for alcohol abuse following an incident at the Directors Guild of America awards. The 48-year-old actress, in the audience, was later escorted from the event Saturday night after heckling Julian Schnabel, who was nominated for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." At the DGAs, all of the film nominees get a chance to say a few words before the top prize is announced. Schnabel was a bit slow to start, looking down at the podium. That's when Young shouted, urging him to "get on with it." Schnabel figured out it was Young and mentioned she should "have another cocktail." Then offered her to finish his speech for him and started walking off the stage. Music began playing for his exit, but the audience urged him to stay and he did. Young, was then removed from the ballroom, according to an AP story. The guild said in a statement: "The DGA wishes to respect Ms. Young's privacy at this difficult time and declines further comment." "Actress Sean Young voluntarily admitted herself yesterday to a rehabilitation center for treatment related to alcoholism," a statement from Insignia PR said Tuesday. "It is understood that Young has struggled against the disease for many years."
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| Wall Street Business Report TM |
McGraw-Hill raises dividend
The stock price jumped yesterday as McGraw-Hill announced a 7.3% increase in its dividend payout. The company also said it expects to buy back 20 million shares. The new quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share, up from 20 and a half cents, will be paid March 12th to shareholders of record on February 27th. "This marks the 35th consecutive year that The McGraw-Hill Companies has increased its dividend, which underscores management's ongoing commitment to advancing shareholder value. Our increased dividends, along with our stock repurchase program, has enabled us to return approximately 8.4 billion to shareholders since 1996 -- including approximately 2.5 billion in the past year," noted CEO Terry McGraw.
Slowdown yes, recession no
In what would seem to be a contrarian view, given the number of economists forecasting a US recession this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says no, the US economy will have slower growth in 2008, but won't fall into recession. That US slowdown will also be a drag on worldwide economic growth, the IMF said. US economic growth is now projected at 1.5% in 2008, down from 2.2% in 2007. The IMF's economists see worldwide growth of 4.1%, down from 4.9%. Not surprisingly, the IMF points to weakening of manufacturing and housing sector activity, employment and consumption as drags on the US economy. But the report called the recent three-quarters of a point rate cut by the Federal Reserve "appropriate and helpful." (That was before yesterday's additional half-point cut.) It will be a bit tricky, but the IMF is optimistic that the Fed and the folks who set monetary policy in other countries can keep the world economic train on track. "Monetary policy faces the difficult challenge of balancing the risks of higher inflation and slower economic activity, although a possible softening of oil prices could moderate inflation pressures," the IMF said.
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Ad Business Report TM
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 Fox sells out
Super Bowl inventory
Fox has sold the last Super Bowl ad, according to a NY Post story. The ad scored just above the 2.7 million average price-less than the 3 million Fox had been reportedly asking for. Anheuser-Busch and Pepsi are back in with the most spots. Others returning include FedEx, Coca-Cola, GoDaddy and GM.
TheLadders.com launches first national campaign
TheLadders.com, an online marketplace for 100k+ jobs, announced the launch of its first national campaign. The company has tapped Fallon Minneapolis as its first AOR. Fallon's scope of duties includes creative development for TV, print and online channels; connection planning; and media planning and buying. It's estimated that the size of this 100k+ market segment is about 10 million people. The campaign breaks nationally with print and television spots, both called "Tennis Court." The TV spot depicts a championship tennis match in which madness ensues when droves of people run onto the court trying to get into the game. The visual chaos of the spot conveys a sentiment that is familiar to many job-seekers who have tried to apply for a job online: when you let everyone play, nobody wins. The media buy includes print running in The Wall Street Journal, while the TV will run nationally on cable, including CNN, MSNBC, ESPN, Bravo, Sci-Fi, Food Network, and Fox News.
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| Washington Business Report TM |
Martin applauds NAB, watchdog DTV studies
Both the Consumers Union and the National Association of Broadcasters fired off studies measuring the state of consumer awareness concerning the upcoming DTV transition (see related story), which is barely over a year away. Noting that a successful transition will rely on contributions from all three sectors, including industry, government and the watchdog community, Martin said, "I welcome today's surveys by Consumers Union and the NAB, which provide important information about current levels of consumer awareness. As the NAB notes, the fact that more Americans are aware of the upcoming transition is a big step in the right direction. It is equally important, however as highlighted by Consumers Union, that consumers understand how to be prepared. I want to thank both of our partners, Consumers Union and NAB for conducting these surveys and sharing valuable research to better to guide our education and outreach efforts."
TVBR observation: At this stage of the game, it is interesting to note that in general the principal participants in this massive endeavor are generally working and playing well together. The Consumer Report study noted that there was much work to be done to make consumers DTV literate, but at the same time it did not lash out strongly against any one of the stakeholders. Interestingly enough, most of what acrimony there is seems to be emanating from Congress - we'll get a good measure of just how much there is in a couple of weeks when both the House and Senate hold hearings on the topic. It is ironic that most of the public criticism of the process is coming from the one place that has the power to invest some cold hard cash into educating consumers, a power it has not bothered to exercise.
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| Entertainment Business Report TM |
More Judy on order
TVBR readers know that "Judge Judy" is consistently the #1 or #2 ranked show in syndicated television, so it is hardly a surprise that CBS Television Distribution has signed her to a renewal through 2012. "Judge Judy is the unsung hero of syndication, consistently delivering fantastic ratings to our station partners, and we're really proud it's the only syndicated show growing year to year. The show's success is all due to one incredible woman - Judy Sheindlin. We couldn't be happier to have Judy in our family for years to come," said John Nogawski, President and COO of CBS Television Distribution.
 Wilkos renewed in more
than 85% of US
NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution reports that "The Steve Wilkos Show" has been renewed in more than 85% of the US for its second season in national syndication. The show has been renewed on top Tribune stations including WPIX-TV New York, KTLA-TV Los Angeles, WGN-TV Chicago and WPHL-TV Philadelphia. Sinclair stations renewing include WTTA-TV Tampa, WNUV-TV Baltimore, WTTE-TV Columbus and WLFL-TV Raleigh. Fox owned stations include WFTC-TV Minneapolis and KUTP-TV Phoenix. Stations owned by LIN, Sunbeam and others have also renewed. "With more than a decade of daytime experience, Steve has built on that success and his show has done a great job of complementing station's already existing daytime lineups," said Barry Wallach, President, NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution. "The Steve Wilkos Show" is taped in front of a live studio audience at WMAQ-TV Chicago. Richard Dominick serves as the executive producer of "The Steve Wilkos Show" as well as "The Jerry Springer Show." The show is distributed in national syndication by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.
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| Ratings & Research |
"Idol" leads broadcast to sweep of top 50
"American Idol" topped the Nielsen ratings for the past week in the key 18-49 demo. No surprise there. But the weekly number crunch by the Television Bureau of Advertising Bureau (TVB) of data from Nielsen Media Research for both broadcast and cable/satellite networks found that broadcast claimed all of the top 50 program. The best performance by a cable net was #51, the special "Life After People" on The History Channel. In all, broadcast claimed 92 of the top 100.
| View the Chart |
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| Stock Talk |
Fed effect quickly fades
Stock prices spiked up after the Fed announced a half-point rate cut, but the euphoria quickly faded amid worries about the economy. The Dow Industrials ended the day with a drop of 37 points, or 0.3%, at 12,443.
TV stocks were part of the parade moving backward. The TVBR Television Index was off 0.882, or 0.9%, to 93.656. Sinclair had a tough day, down 8%. Gray Television (common) was off 5% and Belo 4.6%.
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| Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Wednesday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
|
Acme*
|
ACME
|
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2.91
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+0.09
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
|
 |
8.21
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-0.01
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Belo*
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BLC
|
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16.30
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-0.79
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Lincoln Natl.
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LNC
|
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53.83
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-0.87
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| CBS CI. B* |
CBS |
|
24.87
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-0.16
|
LIN TV*
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TVL
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12.30
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+0.20
|
| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
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25.10
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+0.10
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McGraw-Hill
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MHP
|
|
42.29
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+0.63
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Clear Channel
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CCU
|
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29.04
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-0.13
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Media General
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MEG
|
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19.57
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-0.73
|
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Disney
|
DIS
|
|
29.40
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+0.60
|
Meredith
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MDP
|
|
46.75
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+0.14
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Emmis
|
EMMS
|
|
2.70
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-0.05
|
News Corp.
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NWS
|
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19.34
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-0.47
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|
Entravision*
|
EVC
|
|
6.79
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-0.09
|
Nexstar*
|
NXST
|
|
7.40
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-0.01
|
| Equity Media* |
EMDA |
|
3.19 |
unch |
Ion Media
|
ION
|
|
1.40
|
unch
|
|
Fisher*
|
FSCI
|
|
32.45
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-0.19
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Saga Commun.
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SGA
|
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5.90
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unch
|
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Gannett
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GCI
|
|
37.51
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+0.17
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SBS
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SBSA
|
|
1.83
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+0.04
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Gen. Electric
|
GE
|
|
34.94
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+0.18
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Scripps
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SSP
|
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41.00
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+0.28
|
| Google |
GOOG |
|
548.27
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-2.25
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Sinclair*
|
SBGI
|
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8.84
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-0.77
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Gray*
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GTN
|
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7.27
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-0.38
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Time Warner
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TWX
|
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15.37
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+0.14
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Gray, C1. A
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GTNa
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8.39
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-0.27
|
Wash. Post
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WPO
|
|
733.75
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-12.85
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Hearst-Argyle*
|
HTV
|
|
21.30
|
+0.07
|
Young*
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YBTVA
|
|
0.80
|
+0.03
|
*Component of the TVBR Television Index
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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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Ad Business Report
Fox sells out
Super Bowl inventory with scored just above the 2.7M average price...
Washington Business Report
Martin applauds
NAB, watchdog DTV studies measuring the state of consumer awareness...
Ratings & Research
More Judy on order
Unsung hero of syndication, consistently delivering ratings...
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Stations for Sale
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 Market your Stations For Sale
in our daily epapers.
Contact
Jim Carnegie
jcarnegie@rbr.com
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TV Media Moves
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 Promotions at CBS
Garen van de Beek, pictured, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, On-Air Promotion in the CBS West Coast On-Air Promotion department."Garen has been a rising star since his days at our Los Angeles station KCBS," said Ron Scalera, Executive Vice President and Creative Director, CBS Marketing Group. Also in the CBS West Coast On-Air Promotion operation, Paul Friedman, Chris Cranner, Lori Shefa and Brad Roe have been upped to Vice Presidents, On-Air Promotion Also receiving promotions are Sarah LaBrache, upped to Director, and Anne de Vega, named Executive Producer.
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More News Headlines
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Tweens continue to download music illegally
A new report by the NPD Group suggests that while a majority of kids surveyed are using legal means to download music, the issue of music piracy remains. According to "Kids & Digital Content," 70% of kids in the "tween" age bracket (9-14) are downloading digital music in an average month. While most are using pay-to-download stores on the Web to acquire music, NPD noted high levels of illegal peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, as well. Used by nearly half of tweens who download music, iTunes is the most popular digital music store (49%); however, the second most popular source for digital music among this age group is the Limewire file-sharing service, which was used by 26% of digital tweens to illegally share music for free. MySpace was the third most popular site for music sharing, and it was used by 16% of tweens. Two thirds of tweens who use the Internet reported that they are allowed to access the Web themselves, without adult supervision. When asked who helps them download music from the Web, 59% reported doing it all by themselves. NPD also reported that 76% of tweens who got free digital content were required to register an email address to download content. Nearly half (47%) reported they first had to download standalone software from the Web, in order to download content from online music stores and P2P file sharing services.
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TVBR Radar 2008
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Television News you won't read any where else. TVBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
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WGA Strike Central, Day 87
CBS finds scripted series in Canada
CBS has ordered 13 episodes of "Flashpoint," the working title for a new police drama about an elite big city Strategic Response Unit (SRU). The WGA strike is not an obstacle because CBS is buying into a series already created for CTV, Canada's largest privately owned English network.
01/30/08 TVBR #20
Analyst ranks thinned again
No, we're not recycling a story it's Credit Suisse that has dropped coverage of broadcasting stocks, bidding farewell to John Klim. That's five broadcast analysts pink-slipped in recent months, with a sixth gone because his coverage list was reworked. RBR observation: Will anyone else get the boot? We can identify about 13 Wall Street analysts left who have some pure-play broadcasting stocks on their coverage list. Of those, only about three or four can be said to focus almost exclusively on radio, TV and outdoor. Are they confident that their employers are in for the long-haul in providing research on broadcasting stocks, including the particularly unpopular radio segment? Or should they be watching for an opportunity to shift to another sector if a position opens up? We certainly couldn't blame them for making such a move.
01/30/08 TVBR #20
Clear Channel reiterates Q1 closing
The statement that the going private buyout is "expected to occur in the first quarter 2008" was repeated by Clear Channel yesterday as it announced plans to release its Q4 and full year 2007 results on Valentine's Day. But Wall Street is extremely nervous. Deep Q1 expense cutting by Clear Channel (1/28/08 RBR #18) had traders again worried that Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital would be unable to find financing for the 26.7 billion bucks buyout, despite assurances from a top Lee official that the deal was still on track to close in Q1. But Wall Street was spooked again.
RBR observation: Is this a sure thing or a craps shoot in Las Vegas? Clear Channel and its would-be buyers have done or said nothing to indicate that there is any problem with getting this deal closed. Rather, they have moved ahead methodically to get the ducks in a row for a closing by the end of March. But the market has priced the stock like this is a roll of the dice. You can now buy Clear Channel's stock at a price which will give you a return of over 33% in about two months with a buyout at 39.20 by the end of March. That's an annualized return of well over 100%. That's an incredible deal if you believe the deal will close as promised. Obviously, there are plenty of traders who think otherwise.
RBR note: If you missed that now infamous memo you can read it at the Hot List on RBR.com. FYI, the cuts are not just at the station level it seems they are company wide at almost every sector. Ouch! This posting has also been quoted in WSJ online.
01/30/08 RBR #20
WGA Strike Central, Day 86
Carat on strike: "Are TV fans tuning in or dropping out?"
To gain a better understanding of consumers' media habits and attitudes as a result of the strike, Carat fielded an online survey of 1,000 primetime TV viewers. The findings shed light on the fact that fans are not deserting TV, but people are shifting their viewing patterns.
TVBR note: Carat's analysis for TVBR in this report.
01/29/08 TVBR #19
WGA to write for Grammys
The WGA announced an interim agreement with the producers of the 50th Grammy Awards-adding to what it guaranteed last week during the new AMPTP negotiations--it will not picket the ceremony.
TVBR observation: This is very promising news. It shows both sides are changing their tone during these critical negotiations. The good will is flowing, and a new contract is likely to be had soon, at least under these friendly conditions. Fingers crossed!
01/29/08 TVBR #19
One less broadcast analyst
Yet another radio and TV stock analyst has gotten his pink slip. Bank of America is the latest Wall Street firm to decide it can do without anyone covering broadcasting stocks and has bid adieu to Jonathan Jacoby, as well as folks covering a couple of other media sectors. Jacoby had been with BofA since May 2003.
RBR observation: RBR readers know that we had quoted Jacoby's research pieces frequently, so we will miss sharing his views with you. His email notifying us of his departure from BofA expressed the hope that this will be a short "respite" before he resumes his dialogue with us about stocks. We hope that's the case, but it certainly looks like a tough time to be finding anyone hiring media analysts on Wall Street. Last word, analysts have been forecasting negative growth in radio and TV for a number of years and in many ways their research did them in. RBR will not be surprised to see more pink at this level of Wall Street once Clear Channel and Cumulus close their deals.
01/29/08 RBR #19
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TVBR Classifieds
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Sales & Special Events Coordinator
Bow Tie Cinemas, a fast-growing, family owned cinema chain seeks energetic, detail oriented and organized individual to manage group sales, special events, house rentals. Must have excellent communication, multi-tasking and follow-up skills. Base salary, attractive commissions and benefits. To send resume and salary requirements via email see -
TV Careers
Hard finding that key person
to fill the important position at your organization? TVBR Classifieds, Results with Service. Contact April McLynn at classifieds@rbr.com
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