TelevisionWeek back issues from April 2008:
Content Monetizing Options Abound at Mip; guest commentary.(Press Room)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Neil Goldberg The annual international content market Mip TV has been the place for buyers and sellers to show their wares and make licensing deals. Over the past few years, Mip's organizers have reacted to the evolving distribution landscape by including an ...
Reality of Placements; Genre Less Important Than Tailoring Promo.(Media Planner)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Brian Steinberg Advertising Age When it comes to product placement, conventional wisdom says a reality TV show is your best bet. Notable appearances by brands such as AT&T, Chrysler and Coca-Cola in programs like "American Idol'' and "The Apprentice'' have ...
Local Live TV News Is Going Strong; Study Reports Newscasts Engage Viewers, Offer Sought-After Content.(Media Planner)
Apr 07, 2008; ... Byline: Adam Armbruster Special to TelevisionWeek We've all read prognostications about the so-called "death'' of the 30-second TV ad. We've all read that cable/VCRs/DVDs/YouTube/DVRs were going to eliminate the need for live local television news. We've all heard ...
Disney Gets Ready to `Rock'; Following Path of `High School Musical,' Channel Plans Live-Action Movies That Sing.(Special Report: Kids TV Upfront)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Allison Waldman Special to TelevisionWeek Considering the kind of success the Disney Channel has enjoyed in the past two years with "High School Musical,'' one might expect the network's executives to focus on that franchise in talking about the children's ...
Candidates' Media Stance; Sen. Clinton Has Come Out Against Media Consolidation.(News)(Hillary Clinton)
Apr 07, 2008; ... Byline: Ira Teinowitz Hillary Clinton's history as a senator, First Lady and private advocate may reveal some of her policy preferences when it comes to regulating media. Her longest held media positions center around child-related issues. And while her rivals have ...
Cartoon Targets All Ages With `Star Wars'; Network With Fantasy/Adventure, Comedy `in Its DNA' Also Looks Beyond Animation.(Special Report: Kids TV Upfront)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Allison J. Waldman Special to TelevisionWeek When it comes to engaging children, kidding with kids and luring viewers to sample its programs on television and across its multiple platforms, the force is with Cartoon Network. The new leadership, ...
Nick Brings the Family to Upfront; 5 Networks Combined Reach Broad Range of Viewer Demographics.(Special Report: Kids TV Upfront)(Nickelodeon )
Apr 07, 2008; ... Byline: Debra Kaufman Special to TelevisionWeek Nickelodeon is coming to the kids upfront with all five networks in tow: Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N and Nick Toons. "They all complement each other and reach a broad spectrum of demographics ...
Digital dealmakers; In focus: Peter Hoskins.(Brief article)
Apr 07, 2008; ... Byline: Daisy Whitney The player: Peter Hoskins, CEO of ManiaTV The play: ManiaTV produces, packages and distributes made-for-Internet programming. The online network's shows are targeted to the 18 to 34 age group and draw pretty evenly from men and women. Over the ...
Making VOD Weekly Habit for Viewers; Music Choice Boosts Refresh Rate on Content to Encourage Regular Visits.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Daisy Whitney Music-centric video-on-demand network Music Choice has launched weekly VOD programming, marking the company's first efforts to train consumers to tune in to VOD on a regular weekly basis. Most VOD users check out the VOD menus on their cable ...
Local News Endures; Ratings Hold Up Surprisingly Well in Wake of Strike.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Michele Greppi Local TV stations lost far less of their late news audience than their network partners did in the lead-in prime-time half-hour in the wake of the writers strike. Late local newscasts are crucial programming for stations, as the late news ...
limiting ads helps sprout to grow; PBS Keeps Focus on Preschoolers.(Special Report: Kids TV Upfront)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Hillary Atkin Special to TelevisionWeek Every weekday morning, "The Sunny Side Up Show'' on PBS Kids Sprout greets preschool-age children and their parents as they face the day. The three-hour programming block features a rotating cast of human hosts, a ...
Selling Across Platforms; Advertisers Respond to Discovery Brand on Kids Network That Teaches and Entertains.(Special Report: Kids TV Upfront)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Hillary Atkin Special to TelevisionWeek The kudos just keep on coming for Discovery Kids, with the network receiving four Parents' Choice Awards for its programming last month. Its executives say the quality of the shows ontinues to attract a strong slate of ...
Digital Transition Dominates NAB; Station Executives Seeking Equipment for Newsgathering and Broadcasting.(Special Report: NAB Equipment)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Daisy Whitney With the digital transition less than a year away, most local television station executives heading to the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention have one thing on their minds. They are fixated on the equipment they need to make sure their ...
Clicks; YouTube or Bust.(video streams statistics)(Brief article)
Apr 07, 2008 ... 6.3 billion: Total video streams watched on the Internet in February 2.8 billion: Total video streams watched in February on YouTube, the No. 1 online video ...
Quick takes.(Press Room)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Andrew Krukowski Did `Today' make a smart move by engaging Kathie Lee Gifford to co-host its fourth hour? "Kathie Lee will always have plenty to say. However, at the time she departed from `Live With Regis ...,' the audience was experiencing a fatigue factor ...
FCC, NCTA Must Find Way to Compromise; Editorial.(Press Room)(Editorial)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Intransigence tends to impede business. The starkest recent example was the Writers Guild of America strike, in which two sides stuck to their guns for 100 days, shutting down the broadcast TV production industry. Another example is brewing in Washington, D.C., where the National Cable & ...
Litton, Trifecta Joining Forces; Indie Syndicators to Combine Libraries.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Chris Pursell Two of television's top independent syndication companies, Trifecta Entertainment & Media and Litton Entertainment, are merging sales operations to maximize sales for their bulging roster of series. The new partnership, designed to bolster the ...
Best of blog.(TVWeek.com)
Apr 07, 2008 ... NBC Gets It Half Right, But Mostly Wrong Borrowing a page from cable, the broadcast Peacock network will stagger new shows throughout the year including summer, instead of waiting for the traditional fall premiere window. That's the half-right part. The ...
Pre-Olympics Americana; NBC Gears Summer Slate to 2008 Games.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Chris Pursell After a strike-shortened regular season rife with repeats, the broadcast networks are depending heavily on original programming to lure audiences this summer. NBC, in particular, with a huge investment in the Beijing Summer Olympics that kick ...
Viral video pick of the week; TVWeek's pick: The Hit Parade.(Viral Video)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: DAISY WHITNEY The setup: At first it seems like a regular old movie trailer for "21.'' Then, a few seconds in, you say to yourself: "Wait, was Kevin Spacey bald in this movie?'' Then he says the only thing he is afraid of is "Keyser Soze.'' Which is pretty much the "You ...
Of Race and Two David Wilsons.(The Insider)
Apr 07, 2008 ... The documentary "Meeting David Wilson'' is the 90-minute centerpiece of a big evening that begins at 9 p.m. EDT Friday on MSNBC. It includes a 90-minute live discussion of race on the cable channel immediately following, as well as a broader off-air initiative aimed at young people. ...
A Big Boost for March Madness; Out-of-Home Viewers a Quarter of At-Home.(News)(Brief article)
Apr 07, 2008; ... Byline: Jack Neff Advertising Age March Madness was always a big event, but out-of-home viewership has made it considerably bigger, with a heretofore untracked audience about a quarter the size of at-home viewers watching CBS' broadcasts of the game, according to ...
WE tv Turns on 'Locator' Beacon; Cable Network Banks on Original Series to Raise Its Profile.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jon Lafayette WE tv has picked up a new series called "The Locator'' as part of its ongoing effort to become more of a player in the women's market by pumping up its original programming. The series will debut in September. "The Locator'' features Troy Dunn, ...
ESPN Game for New-Media Play; Preps Broadband-Only Programming for Upfront Market.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jon Lafayette Betting that Web video will be a big part of this year's television upfront advertising sales market, ESPN is planning to launch several new programs that will appear only on broadband. ESPN also is investing in new technology that will enable ...
2008 NAB SHOW.(Special Report: NAB Equipment)(Conference news)
Apr 07, 2008 ... What: Annual conference of the National Association of Broadcasters, billed as the world's largest electronic media show ...
Ads on YouTube: A Portent for Web; Placement Limited to 'Safe' Video Content.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Daisy Whitney YouTube may command a third of all online video views, but it's still working to capture the hearts of advertisers. It's a courtship whose success (or lack thereof) will portend the future of the Web-video advertising economy. If the No. 1 ...
AMC Guarantees Demo Hits; Network's Nielsen Research Helps Put Ads Before Receptive Eyeballs.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jon Lafayette AMC, which has added high-profile series to its lineup of classic movies, is telling marketers that they now can use the same kind of behavior targeting they use on the Web when advertising on television. The upfront ad market pitch is based on ...
CMT Shows Aim for Twang Appeal; Mainstream Stars to Salt Country Net.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jon Lafayette Pauly Shore and a major wrestling star are going country. Viacom's CMT is adding several new shows to its schedule that focus as much on the country music sensibility as they do on the music itself. Mr. Shore will host a reality show ....
Blink.
Apr 07, 2008 ... Keith Olbermann, Happy at Long Last Much was made last week of Keith Olbermann's fifth anniversary as anchor of MSNBC's "Countdown''-a far longer arrangement than his 1997-98 stint at MSNBC, which was abruptly ended by his distaste for the Monica Lewinsky-President Clinton saga ....
Pilot on Mission at NBCU; New Structure, Staff Training Help Focus on Marketers' Needs.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jon Lafayette Giving advertisers an early look at its broadcast prime-time schedule for next season is just part of NBC Universal's effort to remake the way it sells advertising. Mike Pilot, who joined NBC Universal as president of sales in 2006 after ...
In front of the upfronts; Buyers Grade NBC's Early Display of Wares.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Byline: Jon Lafayette NBC's early presentation of its prime-time schedule to media buyers last week won some of them over, and may foreshadow other changes in the annual upfront advertising marketplace. Last week's series of small presentations to buyers and clients ...
Kids TV upfront.(Special Report: Kids TV Upfront)
Apr 07, 2008 ... Nowhere in television is the competition for eyeballs and advertiser dollars more fierce than it is in children's programming. And that competition is heating up this month, as the major players present their most promising new shows, along with their veteran performers, to potential ...
News briefs.(News)
Apr 07, 2008 ... ***** Correction: In "Addressable Ads Effective, Study Says" (TelevisionWeek, April 7), the addressable advertising study was conducted by Comcast Spotlight and Starcom MediaVest Group. ***** Echo Bridge Acquires Canada's Alliance Atlantis Echo ...
'Punk'd' Sold Across U.S.(News)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Chris Pursell ***** Correction: In "'Punk'd' Sold Across U.S." (TelevisionWeek, April 14), Trifecta sales chief Kim Sterton will help oversee distribution for the combined Litton-Trifecta library at Trifecta. ***** Trifecta ...
Stations' Efforts Key to Digital Transition; Editorial.(Press Room)(Editorial)
Apr 14, 2008 ... With less than a year before the era of analog television signals ends, educating the public about the digital transition is getting more urgent. Television stations, both corporate and public, should be lauded for their efforts to inform the communities they serve about the switch. ...
News briefs.
Apr 14, 2008 ... NBCU a Bright Spot for GE in Bummer Quarter U.S. and European markets were rattled Friday by an unexpected announcement that General Electric's profits for the first quarter fell 6%. The company's NBC Universal media business reported a 3% increase in both sales and operating ...
Blink.
Apr 14, 2008 ... Pedaling Alongside Bill Nye, the Discovery Guy In keeping with the spirit of upfront season, last Tuesday's Discovery Communications slate announcement at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills included lions, bicycle-powered blenders and Bill Nye, the Science Guy ....
Previous NAB Distinguished Service Award recipients.(Special)(National Association of Broadcasters)(Brief article)(List)
Apr 14, 2008 ... 1953 David Sarnoff 1954 William S. Paley 1955 Mark Ethridge 1956 Robert Kitner 1957 Herbert Hoover 1958 Frank Stanton 1959 Robert Sarnoff 1960 Clair R. McCollough 1961 Justin Miller 1962 ...
walking with the giants; Broadcaster Charles Osgood Joins Illustrious List of Past NAB Honorees.(Special)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Hillary Atkin Special to TelevisionWeek When veteran broadcaster Charles Osgood receives the National Association of Broadcasters' Distinguished Service Award today in Las Vegas, he will become the latest in a long line of luminaries to receive the honor, ...
Northeast region: wpvi, Philadelphia.(Special Report: TV Managers of the Year)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Jarre Fees Special to TelevisionWeek TelevisionWeek's TV Managers of the Year award for the Northeast region goes to WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, an ABC O&O with a signal that covers 18 counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and northern ...
Digital dealmakers; In focus: Kirsten Sanford.(Kirsten Sanford's 'The Skeptologists')(Interview)(Brief article)
Apr 14, 2008; ... Byline: Daisy Whitney The player: Kirsten Sanford, an online video host and science expert known on-camera as "Dr. Kiki.'' The play: Ms. Sanford is a mini-entrepreneur in the Web-video world, a one-woman shop who's focused on marketing herself as an on-air host and ...
Leading Change in a Digital Newsroom.(Special)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Monday, April 14 10:30-11:45 a.m. Moderator: Steve Safran, senior vice president/media 2.0, Audience Research & Development, Boston. Panelists: Caroline Bleakley, news online manager, KLAS-TV and LasVegasNow.com, Las Vegas; Adam Symson, vice ...
RTNDA aims to cross all platforms; Conference Places Priority on Digital.(Special)(Radio-Television News Directors Association)
Apr 14, 2008; ... Byline: Daisy Whitney When the Radio-Television News Directors Association kicks off its annual conference in Las Vegas this week, the themes will be similar to those at the National Association of Broadcasters convention next door. Top of mind for both the ...
WIS-TV Converts the Digital Masses; Columbia, S.C., Station Takes Its Message to the Rural Communities.(Special Report: Digital Transition Awards)(South Carolina)
Apr 14, 2008; ... Byline: Allison J. Waldman Special to TelevisionWeek As the date nears for analog broadcast television in the United States to end and the all-digital system to commence on Feb. 17, 2009, stations, companies and systems around the country have been taking on the ...
TVWeek honors digital switch Efforts.(Special Report: Digital Transition Awards)
Apr 14, 2008 ... When the digital transition deadline arrives Feb. 17, 2009, will the American television viewer be prepared? Chances are most will be, thanks to the comprehensive efforts of stations, systems and companies from coast to coast who have made it their mission to inform, educate and ...
digital transition honorable mentions.(Special Report: Digital Transition Awards)(List)
Apr 14, 2008 ... TelevisionWeek recognizes the exemplary efforts by broadcasters to educate their viewers through innovative and creative communication both on-air and within the communities they serve, including the following honorable mentions. WQAD-TV, Moline, Ill.: Began in 2001 with the ...
Visible World Secures $25 Million; Ad Tech Company Will Finance Growth.(Media&Tech)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Daisy Whitney Advertising technology firm Visible World landed $25 million in venture funding. The cash infusion was led by new investors Adams Street Partners and AllianceBernstein, with existing investors Comcast Interactive Capital, Dawntreader Ventures, ...
QuickTakes.(Press Room)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 14, 2008; ... Byline: Andrew Krukowski NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said last week that an actors strike would be `incredibly devastating' to network TV. TVWeek.com readers responded: "I commend Jeff Zucker for his upfront words regarding the devastation to television that would ...
Fresh Ideas? Head Back to School; Some Old-Fashioned Research Could Bring in New Talent and Opportunities.(Media Planner)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Mark Dominiak Special to TelevisionWeek Every spring, I head down to my alma mater, Ball State University, to serve as guest lecturer. My time in Muncie, Ind., is generally invested in bringing real-world experience into the classroom. The exercise gives ...
New goals for a high-tech news market; More Stations Seek to Adapt to a Digital World With 24/7 Information Needs.(Special)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Daisy Whitney When newsroom consultant Steve Safran visits a television station, one of the first questions he asks news directors and general managers is: If you were to design your business today, would it look the way it does now? The question is usually ...
Network TV Scheduling: A New Prime-Time Paradigm; guest commentary.(Press Room)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Gene DeWitt Last week at a Newhouse School breakfast in New York, Ken Auletta interviewed Bob Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Co. Some observations based on their discussion: * Today's low television ratings do not support the profitable production ...
New Syndie Shows: It's Who Knows You; Notoriety Pays; Telepictures Signs Deen Deal.(News)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Chris Pursell Programming for the 2009 syndication development season is already turning out to be more about faces than show formats. The growing list of recognizable names with programs in the works includes Marie Osmond and Dr. Oz. Telepictures, Warner ...
making a smooth transition; Osgood Jumped Ship Early From Finance to Broadcasting.(Special)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Hillary Atkin Special to TelevisionWeek Not many people know this, but Osgood is not Charles Osgood's last name. His given name is Charles Osgood Wood III, but he became known as Charles Osgood at the beginning of his broadcast career in the 1950s because ...
connected to the community; Lauded Stations Build on Trust.(Special Report: TV Managers of the Year)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Chuck Ross Change is scary, but it's also filled with opportunities. And clearly those local television stations that are positioned to do best moving forward are those that have the greatest connection to their communities. As we approach the digital ...
Planet Green Out for Buzz on the Web; Discovery Puts Shows Online Two Months Before Cable Channel's Debut.(Media&Tech)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Daisy Whitney Discovery's Planet Green is rolling out a slate of digital programming this week, a full two months in advance of the official launch of the green-centric cable network. Discovery wants to build new-media buzz before it flips Discovery Home into Planet ...
Clicks.(television viewers)(Brief article)
Apr 14, 2008 ... 14: The percentage of U.S. television viewers who will watch full episodes of TV shows online this year, in addition to watching on TV sets 23: The percentage of U.S. television viewers who will watch full episodes of TV shows online in 2010, in addition ...
Viral video pick of the week; TVWeek's pick: Like Father, Like Son.(Viral Video)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: DAISY WHITNEY The setup: This is why sports is worth watching-for moments of sheer mastery, like Patrick Ewing Jr.'s behind-the-back dunk shot during a college basketball slam dunk contest in early April. Fine, so he didn't win the crown, which went to Arkansas Razorback ...
West region: KING-TV, Seattle.(Special Report: TV Managers of the Year)(Company overview)
Apr 14, 2008; ... Byline: Jarre Fees Special to TelevisionWeek The winner of TelevisionWeek's TV Managers of the Year award for the West is Seattle's KING-TV. The Belo-owned NBC affiliate, along with its independent sister station KONG-TV, serves the western Washington area and also ...
midwest region: wls, Chicago.(Special Report: TV Managers of the Year)(WLS-TV)(Company overview)
Apr 14, 2008; ... Byline: Jarre Fees Special to TelevisionWeek WLS-TV, recipient of TelevisionWeek's TV Managers of the Year award for the Midwest region, serves the third-largest market area in the country, encompassing the greater Chicago area and extending north to parts of ...
Southwest region: WFAA-TV, Dallas.(Special Report: TV Managers of the Year)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Jarre Fees Special to TelevisionWeek The winner of the TelevisionWeek TV Managers of the Year award for the Southwest region is the staff at Belo Corp.'s WFAA-TV in Dallas, the only locally owned station in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. General ...
Southeast region: WSB-TV, Atlanta.(Special Report: TV Managers of the Year)(Company overview)
Apr 14, 2008; ... Byline: Jarre Fees wsB, Atlanta Special to TelevisionWeek WSB-TV, winner of TelevisionWeek's TV Managers of the Year award for the Southeast region, is the sister station of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a flagship station of Cox Enterprises. ...
broadcasters follow the money trail; Coverage Refocuses as Financial Issues Move to Forefront, Ahead of Reporting on Iraq War.(Special)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Debra Kaufman Special to TelevisionWeek Job losses are on the increase. Mortgage defaults are a growing problem. And another quarter of negative growth was just reported. "You have unprecedented situations unfolding,'' said CNBC Chief Washington ...
TV News' 10 most powerful; Familiar Names and a Bit of Shock Value Crop Up on Our Annual List of Top Dogs.(Special)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Michele Greppi It is time for the annual drumroll, tah-dah and to-do as TelevisionWeek unveils its list of the 10 Most Powerful People in TV News. With the roster comes the annual asterisk signifying that while it is painstakingly assembled, the selection and ...
Stations Pin Hopes on Web; Digital Sales Rise, But Broadcast Stays Flat in Shaky Market.(News)(Financial report)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Daisy Whitney At first blush, Web site ad sales growth for local television broadcasters looks great; station sites should see a 45% rise in revenue this year to $1.1 billion, according to the Television Bureau of Advertising. But when one digs deeper, the ...
At NBC, Digital Rollout Begins; Upfront Offerings Include Web Original.(Digital Upfronts)
Apr 14, 2008 ... Byline: Daisy Whitney NBC's digital executives this week are putting the finishing touches on pricing plans for the digital packages that they'll be touting to advertisers at the network's upfront in May. The network, which earlier this month was the first out of the ...