Monday, January 31, 2011
New Animal Planet
Schuyler Velasco analyzes the shift of Animal Planet into a channel that wants to terrify you.
Cultural Differences
Eric Deggans considers the differences in UK and UK cultural standards in regard to Skins' reception.
Demo Matters
Jaime Weinman highlights the bind for networks when dramas do well in total viewers but not the 18-49 demo.
Anchors to Cairo
Brian Stelter reports on who is and isn't headed to Egypt among the network news anchors.
Useful Website
If you're researching the media industries, the Media Industries Project website is a must visit, especially as resources are added in the future.
Overexposure Argument
An ABC VP of digital media disagrees with the Turner argument that making Modern Family available online dilutes its financial value in syndication.
Spectrum Hoarding
In their fight to keep spectrum space for broadcasters, the NAB has accused cable and wireless companies of hoarding it.
Ratings Inaccuracy
John Herman explains why Nielsen ratings are inaccurate but won't change anytime soon.
NFL Clouds Gather
Things couldn't be better for the NFL & TV right now, but a looming lockout could prove costly. And CBS has rejected a Players Association ad that was supposed to run during the Super Bowl.
Skins' Potential
Emily Nussbaum hopes Skins gets a chance to fulfill its potential to fit within a trajectory of shows that blur the line between "quality television" and "deniable porn" (like True Blood).
Time Matters
Kristina Busse adds time as a factor to be analyzed when looking at transnational remakes, with Queer as Folk as her example.
NBC News
Phil Rosenthal interviews Tom Brokaw about the state of NBC News, and Paul J. Gough considers the division's Comcast future (note: paywalled article).
Getting an Agent
Ken Levine has entertaining (but also helpful) advice for getting an agent if you aspire to be a TV writer.
Prime-Time Ratings: Sunday
Fast nationals: Not even terrible football can stop football in the ratings. Broadcast finals. Cable ratings.
Sheen's Value
Scott Collins details Charlie Sheen's value to Two and a Half Men and CBS's willingness to accommodate his transgressions, for now. Matt Zoller Seitz unpacks Charlie Sheen's golden goose status at CBS. Sheen's absence puts many millions in jeopardy for CBS. Nellie Andreeva looks at the impact on production. Josef Adalian finds out what others in the industry would do about Sheen.
More Original Weather
The Weather Channel is boosting its offerings of original programming, while still incorporating local weather "on the 8s."
Amazon Streaming
David Carnoy on the possibility of Amazon offering Netflix-style streaming, and Dan Frommer explains why this is the right time for such a move. Ben Fritz has more.
What Are You Hearing?
A new TV check-in app operates by identifying a show based on the sound of what you're watching.
Journalist Arrests
Al Jazeera says six of its English reporters were arrested in Egypt. They're now released, but camera equipment remains seized.
Good TVeets
Betty White won a SAG Award. I think her 15 decades of fame is almost up
Three guarantees for 2012: presidential election, Olympic Games, Claire Danes continues to win awards for Temple Grandin.
A Twitter search reveals hardly any "Firth" and "Thecond" puns. The internet is falling dangerously behind in pun technology.
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Sunday, January 30, 2011
Al Jazeera Superiority
Alex Pareene shows how Al Jazeera English is absolutely owning the cable news networks when it comes to coverage of the Egyptian uprising.
Comcast Cross-Promo
The ink on the deal is barely dry, and Comcast is already exploiting synergistic cross-promotions with NBCU properties.
Amazon Going Instant
Amazon.com appears to be developing an instant-watch service like Netflix, which would be free for Amazon Prime members.
Egypt Shuts Al Jazeera
Egypt is forcing Al Jazeera out, cutting off one of its satellite signals and ordering the channel to stop operating in the country. Al Jazeera says they will carry on nonetheless.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
ESPN UK
Newly-arrived ESPN is trying to charm sports fans in England in order to compete with well-established Sky Sports.
UK Viewing
An audience research study in Britain found that UK viewers are watching more live TV than ever before, as the percentage of time-shifted viewing has actually declined over the past two years.
New Flow Issue
- "1979 is 2011: Post-Punk on the Road Again" by Norma Coates: Coates waxes nostalgic as the punk bands who are returning to the touring circuit and exploiting the digital environment.
- "Problems in 'Wellywood': Rethinking the politics of transnational cultural labor" by Bridget Conor: Conor examines the politics of transnational cultural labor in last fall's Hobbit dispute.
- "Let's All Read this Text" by Ann Johnson: An exploration of audience response to satire and the "ridiculous" through a video about a banana.
- "Bromance and the Boys of Boston Legal" by Kelli Marshall: Marshall explores the homosocial "bromance" of Alan Shore and Denny Crane in "Boston Legal" leading up to the series' climax
- "Haunting Crime: the Gothic, the Grotesque and the Paranormal" by Yvonne Tasker: Tasker examines the linkage between the stylized traditions of the Gothic and the crime genre.
- "Disaster Zones and the Performance of Television" by Graeme Turner: The disastrous flooding in Queensland, AU, calls into question the way in which television engages with local communities during moments of crisis.
Prime-Time Ratings: Friday
Fast nationals: Good news again for Fringe fans, also Dateline NBC fans (you know who you are). Broadcast finals. Cable ratings.
Done Deal
The Comcast-NBCU merger is now officially complete. Now Comcast must reinvent itself, says Johnnie L. Roberts. And critics pledge to keep an eye on the company's operations.
Mobile & Social Activities
A study finds that mobile internet users like to multi-task by surfing while watching TV, and a new app called TV Tune-In will help make that experience even more interactive. Apparently the networks are playing closer attention to the role of social media in TV viewing. More social media and TV use stats.
Skins & Law
An entertainment lawyer details what the law says as far as Skins & obscenity concerns. (You didn't think you'd get away without a Skins post today, did you? There are no weekend days off in the world of Skins coverage.)
Egypt Coverage
Robert Worth discusses how Al Jazeera is overcoming hurdles to cover the events in Egypt so proficiently, Dylan Stableford highlights how individual news organizations are covering the events, Julia Dahl explains why Al Jazeera isn't available on TV to many Americans and details a few exceptions (note: this is a reprint of a 2008 article, but the info is still largely relevant today), and Roy Greenslade reports on the Egyptian police beating of a BBC correspondent.
Good TVeets
Read from the bottom up after the jump.
Follow @GoodTVeets
Follow @GoodTVeets
Sh*t My Ironic Seventy Dollar Faux-Vintage T-shirt Says #hipstersitcoms
Clarissa Doesn't Bother Explaining It...You Wouldn't Understand The Reference #HipsterSitcoms
#Hashtag Steps: First I search & see if anyone already wrote "Soy Meats World." THEN I realize I still don't know what's going on in Egypt.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Comcast Needs Starz
One media analyst thinks Starz would be a great addition to Comcast's portfolio.
Multiplatform NHL
NBCU is making the NHL All-Star Game a multi-platform priority for the new Comcast-owned company.
Hiatus for Sheen
Two and a Half Men is on hiatus, as Charlie Sheen heads to rehab. Jace Lacob interviews industry insiders about the situation.
Al Jazeera's Dominance
Janko Roettgers explains why Al Jazeera's online coverage is dominating international news access to the upheaval in Egypt.
FNL on DVD
Alan Sepinwall points out the strange circumstance that will likely see Friday Night Lights' final season released on DVD before it airs on NBC in the spring. (spoiler free post, btw)
Egypt Coverage
Brian Stelter reports on the struggles of TV news crews trying to capture the chaotic situation in Egypt. And the best live feed going right now is via Al Jazeera English online.
Hulu Needs Everywhere
Ryan Lawler thinks Hulu should work with broadcasters and cable companies to become part of their TV Everywhere schemes.
UK Skins Promo
Just when I thought I could go a day without a Skins post, now the UK version is drawing attention with a dramatic promo.
Single-Sponsorship Returns
NBC's Sunday broadcast of National Treasure will have a sole advertiser, TurboTax, with some of the ads presenting a competition show.
Prime-Time Ratings: Thursday
Fast Nationals: Good night for Fox, merely ok for NBC. Broadcast finals. Cable ratings.
In other ratings news, The Game was down but still doing well for BET, and Jersey Shore stays strong.
In other ratings news, The Game was down but still doing well for BET, and Jersey Shore stays strong.
Zucker Reassessed
Andrew Wallenstein proposes that maybe Jeff Zucker wasn't the worst thing that ever happened to NBCU. Let's also hope he won't be the worst thing that ever happened to Katie Couric.
Good TVeets
NBComcastrophe '11 continues to spread deeper and deeper.
NBC Universal's new logo: http://tinyurl.com/46ago5f My comment on it is as follows: it... seems theyzzzzzzzz
"NBCUniversal: We Kick the CW's Ass Most Nights!" #newslogans.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Al Jazeera's Role
The news channel Al Jazeera appears to be playing a key role in the current Middle East unrest.
Hey Greenblatt, Read This
Josef Adalian has five suggestions to help new NBC chief Bob Greenblatt fix the network.
ESPN Guidelines
ESPN has a created an extensive set of guidelines for editorial & on-camera staff regarding ethics, principles, and standards.
The New NBCU
Comcast & NBCU's CEOs held a town hall meeting today for NBCU staffers, at which they learned they'll be getting a few extra perks and that the peacock won't be part of the corporate logo anymore. Tim Goodman has suggestions for new NBC slogans. Meg James says NBCU staffers can expect some Comcast culture shock.
Ratings Primer
Missed this one last week: Syfy's Craig Engler explains the ins and outs of viewing measurements for TV and online, particularly as science fiction shows are concerned.
Death Slot Thoughts
Ratings for 30 Rock & Fringe have Jaime Weinman rethinking "death slot" concepts.
Research Participants Needed
A UC Berkeley master's student is looking for San Francisco-area TV viewers to interview about their viewing habits.
Value of Celebrities in Advertising
A study finds that celebrities aren't very helpful to have in advertising campaigns. Media Life interviews the CEO of the company that conducted the study.
Catch VD
The CW is marketing Vampire Diaries with eye-catching billboards, while insisting that VD definitely stands for Vampire Diaries and nothing else. (But maybe The CW can sell the billboards later to MTV to use for Jersey Shore.)
Earnings Previews
Nathan Becker outlines Wall Street expectations for the media conglomerates & notes that a huge question is how they can monetize online content.
TWC Losses
Time Warner Cable continues to lose subscribers, though profits are doing ok thanks to higher rates (awesome!). Meanwhile, TWC hopes to enable TV Everywhere outside the home for customers in the near future.
Skins News!
Have you heard about this show Skins? You probably haven't. Anyway, to fill you in on all you've likely missed: the creator (of both the US and UK versions) is vigorously defending the MTV show from those who say it is indecent, while the general critics' take seems to be that it's just not that good a show (here's another saying so). Meanwhile, the British version is looking for a few good young writers.
Fox News Request
A group of rabbis purchased WSJ print ads pleading for Fox News to stop referencing the Holocaust and Nazis so frequently and casually. A Fox News VP has responded by claiming that this is a George Soros-backed group seeking publicity. Eric Deggans also reports.
Burke Profile
Bill Carter & Tim Arango profile new NBCU head Stephen Burke and consider how he might change things at NBC. Questions remain about what will happen at NBC News. Brian Steinberg says Burke won't make a big public splash for NBC here at the start.
Hulu Future Options
Executives at Hulu are debating future options for the service, as it tries to compete with pay TV and internet TV options. There's also news that Hulu's CEO almost quit last year over internal disputes; Andrew Wallenstein says it's pretty clear he will leave soon. And there's news that Disney and Fox may pull content from Hulu.
Netflix Taking Aim
Peter Kafka looks at Netflix's latest PR gambit against cable. Currently doing well in earnings, Netflix's streaming services are the key issue for future earnings, says Greg Sandoval. Update: Netflix has released its promised ISP rankings.
Good TVeets
Read from the bottom up after the jump.
Follow @GoodTVeets
Follow @GoodTVeets
The President missed a golden opportunity last night to plug the return of PARKS & RECREATION.
I want #FNL to turn into a 35 year old person so it can run for President and I can vote for it. #finalescreener #Texasforever
American Idol auditions tonight, followed by Michele Bachmann's response.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
DVRs at 50% by 2016
A research firm says household DVR penetration will reach 50% by 2016, a slight acceleration of the last projection. The firm also made video-on-demand predictions.
Skins News
In today's daily Skins update, rumors of cancellation and denials of rumors of cancellation abound; Stuart Elliot and Brian Stelter update the advertiser exodus; one advertiser, LifeStyles condoms, wants on board, as does PETA; and Ed Martin wonders what all the fuss is about.
TV Jobs
Jaime Weinman discusses the prominence of doctor/lawyer/cop shows in terms of how those jobs are amenable to series conventions.
Prime-Time Ratings: Tuesday
Tues night's fast nationals: Nielsen households slightly preferred NBC as a State of the Union outlet, but they also love that NCIS.
In other ratings news, Oprah's half-sister show was a ratings hit; an MTV rep says Skins is not in danger of cancellation despite its ratings drop; Piers Morgan had a merely ok first week; most of the new January shows are not doing well; and Fringe on Friday has great DVR numbers, for what that's worth.
In other ratings news, Oprah's half-sister show was a ratings hit; an MTV rep says Skins is not in danger of cancellation despite its ratings drop; Piers Morgan had a merely ok first week; most of the new January shows are not doing well; and Fringe on Friday has great DVR numbers, for what that's worth.
DirecTV Retrans Dispute
The Super Bowl hangs in the balance as DirecTV & Northwest Broadcasting hold a retrans fight.
More ESPN Everywhere
ESPN networks are appearing on more TV Everywhere systems, including Time Warner Cable.
Waters Rails Against Comcast-NBCU
Rep. Maxine Waters is not a fan of the FCC's capitulation to Comcast-NBCU.
Lionsgate Developing Reality
Lionsgate's TV division (Mad Men, Weeds) is now delving into reality TV, Deadline reports.
Kid Nation Analysis
Derek Johnson looks back at the reality show Kid Nation and analyzes what it says about reality conventions and social structures.
Twitter Feed
News for TV Majors now has a linked Twitter feed: @N4TVM. So if you're more the Twitter type than the RSS type, give it a follow.
SOTU Coverage
James Poniewozik gives the TV take on the State of the Union address and Republican responses, and has a follow-up post on Michele Bachmann, and Eric Deggans critiques CNN's use of Piers Morgan and Eliot Spitzer for coverage.
Nielsen Trading
The Nielsen Co. will begin trading today on the NYSE, having raised $1.6 billion with the IPO.
BBC Sitcom Debates
A group of British critics are debating the direction of BBC sitcoms: a few days ago, Daily Mail's Paul Revoir reported on the BBC's stated desire to develop more sitcoms about the working class. In response, The Telegraph's Andrew Pettie insists the focus instead needs to be on quality content, while The Guardian's Phil Redmond argues for the need to nurture new writers. The creators of the legendary Steptoe and Son have also chimed in to say the BBC should just focus on sitcoms that are actually funny.
Syndication Still Central
A NAPTE panel of station execs touted the value of syndicated content in a multiplatform world. Wayne Friedman also addresses this issue.
NBC Going Racy
NBC's new chief Bob Greenblatt says the network will develop racier programming in a bid for higher ratings. Gear up, PTC.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Good TVeets
Read from the bottom up after the jump. And sorry if you don't like the (yet another) new format, but we're stuck with it for now.
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Follow @GoodTVeets
Is he talking about #Lost now? RT @BarackObama: Get rid of the loopholes. #SOTU
"I missed Glee for THIS!" #WhatBidenIsThinking #SOTU
Okay news people, start making me feel bad about America again.
The Business of Glee
THR digs into the making and marketing of Glee, and updates us on the Ryan Murphy v. Kings of Leon snit.
Skins Drops
Skins dropped far in total viewers for its second episode; demo numbers haven't been released yet. And since I probably haven't blogged about Skins enough today, here's another piece on advertising during the show: Andrew Hampp questioning why the Hollywood studios aren't feeling the heat for their Skins placements.
Netflix Trying to Trump HBO
Deadline reports that Netflix is trying to outbid HBO for the rights to Warner Bros. films. Netflix's CEO told Melissa Grego that the company has strong studio relationships and will only help the content industry.
Prime-Time Ratings: Monday
Monday night's fast nationals: CBS was in reruns, which helped out ABC and FOX especially. Cable ratings.
Italy News
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi ranted on live TV about obsession with his sex scandal. Berlusconi might thus be pleased that soon Italians will be distracted by the Jersey Shore cast bumbling around his country.
No UK Skins Freakout
Emma Hall points out that the raciness of the original Skins hasn't scared away advertisers in England as it has here.
Global Idol Politics
Aaron Barnhart highlights some countries where versions of Pop Idol have been tied to social issues and political debates.
Reality Recruiters
Reality TV shows are relying more than ever on casting recruiters to find appropriate new participants.
Good TVeets
The Oscars make people do funny things. Like find E! on their cable line-up.
I have never watched E! news coverage before. It is pretty tE!rriblE!
Can E! lower the bar on intelligent coverage of the industry any more? They're making a really solid effort!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Yet More Skins
Skins is the new cord cutting (as in, I blog multiple times a day about it). And the latest is that Skins' co-creator is defending the show, and The Wrap's Brett Lang criticizes the PTC for complaining so much about sex on TV but not gun violence. Update: Marisa Guthrie pinpoints who actually advertised during last night's Skins (mostly MTV), and Maureen Ryan responds to the show's defense.
Cable & Broadcast Parity
A panel discussion at NAPTE involved claims of parity between cable and broadcasting.
Jill Scott & Stardom
Alyx Vesey laments Jill Scott's lack of stardom (and because she's not a star, you might not even know that she's the lead in HBO's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency).
British Jersey Shore
The remake phenomenon is going the other direction, for better or worse, with a UK version of Jersey Shore, also produced by MTV. (I also just found out there's a UK version of The Hills, The Only Way is Essex.)
Upscale Sports
Nielsen reports that sports perform especially well in the ratings in households earning $100,000+.
BBC Online Cuts
The BBC is making significant cuts to its online services, but there may be an upside.
Charter Everywhere on Hold
In need of more content, Charter Communications is pausing its attempt to develop a TV Everywhere service
Sorkin on Cable News
Aaron Sorkin is developing a new scripted drama for HBO on the cable news business.
Skins & Advertising
H&R Block has now pulled its ads from Skins, claiming they never intended for their ads to during the show, a claim that does have some plausibility. Update: Now Subway and Schick have fled too.
The Game & Black Sitcoms
Aymar Jean Christian considers The Game's BET success in light of the black sitcom in general. And Greg Braxton looks at The Game in light of BET.
Prime-Time Ratings: Sunday
Sunday night's fast nationals: Football was so dominant, the numbers are comical. Broadcast finals. Cable ratings.
Olbermann's Legacy
Eric Deggans looks back on what Keith Olbermann brought to MSNBC: "I do think many writing about Olbermann's departure forget his biggest legacy at MSNBC, perhaps even bigger than introducing the channels' current stars Lawrence O'Donnell and Rachel Maddow to his audience: Proving that cutting humor plus newsy content can equal big ratings in cable TV." Bill Carter and Brian Stelter look back on Olbermann's history of tension with his MSNBC bosses.
Good TVeets
Read from the bottom up after the jump.
Follow @GoodTVeets
Follow @GoodTVeets
Remember kids, every time you watch a Kardashian show a Bald Eagle hangs itself in shame.
Watching Hawaii 5-0. Steve and Danno have just figured out there's no Tsunami. Hope they're wrong. They drown.#WouldBeGreatSeriesFinale
Sorry, Chicago...no Olympics, no Super Bowl, but you still got #TheChicagoCode coming up! @ShawnRyanTV will make it all better.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Modern Family's Representations
Bruce Feiler analyzes the representations of family in Modern Family.
Beck Follower Threats
Glenn Beck's repeated focus on an NYU professor has resulted in threats made against her.
Texas Endings
Christopher Kelly highlights the disappointment Texas is feeling as a number of shows shot there have been canceled or are soon coming to an end.
YouView Delayed
The UK's planned internet TV service called YouView is being delayed, perhaps by as much as a year, due to technical issues.
Comedy Appreciation
British comedy writer Laurence Marks argues that comedy is harder than drama and deserves more respect.
Broadcasters 1, ivi 0
A group of broadcasters won a round in court against the streaming service ivi Inc.
Viral Ads
Two ad campaigns are going viral: Heinekin's "The Entrance" and EA's "Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2."
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Olbermann Out
Came back to my hotel room and was greeted by a shocker: Keith Olbermann is done at MSNBC. There will be tons of coverage; I'll just start with two of the blog's usual sources: Bill Carter and James Poniewozik.
Prime-Time Ratings: Thursday
Thursday night's fast nationals: As Alan Sepinwall says, it was a good night for network TV. NBC's experiment with a comedy block showed dividends. Broadcast finals. Cable ratings.
More on Skins
Jace Lacob tackles the Skins controversy, arguing that it is overblown but MTV is shrewdly taking advantage of it for publicity, which has the added effect of covering up the show's significant flaws. Kyra Glass van der Osten also shares thoughts on this topic. Matt Zoller Seitz says MTV must stand up to the PTC's tactics. David Carr questions the show and MTV.
More Scripted on USA
USA Network is planning to add two more scripted shows to its programming roster.
Food Network & HGTV Problems
Food Network and HGTV are struggling with declining ratings and increased competitive in their programming niches.
No More TV Room
Robert Strauss looks at how the concept of a single room in the house dedicated to TV watching is becoming obsolete due to the proliferation of viewing devices.
SpongeBob on Facebook
Nickelodeon will premiere a new SpongeBob SquarePants short on its Facebook page, before showing it on TV.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Travel Day
I'm traveling out of town this weekend, so, depending on the quality of the hotel wifi, posts will likely be sporadic.
Spectrum Resistance
Cecilia Kang reports that broadcasters are resistant to the FCC taking spectrum space away from them for broadband.
Good TVeets
Read from the bottom up after the jump.
Follow @GoodTveets
Follow @GoodTveets
It's hard to pinpoint the precise moment when something becomes uncool. Watch it happen to Steven Tyler at exactly 8P tonight. #Idol
Steven Tyler may bring down American Idol with the largest sexual harassment suit in reality show history. I say that as a compliment.
This season's AMERICAN IDOL features tightest plotting yet. Steven Tyler's plan to eat the rich will unfold slowly as season wears on. Cool.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Skins Boundaries
The producers of MTV's Skins have been told by channel executives to tone down the show's graphic depictions, out of fear that child pornography laws might be violated. James Poniewozik adds some thoughts. Update: Taco Bell has pulled its ads.
Idol Factors
Josef Adalian lays out five factors that could help decide whether American Idol thrives or dies from here.
NBC Sitcom News
Ricky Gervais, as David Brent, will be dropping in on The Office, and Parks & Recreation is back!!! (Sorry...three exclamation points...got very excited there)
Prime-Time Ratings: Tuesday
Tuesday night's fast nationals: CBS flexed its usual Tuesday muscles. Broadcast finals. Cable ratings
In other ratings news, Piers Morgan predictably dropped in total viewers on night two, but rose in the 18-49 demo.
In other ratings news, Piers Morgan predictably dropped in total viewers on night two, but rose in the 18-49 demo.
Hulu Plus Growing
A survey finds that Netflix still dominates online TV viewing, but Hulu Plus is growing.
British Adaptation & Reception
Myles McNutt reflects on American (and his own) reception of the slew of British remakes, Episodes, and Downton Abbey.
CBC Dumping US Game Shows
The new head of the CBC has decided to drop American game shows from the schedule in favor of Canadian fare.
Good TVeets
Read from the bottom up after the jump.
Follow @GoodTVeets
More FCC conditions: #47 "Written confirmation that NBC will never attempt to adapt 'Little Fockers' as a TV series."
I'm starting to think The National plays at the end of every hour of Jason Katims' life.
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