Sunday, May 27, 2012
Media Industry News
My latest media industry news links post is up at Antenna, with info on Google+, Cannes, newspapers in crisis, and Spotify.
Good TVeets
Ah, #Eurovision. A special time when the Old World gathers together to embrace the fact that, despite our differences, we're all a bit crap.
— Ken Plume (@KenPlume) May 26, 2012
*looks at Twitter* I'm so proud of my country that EVERYONE is ignoring a beautiful midsummer evening to get pissed & watch tv #eurovision
— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) May 26, 2012
Moodys have just downgraded the #Eurovision Song Contest from "Ironic Diversion" to "Borderline War Crime".
— Colm Tobin (@colmtobin) May 26, 2012
Pair of overweight twins sitting on a couch watching a televangelist. #americavision
— Geo Greg (@GeoGreg303) May 26, 2012
TV Loyalty Program
June Thomas describes Viggle, an app that offers you rewards for watching TV, including ads.
DVR Gridlock 2012-13
Daniel Fienberg is launching a daily analysis of the fall schedule and viewing habits, starting with Sunday.
10pm Drama Problem
Anthony Crupi highlights how poorly the 10pm network drama slot has done this season.
Pitch Problems
Devin Leonard says AMC's The Pitch doesn't work but is still revealing: "It makes for lousy television, but it reveals quite a bit about why there is so much execrable advertising."
Barthes & Cultural Criticism
Sam Anderson discusses Roland Barthes' 1957 book Mythologies as the invention of cultural criticism.
Less is More
John C Abell says he's ok with TWC CEO's threat that services like Auto Hop would lead to less TV production: "Maybe scaling back should be a promise instead of a threat."
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Eurovision Host Issues
Joshua Kucera discusses the conflict between Eurovision host country Azerbaijan's conservativism and the outlandishness of the event and its significant gay following. Update: Protests are leading to arrests.
Transmedia Frictions
John Kennedy reports on a European lecture tour by Henry Jenkins, in which the scholar is discussing the rising conflict between transmedia forms and traditional media owners' control over content and revenue.
CNN International
One of the channels continuing to grow internationally is CNN, and FT discusses CNN International's global news efforts.
International Channel Growth
Michael Johnson discusses how access to international channels is growing for expatriates everywhere.
Watching Together
On the Media talks with David Carr and Matt Zoller Seitz about the decline of group and scheduled TV viewing.
Summer Plans
Scott Collins highlights the more active programming slate for summer this year: "This could be the most-watched summer in TV history. At least, that's what cable and broadcast networks have worked hard to make happen."
Olympics Investment
Daniel Roberts cites what NBC is spending on Olympics coverage and considers the payoff. And Scott Collins highlights a key absence at NBC this time around: Dick Ebersol.
Good TVeets
"Siri, is that tears in rain?" -- Zooey Deckardschanel
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) May 25, 2012
Between Channing Tatum and Scott Speedman, I'd choose the coma. #TheVow
— inessentials (@inessentials) May 26, 2012
There is a Friday Night Lights musical. It's called "Explosions in the Sky", and it's a wordless musical that delivers, fireworks too.
— Andrew Seroff (@Aseroff) May 26, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Girls Without TV
Brian Stelter looks at how some fans are watching Girls without the luxury of either a TV set or an HBO subscription.
Wiig & SNL's Future
EW contemplates what the future might hold for Kristen Wiig. And Andrew Wallenstein contemplates where SNL is left without her.
Game of Thrones Cinematography
American Cinematographer highlights the work done on Game of Thrones.
TV Everywhere Apps
Wayne Friedman reports on SNL Kagan data finding that people seem to prefer TV Everywhere apps from content owners over pay tv distributors, which raises marketing issues.
Cable Mood
Alex Ben Block reflects on the Cable Show by noting how anxious cable execs are, even as many are doing well.
Outing Parsons
A New York Times profile of Jim Parsons mentioned only in passing that the Big Bang Theory star is gay, and Chuck Ross believes the news should have been more prominently featured.
Screen Distraction
Steve Smith reports on a new study finding that two-screen viewership cuts heavily into our attention and recall.
Good Guys Among Bad
Andrew Daglas discusses identifying with "anti-anti-heroes" within morally murky narratives in shows like Breaking Bad, The Good Wife, and Game of Thrones.
New Idol Contract
The AP has details of the new contracts American Idol is giving out, which seem to be adjusted for the show's ebb.
Indy 500 Transmedia
Tim Carmody says this weekend's Indianapolis 500 will offer a model of transmedia programming.
USA Thesis
Cory Barker earned his MA with a thesis on USA Network's programming and promotion; check it out here.
Adult Swim Rut
John Lichman sees Adult Swim as suffering from a rut of nostalgia and online competition. Noel Kirkpatrick expressed similar thoughts, but with more industry info, last week.
Ad Hop Lawsuits
Brian Stelter reports: "Brandishing lawsuits like swords, the Dish Network and at least three television networks filed dueling lawsuits on Thursday over Auto Hop, a feature that allows Dish subscribers to automatically skip all the advertising during most prime time shows." James Poniewozik adds thoughts and some more. Jeff Bercovici says this reveals the networks' hypocrisy. Peter Kafka analyzes Dish's perspective, which involves a desire for cheaper carriage fees. Anthony Crupi says the device will have little impact anyway. Andrew Wallenstein advises calm.
Thursday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 7.64 million, ABC: 6.46, Fox: 6.23, NBC: 2.94, CW: 713,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.4 rating/8 share, ABC and CBS: 1.6/ 5 each, NBC: 0.9/ 3, CW: 0.3/ 1
-Winners: The Big Bang Theory R (CBS), Person of Interest R (CBS), The Mentalist R (CBS)
-Down But Still a Demo Favorite: So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
-Respectable Start: Duets (ABC)
-Losers: Perez Hilton: All Access (CW), Awake (NBC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Coverage from Daniel Fienberg and Spotted.
-Total Viewers: CBS: 7.64 million, ABC: 6.46, Fox: 6.23, NBC: 2.94, CW: 713,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.4 rating/8 share, ABC and CBS: 1.6/ 5 each, NBC: 0.9/ 3, CW: 0.3/ 1
-Winners: The Big Bang Theory R (CBS), Person of Interest R (CBS), The Mentalist R (CBS)
-Down But Still a Demo Favorite: So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
-Respectable Start: Duets (ABC)
-Losers: Perez Hilton: All Access (CW), Awake (NBC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Coverage from Daniel Fienberg and Spotted.
The Friday Niche
Bloomberg describes how Fridays have become a key night for niche network shows that people may be likely to timeshift on the weekend.
Female Showrunner Roundtable
Josef Adalian talks with six female sitcom showrunners about "their comedy icons, whether ratings matter, and getting flack on the Internet."
Network Averages
Spotted charts out how the broadcast networks have done in 18-49 ratings averages over the last 12 years. The NBC nosedive is precipitous.
Sports & Social
A group of sports programming executives discussed how valuable social media can be to sports TV viewership.
Aereo's Value/Threat
Nitasha Tiku describes how Aereo could truly be a cord cutter enabler, if it gets legally cleared.
Energy Efficient DVRs
Daniel Frankel says manufacturers are trying to develop more energy efficient DVRs.
Cable Bloat
Time Warner Cable's CEO acknowledges that there are too many cable channels creating elevated cable bills.
Good TVeets
Day six since the Dan Harmon news first exploded. No telling how many deaths so far. We now live in a post-9/11-post-Dan-Harmon-News world.
— videogum (@videogum) May 24, 2012
So You Think You Can Make Me Verklempt, So You Think You Can Dance? Well YOU CAN. #SYTYCD
— Myles McNutt (@Memles) May 25, 2012
Pretty sure I'll wake up tomorrow to a world of people who totally get the #Awake finale. And will be really smug about it.
— Ellen Gray (@elgray) May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
FCC Defends Itself
Julius Genachowski defended the FCC against Sen. Chuck Grassley's accusations that it does not operate with transparency.
Complete Season Ratings
TV By the Numbers has the whole season's ranking of 18-49 ratings, from #1 (Sunday Night Football) to #195 (LA Complex). Reality Blurred highlights the reality shows on the list.
Suggestion for Apple
James McQuivey thinks Apple could shake up the TV business, but only if it makes a non-TV TV, an apps hub rather than a TV set.
Real World at 20
Andy Dehnart marks 20 years of The Real World by considering its influence and worthlessness alike.
NBCU Wants MSNBC.Com Back
Mike Shields says NBCU is trying to get MSNBC.com back into the fold to better capitalize on MSNBC online.
Sports Business Awards
Fox Sports and ESPN won awards at the Sports Business Awards, which apparently are awards that are given out for sports business.
Idol's Drop
Brian Stelter assesses American Idol's ratings drop this season. But Josef Adalian points out that it's still a top show and beat The Voice handily, and Ed Martin says it's still a giant to beat. And it set social media records.
Simon's Commencement Address
David Simon delivered a David Simony commencement address to graduates of Georgetown University: "Am I’m bringing you down with all of this stuff? Am I bumming you out? I can’t help it. I’m sorry. But hey, if you watched The Wire, or Generation Kill, or Treme – then you knew I was gonna go there, right? Those are angry narratives. They are saying angry things about the American future. And now, forgive me, that future is yours."
Wednesday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 20.71 million, ABC: 7.30, CBS: 5.87, NBC: 5.38, CW: 891,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 6.1 rating/18 share, ABC: 2.6/ 7, CBS: 1.5/ 4, NBC: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1
-Winners: American Idol (Fox), Modern Family (ABC), Revenge (ABC)
-Losers: America’s Next Top Model (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Coverage from Daniel Fienberg and Spotted.
-Total Viewers: Fox: 20.71 million, ABC: 7.30, CBS: 5.87, NBC: 5.38, CW: 891,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 6.1 rating/18 share, ABC: 2.6/ 7, CBS: 1.5/ 4, NBC: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1
-Winners: American Idol (Fox), Modern Family (ABC), Revenge (ABC)
-Losers: America’s Next Top Model (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Coverage from Daniel Fienberg and Spotted.
Pan Am to Amazon?
Because no show can be cancelled without a second-life rumor anymore, Amazon is reportedly looking at resurrecting Pan Am.
Branded Content
Andrew Adam Newman describes new branded content initiatives, such as AT&T working with Touch on multi-platform marketing and a web series.
TV Everywhere Hopes
David Lieberman reports on content chief hopes that TV Everywhere development could be hurried up, while pay TV chiefs have concerns. Will Richmond talked with a Comcast SVP about the company's TV Everywhere moves.
Fixed-Camera Documentary
Faye Woods describes the aesthetics and public service utility of Channel 4's 24 Hours in A&E on British TV (and BBC America).
Candidates Favor Local TV
Nielsen reports that presidential candidates have utilized local spot advertising most during the campaign.
Univision Numbers
Univision has some impressive numbers to tout from this season: "Univision out-performed at least one or more English-language broadcasters — ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC — on nearly every night throughout the season, among adults 18-34 (225 out of 245 nights) and on two out of every three nights among adults 18-49 (160 of 245 nights)."
WB TV Revenue
Warner Bros.' TV chief claims that TV revenue constitutes half of the income at the studio.
Winners
CBS and Fox won season titles, CBS for overall viewers, Fox for 18-49, while Fox won a slow May sweeps. NBC will finish in third place in 18-49, ahead of ABC. The top ten shows were led by football, Idol, and NCIS.
Good TVeets
Eugene Polley, inventor of the remote control, just died.He has no one to blame but himself for why I never finished reading his obituary.
— Merrill Markoe (@Merrillmarkoe) May 24, 2012
It's weird to realize that Zooey Deschanel has more chemistry with Siri than she did with Mark Wahlberg in "The Happening".
— Tim Carvell (@timcarvell) May 23, 2012
i would shoot my tv right now, but i need it for the #Revenge finale. #Idol
— damianholbrook (@TVGMDamian) May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Fringe Syndicates
A cable channel called Science has picked up syndication rights to Fringe, and Amazon could swoop in for subscription VOD rights.
Renewals Help Syndication
Andrew Wallenstein points out that the higher success rate for freshman series this past season compared to last year bodes well for future syndication sales.
Community Memo
A leaked memo from Sony about the Dan Harmon situation proposes some predictable talking points for the show's cast and crew to parrot. (If this was sports, the memo would suggest "both teams played hard.")
International Streaming
Dish and Roku are partnering on a service called DishWORLD that will stream international programming to US customers, whether they are Dish subscribers or not.
Netflix's Boost to AMC
Netflix claims it brought one million new viewers to Mad Men's fifth season thanks to streaming earlier seasons.
Shorter Runs Coming
John Consoli reports that the networks are trying out shorter runs next season, with Fox's The Following getting a 13-episode arc at midseason.
Women Writers & Pilots
Neely Swanson looks at how women writers fared during pilot season: "The percentage of pilots written by women in 2012 only fell 3%, to 32% of the overall pilots produced, still well above 2010, the year the bottom fell out." Daniel Lehman also reports on this.
Anti-Heroes
Alyssa Rosenberg considers the rise of some morally clear characters after a recent glut of anti-heroes.
Tuesday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: ABC: 14.58 million, Fox: 11.02, CBS: 8.64, NBC: 6.54, CW: 668,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 3.6 rating/10 share, ABC: 2.6/ 7, NBC: 2.1/ 6, CBS: 1.5/ 4, CW: 0.2/ 1
-Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), American Idol (Fox)
-Launched Too Early This Season: America’s Got Talent (NBC)
-Losers: The L.A. Complex (CW), Dateline 20th Anniversary Special (NBC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Coverage from Daniel Fienberg and Spotted.
-Total Viewers: ABC: 14.58 million, Fox: 11.02, CBS: 8.64, NBC: 6.54, CW: 668,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 3.6 rating/10 share, ABC: 2.6/ 7, NBC: 2.1/ 6, CBS: 1.5/ 4, CW: 0.2/ 1
-Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), American Idol (Fox)
-Launched Too Early This Season: America’s Got Talent (NBC)
-Losers: The L.A. Complex (CW), Dateline 20th Anniversary Special (NBC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Coverage from Daniel Fienberg and Spotted.
FCC Eyeing Online Regulation
Brian Stelter reports that the FCC is determining "whether the rules of multichannel distributors — like the right to carry certain popular channels and the responsibility to carry some less popular ones — should apply to new online distributors like Hulu and YouTube. If it decides that they should, then more companies could stream TV shows to computers and smartphones, hastening an industrywide shift to the Internet."
New Syndie Shows
To cut costs, Scripps is developing a new game show and a new magazine show for syndication, and it will drop Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy in exchange.
Milch-Weiner-Gilligan Interview
GQ talks with Matthew Weiner, David Milch, and Vince Gilligan about TV drama. (Make sure you check out the first offering from Milch.)
Amazon's Impact
Jay Greene discusses how Amazon is changing how things are done in everything from books to TV.
Harmon's Best
Alan Sepinwall honors Dan Harmon with a slideshow of the 10 Community episodes that defined his mad genius.
Good TVeets
Yesterday, Barack Obama made @GoodTVeets after making a FNL reference. Look for Romney try to catch up by livetweeting the CSI:Miami finale.
— Andrew L Daar (@AndrewDaar) May 22, 2012
Person of Interest feels like a show designed by data-mining algorithms *for* data-mining algorithms. It's GoogleBot's favourite show.
— Devan Joneson (@djoneson) May 23, 2012
Why are people on my twitter feed saying good things about Glee?
— Matt Ford (@digifreak642) May 23, 2012
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