News for TV Majors: April 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015

HBO CEO Comments

Richard Plepler insists HBO Now isn't diverting people from pay TV and added additional comments during an earnings call.

CW Seed Network

Mike Shields reports that The CW is turning its CW Seed studio into a standalone mobile OTT app.

ESPN doesn't allow its NFL reporters to tweet during tonight's draft so they don't spoil picks before the show airs them. Richard Sandomir considers the journalistic implications of the NFL's no-spoilers demands.

Fans Rights

Tamar Barbash covers the angry response from Grey's Anatomy fans to last week's character death, and Robin Hardwick says shows don't owe fans anything.

Letterman Numbers

CBS has released stats related to David Letterman's late night career, from number of guest appearances to top ten lists.

Starz Hits High

Starz surpassed earnings estimates and has reached a high of 23.7 million subscribers.

Piracy Losses

A new study tries to pinpoint how much TV producers are losing to piracy, with estimates included for individual shows like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Orange in the New Black.

State of Time Warner Cable

Emily Steel says Time Warner Cable has emerged from the failed Comcast merger with many options.

Game of Thrones Nudity Imbalance

Melissa Leon says Game of Thrones' reluctance to show male full frontal nudity has a storytelling cost.

Comedy Opportunity

Ramin Setoodeh praises Lena Dunham for helping other women break into comedy, while Zeba Blay laments that there aren't more comedy opportunities for women of color.

Crackle's Rise

Erin Carlson covers Crackle's attempts to move up in status.

Roots Remake

History, Lifetime, and A&E will air a remake of Roots in 2016.

Time Warner News

Time Warner beat earnings estimates last quarter. Looking forward, CEO Jeff Bewkes insists TV has to adapt for an on-demand world.

NewFronts Satire

Defy Media presents an Honest Trailer for the digital newfronts.

YouTube Dominance

YouTube touted its dominance at its NewFronts presentation yesterday, including its mobile strength, as it apparently draws more 18-49 viewers on mobile devices than any network.

Baltimore Coverage

David Zurawik praised local Baltimore stations for their coverage of the city's unrest, and Stacia L. Brown praises local TV reporters for their work. Alyssa Rosenberg tackles The Wire issue.

Nielsen Measurements

Todd Spangler reports that Nielsen is working with Roku on ad measurement for that platform. Nielsen has also developed a new viewer measuring system to replace paper diaries, but local stations are concerned about its possible impact and accuracy. And Nielsen is warning clients to keep quiet about new "impact data" it has shared with them.

Whedon on Marvel Universe

Joss Whedon says it's difficult to keep the Marvel movie and TV worlds on the same page.

Nightly Show Rhythm

Brian Steinberg says Larry Wilmore's Nightly Show is finding its rhythm. And Sarah Beauchamp says the new show has changed late night in terms of diversity.

Documentary & VOD

VOD startup founder Roger Jackson shares insights on how VOD expansion is affecting the documentary world.

ESPN Mobile

Aaron Gordon explains how the failed ESPN mobile service led to success now with its mobile features.

Broad City & Race

Yohana Desta argues that Broad City deals with race better than Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Schumer's Feminist Comedy

Katie McDonough says Inside Amy Schumer illustrates the challenges of feminist comedy.

Serious Mom

Neil Genzlinger highlights how the sitcom Mom covers serious topics, and Joel Keller calls it the most dramatic sitcom on TV. Ed Martin says it may be the best sitcom on TV because of its combined humor and substance. Noel Murray says Mom is one of the best sitcoms of the decade.

The Briefcase Criticism

CBS is coming under fire for an upcoming reality show called The Briefcase. Teresa Jusino calls it an exercise in horrible taste, but the show's executive producer and creator responded to this with a defense of the series. Andy Dehnart also has concerns.

TLC Shows

David Bauder reports on TLC's plan to move away from "freak show" programming and air more shows with heart.

NBC's Aquarius Release

NBC has announced that it will post all remaining episodes of Aquarius online immediately after the show's premiere episode airs, and the series will air with a reduced commercial load. Alan Sepinwall has analysis of the Netflix-style move. Jason Lynch also reports.

Hulu News

Hulu had its upfronts yesterday, featuring stars of its upcoming series, and announced it now has 9 million subscribers. Also, the company plans to collaborate on ads for the platform with advertisers.

Wednesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
- Winners: Survivor (CBS), Modern Family (ABC), Chicago PD (NBC), Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
- Losers: CSI: Cyber (CBS)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

Good TVeets

The mainstream media is so bad that it has become cliched to talk about how bad they are. THAT'S HOW BAD THEY ARE.
— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) April 29, 2015

What to know what you're playing for? An afternoon free of abuse! Oh just kidding, it's hamburgers. #Survivor
— Andy Dehnart (@realityblurred) April 30, 2015

I don’t want Emily Thorne to get #Revenge. I want her to forever be frustrated & angry, turning to drink/rage spirals like the rest of us.
— Tim Goodman (@BastardMachine) April 29, 2015

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Dempsey Savings

Fans are petitioning to bring Patrick Dempsey back to Grey's Anatomy, but the show will save millions in dropping his salary.

Weather Channel Changes

Chris Ariens covers management changes at The Weather Channel.

Boxing Piracy Battle

Showtime and HBO are going after streaming sites offering the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.

Jenner Lessons

Toni Fitzgerald highlights what TV can learn from the big ratings for last Friday's Bruce Jenner interview.

PBS Drama

PBS will air its first American scripted drama in over a decade, a six-episode Civil War drama.

CNN Criticism

Jeb Lund is highly critical of CNN and Wolf Blitzer's coverage of events in Baltimore. Jon Stewart also took on CNN and Blitzer last night.

The Wire & Baltimore

Todd VanDerWerff compares The Wire's Baltimore with the real one, as does Kay Steiger, who laments that the show largely stands alone among TV shows in addressing the issues that have sparked Black Lives Matter protests. Bill Keller talks with The Wire creator David Simon about Baltimore's current crisis.

Hulu Gets Walking Dead Spinoff

In addition to the Seinfeld deal, Hulu also announced it has a deal with AMC to become the streaming home for the Walking Dead spinoff.

Williams Fighting

Claire Atkinson says Brian Williams is still fighting hard to keep his NBC job.

OTT Ecosystem

Andrew Wallenstein offers up some super cool graphics in laying out the OTT, VOD, and pay TV universe.

AOL-NBCU Partnership

AOL and NBCU are combining forces to share and develop content. Will Richmond covers AOL's NewFronts news, as does Michelle Castillo.

Hulu Gets Seinfeld

Hulu has struck a deal to license Seinfeld reruns for around $160 million.

State of the News Media

Pew Research Center has released its State of the News Media Report for 2015. Adrienne LaFrance says the dominance of Facebook is a major takeaway from the report. Mobile news is also dominating as print declines. Alex Weprin says the report shows why cable news channels are moving away from traditional news reporting and toward alternative programming.

Comcast Analyzed

Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., analyzes Comcast's conflicts among its cable and broadband distribution and content businesses and the political and commercial blowback they can engender. (via the Google News link)

When To Cancel

Elizabeth Wagmeister covers what goes into a network's decision to renew or cancel a long-running series.

Letterman Interview

Dave Itzkoff has a revealing interview with David Letterman, as he reflects back on his career. Alan Sepinwall identifies a few highlights.

Film Directors on TV

Michael Schneider highlights major film directors who have turned to television.

Mad Men Style

Tom and Lorenzo analyze "Time and Life."

Revenge Done

The season finale of Revenge will also serve as the series finale.

Tuesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
- Winners: Dancing With the Stars 10th Anniversary Special (ABC), NCIS (CBS), The Voice (NBC), The Flash (CW), NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)
- Honorable Mention: Chicago Fire (NBC)
- Losers: Undateable ( NBC), New Girl (Fox), One Big Happy (NBC), Weird Loners (Fox)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

Good TVeets

You’re telling me this “Inside Amy Schumer” show aggregates all her sketches before they’re posted on the Internet?
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) April 29, 2015

It's kind of amazing how @realDonaldTrump's tweets somehow manage to sully the dignity and respectability of Celebrity Apprentice.
— Amy Von Doom (@spooloflies) April 28, 2015

Thanks to Hulu, you'll be able to watch Seinfeld as NBC originally intended: with constant, irritating commercial breaks.
— Scott Meslow (@scottmeslow) April 29, 2015

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The Wire & Social Action

Ashley Hinck considers why The Wire hasn't inspired widespread social action in regard to Baltimore.

NBC Sports Live Extra on Apple TV & Roku

Apple TV and Roku owners can now access NBC Sports Live Extra, though pay TV authentication is required.

HBO Release Model

HBO's CEO doesn't think HBO Go or HBO Now should release a program's season all at once.

TV Scorecard

Rick Kissell and Cynthia Littleton assess what programming is and isn't working at the networks and major cable channels.

Rhimes' Characters

Janet Mock explores how the characters in shows produced by Shonda Rhimes offer powerful representations of race and gender.

Verizon Criticism

Dan Rayburn calls out Verizon for trying to fool customers into upgrading streaming service needlessly.

CNN Criticism

Justin Peters is critical of CNN's coverage of events in Baltimore.

Vice TV Channel

Vice Media will take over a linear cable channel, replacing A&E's H2 and calling it Vice.

Hulu News

Hulu Plus will now be available from Cablevision; Peter Kafka has analysis. And Debra Birnbaum and Todd Spangler dive deeply into Hulu's attempts to catch up with Netflix and Amazon, a topic Jason Lynch also explores.

IFC Upfronts

Jason Lynch covers IFC's upfronts and its unusual approach.

Netflix Viewership

Andrew Wallenstein reports Netflix viewing figures from a research firm surveying a panel of subscribers. According to their figures, Daredevil has been hot, while Bloodline has started slow. Ben Travers has analysis, as does Brian Byrd.

Popcorn Time Block

Eriq Gardner reports that a British judge ruled in favor of MPAA members in a lawsuit against Popcorn Time websites and ordered UK telecom companies to block access to the piracy site.

Yahoo NewFronts

Kathy Savitt covers the new programming coming from Yahoo, announced at its NewFronts presentation.

Collaborative Reality TV

Andy Dehnart sees a positive model for reality TV in Finding Your Roots letting Ben Affleck participate in shaping his episode.

Penny Dreadful at Hot Topic

You can now buy Penny Dreadful clothes at Hot Topic.

The Wire & Baltimore

Justin Wm. Moyer questions how much The Wire can help us understand recent events in Baltimore.

ESPN's Verizon Suit

Richard Greenfield reports on ESPN suing Verizon over its custom bundle packages, and Colin Dixon wonders if this is exactly what Verizon wants.

YouTube Partnerships

Peter Kafka reports on YouTube's move to keep some of its biggest stars happy with financial support, which includes making feature-length movies with AwesomenessTV.

Netflix Needs Ads

A British marketing firm CEO insists that Netflix will have to introduce advertising if it hopes to become profitable.

Viewing Options

Bill Cromwell reports on a new study about viewing habits, which finds streaming preferences making huge strides, and Indiewire's TV podcast covers how people are watching TV differently today. Revolt has a study on millennial viewing habits.

Periscope Problem

Michael Schneider says Periscope offers marketing benefits but also piracy dangers to TV.

Maker Studios NewFronts

Andrew Wallenstein covers Maker Studios' NewFronts presentation and slate of upcoming programming. Michelle Castillo also covers Maker Studios.

Monday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
- Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Voice (ABC)
- Not Good Enough for Renewal: Stalker (CBS)
- Losers: The Originals (CW), The Following (Fox), Jane the Virgin (CW)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Popcorn Time on iOS

Ted Kritsonis introduces us to the hackers who got Popcorn Time onto non-jailbroken iOS devices.

Snapchat Hire

Mathew Ingram points out the significance of Snapchat hiring a star CNN reporter. Kevin Roose considers why Snapchat is getting into the news business.

Hulu's Hopes

Jason Lynch looks at Hulu's plan to better compete with Netflix and Amazon.

TV Survival

Randall Rothenberg argues that television will evolve and survive the mobile and online onslaught.

New In Media Res

Theme: Stadium Entertainment

Monday, April 27, 2015 - Kimberly A. Owczarski (Texas Christian University) presents: Marvel Universe Live, the Lectro-Link, and the Live-Action Entertainment Experience
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - Eleanor M. Huntington (University of Southern Califronia) presents: Mascot Life.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - Susan Nance (University of Guelph) presents: Fin Lives in My iPhone
Thursday, April 30, 2015 - Alex Kupfer (New York University) presents: A New View: Marketing Training Media to Sports Fans
Friday, May 1, 2015 - Markus Stauff (University of Amsterdam) presents: The augmented live experience: Google Glass in the stadium

Don Lemon Profile

Taffy Brodesser-Akner profiles CNN's Don Lemon.

Upfronts Primer

Eric Blattberg explains the basics of the upfronts.

Jenner Coverage

Ina Fried says Bruce Jenner's interview with Diane Sawyer is like an "Ellen moment" for the transgender community. Andrew Wallenstein is doubtful that the upcoming E! reality series chronicling Jenner's transition can measure up to the value and quality of the interview, but Andy Dehnart sees promise in the series for both Jenner's story and the future of reality TV.

Outlander Radicalism

Maureen Ryan highlights a radical representation in Outlander in the form of male genitalia.

Game of Thrones Premiere Growth

HBO has announced big L+7 viewing numbers for Game of Thrones' season premiere .

Pay TV Coverage

Hilary Stout says dissatisfied Time Warner Cable customers are disappointed that Comcast won't save them, and Harry A. Jessell insists we shouldn't cheer the merger's collapse. Colin Dixon offers four suggestions to Comcast in the failed merger's wake. Time Warner Cable and Charter are now talking. ESPN has filed suit against Verizon's skinny bundle packages, and Phillip Swann sees problems with Cablevision's new "cord cutter plan." Phillip Swann outlines winners and losers of the Comcast-TWC deal collapse.

Williams' Fate

Even as news leaks of more alleged Brian Williams lies, so too does word that the new NBC News chief wants him back. But Stephen Battaglio says the prospects for him to return are fading.

Daytime Emmys

Daytime Emmys were handed out last night, and there was a tie for best soap.

Sunday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
- Winners: Nothing
- Losers: A.D. The Bible Continues (NBC), Revenge (ABC), American Odyssey (NBC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted.

Good TVeets

Skynet became self-aware quicker than Don Draper.
— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) April 27, 2015

I wouldn’t have guessed Pete Campbell could top “Not great, Bob!” but… Well… Here we are.
— Daniel Fienberg (@HitFixDaniel) April 27, 2015

Really enjoying this episode of 'The Real Housewives of King's Landing' #GameofThrones
— James Hibberd (@JamesHibberd) April 27, 2015

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Shonda Rhimes, Serial Killer

Gwen Ihnat argues that Shonda Rhimes' pattern of character killing has gotten rote.

Suit Design

Sundi Rose-Holt talks to costume designers from shows like Scandal, The Good Wife, and, of course, Suits about dressing men in suits.

White House Correspondents' Dinner

Journalists, politicians, and celebrities gathered for the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner last night. President Obama got his usual digs in, and Keegan-Michael Key appeared as Luther, Obama's anger translator. SNL's Cecily Strong offered up jokes as host.

Comcast Coverage

Eric Lipton notes that Comcast's intense lobbying wasn't enough to get the TWC merger done. Thomas Gryta and Joe Flint explore why the AT&T-DirecTV merger isn't generating as much opposition, with broadband as the key, and Alison Griswold argues that mistrust of Comcast helped sink its deal. Mark Drajem and Chris Strohm highlight the evolution of FCC chairman Tom Wheeler from cable lobbyist to apparent consumer advocate.

Good TVeets

Permanent birth control is a big decision that can only be made while watching Hulu.
— Robin McCauley (@RobinMcCauley) April 25, 2015

big shout to my pals who praise the wire for its realism but also have trouble believing the baltimore PD would do anything untoward
— nomchompsky (@nomchompsky) April 25, 2015

In retrospect I'm kind of angry at Stephen Colbert for convincing people online they should pay attention to the WHC dinner.
— Jaime J. Weinman (@weinmanj) April 26, 2015

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Friday Ratings

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers.

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

Paying Less For TV

New analysis of cord cutter desires indicates people still want a lot of channels, they just want to pay less for them all.

Littlest Hobo Oral History

Elianna Lev offers an oral history of The Littlest Hobo, an iconic Canadian TV show.

Identifying With Black Representations

Bim Adewunmi expresses frustration that while black viewers frequently find points of identification with white characters and representations, especially due to their overwhelmingly presence, white viewers tend not to see themselves in black characters and representations.

Williams Inquiry Expanding

Apparently NBC is finding more Brian Williams lies as it digs deeper into his past comments.

Jenner Coverage

Diane Sawyer's interview of Bruce Jenner was met with mostly positive reaction and big viewership numbers: Gabriel Arana says it set a new bar for reporting on transgender issues, Heather Havrilesky says it was a triumph, Brian Lowry says it overcame the hype, Brian Stelter says the interview with met with an outpouring of love, and Andy Dehnart was engaged throughout. Jenner will now star in an E! series about the gender transition.

Good TVeets

A Republican trans woman who is an Olympic champ and reality show star. Y'all. You can't make this up. Only in America in the 21st century.
— Natalie Tindall (@dr_tindall) April 25, 2015

I feel like Judith Butler should be in the corner of the screen explaining #BruceJenner tonight
— ProfB (@AntheaButler) April 25, 2015

Apparently a lot of you find #BruceJennerABC to be really informative. Just imagine if you listened to trans voices all the time #transwreck
— Josie Nemo (@offwhitemonster) April 25, 2015

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

Friday, April 24, 2015

Netflix & HBO Value

Sam Mattera covers the comparative stock valuation of HBO and Netflix, while Will Richmond's podcast discusses Netflix's "friend or foe" status relative to the TV industry.

Grey's Attention

Todd VanDerWerff deconstructs the "Grey's Anatomy is still on?" reaction that some had last night and explores why it indeed deserves to still be on. There was also significant tweeting throughout the episode, with apparent East Coast and West Coast spikes at the end of the episode.

More Comcast Coverage

Tim Wu covers what brought about the demise of the Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal. Richard Greenfield considers what's next for various video providers. Shalini Ramachandran says Charter will now go after TWC.

New CST

Check out a new issue of Critical Studies in Television featuring:

The Chaos of Choice on Television by Douglas Howard
The Advent of the TV Blockbuster by Simon Brown
From Ramsey Street, With Love by Liz Giuffre
Sounding Loneliness by Sean Redmond

Jenner Dilemma

Brian Stelter highlights the dilemma journalists are grappling with over what gendered pronoun to use in regard to Bruce Jenner.

Peabody Awards and Valuing TV

Jonathan Gray discusses his experience on the Peabody Awards Board and the process of collaboratively determining value.

Important Media Reporters

Mediaite offers a list of the eleven most important media reporters in 2015.

Thursday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
- Winners: The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
- Still Positive but Fading: Scandal (ABC)
- Not Worthy of Renewal: The Odd Couple (CBS)
- Losers: The Vampire Diaries (CW), Backstrom (Fox), Reign (CW), American Crime (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

YouTube Past & Future

Brian Moylan looks back on how ten years of YouTube have changed television, and Joan E. Solsman looks forward and see YouTube stars representing the future of mainstream entertainment.

Bundle Hate

George Simpson says cable subscribers should be fighting against bundling and calling for more control over what they pay for.

HBO News Risk

Andrew Tyndall says HBO is taking a risk by entering into the news business with Vice.

Original Content Strategy

Alan Wolk sees the importance of high-quality original series continuing as networks seek to stand out.

Orphan Black Ratings

Orphan Black premiered on Saturday not just on BBC America but across a spectrum of AMC Networks channels. The latter circumstance resulted in an all-time viewership high for the series, though the numbers for BBC America individually were down from last season.

Comcast Coverage

More coverage of the Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal falling through: Comcast confirmed the deal is dead this morning, and Time Warner Cable also released a statement. Todd Shields notes that Comcast's lobbying force failed, and Amy Schatz says this shows money can't buy everything. Tali Arbel says this won't stop the consolidation wave, and Peter Kafka says we still have a ways to go to get better broadband service. Michael Lev considers this bad news for the TWC-Dodgers impasse. Karl Bode has the Comcast employee perspective

Good TVeets

I understand you want to cancel your merger, Mr Comcast. First I just want to go through a few options to make sure that's the right choice.
— Kieran Healy (@kjhealy) April 23, 2015

Stop Interviewing Actors, Entertainment Journalism Is Ruining All Our Sex Dreams By Making Actors Share Their Stupid Opinions
— Sophast Sophurious (@insopherable) April 23, 2015

Guarding Steph Curry must be like trying to play NBA 2K on hard mode with no batteries in your controller and the TV turned off.
— Rob Fee (@robfee) April 24, 2015

Warning: Grey's Anatomy spoilers in here, though it's hard to imagine anyone managed to avoid them thus far.

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Awesomeness Mom Spinoff

AwesomenessTV will launch a new digital brand aimed at moms of millennials, with soaps and talk shows in the programming mix.

ESPN Exec to Fox Sports

Former ESPN executive Jamie Horowitz will head to Fox Sports to oversee programming for Fox Sports 1 and 2.

Schumer Sketch

Jessica Goldstein talks to the writers of the Inside Amy Schumer's Friday Night Lights-themed "Don't rape" sketch that went viral. Katie McDonough says it's a perfect takedown of rape culture.

Dr. Oz Controversy

Talk show celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz is responding to a group of physicians insisting he should resign from Columbia University due to quackery. Brian Lowry has coverage of the episode in which Dr. Oz goes after his critics.

Marvel Studios & TV Issue

Merrill Barr raises questions about communication issues between Marvel's movie and TV teams.

Cord Cutting Coverage

Nielsen insists cable is doing fine and cord cutting isn't proliferating. But Cablevision, for one, is offering a cord cutter's broadband package.

Verizon FiOS Ads Blocked

Disney and Fox are refusing to air ads for Verizon's FiOS service with smaller custom bundles.

Docs in PBS Prime Time

Independent Lens and POV will stay in prime time on all PBS outlets and will see increased marketing.

More Peabodys

Peabody awards for documentary, educational, children's, and public service programming were announced today.

Comcast Deal Off

Alex Sherman reports that Comcast will abandon its plan to merge with Time Warner Cable due to likely regulator disapproval. The NYT also reports, as do Financial Times and Shalini Ramachandran. Erin Griffith wonders what Comcast will buy next. Joe Flint says this is a black eye for Comcast CEO Brian Roberts. Jonathan Mahler says the focus on broadband killed the deal.

Hulu-Turner Deal

Hulu forged a deal with Turner for exclusive SVOD rights to Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, TBS, TNT content.

Complex TV Endings

An excerpt from Jason Mittell's new book on complex TV covers endings in serial dramas.

Letterman Special

David Letterman will exit his show with a prime-time special.

AT&T and The Flash

Ed Martin looks at how AT&T is working on-screen promotions into The Flash.

BBC3 Delay

The possible move of BBC Three online has been delayed to 2016 as regulators continue to ponder approval.

Mad Men & Women in Advertising

A female advertising exec offers her take on Mad Men's portrayal of women in the business.

Women on Comedy Central

Megan Angelo presents a timeline of women appearing on Comedy Central.

Ad Personalization

Brian Steinberg documents a push toward more narrowly audience-targeted ads on TV.

Rerun Afterlife

Adriene Hill looks at the evolving value of reruns, as streaming services dig into traditional syndication practices.

Election Shutdown

The British channel E4 will go dark on election day to encourage young people to vote.

Influential Ads

Food Network and HGTV topped a survey into the likelihood that viewers would buy products a channel advertised.

Facebook Video Partners

Todd Spangler reports that Facebook is teaming with partners like Vice, Funny or Die, and Disney to develop sponsored video content.

Louie's Representation of Single Dads

Craig Tomashoff appreciates how Louie portrays the single dad.

Jenner Interview Promos

Brian Stelter highlights ABC's promotional strategy for Diane Swayer's interview with Bruce Jenner.

Community's Pedagogy

Stephanie Brown explores the pop culture instructional function of Community.

Kid in the Hall Tour

Kids in the Hall members did a radio interview about their upcoming tour and why Canadian TV today doesn't have a show like it.

Weather Channel-Dish Deal

The Weather Channel struck a new carriage agreement with Dish Network and will appear on Sling TV this summer.

Purge-Watching

Adam Sternbergh proposes purge-watching as the term for viewing a show to completion because you feel obligated to finish, not because you like it.

The Life & Death of Playmakers

Aaron Gordon reports on Playmakers, the short-lived ESPN drama about pro football, and how the NFL killed it.

Aereo Settlement

Aereo will pay $950,000 to the broadcast networks in a settlement of its copyright violation suit.

The Decline of Bundling

Ben Popper says the giant bundle business model of cable TV is dying.

Pilot Trends

Andrea Morabito looks at what trends are apparent from the fall pilots in play. And Scott Collins notes that racial diversity is one of those trends.

Mad Men Oral History

This was all over Twitter feed the past few days, so you probably saw it already, but just in case: Clickhole's oral history of Mad Men is a must-read.

Mad Men Style

Tom and Lorenzo analyze costuming in "The Forecast." Alexandra Jacobs talks to Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant about what's next for her.

Netflix Nostalgia

Sam Thielman says Netflix's algorithms reveal the nostalgia that is bringing shows like Full House back.

Sirens Cancelled

USA has cancelled Sirens, and the fact that they don't own the show played a role in the decision. Merrill Barr digs into that fact further and argues that Netflix or FX should save the series.

Lip Sync Battle Renewed

Not surprisingly, Spike TV wants a second season of Lip Sync Battle.

SVOD & Streaming Viewing

Nielsen has a new study about viewing habits, which stresses viewers gaining power over how and when they watch. A different study finds streaming overtaking live TV as preferred viewing for Americans, plus SVOD viewers wouldn't mind more ads for cheaper services, while another study finds that connected TV owners are active video streamers. Colin Dixon notes conflicting data on the speed of SVOD growth. Nielsen insists it could better measure online viewing if only networks and advertisers would let it, while figures show that Netflix viewing is eating into TV ratings, particular with network rerun content. Will Richmond says new research shows that pay TV subscribers value TV Everywhere options, though most are light users right now.

The Americans Interviews

Alan Sepinwall talks to the producers of The Americans about season 3. Todd VanDerWerff also talked with a co-showrunner about the season finale.

Wednesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
- Winners: Survivor (CBS), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS)
- Honorable Mention: The Goldbergs (ABC)
- Losers: Nothing…there was something for everyone!

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

New Flow Issue

Check out a new issue of Flow featuring:

Industry Lore and Algorithmic Programming on Netflix by Nick Marx
Content That Travels: International Content and Original Programming on U.S. Streaming Sites by Karen Petruska
Teaching Friday Night Lights by R. Colin Tait
Ghost Directors in the Auteur Machine by David Church
Your Tumblr Makes Me Want To Study: Thoughts about the studyblr community by Jacqueline Ryan Vickery
Neighed to Order: The Case of BoJack Horseman by Matt Sienkiewicz

Anti-Piracy Search Engine

MPAA chief lobbyist Chris Dodd is hoping that the WhereToWatch.com search engine will help limit piracy by enabling people to more easily find desired legal content online.

Most Censored Countries

The Committee to Protect Journalists has posted a list of countries where censorship of the press is most extensive.

Fresh Off the Boat Coverage

Josef Adalian talked to Fresh Off the Boat's showrunner about the first season, criticism from Eddie Huang, and what's next, as the season finale aired this week. Jeff Yang says the series has already changed TV, but Lenika Cruz wants more from a second season. Molly Fitzpatrick highlights how underrepresented Asian-Americans are on TV. Slate has a discussion of the series' representations that features Hudson Yang, who plays Eddie.

Monday & Tuesday Ratings

I missed ratings the past few days, so here's some catchup in case you did too:

Monday ratings summary from Marc Berman:
- Winners: Dancing with the Stars (ABC), The Voice (NBC), Scorpion (CBS)
- Disappointing: Gotham (Fox)
- Losers: The Originals (CW), The Following (Fox), Jane the Virgin (CW)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Fienberg.

_____________

Tuesday ratings summary from Marc Berman:
- Winners: The Voice (NBC)
- Honorable Mention: Chicago Fire (NBC)
- Disappointing: Undateable (NBC)
- Losers: Repeat After Me (ABC), Weird Loners (Fox), One Big Happy (NBC), Forever (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted.

Comcast Merger Dead?

The FCC is reportedly against the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger and wants a hto hold a hearing on the matter, which analysts say is a sign the deal could be dead. Criticism of Comcast has built in recent weeks, and both Comcast and TWC are among the most hated companies in the cable business. Dorothy Pomerantz questions if Comcast even needs TWC anymore given the state of the cable TV and broadband business now, and Brian Nichols says it doesn't matter for shareholder value anymore. Meanwhile, the AT&T-DirecTV merger possibility is still out there. Richard Greenfield considers what's next.

Good TVeets

If it's wrong for a grown ass adult to get emotionally invested in supernatural couples on a teen show then I don't wanna be right.
— Richie (@RichieOnTV) April 21, 2015

Hey @PBS, can you censor some of the bullshit out of my family too?
— Scott Chernoff (@ScottChernoff) April 22, 2015

"Stop reading Twitter," she told herself, "And go do something productive, like watch TV."
— Maris Kreizman (@mariskreizman) April 23, 2015

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

5-Season Plan for Orphan Black

E! reports a comment from Orphan Black's co-creator that they have a five-season plan for the series.

Finding Your Roots Issue

Ben Affleck explains why he wanted a slave-owning ancestor excised from his episode of Finding Your Roots, and PBS is now investigating the decisions behind the segment. Mary Elizabeth Williams is disappointed in PBS and what this represents about the state of public media. Gawker obtained a transcript of the full episode.

Marc Berman's summary:
- Winners: The 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS)
- Losers: Revenge (ABC), A.D.: The Bible Continues (NBC), American Odyssey (NBC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

Hey remember when it was Sunday-Funday and not Sunday-Watch 17 TV Shows or Be Culturally Steamrolled Day
— Josh Lincoln Dickey (@NotoriousJLD) April 19, 2015

Glen Bishop: making #MadMen uncomfortable since Season 1
— Kelly Leveille (@kayleveay) April 20, 2015

There must be at least ten clients on Mad Men who are like hey where the fuck are my ads?
— aaron blitzstein (@BlitznBeans) April 20, 2015

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

I'm super bummed about Sabado Gigante ending, but I can't wait to see what giant breasts do next.
— Vanessa Ramos (@thatRamosgirl) April 18, 2015

SHE LOOKS DIFFERENT AS EVERY CLONE BUT IT’S THE SAME PERSON AND MY BRAIN IS GOING TO EXPLODE #OrphanBlack #CloneClub #Clonesbians
— TheOtherNic (@CloneNic) April 19, 2015

AV Club gives the absence of TV a B+ pic.twitter.com/X09BS2XBMx
— The Quality of Matty (@digifreak642) April 18, 2015

***CLICK HERE FOR MORE***

With the first season of her series ending tonight, Cristela Alonzo offers a defense of the multi-cam Cristela against criticism of its representations and hope for a renewal. Josef Adalian says the series does deserve a second season, and David Sims says the show proves there's still life in the multi-cam format. Pilot Viruet argues that the series is smart and its diversity is vital.

Comcast-TWC Merger in Doubt

Bloomberg reports that the Justice Department's antitrust division is leaning toward rejecting the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger. Brian Stelter also reports.

Verizon Skinny Bundles

Verizon's FiOS is offering pay TV subscribers their choice of "skinny bundles" of channels, with the freedom to swap out the smaller packages from month to month. Peter Kafka says this gets us closer to true a la carte TV. Shalini Ramachandran and Ryan Knutson look at this as the result of heavy competition.

Update: Peter Kafka reports that Disney believes these bundles could violate its existing agreement with Verizon.

Shooting Video Fee

News outlets now must pay if they want to air the video footage of a South Carolina man being killed by a police officer. Some are taking issue with the reporting done by the NYT on this story (which is at the first link), and there might be a fair use provision here.

Thursday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
- Winners: The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Scandal (ABC), Mom (CBS)
- Losers (excluding repeats): Bones (Fox), The Vampire Dairies (CW), Backstrom (Fox), Reign (CW)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

Me: Star Wars, I love you. Star Wars Trailer: I know.
— Cameron Chittock (@CameronChittock) April 16, 2015

Star Wars trailer definitely did its job, though tbh you could put John Williams' score over a shot of a rutabaga and I'd get a tiny chill.
— Andy Daglas (@AndyDaglas) April 16, 2015

NO YOU'RE CRYING ABOUT AN OLD MAN AND A GIANT DOGBEAR
— Beastbrarian (@amydieg) April 16, 2015