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Volume 24, Issue 241, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
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Wednesday Morning December 12th, 2007
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| WGA Strike Central: Day 38 |
WGA and AMPTP now in all-out battle
 WGA and AMPTP issued some fairly negative statements this week, assuring little chance they'll get back to the negotiating table anytime soon. The general theme seems to be, "Who 'ya gonna believe?" After negotiations had broken off again, WGA West president Patric Verrone said the AMPTP moves were "actions that have shown a total disregard for their responsibilities to the creative community and the below-the-line workers that give so much to our industry. Still, our resolve is unwavering, and our utterly reasonable goal of achieving a contract for writers that allows us to keep up in a booming global industry is still the focus of our efforts."
WGA East President Michael Winship sent a message to guild members, the first three lines of which have become somewhat of a mantra for WGA: "They lie. And then they lie again. And then they lie some more. Because the AMPTP wants to create confusion, doubt, fear and dissension. They want to divide and conquer, to undercut our proven solidarity. They are spending a fortune-money that better could be used to help cover the comparatively small amount we're asking for-on newspapers ads, political spin doctors and crisis management consultants specializing in union busting. The bottom line: Don't believe a word the AMPTP has to say. If I hadn't seen and heard it with my own eyes, I might not have believed the extraordinary depths of their dissembling."
Meanwhile, AMPTP issued its own missive, dubbed "Setting the record straight, version 2." It says the WGA's organizers made a variety of statements over the past three days that were factually inaccurate. Over the weekend, various WGA spokespeople indicated their surprise that the producers opposed the WGA's efforts to expand the union's jurisdiction over reality television and animation.
| Read the AMPTP's version of the facts |
Television Critics Association tour cancelled
For the first time in the organization's 30-year history, the upcoming Winter Television Critics Association tour has been cancelled, due to the Writers Guild of America strike. The tour, which had been scheduled to begin 1/8, is the annual shindig where networks and cable channels promote upcoming program schedules. NBC pulled out of the event, in mid November, citing "challenging times due to the strike." At that time other broadcast networks have not decided yet, but reportedly, only cable channels had committed for sure. Overall, broadcasters had been unwilling to commit to the LA meeting, citing expected budget cutbacks and the possible difficulty of holding sessions about scripted shows, the association said. Many shows have been sidelined by the walkout-apparently too many to make unscripted fare enough of a draw. The group includes more than 220 journalists writing about TV for print and online outlets. Members traditionally gather in January and July to preview new series and interview show stars and creators and TV execs.
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TV News ®
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 'Tis the season to CYA
Technically, it's always the season to CYA in Washington, but the looming DTV transition is making some of the natives inside the Beltway very nervous. Ed Markey (D-MA) went viral today with news of a new Government Accountability Office report on the FCC/NTIA preparations for the DTV transition in which it "...found no comprehensive plan or strategy to measure progress or results," he said. The FCC fired right back with a 99-page report noting that it has "been planning for the DTV transition for more than 20 years." GAO noted that the FCC has been moving the technical aspects of the transition along. It also says that "the FCC, NTIA and other private sector stakeholders have made progress in educating consumers about the DTV transition, but these efforts are mostly in the planning phase, and challenges remain." It noted limited resources for outreach available on the government side. GAO also found problems with the digital-to-analog down-converter coupon program, with uncertainty remaining as to retailer participation and actual availability of the boxes. "If retailers' participation is limited or delayed, consumers might face difficulties redeeming their coupons...," possibly losing access to programming after 2/17/09.
 The FCC took exception to the GAO report, firing back with a 99-page written response detailing 20 years of effort toward making the DTV transition a reality. The document detailed technical, policy and consumer outreach goals and the means of achieving them, and considered "other critical elements," such as stations with signals crossing the border into Mexico or Canada, and working with the NTIA to promote the down-converter box coupon program. But at least one member of the FCC took exception with the FCC itself. Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said, ""This GAO Report confirms what I've been saying for well over a year. The FCC does not have a strategic plan for the DTV transition. There is not even a plan to come up with a plan. Only the FCC appears to be in a state of denial over what the GAO is telling us. Rather than making excuses, we need to come up with solutions. We need to establish an interagency task force now, and we need to reinstate our internal FCC working group immediately."
TVBR observation: Our CYA jesting notwithstanding, it is appropriate to make a lot of noise about the DTV transition. However, it may be slightly premature to go into panic mode. The NAB and its membership has a vested interest in seeing this go off without a hitch, and it should be gearing up for a big consumer education push in the very near future. Meanwhile, it is unfair to rag too hard on the FCC for not doing more to publicize the transition. The GAO is working for Congress, the very same institution that gave the FCC a budget of next to nothing for consumer outreach. We regularly see memos from the Commission, but the average citizen does not. The government has essentially handed the ball off to broadcasters, asking them to run it up the middle for a touchdown. And they probably will. The government meanwhile must make sure that any regulatory loose ends are tied off well ahead of the deadline. And it wouldn't hurt if Congress put a little more fiscal muscle behind the outreach effort.
AT&T gung-ho on TV expansion
Despite delays, AT&T remains committed to its broadband U-verse competitor to cable and CEO Randall Stephenson told analysts yesterday that AT&T's target is to have U-verse available to 30 million customers by 2010. The AT&T CEO said that new target number includes putting the broadband service into markets formerly served by BellSouth, which AT&T acquired last year. The renewed public commitment seems to counter recent Wall Street speculation that the company was disappointed in subscriber acceptance of U-verse and was looking at a possible acquisition of EchoStar's Dish Network satellite TV service as a way to expand more rapidly in TV. U-verse is still in a start-up phase, with AT&T projecting that it will surpass one million subscribers by the end of 2008. AT&T's stock, by the way, jumped yesterday as the company announced its biggest dividend increase ever, a 12.7% increase that boosted the annual dividend payout by 18 cents to a buck-60 per share. AT&T also announced that its board had approved a new share buyback authorization for 400 million shares. AT&T bought back more than 13 billion bucks worth of its own shares under the previous buyback authorization announced in 2006.
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Campaign leads high-turnover list
Five events came out of nowhere to make it onto the top ten list on Project for Excellence in Journalism's news coverage chart for the week of 12/2/07-12/7/07. There was a compelling one-timers, the shooting spree in an Omaha mall, and ongoing stories returning to the list, particularly the Iran saga following release of the National Intelligence Estimate. Winter storms were the meteorological event of the week, and Venezuela made a rare appearance on the list. Still, the 2008 campaign trumped them all as it closes in on Iowa and New Hampshire, where the first votes will be counted.
| Top ten lists here |
 Dan Rather, interrupted
The House Judiciary Committee is planning to get in on the broadcast oversight fun. However, its planned Antitrust Panel session on minority media ownership has been postponed from today by order of the Chairman. It was to feature HDTV anchor and former CBS newsman Dan Rather, as well as Radio One personality Joe Madison and a quartet of watchdogs. They include Minority Media and Telecommunications Council's David Honig; Carol Jenkins of the Women's Media Center; Adam Thierer from the Center for Digital Media Freedom; and S. Derek Turner of Free Press. No word if or when the hearing will return to the schedule.
TVBR observation: Rather is somewhat of a surprising choice for a panel such as this. He has an axe to grind with his former employers at CBS, but that would seem to be a different issue for a different panel. Honig is a more natural selection, in fact THE natural selection. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has indicated that many of the minority ownership initiatives the FCC is considering come directly from Honig's MMTC.
NAB weighs in on FCC ownership proposal
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's modest rule change proposals do not go nearly far enough, in the opinion of the National Association of Broadcasters. In filed comments, NAB says that one modification, allowing cross-ownership in the top 20 markets, presumes that they are not in the public interest in other markets. It argues that the record amply supports eliminating the restriction on such pairings anywhere and everywhere, and that the age of the rule (dating back to 1975) and the length of time it's been under review (since 1996) indicate it is both ripe for modification and more than sufficiently scrutinized. It further argues that it is time for easing restrictions on local television duopolies, particularly in the face of competition from multiple MVPD services. It notes that the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit called the rules arbitrary and capricious back in 2002. As to radio ownership caps, it supports retention of current levels at a minimum, and "urges the Commission to consider the continued relaxation of the local radio limitations set by Congress over a decade ago in a less competitive and diverse media marketplace."
 FX rebrands with new campaign, tagline
News Corp.'s FX network is launching a new branding effort with tagline "There is No Box." The campaign will be unveiled in spots aired during "Nip/Tuck" next Tuesday, according to FX President John Landgraf. The goal is to build awareness of FX as the home for "a certain kind of cliche-busting quality," Landgraf told reporters during a preview of the new spots yesterday. The spots and campaign will be seen across News Corp. properties, including a 60-second spot at the Super Bowl. Images from FX series are accompanied by captions that make such statements as "There is no hero," "There is no villain," "There is no miracle cure," and "There is no laugh track." Besides "Nip/Tuck," the network's series include dramas "The Shield," "Rescue Me" and "Damages"; the comedy "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,"; and the unscripted "30 Days." Landgraf downplayed the impact of the WGA on the network's programming rollout, according to an AP story. A full season of both "The Shield" and "30 Days" are in the can, he said, with half seven episodes each completed for "Dirt" and "The Riches." However, "Sunny," "Damages" and "Rescue Me," have no scripts written as of now.
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| Cable Business Report TM |
Country moves into the urban metropolis
Great American Country, part of Scripps Networks, is celebrating a milestone of being available to more than 50 million TV households - more than 52.6 million to be more precise. This month's launch on Cablevision means that GAC is now available to more than two million cable households in the New York market, including parts of Long Island, New Jersey, New York City and Connecticut. Including recent additions in the New York, LA, Philadelphia, Dallas and Miami markets, Scripps Networks says GAC is now available to cable subscribers in each of the top 140 US markets.
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Ad Business Report TM
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Wachovia: C3 ratings a "short-term fix"
In a recent Wachovia-sponsored client conference call with Jason Maltby, Co-Executive Director of National Broadcast at MindShare NA, provided his perspective on the relevancy of C3 ratings data.
| Takeaways: |
The Carlyle Group and H.I.G. ventures
put 20 million in REVShare
The Carlyle Group and H.I.G. Ventures announced they co-led a 20 million investment in REVShare, an exchange that allows advertisers to bid for television time on a Cost-per-Action (CPA) basis (akin to the Cost-per-Click method of web advertisers), versus the traditional method of charging based on projected audience size. REVShare utilizes a proprietary bidding system whereby advertisers specify a price they are willing to pay per response (i.e. when someone is prompted to call a toll-free number or visit a website) and the air time is allocated according to media ROI. Under this system, stations are able to sell their inventory without revealing the effective rate of their ads, and advertisers are able to pay rates that are determined by a combination of market forces and response to their ads. REVShare has relationships with more than 1,500 English and Spanish local market television stations, cable systems, syndicators and networks that are willing to provide television time on a performance basis.
 TNS: US ad spend grew 0.2%
in first nine months of '07
Total measured ad expenditures in the first nine months of 2007 inched upwards by 0.2% to 108.2 billion as compared to the prior year period, according to data released by TNS Media Intelligence. Total measured spending during the Q3 '07 was up 1.3% vs. 2006, reversing declines from the first half of the year. Internet display advertising continued to lead the market, increasing 17.2% to 8.4 billion in spend. Consumer magazines posted a 6.4% gain to 17.3 billion on flat ad page volume. Cable TV spending was up 4.7% to 12.7 billion and Outdoor advanced by 4.4% to 3.0 billion. Broadcast TV media continued to experience weakness in Q3 and turned in nine month spending declines even as the volume of ad time sold increased slightly. Spot TV spend, facing progressively more difficult comps against record-setting levels of 2006 political advertising, tumbled 6.8% to 11.2 billion. Network TV was down 3.0% to 16.2 billion despite an increase in ad time. Syndication TV fell 4.6% to 3.0 billion.
Ad spend in Newspaper and Radio remained soft during Q3. For the YTD period, marketers lowered their Local Newspaper spend by 5.1% to 16.6 billion with a commensurate reduction in ad space. Radio spend slipped 1.8%, to a total of 8.0 billion. Directional shifts in measured ad spending are illustrated and summarized by the share allocations of individual media types. Internet display advertising gained 1.1 share points and finished the period at 7.7% of total expenditures. Magazines accounted for 20.2% of measured spending, up from 19.3% a year ago. The offsetting share declines came from Newspapers (down 1.0 share point to 17.8%) and Local TV (down 0.8 share points to 11.2%).
| See the charts here |
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| Media Business Report TM |
Warner Home Video picks DG FastChannel,
 Unicast for rich media ads
DG FastChannel, a major provider of digital media services to the advertising and broadcast industries, and Viewpoint Corporation , a leading Internet marketing technology company, today announced a deal to power Warner Bros. upcoming Premium Rich Media (PRM) ad campaigns. Warner Bros. will work with DG FastChannel and Unicast to promote new DVD releases for worldwide distribution in both traditional and online media channels. DG will handle the television distribution of broadcast ads, and Unicast will create unique PRM interactive ads for this campaign. Warner Bros. will leverage the Unicast 3D Video Cube ad format to create a rich media ad campaign for several new DVD releases during the holiday gift giving season. The Unicast 3D Video Cube will be launched to promote the Blade Runner 5-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD release, as well as the Harry Potter DVD release. The Unicast rich media team will take movie trailers digitized by DG FastChannel to create interactive ads which will feature movie clips, sweepstakes, as well as an option to click to buy the DVD. These PRM ads will run both domestically and internationally across multiple publishers.
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| Washington Business Report TM |
More Reps recognize value of radio to musicians
The number of members of the House of Representative who have signed on to the "Local Radio Freedom Act," a measure from Gene Green (D-TX) and Mike Conaway (R-TX), has topped the 25% mark. The bill is an attempt to head off the RIAA's attempt to impose performance fees on broadcasters. The new additions to the bipartisan list include one presidential candidate, Ron Paul (R-TX). Also in the fold are Sue Myrick (R-NC), William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Paul Broun (R-GA), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Tom Price (R-GA), Tim Johnson (R-IL), Michael Castle (R-DE), Candice Miller (R-MI), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Kenny Hulshof (R-MO), Leonard Boswell (D-IA) and John Sullivan (R-OK).
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| Entertainment Business Report TM |
 Wienie assignment to launch "The Celebrity Apprentice"
What's a hot dog worth on the streets of Manhattan? As NBC kicks off "The Celebrity Apprentice" on January 3rd (9:00 pm ET/PT), the first task for the 14 celebrity contestants is to take their business savvy to the streets to try their hand at one of the most quintessential New York jobs: hot dog vendor. The team that makes the most money wins. However, being famous has its privileges, as candidates try to use their contacts to sell wieners at 5K and 10K a pop. The stars not only bring out their famous friends (including New York Met David Wright ) to help, but they catch the eye of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. According to the pitch from NBC: "For the first time the 14 celebrities are stripped of their managers, personal assistants, agents, and publicists and are thrown out of their comfort zones. They quickly begin to size up each others egos, as they come face to face trying to split into two teams and choose team captains." Host Donald Trump's eyes and ears on the task are his daughter Ivanka and eldest son Donald Jr.
As previously announced, the 14 celebrities competing for charity are: Trace Adkins, Carol Alt, Stephen Baldwin, Nadia Comaneci, Tiffany Fallon, Jennie Finch, Nely Galan, Marilu Henner, Lennox Lewis, Piers Morgan, Omarosa, Tito Ortiz, Vincent Pastore, and Gene Simmons. "The Celebrity Apprentice" is produced by Mark Burnett Productions in association with Trump Productions LLC. Mark Burnett and Donald Trump are executive producers, Eden Gaha and Page Feldman are co- executive producers.
"Big Shots" misfires
With all of the networks facing a drought of original scripted programming, could any show actually be bad enough to be cancelled? Well, ABC has pulled "Big Shots" off its schedule. It's not an official cancellation, the remaining five episodes already in the can are just being put on the shelf until...well, until. Meanwhile, reruns of "Private Practice" will fill the Thursday night slot for the next three weeks.
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| Ratings & Research |
Barbara Walters and Rudolph in dead heat
OK, so "CSI" on CBS was the #1 show for the past week and "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC was second, but we couldn't resist putting the battle for 10th place in the headline. Not only was it a ratings tie for "Barbara Walters Presents" on ABC and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on CBS, but "Cold Case" on CBS as well, which despite its name is not a seasonal offering. All in all, CBS had another win in Households with a 6.6 rating and 11 share, followed by ABC 5.7/9, NBC 5.2/8, Fox 4.1/6, Univision 1.9/3, CW 1.7/3, MyNetworkTV 0.7/1, Telemundo 0.6/1, Ion 0.5/1, TeleFutura 0.1/1 and Azteca America 0.1/0. For the key 18-49 demo, it was CBS, a tie by ABC and NBC, Fox, Univision, CW, a three-way tie by Telemundo, TeleFutura and MyNetworkTV, and a final tie by Azteca America and Ion. Here are the Top 20 programs for the week .
| View the chart |
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| RBR Radio News |
 Former programmer/DJ
sentenced to 7 years
Former WDJX-FM Louisville Program Director Todd Smith, known on the air as Todd Kelly, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison and ordered to repay restitution of 74K. Kelly had pleaded guilty to setting up a phony charity to raise money after fraudulently claiming that he had been diagnosed with ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The Todd Kelly Foundation was established in 2002, purportedly to raise money for ALS research, and Kelly used his public image to solicit contributions. In addition to the radio station he worked at, Kelly got WAVE-TV (Ch. 3, NBC) to help sponsor fund-raising events. According to US Attorney David Huber in Louisville, Kelly admitted that none of the money raised ever went to ALS research. Rather, Kelly used foundation funds to pay for his own personal expenses, including car payments, cable and phone bills and vacations.
Kelly played the role to the hilt. RBR found a Louisville Courier-Journal article on the Internet from 2003 in which Kelly was quoted as comparing himself to George Bailey, the character played by Jimmy Stewart in the classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life." The story recounted how Kelly was facing an untimely end to his life but sought to have good come from it. "After a lifetime of giving to others, Kelly, 32, has for the past 2-1/2 years been busy receiving aid and encouragement in his fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease," the article gushed. Now, more than six years after announcing his phony "diagnosis," Kelly is healthy as ever, but facing seven years in federal prison. His mother, Sybil Smith, has also pleaded guilty in the case and faces sentencing in January.
RBR observation: This is clearly a case where everybody loses. Kelly is getting what he deserves, but the damage won't really be undone. Tens of thousands of bucks that could have, and should have, gone to legitimate charities, have been wasted. Some people in the Louisville area will no doubt be more cautious about giving to charities, fearful of being ripped-off again.
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| Stock Talk |
Wall Street boos the Fed
Stock prices had been generally higher yesterday, but plunged after the Fed announced a quarter percentage point rate cut. How's that? Well, many traders had been betting on a half point cut, so they thought the Fed's action was puny. The Dow Industrials ended the session with a loss of 294 points, or 2.1%, at 13,433.
TV stocks followed the market. Media General was down 4.7%. LIN fell 3.3%.
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| Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Tuesday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
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Acme
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ACME
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2.78
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-0.11
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Lincoln Natl.
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LNC
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58.29
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-3.48
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Belo
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BLC
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16.55
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-0.39
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LIN TV
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TVL
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10.69
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-0.36
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| CBS CI. B |
CBS |
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26.51
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-0.58
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McGraw-Hill
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MHP
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45.79
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-0.81
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| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
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26.76
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-0.33
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Media General
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MEG
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21.70
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-1.06
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Clear Channel
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CCU
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34.94
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-0.37
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Meredith
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MDP
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55.75
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-0.49
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Disney
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DIS
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31.76
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-0.59
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News Corp.
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NWS
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21.39
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-0.44
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Emmis
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EMMS
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4.18
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-0.33
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Nexstar
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NXST
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8.14
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-0.26
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Entravision
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EVC
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7.38
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-0.17
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Ion Media
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ION
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1.33
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+0.01
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| Equity Media |
EMDA |
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3.00 |
+0.07 |
Saga Commun.
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SGA
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6.55
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-0.15
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Fisher
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FSCI
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37.85
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-0.61
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SBS
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SBSA
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1.83
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-0.03
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Gannett
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GCI
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35.45
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-0.84
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Scripps
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SSP
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43.00
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-0.78
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Gen. Electric
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GE
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37.03
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-0.38
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Sinclair
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SBGI
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9.60
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-0.29
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| Google |
GOOG |
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699.20
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-19.22
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SWMX
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SWMX
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0.01
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unch
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Gray
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GTN
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8.01
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-0.16
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Time Warner
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TWX
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16.91
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-0.32
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Gray, C1. A
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GTNa
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8.43
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-0.24
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Tribune
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TRB
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31.54
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+0.09
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Hearst-Argyle
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HTV
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22.00
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+0.22
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Wash. Post
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WPO
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785.52
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-9.53
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
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8.74
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-0.22
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Young
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YBTVA
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1.12
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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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Cable Business Report
Country moves into the
Urban metropolis
Great American Country, part of Scripps Networks, is celebrating a milestone...
Ad Business Report
Wachovia:
C3 ratings a "short-term fix"...
TNS: US ad spend
Grew 0.2% in first nine months of '07...
Media Business Report
Warner Home Video picks
DG FastChannel, Unicast for rich media ads...
Ratings & Research
Walters & Rudolph
In dead heat. OK, so "CSI" on CBS was the #1 show for the past week...
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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 Station Auction
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WTVE-TV / DT51
Philadelphia DMA
Full-Power Commercial Independent. Carried on nearly 2 million households
The auction of WTVE will take place at 9:30 AM EST on January 3, 2008 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 900 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Qualified bids are due on December 21, 2007. The minimum bid price is $12 million and a refundable deposit of $200,000 is due on that date. A copy of the Sale Motion, Bidding Procedures and/or Bidding Procedures Order may be obtained by written request:
J. Scott Victor
Senior Managing Director
(610) 940-5802
jscott.victor@nationalcity.com
Michael J. Gorman, Associate
(610) 940-3615
michael.gorman@nationalcity.com
Ryan C. Cole, Analyst
(610) 940-2619
ryan.cole@nationalcity.com
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TV Media Moves
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 Idler heads south
John Idler, Vice President and General Sales Manager of WLS-TV (Ch. 7) Chicago, has been promoted to President and General Manager of WTVD-TV (Ch. 11) Raleigh-Durham. Both are ABC O&O stations. Idler is no stranger to Raleigh, having been Sales Manager of WTVD from 2000 to 2002.
New CFO-to-be
Cox Enterprises announced that John Dyer, has been named Executive Vice President and will add the title of CFO in the summer of 2008. Dyer will succeed Robert O'Leary, who will continue serving on the Cox Enterprises board of directors. Dyer most recently served as Sr. VP and CFO at Cox Communications, the cable MSO subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Cox Enterprises is also the parent company of Cox Broadcasting.
Comcast adds lobbyist
Comcast Corporation announced that Kathryn A. Zachem will join the company as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Comcast Cable, effective February 1, 2008. Zachem will oversee all of the company's regulatory efforts, and will be based in Comcast's Washington, DC office. Zachem joins Comcast from the law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, where she was a partner and practiced communications law for 23 years.
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More News Headlines
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Alex Trebek hospitalized
"Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek has been hospitalized after Monday suffering what a spokesman for the show said was a minor heart attack. Trebek, who is 67, has hosted "Jeopardy" since 1984.
WTVF gains ROI with VCI's autoXe
VCI Automation, a division of VCI Solutions and supplier of media revenue solutions for the broadcast and cable industry, announced WTVF Nashville, TN has gained a significant ROI by utilizing their autoXe automation system. The latest autoXe upgrade saves WTVF time and money by providing fully functional and integrated satellite dish control. It also allows them to control their satellite receivers, which are a key component in the signal path. The CompuSat satellite system and attendant interface are integrated as a client on the network allowing WTVF complete control of their satellite feeds through the autoXe system. By reducing multiple data sources to only one source in an integrated system, conflicts and the need for data re-entry are eliminated which in turn significantly reduces or eliminates mistakes. When a change is made, it is automatically updated throughout the entire system. This "one source" approach results in overall labor savings by allowing employees to work smarter and more efficiently, resulting in an increased ROI.
ABC Radio Networks/GAC Television Partnership
Television network Great American Country (GAC) and ABC Radio Networks have teamed up to produce a new syndicated nighttime country music radio show-GAC Nights: Live from Nashville. Hosted by Suzanne Alexander, GAC Nights: Live from Nashville is the only country music focused radio show originating live from the Music City. The show features exclusive news, artist interviews and backstage access to the biggest stars and events in country music. GAC Nights: Live from Nashville airs from the GAC studios on Nashville's Music Row, Monday-Friday, 7 p.m. to midnight.
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TVBR Radar 2007
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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 37
Ratings shortfalls abound now:
what about midseason?
As reports surface that NBC already begun reimbursing advertisers for Q4 primetime ratings shortfalls, we're hearing the shortfalls are almost across the board (except for Fox, which is up year to year). And there's no makegood inventory in Q4 to offer-at least in the weeks that count (If you're a retailer, you want inventory before the Christmas holiday). That means Q1 inventory is being offered to advertisers. What will this mean when midseason hits and ratings will likely plunge even further-without scripted programming from the WGA strike? Not pretty.
TVBR observation: NBC CEO Jeff Zucker said not all that long ago that the network would be looking more and more at affordable, reality programming. He said costs on scripted shows that don't make it are becoming prohibitive. So he's followed through with his promise, but is this the result? And down the line, they're not going to get any payment back to them in off-net syndication. Their goal is to try and find profitable programming product. If it tarnishes their image, so be it-they're making money for GE. There is more in this Special page report in TVBR.
12/11/07 TVBR #240
Google renews push
for white space access
Internet search guide Google says it has devices which can operate in the margins between television stations without interfering with licensed spectrum users, and says it's demonstrated two technologies for the benefit of US regulators. Broadcasters remain unconvinced that it's time to open the spectrum up to all comers.
TVBR observation: We will say once again that it is utterly irresponsible to consider such a potentially-disruptive regulatory spectrum land rush on the eve of the digital television transition, the most ambitious and risky such endeavor ever attempted. If all involved parties want to experiment with white spaces and potential unlicensed devices over the next two or three years, fine. All serious regulatory consideration should be tabled until digital television is up and running with no viewers left behind.
12/11/07 TVBR #240
Fidelity cuts Clear Channel stake
Once the largest institutional shareholder of Clear Channel Communications, FMR Corp., parent of the Fidelity Mutual Funds group, has been selling off most of its shares. Once the owner of 9.8% of Clear Channel, FMR reported to the SEC Monday, 12/10/07, that it has cut that to 13.4 million shares, or 2.7%. That puts FMR below the 5% threshold for having to report further Clear Channel stock sales. FMR had been one of the leaders of the resistance to the initial going private offer for Clear Channel, helping push the bid up to the eventual 39.20 per share. The stock has been trading well below that, but with the closing dragging on into 2008, the mutual fund giant has apparently decided to take a lot of cash off the table now and move on.
RBR note: Remember Clear Channel is not closing as planned as it has been pushed back until June of next year. It is going to be a long 2008.
12/11/07 RBR #240
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