The Marketing Ideanet is a free idea sharing newsletter published by 602 Communications. 602 Communications is a TV training and consulting company that specializes in improving front-line news and promotion skills. We teach workshops on teasing, marketing, reporting, producing, lighting, editing, internet and graphics. Get more information on all our workshops.

The Marketing Ideanet is sent via TVSpy's e-mail servers. Visit TVSpy's Marketing Matters online community.

Graeme Newell
602 Communications
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(919) 217-4438
http://www.602communications.com


In This Issue
Promo of the Day
Broadcasters Shine with Public Service Initiatives
Nets See Humbug Christmas Ratings
Fox News Tops Banner Year for Cable News
'Idol" Tops in DVR Playback
Fox Reality Channel Pixilates to New Level
Online Viewers Just as Likely to Watch on TV Set, Study Says
Young People Watch Less TV, Study Finds
Europe's Media Economy
Christmas Chuckles


Quotes

"When I was a child and would hear scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.'"
- Fred Rogers, children's television host

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness."
- Martin Luther King Jr

"Do what you can where you are with what you have."
- Theodore Roosevelt


Promo of the Day
WFOR CBS4 wishes us all a Happy Holiday!

602communications.com/VideoExamples

Have a video clip to share?  Email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Flash (.flv) or QuickTime (.mov) files, size 320 x 240, are preferred, but WindowsMedia (.wmv) files will also be accepted.  Large files may be sent via http://www.yousendit.com.  You can also mail your clip on VHS or DVD to Graeme Newell at 1011 Lyndhurst Falls Lane, Knightdale, NC  27545.


Broadcasters Shine with Public Service Initiatives
Former Republican FCC Chairman Mark Fowler once famously referred to TV as a “toaster with pictures,” suggesting that the television business was no different than any other.

Fowler was famously wrong, a point local broadcasters demonstrate each year through public service initiatives that emphasize their special obligation to serve the common good.  While B&C's editorial page has often pushed broadcasters to demand their freedom from those public interest obligations, the National Association of Broadcasters has consistently stopped short of that line and embraced its special relationship with its audience.

The reason may be partly due to the protections that special government status affords the industry—like not having to bid for licenses on the open market.  However, the result is an industry awash in good deeds that stretch beyond public service announcements.

Broadcasters do plenty of that, with more coming this past year through ramping-up of DTV education.  TV stations slotted 2 million PSAs in the first three quarters of 2008, according to The Ad Council, which monitors airtime and advertising creative.  When local and network cable are added in, says the council, the value of donated airtime reaches $265 million for the time period.

There's arguably no industry with as much opportunity as broadcasting to volunteer its core business in service to others.  For example, the following e-mail came last week from the high school of the author's daughter: “On Friday, December 19 at 8:00 p.m., ABC Channel 7 Anchor Leon Harris will broadcast a one hour primetime television special called Drive to Stay Alive. This special program will educate young people and their families about driving risks and about preventative measures to create safer roadways.”

Getting drunk drivers off the road is one of The Ad Council's major campaigns.  Peggy Conlon, president of the council, says broadcasters have given “terrific support” to its “Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving” campaign—the PSAs received more than $71.8 million in airtime from TV and radio.  “In every market in the country, we have stations signed up for a separate campaign with the Television Bureau of Advertising,” Conlon says.  Due to those efforts, Conlon adds, the proportion of young men in the target audience of 21-35 who have said they refrained from impaired driving has almost doubled, from 17% in January 2006 to 30% in January '08.

Has the economy hurt efforts to get the media to contribute?  “The commitment to the community is as strong as ever,” Conlon says.  “Unfortunately, there is more inventory.  The good news is they know how to put it to good use.”

For many years, B&C produced an annual special devoted to local station service.  The NAB collected the following examples from this year, which it does as an ongoing exercise in evaluating broadcasters' commitment, a way to demonstrate the value of local TV.

Ask the more than 30 children who found new homes through the “Are You My Family” program on KTVK Phoenix.  Fifty-nine orphans were profiled on its Good Evening Arizona newscast; the station says this is more than double the typical adoption rate.  The program may be expanded throughout the state.

KUSA Denver's “9Cares, Colorado Shares” campaign helped supply 450,000 pounds of food to low-income families as well as hundreds of toys, truckloads of clothing and $100,000 in cash.

WPDE Myrtle Beach, S.C., held a telethon to raise money to send 150 World War II veterans to Washington to visit the National World War II Memorial.

As part of a campaign by WNEP Moosic, Pa., called “Operation Save a Life,” the station teamed with local fire departments to pay for and install 15,000 smoke alarms in 2008 in homes of the elderly, lower-income families and families with small children.

And WAPT Jackson, Miss., has helped feed a million people with its “Food for Families Football Challenge.”  The station tapped into the state's passion for high school football by picking a game each week and adding a food drive challenge to the competition. Cheerleaders appear on the newscast the night before the game to cheer on their schools, with food drive challenge winners announced at halftime by the station's meteorologist.

The same kind of cheers should be delivered to these and many other stations for their efforts.
Broadcasting & Cable


Nets See Humbug Christmas Ratings
Where did the holiday specials viewers go, Charlie Brown?

Holiday-themed prime-time specials on the Big Three networks have mostly slipped in the ratings this year compared to last year.  Last year’s big scorer, ABC’s “Shrek the Halls,” posted a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49 on Dec. 1, compared to its 7.1 rating for its premiere airing on Nov. 28, 2007, according to Nielsen Media Research.  The green ogre may have also been fresher in viewers’ minds last year, after the animated film franchise’s “Shrek the Third” was in theaters during the previous summer.  The special did a 3.3 in its first repeat two weeks later.  On-par performances such as this, however, are some of the better results this year.  Both newer and classic specials have shown signs of slippage in their telecasts this year to date.  The disappointing audience numbers come as broadcast networks contend with broader viewership declines and the prospect of less television advertising next year.  Further exacerbating viewership declines are the rise in DVR usage, the availability of the specials on home video and the lack of original shows premiering during the holiday season.

ABC’s two airings of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” posted a 3.7 (Dec. 8) and a 2.9 (Dec. 16), dropping 20% and remaining flat, respectively, from two telecasts last year.  Last year’s airing of the animated classic “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” followed “Shrek the Halls” and maintained a sizable chunk of its lead-in with a 6.8.  This year’s airing, which also followed “Shrek,” did a 3.8, dropping 44% year-over-year, yet managing to increase on its lead-in by half a point.

Holiday viewer abandonment has not only affected ABC, though the network does have a considerably larger slate of holiday programming compared to other broadcast networks.  NBC’s first telecast of the film “It’s a Wonderful Life” this year posted a 1.3 on Dec. 13, down 24% from the movie’s airing Dec. 14 last year, when it posted a 1.7.  Its Dec. 24, 2007, telecast did a 1.5, and NBC currently plans to air the film again on Christmas Eve.  The network’s annual presentation of “Christmas at Rockefeller Center” is one of the few holiday specials to gain from last year, posting a 10% increase in the demographic on Dec. 3 compared with Nov. 28, 2007.  “Rockefeller,” unlike most of the holiday specials, features new content from the New York City tree-lighting ceremony each year.  Other holiday specials on NBC included the debut of “Little Spirit: Christmas in New York” (Dec. 10, 1.4) and “A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa” (Dec. 17, 2.4), which had no predecessors for comparison.

Success for holiday fare, usually of the family-friendly variety, can vary.  Some networks choose to look at younger age groups for measurement or tout the total number of viewers.  Advertisers, however, remain attentive to viewers 18-49, and during the holiday shopping period in an ailing economy, with broadcast network viewership down overall throughout the season, even Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are feeling the chill.  Speaking of which, ABC’s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” was down 6%, while CBS’ “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” were down 4% and 18%, respectively.  “Rudolph,” fittingly, remains this year’s leader of the broadcast TV sleigh, posting a 4.2 on Dec. 3.

Where did all the broadcast TV viewers go during this time of year?  Maybe cable TV. Hallmark Channel’s Home for the Holidays, Falalala Lifetime and ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas have offered daily holiday-themed programming during the month.  Speaking to the appeal of original programs, Comedy Central’s “Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special” became the network’s most watched telecast in November.
TV Week


Fox News Tops Banner Year for Cable News
The historical – and historically long – election season along with the ongoing financial crisis made 2008 a banner year for cable news.  While broadcast networks saw little growth (ABC’s Nightline and NBC’s Nightly News were exceptions), cable was up double- and triple-digits in viewer totals.  Network ratings releases were filled with words like “transformational,” “record-breaking,” “dominant” and the ubiquitous “best year ever.”  And in truth, all three networks can boast impressive gains in 2008.

In primetime, Fox News was up 41% in total viewers, averaging just over 2 million viewers.  In news’ target demographic of 25- to 54-year-olds, the network averaged 502,000 viewers, a gain of 43%.  Fox News will finish the year as the most-watched cable news network—for the seventh consecutive year.  The network is the No. 3 ranked basic-cable network in primetime, behind USA and ESPN. CNN is ranked 10th and MSNBC is ranked 22nd.

CNN posted gains of 72% in primetime for an average of 1.31 million viewers.  For the demo, CNN averaged 463,000 viewers for a 91% increase.  MSNBC grew its primetime audience by 84% for an average of 926,000 viewers.  In the demo, MSNBC averaged 368,000 viewers, a gain of 83%.  CNN was the most-watched network on Election Night (8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.), out-drawing all three broadcast networks.

“The issue that drove interest in the election has become even more intense,” says Jon Klein, president of CNN/US.  “The economy has gotten even worse, and Americans are even more curious about what the [Obama] administration is going to do about this crisis.  We’re going to be offering real news, straight down the middle, non-partisan, unfiltered by any talking points.  And I suspect that’s going to continue to resonate with the audience.”

In the fourth quarter, MSNBC's Chris Matthews chugged ahead of CNN's Lou Dobbs at 7 p.m. in total viewers (1.26 million to 1.23 million) and in the demo (437,000 to 397,000).  And while Fox News still boasts the majority of the top-ten cable news programs (7) with Bill O’Reilly leading the charge, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 this year snuck past On the Record with Greta van Susteren in the demo (480,000 to 460,000).  In total viewers, On the Record still outrates AC360 (1.74 million to 1.33 million).

As the third-place cable news network, MSNBC had the steepest hill to climb.  The network’s fresh new star, Rachel Maddow, is in a dead heat at 9 p.m. with CNN’s Larry King in total viewers for the fourth quarter, each recorded 1.729 million.  Among the coveted 25-54 demographic, The Rachel Maddow Show is beating Larry King Live 628,000 to 575,000.  But King, who at 75 is the elder statesman of the genre, is having his best year in years, up 74% in total viewers and more than 100% in the demo since Maddow launched in early September.  Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, however, is still the No. 1 show at 9 p.m.

For cable news networks this year, even when you’re behind, you’re still coming out ahead.
Broadcasting & Cable


'Idol" Tops in DVR Playback
Broadcast shows had the largest audiences tuning in via DVR in 2008 while cable programs posted the largest rating gains on a percentage basis when DVR playback was factored in (a reflection of their smaller audiences), according to a tally released today by Nielsen Media Research.  Nielsen tallied gains in average household viewing and percentage gain for network and cable shows factoring in DVR playback within seven days of the original telecast.  The tallies were based on viewing data from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, 2008.  Fox's Tuesday edition of American Idol topped the list of shows with the biggest gain in households, adding almost 2.2 million homes via DVR playback on average. The Wednesday edition of Idol was ranked second, adding close to 2 million homes.  Rounding out the top 5: Heroes on NBC (adding 1.8 million homes); Lost on ABC (adding 1.8 million homes); and Fringe on Fox (adding 1.6 million homes).  Sci Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica was the biggest gainer when comparing its live household rating to its live +7 rating, adding 53 percent.  USA Network's Burn Notice was No. 2 with an increase of 37 percent.  Rounding out the top 5: NBC's Heroes, CW's 90210 and Sci Fi's Sanctuary, all posting 35 percent gains.
MediaWeek


Fox Reality Channel Pixilates to New Level
Fox Reality Channel is taking its “look at us” attitude to new heights by tweaking a classic technique and launching a new “pixilation” graphic package for its original programming that it will unveil next month.  If video pixilation implies there is something too racy to see, Fox Reality executive said the network will take that suggestiveness to another level with a campaign that reveals and conceals images, allowing for footage to break through traditional walls of pixilation, interact, and surprise viewers in unexpected ways.  Executed by New York agency, PMcD, “Pixilation” creates a unique branding umbrella housing a slate of original programming ranging from the family-friendly American Idol Extra to the risqué franchise series My Bare Lady.  Fox Reality Channel will debut it’s new look for their original programming across multiple platforms with the rollout of the controversial Solitary v3.0, premiering on Jan. 17.  “Challenging a graphic practice originally designed to censor creates a unique tone and voice for our original brand and ultimately our network” said Lorey Zlotnick, senior vice president marketing and on-air promotion.  “We’ve taken traditional pixilation and turned it sideways—instead of saying ‘don’t look,’ we’re calling on viewers to look even more closely.”
MultiChannel


Online Viewers Just as Likely to Watch on TV Set, Study Says
People who watch movies and television shows online and on alternative devices are just as likely to also watch programming on the television set.  That’s the finding from a study conducted this fall by premium cable network Starz and shared with TelevisionWeek.  The online survey of 5,500 individuals 12 and older found that about 18% of that group watched TV shows and movies online, on broadband-connected gaming consoles such as the Xbox, or on cell phones.  Of this group, 77% also watch live television on the TV set itself, compared to 75% of the general population who do so.  “The sky is not falling,” said David Charmatz, senior VP of product planning and development at Starz.  “TV viewing online is additive.  It’s not a net down.”
TV Week


Young People Watch Less TV, Study Finds
Young Americans just aren't watching TV like they used to.  Put another way, the older you get, the more you watch, according to a new report from Deloitte indicating that Millennials, the generation of 14- to 25-year-olds, watch just 10.5 hours of TV a week.  That compares to 15.1 hours for those belonging to Generation X (ages 26-42), 19.2 hours for Baby Boomers (43-61) and 21.5 hours for Matures (62-75).  Lest one assume Millennials are shunning broadcast and cable in favor of watching DVDs on their TV screens -- they're not. They spend less time watching DVDs of movies and TV shows on television sets, 4.8 hours a week, than do Gen Xers.  They are, though, spending more time watching DVDs on a computer -- 1.9 hours a week -- than any other age group.  But while Millennials are watching the least amount of TV, they are spending the most time with media in general, making that up with video games, music and the Internet.  Just don't expect them to spend too much time worrying about such things as news and current events, according to the Deloitte study dubbed "The State of the Media Democracy."  TV does remain the most influential advertising medium going, followed by magazines, the Internet, newspapers, radio and billboards.  Social networking sites are considered separate from the rest of the Internet, and they are the seventh-most influential place to advertise, followed by in-theater ads, DVDs, blogs (again, distinct from the Internet), video games, mobile phones and virtual worlds.  Other nuggets from the study are that Gen Xers are driving DVR usage and to a lesser degree video game usage, as that medium, once frowned on by parents, is more recently being used for "family time."  And the older you get, the less time you spend in movie theaters.  Millennials spend an average of 1.8 hours a week at the movies, while it's just one hour for Gen Xers, 0.9 hours for Boomers and 0.7 hours for Matures.
MediaWeek


Europe's Media Economy
For Europe’s media economy, 2008 has been a year of dashed hope.  When the year began, many believed Western Europe would be able to avoid the worst effects of a credit mess that was developing in the U.S.  This hope was based on the fact that many European countries follow economic policies that are significantly different from the U.S., and therefore have avoided a huge build-up of consumer debt.  That may be so, but as the year progressed, Western Europe followed the U.S. into the mire anyway.  “There has been the realization that we aren’t going to avoid these problems,” says Jonathan Barnard, head of publications at ZenithOptimedia in London.  “But at the moment we do not have quite so deep a problem as in the U.S., partly because some of these markets hadn’t grown so quickly as the U.S., so there was less excess growth to lose."  Barnard recently downgraded his forecasts for ad spending growth in Western Europe.  Now he expects the media economy to decline 0.5 percent in 2008 year on year, and to dip 1.0 percent next year.  Previously he had forecast growth of 1.6 percent in 2008 and 2.6 percent growth in 2009.

But while next year does look gloomy, Barnard expects things to begin turning around in the third quarter of the year.  Still, recovery will be a patch-quilt affair, and that's so because of the diverse group of countries that make up the European economy, each with its own media and economic conditions.

The hardest-hit countries in Western Europe so far have been the largest countries -- Britain, Spain, France, Germany and Italy, according to ZenithOptimedia -- and of those Spain is hurting the worst, largely because it suffered a massive crash in its housing market that’s not dissimilar from that in the U.S.  Both ZenithOptimedia and GroupM expect a double-digit slump in ad spending growth in Spain this year (10 percent and 14 percent respectively).  Next year should be slightly better but still down some 4 to 5 percent, reckon these forecasters.  In Germany, ad spending is forecast to dip 2 percent in 2008 and 5 percent in 2009.

How much more Britain will suffer varies by how much forecasters think the internet will see cutbacks in spending.  ZenithOptimedia believes that online ad spending will only be knocked back marginally and therefore forecasts a drop of 1 percent this year in Britain’s ad economy and a rise of 1 percent next.  But in the UK and elsewhere in Europe print is taking a bashing not unlike what's been seen in the U.S.  “The pressures are the same,” explains Barnard.  Newspaper circulations are falling, classifieds are migrating to the internet, and layoffs are common.

However, the situation hasn’t reached quite the depths of the U.S. In part this is because newspapers markets in Western Europe have historically been more competitive than in the U.S., and that's kept ad prices down.  “It also means that when advertisers look at budgets, newspapers aren’t looking so expensive, so are not so necessary to cut,” explains Barnard.  He's forecasting about a 4 percent contraction for both newspapers and magazines across Europe next year.

Overall, Central and Eastern European media will fare better next year than their Western European counterparts, seeing only a slight slowdown as multinationals pull back.  Countries that are further ahead on the development path, such as Turkey, Greece and Hungary, are expected to see the pace of the growth slow, while countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Romania, which are still very small markets, are expected to have double-digit growth in the next few years.

This pattern is similar to what is happening in developing markets in Latin America and Asia Pacific.  This means countries including India, Indonesia, Brazil and Costa Rica are all still forecast to achieve double-digit growth.  Meanwhile, in China, which is a little further along the development path, ad spending growth is expected to slow down a bit.  ZenithOptimedia forecasts 9 percent growth in 2009; 15 percent in 2010; and 9 percent again in 2011.
MediaLife Magazine


Christmas Chuckles
Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall.  We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space.
- Dave Barry

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukka' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank.  People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukka!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'
- Dave Barry

Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special!  How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer... Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously?
- Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes

Santa Claus has the right idea.  Visit people once a year.
- Victor Borge

Christmas begins about the first of December with an office party and ends when you finally realize what you spent, around April fifteenth of the next year.
- P. J. O'Rourke

There is a remarkable breakdown of taste and intelligence at Christmastime.  Mature, responsible grown men wear neckties made of holly leaves and drink alcoholic beverages with raw egg yolks and cottage cheese in them.
- P.J. O'Rourke.

Anyone who believes that men are the equal of women has never seen a man trying to wrap a Christmas present.
- Anonymous

Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?  You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.
- Anonymous

Christmas is a race to see which gives out first - your money or your feet.
- Anonymous

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?  Claustrophobic.
- Anonymous

From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it.
- Katharine Whitehorn

You know you're getting old, when Santa starts looking younger.
- Robert Paul

I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.
- Bernard Manning

The one thing women don't want to find in their stockings on Christmas morning is their husband.
- Joan Rivers

Even before Christmas has said Hello, it's saying ''Buy Buy''
- Robert Paul

Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered. What I don't like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.
- Phyllis Diller

The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin.
- Jay Leno

Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas.
- Johnny Carson

The worst gift is a fruitcake.  There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.
- Johnny Carson

Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it.  Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it.
- Richard Lamm

--------------------------------------
The Marketing Ideanet is a free idea sharing newsletter published by 602 Communications. 602 Communications is a TV training and consulting company that specializes in improving front-line news and promotion skills. We teach workshops on teasing, marketing, reporting, producing, lighting, editing, internet and graphics. Get more information on all our workshops.

TVSpy.com is home to ShopTalk, the FREE daily newsletter for the TV news industry, read by more than 25,000 subscribers. For more than 20 years, ShopTalk has given TV news professionals the daily inside scoop on the industry. Read today's ShopTalk and subscribe for FREE.

The Marketing Ideanet is a free idea sharing newsletter published by 602 Communications. 602 Communications is a TV training and consulting company that specializes in improving front-line news and promotion skills. We teach workshops on teasing, marketing, reporting, producing, lighting, editing, internet and graphics. Get more information on all our workshops.

The Marketing Ideanet is sent via TVSpy's e-mail servers. Visit TVSpy's Marketing Matters online community.

Graeme Newell
602 Communications
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(919) 217-4438
http://www.602communications.com


In This Issue
Promo of the Day
'Digital Influencers' Get Info from Print, TV First
Cable Takes Lead in Prestige
'Dexter,' 'Californication' Finales Draw Record Ratings
CNN Headline News Gets Name Change
YouTube Records 5 Billion Streams in Oct
Pentagon "Pundits" Program Wins Golden Falsie
Saddleback Pastor to Deliver Obama Invocation
White House Apologizes for Hasselbeck Snub
Al Jazeera English Tops 110M Subscribers
Al-Jazeera Launches Children's Channel
China Re-Blocks Some Sites
NAB To Launch National DTV Hotline
Cable Industry Touts 'Quiet Period' During DTV Transition
Late Night Licks: Shoe Flies!


Quotes

"There are only about a half dozen things that make 80% of the difference in any area of our lives."
- Jim Rohn

"You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time."
- J. S. Knox

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love."
- Goethe


Promo of the Day
From Cedar Rapids/Waterloo/Dubuque, KWWL's Marketing & Community Relations Manager Chris Hussey is spreading some cheer with their morning and evening anchor team.

And from Miami/Ft Lauderdale, WFOR's Creative Services Director Larry Wiener submits:  I wanted to share a fun spot we produced for our annual CBS 4 holiday homes tour.  Each December leading up to Christmas our chief meteorologist David Bernard does the weather from different homes chosen for having the best holiday lights in South Florida.  Who says you need snow to have holiday spirit!

602communications.com/VideoExamples

Have a video clip to share?  Email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Flash (.flv) or QuickTime (.mov) files, size 320 x 240, are preferred, but WindowsMedia (.wmv) files will also be accepted.  Large files may be sent via http://www.yousendit.com.  You can also mail your clip on VHS or DVD to Graeme Newell at 1011 Lyndhurst Falls Lane, Knightdale, NC  27545.


'Digital Influencers' Get Info from Print, TV First
Those all-important "digital influencers" actually get their information from magazines, newspapers, TV and radio.  That's according to an MS&L survey whose results will be released tomorrow.  The study, developed by MS&L's influencer-marketing unit IM, reveals that some 84% of digital influencers go online to find out more about something only after first reading about it in magazines and newspapers or hearing about it on TV or the radio.

Renee Wilson, deputy managing director of MS&L New York and director of the IM MS&L practice, said the study reveals that traditional media sources are shaping opinions in the rapidly evolving digital-media landscape.  "Everybody wants to talk about how it's all about digital and we certainly believe that it is the future," Ms. Wilson said.  "But traditional media still has the capability to spark word-of-mouth."  And for marketers, it highlights the fact that influencer-marketing campaigns can't only be digital-based efforts.  "[These] campaigns [have] to leverage both traditional and online tools to connect with consumers," she said.

The study explored how influencers operate within three specific categories: green, beauty and health.  Among its findings were that influencers in the environmental space spend a large amount of time getting information from non-profit, association and academic websites, with 42% saying they do so at least once a week.

The study also finds that influencers in the category of environmental causes will embrace "traditionally credible and objective sites when it comes to share-ability," a ranking of online-information sources based on how often material from those sites is passed along by some of the category's most powerful influencers, with an index score of 100 meaning the content is shared every time.  Content from websites of environment-related publications (60), nonprofit or academic websites (59) and general new- media websites (54) have the highest share-ability scores; social networks (27), online community sites (21) and banner ads have the lowest.

MS&L's discoveries in the beauty sector found that beauty company and product websites (70) tend to be more effective sources in generating and driving word-of-mouth than those in either the personal-health or environmental-cause categories.

Online communities (90) take the top spot for share-ability among digital beauty-influencers.  Consumer opinion may likely motivate more sharing than the other categories.  Blogs, discussion boards and chat rooms all had an above average share-ability index score of 76 within the beauty category; portals and search engines were below average (69) at 48.

Only 33% of health influencers said they spend at least half the day online, compared with 42% of environmental influencers and 51% of beauty influencers.  Health influencers are also the least likely to go online and share info.  The majority of digital personal-health influencers (54%) spend their time collecting information about nutrition, yet less than half share that content with others.  Other areas of interest include health conditions (53%) and wellness (47%).  Four in 10 go online frequently to look up information about exercise programs and fitness (40%), prevention (39%), symptoms (39%), medications (38%), dieting (37%) and treatments (36%).

The study shows that health-care marketers need to pay attention and utilize national and local government websites as they are the most "shareable" (71) sources of information for digital influencers in this category.  This is in spite of the fact that these sites are not as heavily trafficked as other health-information sites.  "This [study] just further clarifies that when it comes to influencer marketing, or PR for that matter, it's not one size fits all," Ms. Wilson said.  "I know people know that but it's really niche when you look at the motivations of the influencers and where they go for information."
AdAge


Cable Takes Lead in Prestige
Basic cable has been gaining on broadcast in ratings for years, but 2008 may be remembered as the year when cable also took the lead in prestige.  While the broadcast networks struggled with development woes and ratings declines caused by the writers’ strike, cable turned out a slew of critically acclaimed shows that helped boost smaller networks’ profiles and, more importantly, build their brands.  Three of the six major Emmy awards this fall went to basic cable programs, a number that was once unthinkable.  Virtually every top 20 cable network now has at least one signature original show, from USA’s “Monk” to TNT’s “The Closer” to AMC’s “Mad Men.”  In 2009, those ranks will only grow as cable networks continue to chip away at broadcast’s overall viewer share.  Cable is on pace to finish the year with record highs in adults 18-49, and that will increase next year along with the number of original shows.

“Despite the writers’ strike and its aftermath, cable’s development of a lineup of hit series is taking it to new places that were unimaginable 10 years ago,” says TV historian Tim Brooks, a former researcher at Lifetime and USA.   “It’s becoming the home not only for scripted drama series, but TBS and others, even Lifetime, are getting into scripted sitcom fare as well.”

Cable networks such as TNT and USA are increasingly positioning themselves as competitors not to each other but to smaller broadcast networks like the CW.  USA will actually finish ahead of the latter among adults 18-49 and 25-54 this year, a first for any basic cable network.  Other, more niche networks, like Oxygen and Bravo, have had surprising success with original reality shows.  Programs like “Bad Girls Club” and “Project Runway” can compete with broadcast among some specialized demos, all while growing the network’s brand identity, which is key for cable.

“These networks are developing programming that develops a brand and brings viewers back,” Brooks says.  “They know the tone and type of programming they are getting from them.  A Lifetime viewer does not want to have a program on that they’d be ashamed if their daughter walked into the room, but MTV does want that programming.”

Cable has also seen its profile rise through an increase in major sporting events carriage.  The British Open moves to ESPN next year without a live broadcast presence, and soon the Bowl Championship Series will also go from broadcast to cable.  That comes after Major League Baseball shifted one of its divisional series to cable last year and the NFL Network began airing a series of Thursday games two years ago.

The one area where cable is still struggling against broadcast is online, where networks have not been as quick to make their top shows available for download.  One of cable’s priorities in the coming year will be monetizing its shows online, following years of uncertainty over how to do so.  Viacom famously sued YouTube for allegedly posting unauthorized clips of its shows and only recently has begun to promote official version of viral hits like “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report.”

Meanwhile, broadcast has had huge success in this area, with some shows now having been available online for several years and the once-guffawed-at Hulu.com, a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp., seeing huge spikes in traffic.  “Most networks understand how important online is becoming after being very cautious about it in years past,” Brooks says.  “The way of promoting shows by spreading programming around fairly freely on internet platforms is a new model, and they have to find a way to monetize it.  That is essential.”
MediaLife Magazine


'Dexter,' 'Californication' Finales Draw Record Ratings
The third season finale of Dexter Sunday night drew 1.5 million viewers, the highest delivery for the network since the 2004 ratings changeover.  The combined night, which adds the 9 p.m. premiere and 11 p.m. encore, drew 1.99 million viewers, the highest for any original series since 2004.  Dexter’s success also rubbed off on the season finale of Californication, which drew 615,000 viewers for its premiere, 937,000 for the evening, its best numbers for the season.  Dexter and Californication were both beneficiaries of a number of Golden Globe nominations last week, including best drama and comedy series, respectively, as well as nods for their lead actors, Michael C. Hall and David Duchovny.
Broadcasting & Cable


CNN Headline News Gets Name Change
At the end of what will be a record year for viewership, Headline News is getting a name change.  The 26-year-old news channel will be known as HLN.  It follows in the footsteps of such other Turner Broadcasting networks as TBS, TNT and, of course, CNN.  Along with the new moniker, the channel is getting a new logo and slogan: "News and Views."  CNN Worldwide executive vp Ken Jautz said Wednesday that the channel is acknowledging that it has evolved beyond the headlines-every-hour format that marked its first two decades or so.  Since 2005, Headline News has been, at least in primetime, more like cable channels MSNBC and Fox News Channel in programming talk shows.  Nancy Grace has had her own 8 p.m. program for the past three years, and Glenn Beck held the 7 p.m. slot for two years before he left for Fox News Channel.  "We feel (the tagline and name change) is more representative of what the channel has become in primetime," Jautz said.  When the network changed its primetime lineup, breaking with the traditional news wheel, it was the biggest format change for a CNN network in history.  Jautz said the mission of HLN in primetime is to be different from CNN.  It's something that the channel has stuck with, even in the face of the heavy interest in the presidential campaign that lifted the ratings of every cable news channel.  That's why on debate and primary nights, Headline News hewed to its regularly scheduled programing -- and did well.  HLN ratings in total day are up 15% in viewers and 17% in adults 25-54 compared with a year ago, Nielsen Media Research said.  Primetime ratings are up 25% in viewership and 26% in the demo.  "Nancy Grace" led the way with ratings growth of 35% in viewership compared with 2007.  On December 11, the show had its best viewership ever -- 2.4 million -- connected to the Caylee Anthony case in Florida.  "The strength isn't one show or another," Jautz said.  "The growth of the network has been across the board."
Yahoo TV


YouTube Records 5 Billion Streams in Oct
YouTube continues to crush the competition when it comes to video streaming by online brands, but broadcaster-backed streaming efforts are big players in the "best of the rest" category.  That is according to the latest Nielsen Online numbers.  According to the most recent numbers—for October 2008—YouTube recorded a staggering 5.077 billion streams, more than 20 times the second-place site, and 82.553 million unique users for the month.  Broadcasters showed up on the list both under their own names and in the partnerships they have created to stream video.  Collectively, Fox Interactive sites came in second at 244 million streams and 18.48 million uniques.  Hulu, the streaming partnership of Fox parent News Corp. and NBC Universal, came in third at 206 million streams and 9 million uniques, followed by MSN/Windows Live at 183 million streams/13.4 million uniques; Nickelodeon Kids and Family Network (181m/6.5m); NBC Universal, 175m/9.6m); Yahoo!, 169m/18.8m); ESPN (134m/7.7m); CNN (133m/8.2m); and MTV (99m/4.4m).
Broadcasting & Cable


Pentagon "Pundits" Program Wins Golden Falsie
The Pentagon's embedded pundits program walked... make that limped, away with the Center for Media and Democracy's Golden Falsie award the top award for "those responsible for polluting the information environment over the past year."  The pundit program was the one in which retired military officials were armed with administration talking points about the war in Iraq and other Bush administration policies and sent them to the media front lines--mostly cable and broadcast news channels and programs.  Some of the pundits also had ties to military contractors, ties not disclosed to viewers, and helped to drum up business for their bosses using the talking points and media exposure, says CMD, citing the New York Times article that broke the story.  CMD also argues that with the exception of CNN and NPR, the major broadcast and cable news outlets have yet to report on the story.  The FCC has been investigating allegations that networks violated FCC disclosure rules by not identifying the analyst's connections to defense contractors.  The winner of the award gets "a pair of Groucho Marx glasses, our two cents and a chance to atone for their spinning ways by making a detailed public apology."
Broadcasting & Cable


Saddleback Pastor to Deliver Obama Invocation
Pastor Rick Warren, who hosted a Saddleback Church Forum attended by both Barack Obama and John McCain, will deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration.  David Brody of CBNNews adds:  "Pro-life pastor Rick Warren will give the invocation at President-Elect Barack Obama's inauguration.  It makes a whole lot of sense.  Even though Warren and Obama disagree on the life issue, they do see eye to eye on many social justice issues.  This move is also classic Obama because it is a signal to religious conservatives that he's willing to bring in both sides to the faith discussion in this country.  Obama has never shied away from that."  Rightwingwatch describes Warren as "a friendlier version of James Dobson," pointing out his non-negotiable opposition to abortion, gay marriage, and stem-cell research.

The order of the program will be as follows:

Musical Selections
The United States Marine Band

Musical Selections
The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus

Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein

Invocation
 Dr. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA

Musical Selection
Aretha Franklin

Oath of Office Administered to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
By Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
The Honorable John Paul Stevens

Musical Selection, John Williams, composer/arranger
Itzhak Perlman, Violin
Yo-Yo Ma, Cello
Gabriela Montero, Piano
Anthony McGill, Clarinet

Oath of Office Administered to President-elect Barack H. Obama
By the Chief Justice of the United States
The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.

Inaugural Address
The President of the United States, The Honorable Barack H. Obama

Poem
Elizabeth Alexander

Benediction
The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery

The National Anthem
The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"
Huffington Post


White House Apologizes for Hasselbeck Snub
Who has enough clout to get a personal apology from The White House?  Would you believe us when we say Elisabeth Hasselbeck?  Because she did.  Usually an annual guest to the White House Christmas party, Hasselbeck did not receive an invitation this year and voiced her discontent on The View Tuesday morning.  "Maybe I didn't do enough for the Republican party this year," the loud and proud "Great AmeriCain Hero" supporter pouted on the show, adding that she has a "bone to pick" with the White House.  But don't worry about a Hasselbeck-Bush feud any time soon.  After the show, the former Survivor contestant received a phone call from the Bush administration, who blamed snail mail for the perceived snub (Guys, just do e-vites!), Karl T. Nilsson, View executive publicity director, told Us Weekly.  "The President's office apologized and explained that she and her husband [Tim Hasselbeck] were indeed invited to the White House for Christmas and were sorry that it did not arrive," Nilsson said.  "It was simply an oversight."  And to make the most out of her favorite party's last days in office, Hasselbeck is also "hoping to make plans for a visit to the White House in the early New Year," Nilsson said.  Hopefully that'll be before Jan. 20.
Yahoo TV


Al Jazeera English Tops 110M Subscribers
A clutch of new deals in Europe and Asia has propelled Al Jazeera English through the 110 million-subscriber level.  New homes have been added through Germany’s Kabel BW, which takes both Arabic and English news channels.  In Spain both channels have been added to 900,000 homes on the ONO cablenet.  Viasat’s Baltic DTH platform has recently taken the English channel into the Ukraine in addition to existing distribution in Estonia Latvia and Lithuania.  In Portugal, around 100,000 homes have been added on Portugal Telecom’s Meo DTH service and further distribution secured on the country’s second largest cable operator Cabovisao.  Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel has added 800,000 homes in France following an agreement with France Telecom’s Orange IPTV Network.  Al Jazeera is also counting 1.6 million homes in Germany, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway from the controversial over the top TV service Zattoo.
Broadband TV News


Al-Jazeera Launches Children's Channel
Al-Jazeera Children’s Channel has launched on the Neuf IPTV platform in France.  The channel is part of the provider’s “Pack Arabesque”.  The deal was announced by Thema, the exclusive agent for the worldwide distribution of JCC.  Launched in 2005, Al-Jazeera Children’s Channel is a Pan Arabic edutainment channel.  With a new concept and a range of own produced educational programmes, “JCC opens up avenues for Arab children to learn about environments and cultures, as well as encourage them to learn and seek knowledge,” according to a statement.
Broadband TV News


China Re-Blocks Some Sites
With the glare of the Olympic spotlight gone, China has resumed blocking access to the Internet sites of some foreign media, reversing itself on earlier promises to expand press freedom as part of its bid to win the games, human rights groups and press advocates said Wednesday.  The Chinese-language Web sites of the British Broadcasting Corp. and Voice of America, along with the Hong Kong-based media Ming Pao and Asiaweek, are among the sites that have been inaccessible since early December, said the press rights group Reporters Without Borders.  "Right now, the authorities are gradually rolling back all the progress made in the run-up to this summer's Olympic games, when even foreign Web sites in Mandarin were made accessible.  The pretense of liberalization is now over," the group said in a statement, as it urged China to unblock the sites.  Earlier this week, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao had defended China's right to censor Web sites that have material deemed illegal by the government, saying that other countries regulate their Internet usage too.  He said that some Web sites — which he did not identify by name — breached Chinese laws by recognizing Taiwan as an independent nation.  China maintains that the self-ruled Taiwan is a part of China, and has even threatened to use force if Taiwan moves to make a permanent split.  "I hope that these Web sites exercise self-discipline and abide by the Chinese laws, in order to pave the way for better Internet cooperation," Liu said.  During the Summer Games held in August, China allowed access to long-barred Web sites such as the BBC site and Human Rights Watch after an outcry from foreign reporters who complained that Beijing was failing to live up to its pledges of greater media freedom.  The fact that China has now chosen to re-block those sites is not so surprising, said Rebecca MacKinnon, a journalism professor who teaches about media and the Internet at the University of Hong Kong.  "I don't think very many people expected to see the Olympics herald a whole new era in China, at least not as far as politics and media," she said.  MacKinnon noted that the policing of the Internet in China, which has the most online users in the world with more than 250 million, swings between phases of looser monitoring and then tighter regulation.  "There were a lot of foreigners running around covering the Olympics.  It made sense to unblock at that time," she said.  "But things always go in phases. And during politically sensitive times, you always get a tightening."
Editor & Publisher


NAB To Launch National DTV Hotline
The National Association of Broadcasters says it will create a national hotline to answer calls from viewers during the upcoming digital transition, which it estimates to be at about 2 million for the five days following the Feb. 17 switch, with up to a million on Feb. 18.  Beefing up call centers was reportedly one of the issues raised in a DTV transition meeting in Washington a couple of weeks ago between the Obama transition team and DTV stakeholders including the NAB.  A source says NAB members pushed for a call center action plan.  The FCC currently has a call center staffed by at least 50--the FCC says more--but a source says the FCC has expressed concerns that there would need to be more folks on the help lines.  NAB also said Tuesday it is producing an educational DTV video that stations can loop and run on their analog channels after the transition.  A just-passed DTV nightlight bill allows broadcasters to continue an analog signal for 30 days past the Feb. 17 date for DTV education or emergency information.
Broadcasting & Cable


Cable Industry Touts 'Quiet Period' During DTV Transition
The cable industry is offering not to migrate channels from analog to digital for a two-month "quiet period" beginning Dec. 31, 2008 and extending to March 1, 2009, billing it as an effort to "minimize consumer confusion during the broadcasters’ digital TV transition and help ensure the success of that transition."  In a letter to top legislators, including the chairman and chairman-elect of the Senate Commerce Committee and House Energy & Commerce Committee, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association proposed that "quiet period," and also said its members will offer a "promotional" package of a broadcast basic tier to new customers and, on request, will provide free equipment to analog customers for at least a year to make sure that analog customers can still see channels that do migrate to digital.  NCTA said that was a way to smooth cable's own transition to digital service, which will free up bandwidth for advances services.  "We recognize that the overlap between cable’s digital migration and the broadcasters’ DTV transition scheduled to occur on February 17, 2009, inescapably adds a layer of complexity and the potential for consumer confusion," said NCTA.  The use of the terms "quiet period" and "consumer confusion" evokes another quiet period NCTA is pushing for.  Cable operators argue that if TV stations disappear from cable systems in the run-up to the transition, viewers might be confused into thinking it had something to do with the DTV switch.
Broadcasting & Cable


Late Night Licks: Shoe Flies!

"As you know, yesterday in Iraq, President Bush was attacked by a 'shoe-icide' bomber.  President Bush was speaking at a news conference in Iraq when a journalist threw two shoes at him [on screen: the video of Bush having shoes thrown at him].  You see what President Bush did?  You see what he did to keep from being hit?  Something he's never done before.  Lean to the left.  He's never done that."
- Jay Leno

"Well, folks, looks like we finally found something President Bush is good at. Dodgeball!"
- Jay Leno

"I was impressed by how nimbly President Bush was able to dodge those shoes.  I know he's got a lot of dodging experience from his years during the Vietnam War, but this was pretty slick."
- Jimmy Kimmel

"President Bush told reporters that the shoe-throwing incident was one of the weirdest moments of his presidency.  Yeah, Bush said the only thing weirder was the time he got re-elected."
- Conan O'Brien

"You've got to give Bush credit.  I mean, the guy moved pretty quickly.  ... Too bad he didn't react that way with bin Laden or Katrina, bin Laden or the mortgage crisis, bin Laden or Afghanistan, bin Laden or the Lehman Brothers."
- David Letterman

"As you know, the Bush administration has a new slogan: 'Duck!'"
- Jay Leno

"It turns out this guy was described as a hot head.  He's a guy who is an Iraqi journalist.  They say he's a hot head with poor journalistic skills.  Well, no surprise, today he was offered his own show on Fox News."
- David Letterman

"Right now, they're trying to find out, they arrested the guy, trying to find out if he's a Shoe-ni or a Shoe-ite.  But it's the same old story.  You hear this over and over again, a guy, this crazy guy, goes into a Payless store, he purchases a pair of Rockport shoes, and they didn't even do a background check on him."
- David Letterman

"By the way, this is the country we thought had nuclear weapons. It turns out they have a pair of size 9 Hush Puppies instead."
- Jimmy Kimmel

"Now, here's my question, and no offense here, but where was the Secret Service?  I mean, shouldn't they at least have jumped in front of the second shoe?  mean, you know what I'm saying?  Come on.  Seriously. Aren't these guys supposed to take a bullet for the president?"
- Jay Leno

"Have you watched this tape?  Some people are criticizing the Secret Service, because the shoe thrower caught them off guard.  The man was able to throw a second shoe. A spokesman for the Secret Service said, 'Sorry, but we were laughing our asses off.'"
- Conan O'Brien

"See, that's when Bush realized he was on his way out, when the Secret Service are going, 'Yeah, we're guarding the new guy now.'"
- Jay Leno

"So the guy who threw the shoes is now a hero in Iraq.  They say he's shown the world that Iraqis have no masters, but I think what he really showed the world is that Iraqis have no aim, because he was like four feet away and couldn't hit him."
- Jimmy Kimmel

"The man who threw his shoes at President Bush is being hailed as a hero in Iraq.  In fact, when he dies, he'll be greeted in heaven by 72 podiatrists."
- Conan O'Brien

"Well, here's my favorite part.  Cable news just over-thinks this.  On CNN, they brought in an expert on Iraqi culture.  And he said, 'Let me clarify what happened here.' He said, 'In the Arab world, throwing your shoes at someone's head is considered an insult.'  Oh, really?  As opposed to here in America, where it's a huge compliment."
- Jay Leno

--------------------------------------
The Marketing Ideanet is a free idea sharing newsletter published by 602 Communications. 602 Communications is a TV training and consulting company that specializes in improving front-line news and promotion skills. We teach workshops on teasing, marketing, reporting, producing, lighting, editing, internet and graphics. Get more information on all our workshops.

TVSpy.com is home to ShopTalk, the FREE daily newsletter for the TV news industry, read by more than 25,000 subscribers. For more than 20 years, ShopTalk has given TV news professionals the daily inside scoop on the industry. Read today's ShopTalk and subscribe for FREE.

The Marketing Ideanet is a free idea sharing newsletter published by 602 Communications. 602 Communications is a TV training and consulting company that specializes in improving front-line news and promotion skills. We teach workshops on teasing, marketing, reporting, producing, lighting, editing, internet and graphics. Get more information on all our workshops.

The Marketing Ideanet is sent via TVSpy's e-mail servers. Visit TVSpy's Marketing Matters online community.

Graeme Newell
602 Communications
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(919) 217-4438
http://www.602communications.com



In This Issue
What Soap Can Teach Us About Morning News Branding
MNF Kicks Up November Ratings Win For ESPN
Moonves Bets 'CSI' Against Leno
Google, Hallmark Channel Team Up for TV Ads
Sundance Updates Brand
Bush Administration Opposes FCC's Free Internet Plan
Report Exposes FCC Data Fudging
How to Brand the Financial Crisis
Top Ten Signs You're Having a Bad Holiday Season


Quotes

“Properly practiced creativity MUST result in greater sales more economically achieved.  Properly practiced creativity can lift your claims out of the swamp of sameness and make them accepted, believed, persuasive, urgent.”
- William Bernbach (1911-1982)

“Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.”
 Oscar Wilde

"Monotony is the awful reward of the careful."
- A.G. Buckham


What Soap Can Teach Us About Morning News Branding
by Graeme Newell
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://www.602communications.com

If you want to find some of the most unimaginative work in broadcast television, take a gander at morning news image promos. Compare the morning image promos from two competing stations. Typically, they will make the exact same product claims and use identical imagery. If you want to see what I mean, take a gander at this collection of typical morning image promos. Virtually everyone in the market chimes in with the same banal chorus, claiming to have the latest “news, weather and traffic.”

Does anyone out there think your morning show won’t have “news, weather and traffic?”  This is like building an iPod ad that makes the sole claim that it will “play music and is portable.”  Watch any Apple ad, and you’ll see that the hardware is just the foundation of an amazingly complex emotional relationship.  When we focus exclusively on the most basic and ubiquitous components of morning news,  we miss our greatest opportunity for personal connection with our audience.

So why does this happen? Why do 90% of television stations fall into line and choose the exact same creative approach?  Why do they limit themselves to promoting basic morning news components that create ubiquity in a market?

Over the past few years I've been involved in quite a few morning news branding campaigns. As you would expect, the task begins with a thorough examination of the research. The problem is that most morning research tends to focus on the content priorities of the show, not the brand of the show.  Almost without exception, morning research will come back with the ubiquitous result that viewers want more "news, weather, and traffic." From Los Angeles to Bangor, Maine it's the same story.

These stations then dutifully build a marketing campaign that facilitates the results from the research.  The mistake they make is that the research is not the end game.  It is just the beginning of the brand that must be built upon the audience’s own self image.  Morning news branding is something that must rise above mere product features and transcend to a place of emotional connection.

The same is true of most marketing in the consumer world. If you do research that asks people what they would like to see in a tennis shoe, they will dutifully tell you they want "good traction, durability and stylish looks." Yet you will notice that Nike never mentions any of these things in this ad or any other ad - neither does any other shoe manufacturer.  Nike knows that its marketing must go beyond product features and make an emotional connection with its audience. People don't buy Nikes because of the quality of the shoe. The quality of the shoe is a given. People buy Nikes because their products make overweight, out-of-shape, pencil-pushers feel like they could join the NBA at any moment.

Most mature product categories have moved on to this audience-focused brand identity. Take soap for example.  Most soap is pretty much the same.  Yet, Coast soap is seen as a morning shot of adrenaline.  They built a brand that strokes the egos of their customers.  The brand is about being a go-getter who is capable and gets things done.   Achievers use this soap.
 
Oil of Olay soap is the morning shower equivalent of an opulent, slow-sashay down Rodeo Drive in a Jaguar.  Stunningly gorgeous, high-class, rich women use this soap.  The actual soap isn't that much different than any other soap out there, but the women using this soap feel like they are washing their bodies with 24 karat gold.

But if you put together a research questionnaire on soap, the respondents will tell you they want a product that "cleans well, has a pleasant fragrance, and has a reasonable price."  Yet, none of this is mentioned in soap commercials. Take a look at this Ivory Soap ad and notice how they took a simple product feature, "less heavy scent," and grew it to become an emotional brand that connects with the audience on more than a feature level. The brand reinforces how the audience feels about itself, not how it feels about soap.

"Less heavy scent" is not the brand.  The brand is purity, innocence and a back-to-basics lifestyle.  "Less heavy scent" is an attribute of that brand, but this brand position clearly focuses on the emotional desires of the customer.  In essence, the "less heavy scent" is the brand delivery vehicle.  The important thing to notice is that it has almost nothing to do with the soap.  They don't repeat "less heavy scent" a zillion times.  They don't try to forge an emotional connection with the soap features.  They build that bond based on shared customer values.

Just as Ivory soap attached a back-to-basics brand to something as bland as soap, TV stations need to interject a carefully crafted brand position on to the standard "news, weather and traffic" product attributes. Remember, product features are not a brand.  Product features are one of the vehicles you use to demonstrate the brand.  Viewers will choose your program because they dig who you are, not just what's on your show. Your morning show must be a brand delivery vehicle that just happens to provide morning news too.

Through the years, we've all heard that TV morning news is a lot like morning radio. People watch it on the go as they rush through their harried morning routine. Most radio listeners make their listening decision based on an emotional connection with the hosts and the attitude of the show.  Television news is no different.

If you look around the country and identify the television stations that are making substantial gains in their market, you will find they have a common branding process that allows them to rise above their competitors. They build their show from the customer up, not from the news features down.  While they are careful not to let chatty hosts take over the show, they let their talent show some real personality and demonstrate a brand position in the tone of the show content.

Check out this ad and this ad, one of my favorite morning news campaigns, done by KPIX in San Francisco.  They make you sit up and take notice because they avoid all the standard imagery.  KPIX found one aspect of their show to sell.  Then, they built a brand that goes beyond the product features.

A lot of stations fall into a typical trap.  Every time they get news research back that says people want more "news, weather and traffic," they add more of those components to the show and quicken the pace.  This has the unfortunate effect of crowding out the hosts and not allowing the brand personality of the product to transcend.  This doesn't mean they need to go all featurey and soft in the show.  It simply means their brand needs to show up prominently.

So what is the brand of your show?  Are you the no-nonsense, just-the-facts, morning show? Then remember that "lots of news" is not your brand.  Sure, your promos mention there is lots of breaking news in your show, but that is just the first step in the long process of building a morning brand.  Just as Ivory built upon "less heavy scent," now your brand must build a personal identity out of the feature, "a faster show with more information."

For example, your brand could bond with the audience by showing it is the place where, smart, fast-moving, successful people hang out.  The brand is about their supercharged, constantly striving lives, not the content in your show.  And great brands require that you really get to know your audience.  Why does your viewer feel the need to get so much done?  Are they frightened?  Conceited?  Overworked?  Find that out and you'll tap into true motivations that drive them to watch morning news, because it ain't just about your show content.

Are you the more relaxed, fun, chatty, morning show?  Then remember, informative interviews and cooking segments are not your brand.  You should use those segments to demonstrate the brand.  What are the emotional drivers your audience yearns to feel?  Is your audience looking to escape?  Make a TV friend?  Get ammo to shoot down the wise guy at the water cooler?  Clip promos that just feature morning fun will not get the job done.  You must build upon that content and write out a detailed emotional branding plan that lays out how your audience will connect with your program on an emotional level.

Need some motivation?  Check out these morning promos with strong brand identities:

WTVD Durham

KMPH Fresno

KOMO Seattle

KDFW Dallas

KTVT Dallas

Graeme Newell is a broadcast and web marketing specialist.  He guarantees that his teasing seminar will immediately increase your news ratings or his workshop is free.  Find out more here.


MNF Kicks Up November Ratings Win For ESPN
ESPN Wins November Cable Ratings
ESPN closed out November as the top-rated cable channel, averaging 3.14 million total viewers and sweeping the three major demos.  According to Nielsen ratings data for the month, the sports net delivered an average 1.54 million adults 25-54, an increase of 4 percent versus November 2007.  ESPN also beat all comers among the 18-49 set, averaging 1.53 million, while taking the 18-34 crown with 731,000 viewers.  Delivery of the younger demo was off by 10 percent versus the year-ago period, while the 18-49 number was down slightly (-2 percent).  Monday Night Football accounted for five of the month’s most-watched programs on ad-supported cable, including the Nov. 3 Steelers-Redskins game, which scared up 14.2 million viewers. On the night before Election Day, Pittsburgh stomped the ‘Skins 23-6 in front of November’s second-largest cable audience.

USA Network took second on the month, averaging just shy of 2.8 million viewers, while also securing the first runner-up prize among 18-49s (1.39 million), 25-54s (1.4 million) and 18-34s (650,000).  The NBC Universal net notched its most significant growth among the 18-34 demo, upping its delivery by 9 percent versus the same time a year ago.

An historic and frenzied presidential race culminated in a big ratings coup for Fox News Channel, which blew up its nightly viewership numbers by 83 percent versus the relatively sleepy November 2007 period, averaging 2.57 million viewers.  The news net also grew its core demo by 106 percent in prime, averaging 676,000 adults 25-54.  FNC posted its largest program ratings on Election Night, averaging 9.45 million viewers at 9 p.m. and 9.32 million viewers in the previous hour.  While cable news is beginning to slow down in the wake of the Nov. 4 finale, FNC last week was still well up over its year-ago average, delivering 1.53 million total viewers between Nov. 24-30, an improvement of 29.5 percent over the 1.18 million viewers it drew in the final week of November 2007.

TNT took fourth place on the month, with 1.94 million viewers.  The Turner net grew its share of both 18-49s and 25-54s by 5 percent; the latter demo was TNT’s strongest (955,000).  Fifth place went to TBS, which fell 7 percent to 1.8 million.  Rounding out the top 10 were: CNN, up 124 percent in prime with an average delivery of 1.71 million viewers; Nick-at-Nite (up 13 percent to 1.67 million); MSNBC (up a whopping 162 percent to 1.5 million); Hallmark Channel (up 6 percent to 1.45 million) and Cartoon Network (up 11 percent to 1.45 million).

CNN boasted the five top-rated cable shows that weren’t on ESPN, including the 11 p.m.-midnight segment of its Election Night coverage.  After the network called the race for President-Elect Barack Obama, some 15.3 million viewers stayed up to watch Sen. John McCain’s concession speech and his opponent’s victory address.  For the month, CNN grew the news demo by an astonishing 184 percent, averaging 659,000 adults 25-54.  The network also made strides among the 18-49 demo, growing 218 percent to 616,000 viewers.  While CNN has also settled down since the election wrapped, its average delivery of 952,000 viewers last week still marked an 80 percent improvement over its year-ago average of 529,000 viewers. The same principle applies to MSNBC, which last week averaged 901,000 viewers in prime, up 78.8 percent versus the final week of November 2007.
MediaWeek


Moonves Bets 'CSI' Against Leno
Chief Executive Les Moonves said Wednesday that ad rates are about flat with prices charged during this year's spring "upfront," and have declined compared to last year at this time.  Ad volume is down as well.  Commenting on "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno's move to primetime in 2010, Moonves said "it may very well be a good move for NBC," but would not be a smart decision for CBS, which frequently wins the 10 p.m. time slot with its dramas.  "I will bet anybody who wants to bet that 'CSI Miami' Monday nights at 10:00 will beat Jay by a lot," Moonves quipped.  The executive also said that in 10 years, CBS may no longer have traditional affiliated TV stations, but could offer its feed straight to cable and satellite operators.  For now, however, the network has contracts with local stations that are binding for several years.
MarketWatch


Google, Hallmark Channel Team Up for TV Ads
Google and the Hallmark Channel announced Wednesday that they have formed a partnership that will make Google TV Ads the channel's exclusive advertiser.  All of the ads will be placed on both the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.  According to Hallmark, many of the advertisers it's now trying to attract through Google's TV Ads platform are new to the television platform, so it will provide more in-depth viewership data to help advertising partners make "real-time adjustments" to campaigns.  Google TV Ads are unique in the television advertising business.  Instead of employing conventional techniques for television advertising, Google takes its online model and applies that to the medium.  The company aims to provide greater relevancy by using proprietary targeting tools and an auction-based pricing system, which only costs advertisers when impressions are delivered to their ads.  Hallmark and Hallmark Movie Channel now join Google's growing list of TV advertising partners, which includes Sci-Fi, MSNBC, CNBC, and Bloomberg Television.
CNet News


Sundance Updates Brand
Sundance Channel is the latest network to refresh its branding, creating interstitials that will communicate its role as a broader cultural destination.  “We’re no longer identified as a film channel but as a place for emerging culture, talent, fashion, environment and politics,” said Laura Michalchyshyn, executive vice president and general manager of the channel, now part of Cablevision’s Rainbow Media Holdings.  Though the content mix is more diverse, Sundance is still cultivating thought leaders and creatives aged 25 to 54 who are interested in global issues and strong storytelling, she said.  Sundance has moved away from all-movie programming, tripling its original content during the last four years.  Now, 70% of its lineup consists of films, and Sundance continues to add new series — as well as such programming blocks as its “green”-themed one — all of the time.  The brand refresh was in process before Rainbow’s acquisition this year.  Sundance Channel also is in the process of reconceiving its Web site to become its own channel, Michalchyshyn said.  Sundancechannel.com will launch two new Web series in January.
MultiChannel


Bush Administration Opposes FCC's Free Internet Plan
The Bush Administration opposes FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's proposal to put free Internet access conditions on the auction of spectrum for advanced wireless communications services.  Martin has proposed encouraging the use of 25% of the spectrum won be used for a lifeline free broadband service with content filtering so that kids' access could be controlled.  According to a letter to Martin from Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, the administration fears that would discourage bidders.  Martin has argued the plan would help further the administration's goals of universal, affordable broadband, but Gutierrez says that "Spectrum allocation decisions that promote a level regulatory playing field and the flexible use of spectrum are the best means to further the success achieved to date in expanding wireless broadband choices for consumers."  Gutierrez says that the free broadband plan could favor one particular business model and "would likely lead to congested and inefficiently used broadband, and it would be inconsistent with the Administration's view that spectrum should be allocated by markets rather than governments."  Martin has scheduled a Dec. 18 vote on the spectrum plan.
Broadcasting & Cable


Report Exposes FCC Data Fudging
Cable TV scored a victory Tuesday when congressional investigators issued a devastating report that accuses FCC chairman Kevin Martin of manipulating data so that he might force changes on the industry.  In the report that exceeds 100 pages, Democratic lawmakers also criticize Martin, a Republican, of a "heavy-handed, opaque and non-collegial management style."  Martin is accused of manufacturing evidence in order to prove that a la carte cable TV pricing would be beneficial to consumers and that the so-called 70/70 Rule had been met, therefore giving the FCC far more regulatory sway over cablers.  The 70/70 Rule kicks in when 70% of U.S. consumers have access to cable and when 70 percent of those with access actually subscribe.  Although the first threshold has been met, the cable industry maintains the second has not.  Martin, according to the report, cherry-picked data that indicated both metrics had been met -- that is, until cable executives and other FCC members objected.  "He attempted to manipulate the findings of the report to force a conclusion on the 70/70 Rule," the report says.  As for the a la carte issue, the Democrats charge that Martin sought to undermine a report from 2004 under then-chairman Michael Powell that said such a strategy would lead to higher prices for consumers and the loss of some channels that attract smaller audiences.  According to the accusations, Martin had another report drafted that contradicted the findings of the earlier report, but the House Democrats said the new report is void of evidence.  Martin is a proponent of forcing cable companies into offering a la carte pricing.  Although the report is extraordinarily critical of Martin, it does not accuse him of criminal behavior.  Republicans seized on that fact and defended Martin for what they call his efforts to introduce more choice and cheaper prices to cable customers.
MediaWeek


How to Brand the Financial Crisis
The economy is formally in a recession, as the National Bureau of Economic Research and President Bush said last week.  But the current crisis lacks a capital-letter name.  CNN’s chief business correspondent, Ali Velshi, says he thinks “Great Intervention” may fill the bill, but it is too early to tell.  Then again, the Great Depression did not become “great” immediately, and World War I wasn’t known as No. 1 at the time.  While the “economic crisis” — a term often used by journalists — has also been called the “credit crunch” and the “Wall Street crisis,” it remains the rare major news event without a defining logo, one that crystallizes attention and acts as shorthand for reporters.

“When you’re in the middle of something, it’s hard to brand it,” the NBC anchor Brian Williams remarked last month in a blog post.

One day, perhaps, the slow-motion downturn of the economy will receive the same one-name treatment as Vietnam, Watergate and Iran-Contra.  But for now, the language of the current economic woes remains understandably murky, despite the impulses of journalists.

“The news always feels the need to name everything,” Jonathan Wald, the senior vice president for business news at CNBC, said.  “If it’s not branded, it doesn’t exist in modern television.”  He observed that the television channels in India quickly labeled last month’s militant attacks in Mumbai as the “War on Mumbai” and “India’s 9/11.”

CNBC, which has seen sharp ratings gains in recent months, initially called the economic situation a “credit crisis.”  Eventually it became a “Wall Street crisis,” and before long it was a “Wall Street/Main Street crisis.”  In the last week, “Great Recession” has become a popular phrase.

“Sometimes there are no easy names for things that are this big and important,” Mr. Wald said.  CNBC used a temporary title, “Is Your Money Safe?,” for special reports from 7 to 9 p.m. in March when Bear Stearns collapsed, and again in September and October when other investment banks folded or revamped.  But in mid-November, the network renamed its 7 to 9 p.m. hours “CNBC Reports,” partly because the other title was “asking a question no one could really answer,” Mr. Wald said.

The titles and logos that news organizations bestow upon major events, unseemly as they sometimes are, can affect public opinion.  Already, language has influenced the debate about the economy: the depiction of the government’s $700 billion “troubled assets relief program” as a bailout helped inflame opposition to the proposal.  More recently, Democrats have moved to call their stimulus plan an “economic recovery program.”

The art of language did not go unnoticed during the 1930s, either.  Eric Rauchway, a professor of history at the University of California, Davis, and the author of “The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction,” said that by 1932, Americans were already referring to the economic downturn as a singular event. By 1933, the Stuart Chase book “A New Deal” had used the phrase “Great Depression,” and in 1934, the British economist Lionel Robbins had published a book titled “The Great Depression.”

The label indicated that the downturn was “qualitatively different” from previous economic contractions. “Regarding it as exceptional probably helped people think a bit about exceptional solutions — although, you know, the problem with the New Deal was basically that it wasn’t exceptional enough,” Mr. Rauchway said in an e-mail message.

Wars also receive capital-letter titles, although sometimes only with the passing of time. World War I was called The Great War and “the war to end all wars,” Mr. Williams wrote, “until we learned there would be another.”

As for the current economic crisis, he added, “Sadly, we’ll come up with something to call it, soon enough ... just as soon as we figure out what it is, exactly.” Other journalists agree. “Crisis” is the most common term being used by the news media, said Ali Velshi, the chief business correspondent for CNN, but a full accounting of the story will require some distance.

“We need some time to go by before we know what the turning points are and what actually happened,” he said. Mr. Velshi, whose book about the crisis, “Gimme My Money Back,” will be on bookshelves in January, says he believes that a title like the Great Intervention may suit the story. “It’s the defining characteristic,” he said. “This is the greatest intervention of the government since the Depression.”

That said, assigning a name and a logo to a news event runs the risk of devaluing it in the public’s mind. The propensity to name every potential scandal a “gate,” in an allusion to the Watergate break-in that led to Richard Nixon’s resignation, “tends to cheapen it,” Mr. Wald said.

Moreover, he said, reporters, editors and anchors also have a responsibility, one often discussed within news organizations in the last months, not to overreact or offer an undue sense of panic about the economic situation, whatever history winds up calling it. “Nobody wants to title it worse than it is,” Mr. Wald said.
NY Times


Top Ten Signs You're Having a Bad Holiday Season

10. All of the Christmas cards you receive are addressed to "Resident."

9.  On the one hand you got that great new clock radio; on the other hand there are cruise missiles heading for your palace.

8.  You're riding in a one-horse closed sleigh, and your wife keeps whining, "Oh what fun we'd be having if only this were an open sleigh!"

7.  A week after Christmas, you notice a bizarre smell coming from the chimney.

6.  The first words your Furby says are, "Take me back to the store."

5.  You're wrapping presents with rejected drafts of your suicide note.

4.  You've had more than one fist fight with a mall cop.

3.  Every person you know gets you an industrial-sized bottle of Clearasil.

2.  The FBI finds your "genetic material" on Mrs. Claus's dress.

1.  Two words: tinsel rash.

The Late Show with David Letterman, December 18, 1998


--------------------------------------
The Marketing Ideanet is a free idea sharing newsletter published by 602 Communications. 602 Communications is a TV training and consulting company that specializes in improving front-line news and promotion skills. We teach workshops on teasing, marketing, reporting, producing, lighting, editing, internet and graphics. Get more information on all our workshops.

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The Marketing Ideanet is a free idea sharing newsletter published by 602 Communications. 602 Communications is a TV training and consulting company that specializes in improving front-line news and promotion skills. We teach workshops on teasing, marketing, reporting, producing, lighting, editing, internet and graphics. Get more information on all our workshops.

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Graeme Newell
602 Communications
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(919) 217-4438
http://www.602communications.com


In This Issue
Promo of the Day
Letters
NBC Mulls Programming Cuts
Jay Walks Into Primetime
McCain to Visit Letterman
Most Watched vs. Most Discussed Measured
Tribune Files Bankruptcy
Tough Times Calls for 'Uber-Cocooning'
100 Mil Eyes on YouTube in Oct
Google Releases Top Searches of 2008
TiVo Pitches 'Promos on the Pause'
FCC, White House Seek Local Feeds for Situation Room
Report Slams FCC's Martin
NBC to Replace Entire Primetime Schedule With Peacock Logo

Quotes

"We must be careful to build our life around our visions, rather than building our visions out of our history."
- Alan Cohen

"No one is less ready for tomorrow than the person who holds the most rigid beliefs about what tomorrow will contain."
— Watts Wacker, Jim Taylor and Howard Means, The Visionary's Handbook: Ten Paradoxes That Will Shape the Future of Your Business (1999)

"If you want to build a ship, don’t herd people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
— Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Promo of the Day
"Doghouse": JCPenney is encouraging men to purchase jewelry with an integrated advertising campaign, “Beware of the Doghouse”.  The “Doghouse” metaphor of banishment has been explored on film and online in a way that helps men discover that while their well meaning gifts and comments may be misunderstood, gifts of jewelry will always please.  The campaign is online at bewareofthedoghouse.com, where women can either send their man a warning or put him straight in the Doghouse.  Users have the option of connecting up with their Facebook contacts list.  Visitors to the site are shown three diamond gifts: the three-stone ring, the journey pendant, and diamond studs.  Listen out for the spoken advice echoing through the doghouse.  The Doghouse campaign was developed at Saatchi & Saatchi New York.
The Inspiration Room

"Guitar Hero World Tour": Activision pulled out all the stops for their October release of Guitar Hero: World Tour with some Risky Business-inspired ads featuring well-known celebrities. The ads feature the rich and famous dancing about in their underpants and doing their best Tom Cruise impression to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" while playing different World Tour instruments or lip-syncing.  Directed by Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand), these commercials were apparently produced to inspire everyone to "unleash their inner rock star." Ratner explains: "With the first Risky Business ads we wanted to excite fans by combining two pop culture sensations to create something even bigger. Those commercials were such a hit with Guitar Hero fans we decided to give them the same iconic 'living room rock star' moment they love, but as experienced with the new full band version of the game and with an entirely new cast of characters."
1Up

www.602communications.com/VideoExamples

Have a video clip to share?  Email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Flash (.flv) or QuickTime (.mov) files, size 320 x 240, are preferred, but WindowsMedia (.wmv) files will also be accepted.  Large files may be sent via http://www.yousendit.com.  You can also mail your clip on VHS or DVD to Graeme Newell at 1011 Lyndhurst Falls Lane, Knightdale, NC  27545.


Letters
Graeme, excellent column on video preroll.  Our site www.akronnewsnow.com used a slightly different concept on a package for our local United Way, which showcases a program called "Docs Who Rock" where local physicians put on a battle of the bands contest.  Akron has three strong and dominant hospital systems, and this event brings in over a thousand people who buy tickets to help support the charity.
 
For our web initiative we pulled video clips of prior performances (about two minutes worth) showcasing some of last year's bands (the clips were edited by us but the material came from the United Way) and we utilized our 300x250 position ads on content and section front pages with a simple "click to listen" message (we decided to display the video with audio muted…so the permission was to listen, not to watch.  The clip and ended with a direct link to buy tickets.  We drove significant traffic to the site and the event sold out. Their media folks were blown away by the response.  It turned out to also be a great "vanity display" for the local physicians featured in the three clips we rotated, with those left out wanting to have a presence in ads next year.
 
Among the things I'd do differently: in-video links over band audio at key point inside the presentation (easy to do in Flash) since we didn't utilize a specific player able to feature various link fields.  I do think you are on to something, however, when featuring content video/audio capable of multiple ad fields along with the content following more tease preroll.
 
Thanks!!

Edward L. Esposito
Vice President, Information Media
WAKR WONE WQMX
www.akronnewsnow.com

Chair, RTNDA
www.rtnda.org


NBC Mulls Programming Cuts
It's a sign of just how bad the TV biz has gotten: NBC is exploring cuts to the number of primetime hours it programs.  NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker said Monday that the entire broadcast industry is facing tremendous challenges because of the changing media landscape, sliding ratings and the economic downturn.  "Can we continue to broadcast 22 hours in primetime?  Three of our competitors don't," Zucker told the annual UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in Manhattan.  "Can we continue to broadcast seven days a week?  One of our competitors doesn't."  There has been speculation that broadcasters have been looking at the possibility of cutting back on the hours they program, this is the first time a top TV executive has publicly acknowledged that.  The big three networks program 22 hours a week over seven days, but they don't program originals on Saturday, and only CBS runs all-original scripted programming on Fridays.  Fox programs 15 hours a week over seven days.  The CW and MyNetworkTV do less and program only six nights a week.  The broadcast TV model has to be rethought in the face of fierce competition from cable and the Internet, Zucker said.  "If you don't, then the broadcast network will end up like the newspaper companies, or worse, like the auto companies," he said.  A broadcast insider said that NBC's reasoning could be construed as counterproductive because "it's like the automakers shutting down plants: It saves some money short-term, but it also prevents an opportunity to make any."  John Rash, an ad buyer and media analyst at Campbell Mithun, said that if NBC or any other network decided to return primetime hours or an entire night back to the affiliates, it's likely going to be a long-term decision that would be hard to reverse.  He said it's possible that the other networks could follow the lead of the first network or use it as an opportunity to build its ratings on those affected hours.  Zucker also said there have to be changes to the local TV model, which is particularly challenged by the economy and technology.   Additionally, he said that digital ad sales momentum has hit a sudden wall this quarter.  "We can't count on digital to be the big growth engine that we thought it would be in 2009," he said.
Hollywood Reporter


Jay Walks Into Primetime
NBC has found a way to solve two of its major problems with just one move.  The network is expected to announce today that longtime late-night host Jay Leno, who will leave “The Tonight Show” in May, is taking over the 10 p.m. timeslot with a strip show slated to air on weeknights.  The move is surprising for several reasons, not the least of which is Leno himself had implied that sticking around NBC was a long shot.  The network announced the comic’s exit from “Tonight” five years ago, but as the transition date approached, Leno hinted that he is not ready to leave and would shop his services to other networks.  ABC and Fox both expressed interest, as did several syndicators.  By locking up Leno for a reported five-year deal, NBC ensures that successor Conan O’Brien would not have to face his predecessor in late night, a battle Leno was expected to win.  Too, NBC can save a little face after heavy criticism of how it handled the Leno transition.  “Tonight” has been the top-rated late-night show for more than a decade, last month capturing its 51st consecutive sweeps victory.  Executives at other networks have criticized NBC for pushing Leno out so early, in part in order to hold on to O’Brien, who’s been just as dominant in late-night.  With Leno sticking around, ensuring that he won’t be competing against his old network, NBC seems a lot less foolish.  But perhaps the biggest surprise is the scheduling shakeup that Leno’s new show will prompt in primetime.  NBC will reduce the number of primetime hours it must program from 22 to 17, a blessing considering the longtime fourth-place network has struggled to produce new shows with any staying power the past few years.  Just how Leno will fare in the 10 p.m. slot, where he will face dramas on ABC and CBS, is unclear.  The show, reportedly similar in format to “Tonight” with a monologue and some sketches, will undoubtedly be cheaper to produce than a high-concept drama like “My Own Worst Enemy,” which was canceled after only a few months.  Though Leno’s will be the first strip show on a Big Four network in decades, the idea behind it is not new. NBC offered a similar deal to Johnny Carson and, years later, David Letterman, though both comedians refused.  Leno’s final “Tonight” appearance is May 29.
MediaLife Magazine


McCain to Visit Letterman
Sen. John McCain will pay a visit to CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” on Dec. 11.  Sen. McCain’s appearance will mark his 14th visit to the program.  It will also be his first visit since the presidential election.
TV Week


Most Watched vs. Most Discussed Measured
Networked Insights measures the way consumers have conversations about shows on the Web, whether by blogging, posting comments or simply reading comments.  By measuring these interactions, Networked Insights can see which shows have the most online engagement.  For the week of Nov. 17, the top show in the Nielsen rankings, “Grey’s Anatomy,” doesn’t make Networked Insights’ top 10 list.  At the same time, six of the 10 shows on Networked Insights’ list aren’t top Nielsen shows, including the “24” prequel that aired on Fox.

Most Viewed Shows on TV vs. Most Discussed Shows on the Web
Adults 18-49, Nov. 17-23, 2008

Nielsen's Top 10

Broadcast TV...............................Viewers
1.  Grey's Anatomy.......................8,182,000
2.  NBC Sunday Night Football....7,400,000
3.  House.......................................7,376,000
4.  Two and a Half Men.................6,940,000
5.  American Music Awards..........6,681,000
6.  CSI............................................6,536,000
7.  The OT......................................6,001,000
8.  How I Met Your Mother...........5,776,000
9.  Dancing With the Stars.............5,667,000
10. The Office................................5,666,000

Networked Insights' Top 10

Broadcast TV...............................Interactions
1.  Two and a Half Men.................69,418,375
2.  CSI: Miami...............................47,624,074
3.  Criminal Minds........................38,392,917
4.  House........................................34,743,744
5.  NBC Sunday Night Football.....18,666,351
6.  24 Redemption..........................18,272975
7.  Heroes.......................................11,513,837
8.  CSI: NY.....................................7,676,124
9.  Survivor: Gabon.........................4,493,928
10. CSI............................................4,246,710

TV Week


Tribune Files Bankruptcy
Just a year ago, real estate kingpin Sam Zell pulled off what looked like the media deal of the decade, snapping up Tribune Co. by jiggering a lot of debt and relying on a risk-heavy plan to sell off enough assets, like the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field, to keep the whole deal afloat.  Zell miscalculated, and yesterday he took his diverse media empire into bankruptcy.  By filing Chapter 11, Zell hopes to ease the terms of payments due on the financing he put together to acquire Tribune, some $900 million in payments in 2009 alone.  His list of creditors includes Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which of course have their own problems, and it was meetings with their representatives that led Zell to file for Chapter 11 protection.  Zell says he has the resources to meet payroll and other expenses as he renegotiates payment terms, though payouts to former employees have been stopped, according to the company's web site.  Zell is characterizing the collapse of Tribune Co. as a perfect storm of all the wrong forces, and leading is the faltering ad economy, which has proved crippling to the dozen newspapers Tribune owns, along with two-dozen local TV stations.  Zell has been slow to close the sale of the Cubs, which has also hurt.  But critics from the beginning thought the Tribune acquisition was too highly leveraged--Zell put just $315 million into the $8.2 billion deal--and that Zell, while a shrewd real estate man, had no idea how to run a newspaper, let alone a fleet of them. The question now is: What next?  Can Zell make Tribune work under the protection of the courts?  Or will it all just splatter across the media landscape, as many people worry?
MediaLife Magazine


Tough Times Calls for 'Uber-Cocooning'
Marketers and researchers have been speculating that the Internet will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the current economic crisis.  Cultural prognosticator Faith Popcorn says stay-at-home "über-cocooning" will be the immediate response to hard times.  October generally is a strong month for service content anyway as the weather turns and holidays loom, but the high double-digit gains at many sites suggests Americans may be hunkering down with the cheapest form of entertainment they have: broadband.  Ironically, AmEx Publishing's TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM was way up (+58.92% page views and +25.66% unique visitors versus September 2008) off of portal partnerships and redesigned functionality that also benefited FOODANDWINE.COM (+11.78% PVs, +4.40% UVs).  Likewise, Meredith's BHG.COM (+47.96% PVs, +47.76% UVs) topped 6 million users for a new high and MARTHASTEWART.COM's (+51.41% PVs, +43.89% UVs) 4.8 million visitors was up over 1 million from its usual levels.  Some good old fashioned cross-linking super-sized CondéNet's heretofore diminutive WMAGAZINE.COM (+888.87% PVs, +1,251.18% UVs) with a Brangelina photo shoot that Perez Hilton and PEOPLE.COM shared with their users.  Another possible über-cocooning effect is the emphasis on home electronics, with sites like Hachette's POPPHOTO.COM (+46.73% PVs, +4.42% UVs) and SOUNDANDVISION.COM (+18.61% PVs, +7.26% UVs) ballooning in the one category consumers continue to favor.  Of course, the Internet may be in for some competition, with our friends at BIGResearch reporting that Americans' intent to purchase plummeted this fall in most categories and accelerated in only one (wait for it)...tvs.
MinOnline


100 Mil Eyes on YouTube in Oct
Online video is really taking off, according to stats firm ComScore.  Not that we should be particularly surprised by that assertion.  But the leader in the space, Google's YouTube, during October pulled in 100 million viewers in the U.S. for a market share of almost 40 percent.  That market share is about the same as it was this spring.  But lower in the ranks, there's some change afoot.  Video content hub Hulu, a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp., has edged its way into sixth place behind YouTube, Fox Interactive Media (which owns MySpace and its MySpaceTV platform), Yahoo, Microsoft, and Viacom.  Rounding out the top 10 are AOL, Turner, Disney (which owns ABC), and CBS (which publishes CNET News).  In October, 77 percent of U.S. Internet users watched online video, and the average viewer watched a whopping 274 minutes of video on the Web.  That's only four hours over the course of a month, but considering how short many online videos are, it's a lot.  What'll be interesting to see: Whether this changes with November's forthcoming stats, now that the presidential election is over.  Keep in mind how many people were watching political Saturday Night Live skits, campaign speeches, and that disastrous Katie Couric-Sarah Palin interview.
CNet News


Google Releases Top Searches of 2008
In the wake of similar lists from Yahoo and Ask.com, Google has released its Zeitgeist 2008, a comprehensive look at the top searches of 2008.  Unlike the other lists, Zeitgest doesn't focus on the most popular searches, at least not in the United States.  Instead the results are listed as "Fastest Rising," meaning that the popularity of top terms is contrasted against that of the previous year.  Google said the reasoning behind this was that simply distilling the top search terms wasn't very compelling, meaning that a list would contain items like Gmail and Yahoo! Mail and, of course, sex.  Rather than being a list of pop culturally relevant terms, it would likely be people searching for popular Web sites and, perhaps, pornography.  I asked nicely if they could pass along that information, just for the sake of conversation, but Google doesn't give it out.  Google does, however, list the most popular and fastest rising results in other countries.  For reference, compare Australia's Fastest Rising list against the Most Popular:

Fastest Rising in Australia
1.  iPhone
2.  Facebook
3.  Google Maps
4.  YouTube
5.  Wiki
6.  Anz
7.  Wow
8.  Maps
9.  Sarah Palin
10. Underbelly

Most Popular in Australia
1.  Games
2.  Sydney
3.  YouTube
4.  MySpace
5.  Facebook
6.  Google
7.  eBay
8.  My
9.  Weather
10. Hotmail

It's skewed a bit, but there is certainly some interesting information.

2008 Fastest Rising, United States
1.  Obama
2.  Facebook
3.  Att
4.  iPhone
5.  YouTube
6.  Fox News
7.  Palin
8.  Beijing 2008
9.  David Cook
10. Surf the channel

While Barack Obama unsurprisingly tops that list, it's the Republicans who dominate the news.

Fastest Rising News Search, United States:
1.  Sarah Palin
2.  American Idol
3.  McCain
4.  Olympics
5.  Ike (hurricane)

Sarah Palin also edged out Obama in photo searches.

Fastest Rising Image Search, United States:
1.  Sarah Palin
2.  Obama
3.  Twilight
4.  Miley Cyrus
5.  Joker

At Yahoo, the most popular searches included Britney Spears, the WWE, and Barack Obama.  At Ask.com, the top searches were for dictionary, MySpace, and Google.  Yep, the number three search using Ask.com is another search engine.
PC Magazine


TiVo Pitches 'Promos on the Pause'
TiVo, pioneer of the ad-skipping DVR, is looking to make money by selling sponsorships that appear when users hit the pause button.  The company said it has signed two initial sponsors for the “Pause Menu” ads: Mercedes-Benz USA, which will promote its GLK sports-utility vehicle in early 2009 by targeting football viewers, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, which plans to promote the DVD release of Dr Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who on Dec. 9.  “With the number of DVR homes on the rise, TV advertisers are facing a very serious commercial avoidance issue that must be addressed now,” TiVo vice president of marketing and product management David Sandford said, TiVo Pause Menu in a statement.  “The launch of Pause Menu moves us another step closer to achieving our goal of providing a comprehensive suite of interactive advertising solutions designed to help the TV industry reach viewers in a DVR world.”  Promotions on the Pause Menu will be displayed as a single line of text.  Another line will link the viewer directly to TiVo’s Universal Swivel Search, allowing users with broadband-connected DVRs to find related shows and other information. The new feature is available to TiVo Series2 subscribers.  According to TiVo, its research has found that linking the Pause Menu to the Swivel Search feature gets “very positive viewer reaction.”  Pause Menu ads can be displayed on the pause screen of a live or time-shifted program, and TiVo will offer options to target genres or keywords within a program description.
MultiChannel


FCC, White House Seek Local Feeds for Situation Room
According to a spokeswoman for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, the FCC is currently working with the White House and media companies to find a way to feed local TV station signals into the White House's situation room, the command and control nerve center in the West Wing that was given a high-tech makeover in 2006.  Spokeswoman Edie Herman, speaking for the chairman, would not comment on an allegation in a report released Tuesday by House Democrats that the FCC's Media Bureau had threatened to hold up the sale of satellite company DirecTV to Liberty until an issue had been resolved about the White House getting access to some local TV channels.  But she did say that it might have been a "mischaracterized" reference to an initiative the FCC and the White House are currently teaming on.  According to Herman, for purposes of national security, "the FCC is working with the White House, and media companies [she did not say which] so the White House's situation room can get local feeds from broadcasters throughout the nation."   She says that the feeds could be helpful in emergencies and natural disasters in, say, "some city that is 700 miles away."  Herman pointed out that "it is often the local broadcaster that first gives any details" in situations where the White House's own people "may not be in Des Moines at that moment."  The argument that broadcasters are something of a first line of first responders in emergencies is one that industry has often made to the FCC in promoting the value of local TV and radio.  A DirecTV spokesman declined comment.  Dennis Wharton, Executive VP of NAB, said he was not aware of NAB being involved in the initiative, but said, “It does point out the longstanding lifeline service provided by local broadcasters in the event of emergency situations.
Broadcasting & Cable


Report Slams FCC's Martin
 A group of U.S. House of Representatives Democrats blasted the chief communications regulator for his opaque and unpredictable management on Tuesday in a report critics hope will spark reform of the Federal Communications Commission.  The House of Representatives' investigation into the FCC and chairman Kevin Martin's leadership came partly in response to complaints about the agency from the public and from communications industry professionals, according to lawmakers.  The report cites several instances where Martin "manipulated, withheld or suppressed data, reports and information," particularly in the area of cable regulation, an issue Martin has pursued with vigor.  "The findings suggest that, in recent years, the FCC has operated in a dysfunctional manner and commission business has suffered as a result," John Dingell of Michigan, the outgoing chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee said.  The FCC regulates the communications industry in areas ranging from the rates charged by and among telephone companies like AT&T and Verizon Communications, to ownership rules for media companies like News Corp.  Three of the five commissioners at the agency, including Martin, are now Republican. The other two are Democrats.  Critics say Martin has abused his power by giving his four other voting commissioners little time to review complex items before the agency and by refusing to publish the text of rules sufficiently in advance of meetings.  In recent months, the four other commissioners have joined together to oppose some items backed by Martin, including intercarrier compensation rules which govern how phone companies pay each other to route traffic.  Dingell cited a dispute that erupted at the FCC last year, when some commissioners accused Martin of suppressing and manipulating information in pursuit of a measure that would have opened the door to tougher regulations on U.S. cable TV operators.  Martin has also triggered criticism from some lawmakers, consumer groups and other commissioners by pressing the commission for a fast vote on changes that loosened U.S. media ownership rules.
Reuters


NBC to Replace Entire Primetime Schedule With Peacock Logo
Bird Symbol to Air From 8 to 10

In a move that some industry insiders called a game-changer, NBC announced today that it would cancel all of its primetime programs and air a static image of its peacock logo every night between 8 and 10.

While some critics of the move questioned whether viewers would tune in to watch a motionless rendering of a bird for two hours every night, NBC boss Jeff Zucker, the architect of the move, defended the strategy, calling it "maybe my most brilliant decision ever."

"People are saying that the peacock logo has been around forever and has nothing new to offer," Mr. Zucker told reporters.  "I say it's a perfect lead-in for Leno."

The move should take some pressure off NBC's embattled entertainment division, whose comedy "Kath & Kim" was recently found to be in violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Mr. Zucker acknowledged that the decision to air a static bird picture for 14 hours a week would require some re-tooling of NBC's "Must See TV" slogan, but said that the marketing department had already come up with a replacement: "When There's Nothing On TV, Watch It On NBC."
The Borowitz Report

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