It won’t happen this upfront, but Ted Harbert, the chairman of NBC Broadcasting, moved the ball down field Monday on what could become a major battle on Madison Avenue: whether to shift to C7 ratings. Harbert suggested a rise in time-shifted viewing means networks are undercompensated with the current ratings system that drives the national marketplace. The industry standard uses a C3 number, which rolls up commercial viewing over a three-day period after broadcast. “It’s time to consider a move to a C7 metric,” Harbert said at the NBC upfront presentation. It was a surprising venue to launch the charge. Upfront presentations are usually reserved for some plugs about network progress and a focus on programming, rather than hinting about contentious negotiations. Then again, Radio City Music Hall was filled with media buyers, and it was a way to reach masses of them at once. SMGX, the large media buying entity, didn’t seem ready to shake hands, tweeting: “While that is great for NBC, is it good for our clients?” Buyers are likely to resist since it would give a network higher ratings, which would raise ad prices. A C7 move could become a negotiating point over the next year, earning increasing prominence much like the shift to C3 from live program ratings was several years ago. Continuing a business conversation -- though this time with a more cooperative theme -- Harbert suggested that buyers and sellers fight Dish Network’s new DVR function allowing viewers to zap all ads in broadcast shows a day after their debut. “This is an insult to our joint investment in programming, and I’m against it,” he said, reiterating opposition first expressed Sunday. Harbert also said adopting a sturdy cross-platform measurement system is critical, now that so much viewing is taking place on mobile devices and laptops. “If we’re going to spend all this money on content, it still needs to be measured and monetized,” he said. Until now, consumption off the TV screen has been minuscule enough that it hasn’t been much of an issue to buyers and sellers, he said. Now, the inflection point has arrived -- and he urged industry cooperation on putting a multiplatform measurement system in place, saying it would drive ROI for buyers. “We just can’t wait and wait some more for Nielsen to do it,” he said. After Harbert left the stage, a focus on programming emerged. The chief of NBC entertainment Bob Greenblatt spoke about moving “The Voice” to the fall, adding a second version to the midseason run. “We have no illusions that it will take down every musical show out there,” he said. He also announced that “30 Rock” would end its run with 13 episodes this fall and a two-hour finale. On Sunday, NBC announced its fall schedule that is heavy on comedies, with at least an hour on four nights a week. A J.J. Abrams sci-fi drama, “Revolution” will follow “The Voice” on Mondays. News magazine “Rock Center with Brian Williams” takes over the former NBC drama stronghold of 10 p.m. on Thursdays. “Chicago Fire,” about a Windy City fire squad, will air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. with a cameo by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Celebrity Apprentice” is set for midseason, and some former stars of the show may return. “The Biggest Loser” is on the bench, giving NBC something to fill hours with after some programming inevitably is cancelled. Three new comedies are being held for midseason, including “1600 Penn,” about the rebellious son of the president. A promising midseason reality series from producers Mark Burnett and Dick Wolf, “Stars Earn Stripes,” seems inspired by the Navy SEALs assassination of Osama Bin Laden. Celebrities will take on the challenge of doing what the military does in training.
Telemundo, the Comcast-owned Spanish-language media company, is boosting its original program production output by 40% to more than 800 hours for the 2012-13 season. It will add six new novellas as part of its programming mix. Several new daytime and reality shows are being readied for the new season, along with a record amount -- 170 hours -- of original Olympics-related content for the upcoming London games. Company executives also said they are repositioning the brand next fall around new research that defines the so-called “duality” of the U.S. Hispanic market. While Hispanics like the U.S. and enjoy residing here, they are also mindful and proud of their country of origin, per the new research. The repositioning will include a new logo and tagline to be unveiled at a later date. A video clip at a Monday press conference highlighting the research showed a number of Latinos proclaiming “I am Latin, I am here,” to convey the sentiment behind the duality. Executives stressed that the line was not the network's new promotional tagline. The new telenovelas, focused mainly on the themes of love, hate and revenge, include "The Face of Revenge," "The Patron," "The Lord of the Heavens," "Forbidden Passion," "An Idol is Born" and Fine Pedigree." New daytime programs include a talk show "Cuauhtemoc" with host Carlos Cuauhtemoc Sanchez, motivational speaker and bestselling author. The show will feature couples and families discussing personal issues and struggles. A dramatic daytime series "Virgin Morena" will examine supposed miracles that have occurred in connection with Mexico’s famed Our Lady of Guadalupe. Also being readied is a new reality competition program "My Name Is," in which talented amateurs compete for prizes by performing as their favorite singing idol. Telemundo Media President Emilio Romano said the company’s goal is to become both the top U.S. Spanish-language network and the world’s leading producer of popular Hispanic programs. Neither is likely to happen in the next couple of years -- Univision has a 70%-plus of the U.S. Spanish-language audience -- but Comcast and NBC Universal are “the right partners” to make it happen someday, said Romano. Jacqueline Hernandez, Telemundo Media COO, said the company’s “core focus” is its commitment to its audience and its redoubled efforts to provide as much programming as possible “everywhere.” She said the company was introducing a new entertainment app that would enable access to Telemundo’s full programming schedule, as well as programs from Mun2, Telemundo’s younger-skewing sibling network. The app also allows users to plug reminders into their phones about dates and times of shows. Hernandez also said the company would test a new technique, via social media, where consumers could have a say in story lines of an upcoming new program. The audience, she said, “will be co-producing with us.” On the sales front, the network didn’t have any deals to report -- competitor Univision last week made the first major deal of this year’s upfront with Starcom, the Publicis Groupe-owned media shop. “We’ll do business when our clients want to do business,” said Dan Lovinger, Telemundo's executive vice president of integrated sales and marketing. Commenting on the Univision-Starcom deal, Lovinger said: “It’s an endorsement of the Hispanic marketplace.” He added that Telemundo and Mun2 combined added more than 50 new advertisers in the past year.
Agencies are pushing back against recently filed lawsuits claiming that they are guilty of race discrimination and asking courts to dismiss the complaints. Starcom MediaVest Group has asked District Court Judge Paul D. Borman in Michigan to throw out a suit by former media supervisor Kristi Goldner, who charged that the agency discriminated against her by promoting less qualified white candidates into positions she had sought and then retaliated against her when she complained. Goldner was laid off in March of this year. In a separate case, the Interpublic Group of Companies urged New York District Court Judge Harold Baer to dismiss a discrimination suit by longtime legal department employee Joy Noel. In its 15-page rebuttal, SMG denied most of the allegations brought by Goldner, including the assertion that it had violated numerous terms of an employment contract. SMG insisted that no such contract existed. The agency also argued that Goldner did not exhaust “external remedies,” such as arbitration and complaints to the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, that are required before heading to court. SMG also argued that it has taken steps to prevent discrimination and retaliatory measures in its workplace and that Goldner failed to take advantage of them, as required, by complaining of “any alleged unlawful conduct” before filing a lawsuit. In its case, Interpublic also argued that the plaintiff failed to exhaust other available remedies before heading to court and that some of her allegations were a decade old and thus barred by statute of limitations. "Indeed,” IPG argued, “the complaint is littered with references to untimely and irrelevant alleged events, conclusory accusations that have absolutely no factual basis and claims against individuals that even the most minimum amount of legal research reveals have no legal basis." The lawsuits are part of a renewed focus on diversity within the ad industry. Last month, a new diversity study of the industry was released by Tangerine Watson, the multicultural agency and media recruitment firm, that revealed the widely held perception that career advancement takes longer for minorities. As a group, the study concluded, minorities were more likely to feel a need to consistently prove themselves, work harder and overcome hurdles. Also, the City Comptroller of New York is challenging Omnicom Group through a shareholder proposal to reveal confidential documents filed with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission that detail minority staffing levels throughout the holding company’s U.S. operations. A vote on the proposal is scheduled for Omnicom’s upcoming annual meeting.
Although Fox's overall ratings are down year-to-year, due to double-digit declines with "American Idol," it will win the season among key 18-49 viewers. That means the network has fewer holes to fill for the 2012-2013 season. Fox will start up a comedy block on Tuesdays, adding two new comedies -- "Ben and Kate" and one by comedian Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project") to its schedule. It will also be adding one drama, "The Mob Doctor," replacing "House" on Mondays. "Mob" focuses on a life-saving surgeon caught in a complex web between her promising medical career and her family’s debt to Chicago’s Southside mob. It stars Jordana Spiro, who was last seen in “My Boys” on TBS. "Bones" will move to Mondays at 8 p.m. before "Mob" begins. Fox will look to build an all-comedy Tuesday night, much as NBC is doing. It starts off the 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. hours, respectively, with "Raising Hope" and "New Girl." "Ben and Kate," which will start at 8:30 p.m., is about a pair of odd-couple siblings -- one an overly responsible single mom and the other an exuberant kid-at-heart -- and their friends as they push each other out of their comfort zones and into real life. "Mindy,"at 8:30 p.m., features a skilled OB/GYN navigating her personal and professional life -- looking to become a more perfect woman and finding the perfect man. "Touch" will move to Fridays, which will run with "Fringe," finishing its series run with 13-episodes. Fox has been winning Friday night among 18-49 viewers. Fox will begin a virtually year-round effort on Saturday with sports programming, "Fox Sports Saturday." "X-Factor" will return on Wednesdays and Thursdays, seemingly going head-to-head with a new fall version of "The Voice" on NBC. "'X-Factor did a 4.2 rating average and by anyone's measure, that's success," says Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting. "American Idol" will then come back in its usual Wednesdays and Thursdays midseason. "Glee" will move from earlier in the week to run at 9 p.m on Thursdays after "Idol." Going into its 12th season -- and with some steep declines in ratings this year -- Reilly says about the show: "There will be some creative tweaking on 'Idol'" -- although he did not elaborate. Reilly cited more than the usual disruptions with start of the new season: "We have challenges in the fall with the elections and post-season baseball." Overall, Fox has now won eight straight seasons among 18-49 viewers and 10 straight seasons among 18-34 viewers. "The Following" is one of two midseason shows that is getting the go -ahead from Fox. The show -- from Kevin Williamson of “Dawson’s Creek" and “Scream” fame -- stars Kevin Bacon as an ex-FBI agent called out of retirement to track down a serial killer, the mastermind behind a nationwide string of murders. "Following" will run at Mondays, taking the place of "Mob." "People have asked where is the next '24'? I think we have found it," says Reilly. "It is going to play for 15 weeks straight." And it will get heavy promotion, he says. Reilly adds that developing dramas of this type, running original shows straight through the spring, works for the network -- especially since viewers are available. "The Goodwin Games" is another midseason show, a comedy that comes from the producers of "How I Met Your Mother." It is about a family of three estranged siblings who return home after the loss of their beloved father -- where they stand to inherit more than $20 million if they can adhere to their late father’s trivial wishes. "Games" will run on Tuesdays in Fox's comedy slate. Fox shows that have already been cancelled or are not returning include: "Alcatraz," "Allen Gregory," "Breaking In," "The Finder," "I Hate My Teenage Daughter," "Terra Nova," and "Napoleon Dynamite." Fox 2012-2013 Prime-time Schedule (All Times EST/PST)Monday 8:00-9:00 p.m "Bones" 9:00-10:00 p.m "The Mob Doctor" (new) "The Following" (new) joins in midseason. Tuesday 8:00-8:30 p.m. "Raising Hope" 8:30-9:00 p.m. "Ben and Kate" (new) 9:00-9:30 p.m. "New Girl" 9:30-10:00 p.m. "The Mindy Project" (new) "The Goodwin Games" (new) joins in midseason. Wednesday 8:00-10:00 p.m. "The X Factor" (fall) / "American Idol" (midseason) Thursday 8:00-9:00 p.m. "The X Factor Results" (fall) / "American Idol Results" (midseason) 9:00-10:00 p.m. "Glee' Friday 8:00-9:00 p.m. "Touch" 9:00-10:00 p.m. "Fringe" (fall) "Hell's Kitchen" returns in midseason. Saturday 7:00-10:30 p.m. "Fox Sports Saturday" (fall) "Cops" returns in midseason."Animation Domination High-Def" (new) will join late-prime in 2013. Sunday 7:00-7:30 p.m. NFL Game (fall) / "Animation Domination" (encores) 7:30-8:00 p,m. "The OT" (fall) / "The Cleveland Show" 8:00-8:30 p.m. "The Simpsons" 8:30-9:00 p.m. "Bob's Burgers" 9:00-9:30 p.m. "Family Guy" 9:30-10:00 PM "American Dad"
Top-rated networks are generally the brands that viewers remember and want to watch. A new marketing survey shows the broadcast networks getting top scores over all cable networks. But top cable-rated networks performed well. These networks include ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, as well as ESPN, Discovery, History, USA, Food Network and TNT --- brands that "American consumers can't do without," according to Solutions Research Group. ABC actually scored the best results with 51%, narrowly beating out CBS, Fox, and NBC. The survey called "Must Keep TV" says this is the fourth time out of five that ABC has won since the poll started in 2007. Among men, CBS took the top spot, while ABC led in most key female demographics. Although broadcast networks have lost some steam over the years, the survey says 77% of Americans would include at least one of the big four networks in their top channels. This has declined from the years 2007 through 2009, when it reached 83%. The survey this year interviewed 1,400 American consumers, considering 73 TV brands. AMC grew the most year-to-year among 18-49 viewers -- now in 30th place, up from 50th place a year ago. Among younger viewers 18-34 it also gained, now the 19th-rated TV network that viewers can't do without. The survey says AMC is a more valuable channel in this younger demographic than brands such as A&E or TLC. PBS moved up seven places to 12th place, and is ahead of TBS and HBO when it comes to women viewers. The survey says the popular PBS show "Downton Abbey" has helped. Others that have moved up include ABC Family, now in 17th place, and The Weather Channel, in 20th place. Among the more expensive pay-TV networks, the research says "TV viewers appear to be slowly abandoning premium movie channels like Starz, Movie Channel and Cinemax." Among 18-49 viewers, Starz dropped seven places to 34th place. Cinemax also dropped to 46th place and The Movie Channel sank 10 spots to 59th place. Losing ground were Nickelodeon, down to 25th place, and Fox News, losing seven spots to land in 30th place. HBO is now in 11th place. HBO remained outside of the top 10 for the second year in a row, although it improved its standing to No. 11 since 2011, due to strong momentum among men 25-54.
It may seem like the digital newsstand appeared in the last two years, but Zinio has been at it since 2001. After launching on PCs, it now offers some 5,000 magazine titles across major tablet and smartphone platforms like iOS, Android and BlackBerry. Users can buy single issues and subscriptions, as well as sample free content through Zinio. With an explosion of rival newsstand and reader apps, Zinio has to ensure it doesn’t get bypassed by everyone from Amazon to Zite. Online Media Daily sat down with Zinio CMO Jeanniey Mullen to talk about how the company is responding to the new landscape. Online Media Daily: Given Zinio’s decade-long history, what’s it like seeing so many new competitors emerge and grab attention in this space? Mullen: It’s frustrating to see the press talk about them as if this concept has never existed before. We see any news about digital reading, digital magazines, digital distribution, and publication sales as positive for us because it helps to increase consumer awareness and education. There are millions of consumers out there that don’t even know they can read magazines digitally. Online Media Daily: That said, did it take the arrival of the iPad to ignite wider interest? Mullen: We really see April 3, 2010 -- the day the iPad came out -- to be the start of the digital magazine publishing groundswell, for two reasons. The iPad is the perfect device built for magazines, and it really helped customers see what could be done. But it also helped to get the publishers to focus on development. Publishers started working with us because they knew they needed to have a digital presence; it wasn’t necessarily a priority for them before the iPad. Online Media Daily: With the wave of publishers launching individual digital editions last year, were you concerned about the impact on your business? Mullen: Early on, we realized the majority of people subscribing to digital editions are brand-new people to the title. We saw that amplify itself almost 100-fold when the iPad came out and magazines started doing their own apps. If you go to Zinio to get your Rolling Stone, you’ll be able to explore other articles and titles in that category. We see up to 85% of digital subscriptions through Zinio are people that have never had a print subscription with that company. We don’t see it as competitive. Online Media Daily: What about Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple all launching competing newsstands last year? Mullen: The key thing publishers are starting to focus on now is on renewal rates. You can get a mass number of people to sign up for a free 30-day or 90-day subscriptions, but as the market is rolling into a full first year for a lot of these different devices, we’re starting to see renewal rates. And that’s where a lot of the truth is going to come out -- not only which devices are best for consuming content, but which devices and which [newsstands] offerings are really gathering consumers’ interest on an ongoing basis. Online Media Daily: What differences in usage are you seeing across the three screens: PCs, tablets and smartphones? Mullen: The iPad subscribers tend to be older -- in the 40s-50s demographic, men more than women -- but a lot of householding of the purchases. It might be the father’s credit card, but the wife and children are using it. For Android, since it's more smartphones than tablets in the marketplace, it skews a little more women, a bit younger. For PCs, it’s close to 50/50. People who come in through Facebook or other social channels are definitely younger, so it’s completely differentiated, based on who you are and where you’re coming from. Online Media Daily: How has Zinio gone about getting distribution besides the various app stores? Mullen: Two years ago we made the decision strategically to do a lot of pre-install deals with Android devices. Zinio is pre-installed on 25 Android tablets and 37 Android smartphones type around the world. We also have deals directly with Motorola, Samsung, LG, and Pan Digital and Kobo. At the same time we have distribution deals with AT&T and T-Mobile and other mobile networks as well. So the app is on millions of Android devices. Online Media Daily: Do you have any plans to promote Zinio more as a brand itself? Mullen: We have a series of pretty big enhancements and product releases coming out over the summer, so we have been holding off on doing a big Zinio push until some of those are live. We’re changing the entire structure of our site to build as a foundation for some other very large changes that we’re working on this summer relating to HTML5 and some business model changes. As those hit the market toward end of summer/early fall, you’ll see a whole lot about that.
Unilever will use some unusual input from consumers and NBCUniversal for a series of on-air and online advertising to start up a new campaign for Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy. The campaign "Best Night Ever" uses technology called Interlude to enable users to decide what happens next in the story of two characters, Chloe and Logan, whose great-looking hair helps them move past the velvet ropes into hot nightclubs. For example, choices include everything from whether to follow Chloe or Logan through the club to where to go once inside -- the bar, lounge, or DJ booth -- and deciding whether the DJ should “heat it up” or “slow it down” on the music front. Each week, story choices from users will be tracked and will determine how the story unfolds in on-air vignettes and online videos. NBCUniversal's integrated marketing group and Mindshare Entertainment put together the deal. A 15-second on-air teaser starts May 14 on "America's Got Talent" and continues through sweeps week. Beginning May 21, one celebrity each week will make their on-air debut in a series of spots, including Jane Krakowski of NBC's “30 Rock," Andy Cohen of Bravo's “Watch What Happens Live,” Giuliana Rancic of “E! News,” Style’s “Giuliana and Bill” and “Saturday Night Live” alum Tim Meadows. The series ends the week of June 11. The campaign will run across NBCUniversal networks including: NBC, Style, Oxygen, E!, and Bravo, as well as Web site NBC.com, MyStyle.com, Oxygen.com, Eonline.com, Bravotv.com and DailyCandy. John Shea, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of integrated media at NBCUniversal, stated: “In today’s crowded marketplace, it is more important than ever to rise above the clutter with breakthrough creative that engages audiences in new and unexpected ways."
The latest trend in mobile marketing aims to help busy commuters get their meal planning and shopping done while they hurry to and from work, using mobile QR codes and billboards displaying enticing food items. In the most recent version, AllRecipes.com is plastering high-traffic commuter hubs in downtown Los Angeles with out-of-home ads showing the most popular local food items (the most searched-for recipes), alongside QR codes. They lead users to the relevant recipes, allowing them to create a shopping list that can be accessed at the store via smartphone or using the AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner app. The “Fix Dinner” campaign -- AllRecipes.com’s first venture into out-of-home advertising -- includes an eye-catching “station domination” at the 7th St./Metro Center Station. The LACMTA rapid transit system, for which 7th St./Metro Center is a main hub, carries about 350,000 passengers on an average weekday. AllRecipes.com is not the only one using mobile QR codes to get commuters thinking about food. Peapod, which allows consumers to buy groceries online or via mobile for home delivery, is executing similar campaigns in Philadelphia and Chicago. Transit media, including signage in stations and on train platforms, are carrying Peapod ads that invite passersby to scan a mobile QR code and download the Peapod app. In addition to the QR codes, the signs also feature images of frequently purchased grocery items, which can also be scanned with a mobile device and added to a virtual shopping cart. Once the app has been downloaded, users can also browse the Peapod store for thousands of other groceries for purchase. To sweeten the deal, Peapod is inviting users to text “PHILLYRAIL” as a promo code to get $20 off their first order and 60 days of free delivery. The ads highlight brands that partnered with Peapod to create the ads, including Coca-Cola, Stroehmann and P&G.
Robin Roberts is returning to “SportsCenter.” The former anchor will conduct interviews with leading female athletes in weekly segments starting Thursday. The eight editions of “In the Game with Robin Roberts Presented by Lexus” will debut with softball great Jennie Finch and run through July on a morning “SportsCenter.” The interviews will run on ESPN’s flagship show and have extensions via Lexus-backed microsites at espnW.com and ABCNews.com. Versions of the interviews will also appear in “ESPN The Magazine.” Roberts spent 15 years at ESPN before becoming a co-anchor of ABC’s “Good Morning America.” That show has recently been soaring with ratings surpassing NBC’s stalwart “Today Show.” It is the first cross-platform initiative between espnW, ESPN’s female-targeted brand, and ABC News. Social media outlets for both will promote the mini-series under an “In the Game Live” banner. Co-branded Lexus ads on Facebook will also be used. There will be opportunities for users to submit questions for Roberts to ask in upcoming interviews. Lexus is using the sponsorship to launch a crossover utility vehicle, where promotions carry a “What’s Next” tag. Roberts will question star athletes on their future plans.