GOP Candidate Could Be Trouble For Olbermann and Fox News by David Goetzl

It's noteworthy that enough people found Current TV to give Keith Olbermann a solid start on the network Monday, but check back in a week when some of the hoopla subsides. One headwind Olbermann faces over the next six months is beyond his control: the possibility that Jon Huntsman gains strong appeal as a Republican Presidential contender. Which is a potential trouble spot for CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, too. Huntsman seems unwilling to launch irrational barbs at Obama and -- get this -- thinks the President is a pretty decent and patriotic guy. How is that tone going to ...Read the whole story

  • Olbermann Is Back: Garners Decent Numbers On Current TV by Wayne Friedman

    Current TV's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" is back on cable. He had some good rating news on its Monday premiere, hitting 179,000 viewers among 25-54s, behind MSNBC's 'Lawrence O'Donnell' with 237,000. CNN and MSNBC are in 95 million homes; Current has 60 million TV subscribers. ...Read the whole story

  • Andrew Morse; Bloomberg Television

    Andrew Morse, executive producer of innovation and integration for ABC News Digital, has been named head of Bloomberg Television in the U.S. ...Read the whole story

  • Rentrak To Sync Services With MediaBank by David Goetzl

    Rentrak, which offers measurement services based on set-top-box data, said it has a deal to make its system compatible with the MediaBank interface. Among other things, MediaBank offers analytics programs that look to assist media buyers. ...Read the whole story

  • Broadcast Bonanza: TV, Radio Boost GDP, Jobs by Wayne Friedman

    An NAB-commissioned media study says local radio and television broadcasting -- direct and supporting businesses -- contributes $1.17 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product, with 2.52 million jobs. ...Read the whole story

  • 2012: TV Political Ad Buys Predicted To Hit $3B by Wayne Friedman

    Moody's Investors Service says political advertising revenue for those pure-play broadcasters can expect gains of 9% to 18% over historically high political advertising levels seen in 2010 -- hitting just under $3 billion. ...Read the whole story

  • Hulu Owners Clash, Rumors Of Possible Sale by Gavin O'Malley

    Amid reports that Hulu -- owned by Disney, NBCU and News Corp. -- has been approached by one or more suitors, analysts seem torn over the merits of any such deal. Among the issues, some of Hulu's co-owners have started making their content available on other services, including rival Netflix. ...Read the whole story

  • spirits Southern Comfort Lime Launches Social Hub by Karlene Lukovitz

    The concept: Helping SoCo fans to plan and interact throughout their nights out by consolidating a variety of digital activities in one convenient, cross-platform area -- while building awareness of the new Lime product through the hub's features and design. ...Read the whole story

  • Young, Bicultural Latinos Are TV 'Language Neutral' by Erik Sass

    While older, foreign-born Latinos tend to prefer media in their mother tongue, younger Latinos -- both those born abroad and in the U.S. -- aren't nearly as focused on Spanish-language content. They want to see English-language ads on Spanish-language TV. ...Read the whole story

  • CBS Carries Grammys Tune by David Goetzl

    At a time when awards shows offer ample opportunities for backstage extras, social-media exploitation and other multiplatform content, CBS has a deal to continue carrying the Grammys through 2021. ...Read the whole story

  • retail Michelin Man Gets Wet In New Ad by Karl Greenberg

    "Max and his son made their way homeward bound, when mischievous rain fell down, down down; safety was threatened by every roguish drip, they slipped and slid, they couldn't get a grip." The Michelin man appears at roadside throwing tires like Frisbees. ...Read the whole story

  • automotive Chevy Dangles Bowl In Route 66 Film Contest by Karl Greenberg

    "This is really a global effort, and we are excited how this will be interpreted by filmmakers in places like China and Russia. The fact is, the more we look at this brand globally, we see a lot of the same foundations; our customers have a lot more in common than you might think." ...Read the whole story

DG, MediaMind To Combine TV And Online Targeting by Laurie Sullivan

DG, which delivers video ads through a digital network, wanted to expand into online advertising. So, last week it acquired online ad firm MediaMind, formally Eyeblaster, for $414 million in cash. Gal Trifon, former MediaMind CEO, will remain at DG as chief digital officer. Trifon told MediaPost the combined companies -- DG and MediaMind -- stand a better chance of successfully supporting targeted ads based on consumer behavior across traditional and online media, compared with two separate businesses. ...More

  • The Cross-Platform Report: TV's Doing All Right -- For Now by Gary Holmes

    Having seen what digital media did to the music and newspaper businesses, the television industry has understandably viewed the Internet with a certain amount of dread. The fear has long been that viewers will start watching television shows online and bypassing the traditional cable, satellite and over-the-air broadcast platforms. This, in turn, would undermine the industry's ad-supported business model. With the release of Nielsen's new Cross-Platform Report, television executives can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for another quarter. Despite a few warning signs, the report indicates that for now at least, traditional television remains king. ...More

  • Good Cable News: Keith Olbermann Gets Promotional Help From Other Cable News Competitors by Wayne Friedman

    Where are the best places to promote Current TV's new "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" show on television? Not necessarily on Current TV. ...More

  • Swipe Me, Touch Me, Command Me: Microsoft Shows Kinect-Powered ITV Ads on Xbox by Steve Smith

    Well, now I am going to have to dig that long-unused Xbox Kinect full-body controller out of its box somewhere and reconnect the gadget that took last holiday shopping season by storm. Frankly, after jumping my way through a few test games, me and my family pretty much forgot about that black bar and mess of extra wires sitting beneath our HDTV. And when we moved our home a month ago and didn't' unpack the Kinect, no one seemed to notice. But this week in Cannes, Microsoft gave me a reason to reconnect my Kinect, at least for another test ...More

  • The Killing: Did Twitter Change The History Of The Universe (You'll Have To Wait Until Fall)? by Karen Herman

    It's official. Here's my favorite headline of the 2010-2011 TV season: "The Killing: Worst Season Finale in the History of the Universe?" That gem was the header of Portland Mercury's editor in-chief Wm. Steven Humphrey's recent blog post. ...More

  • On Positioning by Bob DeSena

    Positioning is a concept that's been defined and mapped. There have been books written about it (thank you, Jack Trout and Al Ries) and multiple processes created to develop it. When I moved from the agency to the client side, I did a thorough study of the various ways to think about positioning and to develop it for my brands. It always came down to three essential elements: an intimate understanding of your target; an intimate understanding of the competition for your target; and a sustainable way to beat the competition. ...More

  • Always Pledging Allegiance, Before All Entertainment -- Or None At All by Wayne Friedman

    Why are we only talking about the pledge of allegiance to our flag for the opening of an golf event? Shouldn't we be require to cite our allegiance before other business and sports openings -- perhaps just after waking up in the morning, or before going to sleep at night? ...More