Jason Odell was named executive vice president, technology for Current TV.
TidalTV, which focuses on inserting addressable advertising in online video, has a deal to serve ads in over-the-top programming delivered by Roku boxes. The ads will run as pre-rolls in some Roku content. Roku has agreements with brands such as Crackle, GBTV (Glenn Beck's new online venture), the UFC, Netflix and Hulu Plus. It's unclear exactly what content will be open to TidalTV-served advertising. TidalTV, which has worked in the mobile space, has looked to move further into TV with its proprietary targeting and recently opened a West Coast sales office. TidalTV cited research showing that advertising spending in over-the-top video should reach $20 billion globally over the next five years. The net indicated it is working with advertisers to use its technology to run spots across multiple platforms with Roku now added to the mix. "Though the video marketplace has become increasingly complex, advertisers' ultimate goals remain unchanged -- to reach their brand's targeted consumers and achieve a given outcome," stated TidalTV Chief Product and Media Officer Brad Herman. Herman added that TidalTV is able to deliver these desired outcomes when "we break down the screen-specific silos and think in terms of optimizing reach and performance seamlessly across the entire video campaign."
Chrysler Group LLC is calling its new Hispanic-focused campaign its most comprehensive to date. The effort -- which includes TV, radio, print, newspapers and digital media -- will run in the top 15 Hispanic markets in both Spanish and English beginning Oct. 3. It makes sense for Chrysler to focus on this demographic, since large pickup trucks historically are one of the top-selling segments among Latinos, and the Ram 1500 and Ram 2500 are among the best-performing Chrysler Group nameplates with Hispanic consumers. "A Todo, Con Todo," which translates "To everything, with everything," captures the "consumer mindset" and "true essence" of Ram, says Fred Diaz, president and CEO, Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, Chrysler Group LLC. "This campaign is not a one-and-done effort soon to be forgotten," Diaz told reporters Wednesday at a briefing in Dallas. "These spots were not trans-created or translated. Instead, this campaign will be ongoing and produced in both Spanish and English." The current media buy runs through first-quarter 2012 and includes a mix of brand- and product-focused 30-second TV spots, 60-second radio ads, and print ads. The TV spots will run on Hispanic television networks and stations, such as Telemundo and Univision. Three print ads will run in national Hispanic magazines including Hispanic Business, ESPN La Revista and Automundo, as well as in Spanish-language local newspapers. Two radio spots will run in 15 markets including Albuquerque, Miami, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, Denver and nine Texas communities. The ads also will run on in-language websites. A Spanish-language brand website, http://es.ramtrucks.com, launched Sept. 2. And Ram is partnering with Yahoo En Espanol to launch a first-ever Mexican regional music channel later this year. The campaign, which was filmed in Texas, is the first work for Ram from Dallas-based Richards/Lerma agency, the Hispanic marketing arm of the Ram brand's agency-of-record, The Richards Group. Creative focuses on bilingual Ram Truck owners who provide unscripted, real-life testimonials. Arturo Barcelo and Ascension Banuelos talk about values that are important to them and how the Ram truck is an extension of their lives. Barcelo owns a home-improvement construction company in Dallas and drives a Ram 1500. Banuelos owns a Ram 3500 and manages a horse training ranch in Jacksboro, Texas.
Sex toy ads are coming to prime time and daytime TV in the UK. The company behind them -- Lovehoney, a British online sex toy marketer -- is launching a new campaign, entitled, Live a Sexier Life" Oct. 3 on several outlets and shows, including the syndicated version of "Real Housewives of New York," which airs on ITV2. According to the company, it's the first time a sex toy ad has been approved by UK advertising regulators for prime time and daytime TV in the country. A company rep said that Lovehoney is expanding to the U.S. and that "there is a high probability that U.S. TV advertising will follow." Details about times and channels aren't set. In the U.S., ads for sex toys are generally confined to late-night hours. Precise guidelines for the airing of such ads were unclear. An FCC spokesman did not return a call seeking clarification by deadline. On Bravo in the U.S., "Real Housewives of New York" airs in prime time, and sex toy ads are not an option, a spokeswoman for the show said. "Not happening" under any circumstances, she stressed. The spot was rejected by some UK outlets, including Yahoo and The SunOnline, according to Lovehoney. The ad, produced by the UK's Halo Media, will also air on UK versions of MTV, E! Entertainment and other channels. Print ads will appear in Cosmopolitan, Company and Good Housekeeping, as well on a number of out-of-home ad platforms. The Lovehoney TV ad does not show sex toys, or even refer to them. Rather, it shows a couple kissing, but in a stylized, slow-motion manner to a hot-sounding rock guitar riff, so that viewers get the impression a more passionate encounter is coming. When the music stops, however, the couple bid each other adieu and head for work. That's followed by the tagline: "Lovehoney.co.uk, the sexual happiness people." On its Web site, Halo says the ad "shows the benefits of a healthy, happy, adventurous sex life without showing sex -- vital if you want to get on daytime TV." The Lovehoney rep said outlets and shows were selected with a younger demographic profile in mind: adults ages 20 to 35. The initial flight is two weeks.
After peaking at 3.9% of all cast members in the 2010-2011 TV season, the proportion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender characters on scripted prime-time TV will decrease to 2.9% in the 2011-2012 season, according to the latest "Where We Are on TV" report from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). That's also lower than the 3% share in the 2009-2010 TV season, but higher than the 1.1% share in 2007 and 2.6% share in 2008. Altogether, there are 19 LGBT characters out of a total 647 series regulars appearing in 91 scripted, prime-time TV programs this season, GLAAD says. This figure is subject to change, based on programming adjustments over the course of the season. That compares to 23 LGBT characters out of a total 590 series regulars in the 2010-2011 season. Still, numbers aren't everything, and some LGBT characters play highly visible roles in the shows this season. GLAAD acting president Mike Thompson noted: "While the number of LGBT characters is down, some of the most popular shows with critics and viewers such as "Glee," "True Blood" and "The Good Wife" weave story lines about gay and lesbian characters into the fabric of the show." Returning to sheer numbers, Fox is the most LGBT-heavy network this year, with eight LGBT characters out of 117 season regulars, or 6.8% of the combined casts. That's way up from 2007, when GLAAD found that Fox did not have any regular LGBT characters on its scripted prime-time programming. Reality TV show casting is usually revealed later than scripted shows, making it hard to include reality shows in the LGBT count. GLAAD acknowledged that these programs frequently showcase LGBT characters in a variety of roles. Assessing the significance of these numbers is difficult, in light of disagreement about the actual proportion of LGBT people in the general population. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has estimated the proportion at anywhere from 3% to 8%, while the UCLA Williams Institute says 4%. The 2010 U.S. Census estimated that 0.55% of all households are headed by same-sex couples.
Despite some of his recent shows that have failed to catch fire, Starz is doubling down on "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer in his first drama series. The company has ordered 10 more episodes and a second season of "Boss" before the show debuts Oct. 21. Starz has been aggressively looking to add more series programming to muscle in some of the territory commanded by HBO and Showtime. In addition to Grammer in a drama, well-known Oscar-nominated film director Gus Van Sant is making his TV debut. The first season includes eight episodes. Grammer, who is well known for comedic roles in "Cheers" and "Frasier," plays a widely powerful Chicago mayor, who faces "a terrible secret that threatens to topple his power." Starz CEO Chris Albrecht stated: "With each episode, the story grew richer, and the cast continued to turn in breakthrough performances." The show comes from Lionsgate, which is behind Showtime hit "Weeds" and AMC's "Mad Men." "This early vote of confidence from our partners at Starz is extremely gratifying and reflects the tremendous work of all those involved with 'Boss' on both sides of the camera," stated Kevin Beggs, president of Lionsgate Television Group. He said Grammer's role "is a powerful and radical departure from his previous television roles, and we can't wait for viewers to be drawn into his fascinating world."
CBS' revamped "Two and a Half Men" is still going strong, though Fox claimed one major credit on Tuesday. Nielsen weekly season premiere results show that Fox won its first premiere week among key 18-49 viewers, as well as its usually strong 18-34 viewers. Among 18-49 viewers, Fox earned a 3.4/9 and CBS was right behind with a 3.1/8. Farther down was ABC with a 2.8/8, followed by NBC at a 2.6/7. Among 18-34 viewers, Fox was a full rating point ahead of its nearest rivals, with a 3.2/10 versus a 2.2/7 each for ABC and NBC. For the second Monday of the new season, CBS remained in high regard among viewers. Although down over 30% from its crazy-high number of a week ago, "Men" still roared through the second Monday of the new season with a crushing Nielsen preliminary 7.2 rating/17 share among key 18-49 viewers at 9 p.m., easily the top show of the night. Earlier in the evening, at 8 p.m., Fox's big, high-cost, action adventure "Terra Nova" started off -- perhaps a bit underwhelming -- with a 3.1 rating/8 share. Much of this might have been due to CBS' strong comedies -- one mainstay show, one newcomer. "How I Met Your Mother" offered up a sturdy 4.4/12 among 18-49 viewers and 10.6 million viewers. This was followed by new show "2 Broke Girls," which retained all "Mother" viewers -- and then some, pulling with a 4.5 rating/11 share and 11.6 million viewers. The downside: "Mother" was down 6% versus its start a week before, and "Girls" was more than 30% off its start in a different time period a week ago. But there was more comedy upside for CBS: The Emmy-winning "Mike & Molly" offered up a series best 4.9/11 running after "Men" at 9:30 p.m. Some reality shows were caught in the wake of this activity: ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" was down nearly 20% from its season premiere of a week ago, with a 3.3/9 at 8 p.m. Two hours of NBC's "The Sing-Off" between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. was only about half of the "Stars" results -- a 1.7/5, down just over 10% from the week before. All 10 p.m. Monday dramas dipped a bit from a week before, with the best results coming from CBS' "Hawaii Five-O," just slipping 3% to grab a 3.2/8. ABC's "Castle" dropped a little more at 9%, landing at a 2.9/7 and NBC's "The Playboy Club" gave up the most -- about 20%, settling at a now cancellation-watching 1.3/3. Early results for the CW did not offer up any excitement: The season premiere of "Gossip Girl" took in a 0.8/2 in the 18-49 demo, down 20% versus a year ago. New series "Hart Of Dixie" grabbed the same results. For the night as a whole, CBS, for the 18-49 crowd, had a strong 4.6/11. ABC was well behind with a 3.1/8, followed closely by Fox at a 3.0/7, Univision with a 1.7/4, NBC at a 1.5/4, and CW with a 0.8/2.
ABC says based on the first week of the broadcast prime-time season, it currently holds the coveted spot of being No. 1 with upscale viewers. ABC results for adults 18-49 with incomes of $100,000 or more -- taking out sports programming -- is a 3.2 rating. Fox and CBS tied for second place with a 2.9 number. For many TV advertisers, upscale viewers can be "light" TV viewers, and thus can be more valuable for many TV prime-time advertisers. CBS had the No. 1 show among upscale viewers -- this from the high-flying re-boot of "Two and a Half Men", which sits at a 12.0 number. ABC had the second-best-rated show in this category -- "Modern Family" -- with a 9.8 rating for this demographic. ABC says it had five of the top 15 shows, which included a special "Modern Family" episode hitting a 10.4 rating; and "Pan Am," "Dancing with the Stars" and "Grey's Anatomy" -- each with a 4.4 upscale rating, tied for 13th place. CBS also did well, taking six of the top 11 positions. In addition to "Men", "2 Broke Girls" earned a 7.6 rating; "How I Met Your Mother" took a 6.0 rating; a special "Big Bang Theory" earned a 5.8 rating; and a regular airing of "Theory" grabbed a 5.6, while another episode of "Mother" scored a 5.4. Fox had three of the top 15 spots: "Glee" with a 6.2 rating; "New Girl" at a 6.1 rating; and "X Factor" (Wednesday edition) with 4.8. NBC had two shows -- "The Office" at a 6.6 rating and "Whitney" at 4.4. Overall, for the first week of the season, Fox won its first-ever premiere week among the all 18-49 viewers with a 3.4/9. CBS was right behind with a 3.1/8; farther down was ABC at a 2.8/8; then came NBC, at a 2.6/7.
New episodes of former ABC soaps "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" will return in January on broadband outlet The Online Network. The venture, which just revealed its name, is from production company Prospect Park. The company aims to offer a full multiplatform network with other first-run, long-form content. It was co-founded by Jeff Kwatinetz, former head of talent management company The Firm and an executive producer of USA's "Royal Pains," and former Disney Studios head Rich Frank. Prospect Park indicated it would engage in aggressive marketing, using traditional outlets as well as online and social media campaigns. The company, launched in 2009, reached a deal in July with the Disney /ABC syndication arm to continue offering the two soaps after they ended lengthy runs on the network. Prospect Park also operates in film and music. Prospect Park stated: "With broadband availability in 70% of U.S. households and the proliferation of Internet-enabled televisions, DVRs and wireless devices, ultimately we believe that online distribution provides the best platform to access 30- and 60-minute entertainment content."
Glen Friedman, owner of the consultancy Ideas and Solutions!! has been involved in the cable operator world for 30 years. In that time he has seen many changes and challenges to the business. In my interview with him, Glen gives us his insights into the changing television landscape and the impact that new technology has on the current operator model. Flexibility and prescience is required in navigating the MSO landscape. Here is an excerpt from the interview, available in full here. CW: Glen, can you tell me your background- how did you get to where you are today? GF: I joined the industry in 1981 as a Marketing Manager for ATC, now Time Warner Cable. I worked for ATC / Time Warner for 10 years in a variety of field and corporate positions ending my tenure as Vice President Marketing, Programming and Ad Sales for Manhattan Cable. I then joined Century Cable as the General Manager for the West L.A. systems and was then recruited to DIRECTV where I was a key architect of the launch plan as Vice President of Consumer Marketing. CW: Tell me about your current company, Ideas & Solutions!! Inc. GF: I formed Ideas & Solutions!! 16 years ago. We provide outsourced business development, business and marketing strategy and due diligence services to leading and emerging media and technology companies. Recently we have been focusing on the changing landscape of television, specifically, cord cutting and cord shaving. We recently published a study of Gen Y consumers (18-29 year olds) and their orientation and thoughts towards traditional subscription television vs. getting the services without cable, telco or satellite. Interestingly, we found that there was a large, loyal segment of television only viewers but almost 60% have or would consider switching to Over the Top-video service in the future. For this group, cost and value are driving factors as is their comfort with new technology and their desire to get what they want when they want it. CW: 60% is a large consideration set for the next generation of cable customers. Do you think cord cutting or cord shaving is a business changer for operators? GF: Both cord shaving and cord cutting will have tremendous impact on all aspects of the cable business for both operators and programmers. It will impact RPU and marketing costs. For programmers it will be very challenging to hold package positions for networks not secured by retransmission leverage or sports. CW: If you were a cable operator today, what would you be doing to plan for the future? GF: Invest in service and reliability, identify most at-risk groups and develop specific marketing plans and approaches. Also, measure performance by segment, not just across the entire base. Invest and take actions to secure new revenues from business services, interactive advertising and home security/home automation. CW: What are some opportunities for cable operators? GF: I believe there are exciting and meaningful opportunities to derive new revenues from Interactive advertising, further penetrating the delivery of voice and data to business customers and through the sales of security and home automation.
Just when you thought there was nothing to talk about in syndication, there's a lot of talk about talk. With "The Oprah Winfrey Show" now off the air, syndication talkers have grabbed bigger-than-expected ratings during the first two weeks of the season. Winfrey's prodigy "Dr. Phil," from CBS Television Distribution, scored its highest season premiere numbers in seven years. Sony Pictures Television's "Dr. Oz" was up over 60% week to week. Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution's "Ellen" also grew 50% in its second week - after having its best season premiere ever. Even Warner Bros. newcomer "Anderson" added 25% more viewers week to week. Not only that but ABC's "The Chew," a studio audience show about food, has averaged some 2.5 million viewers in the first couple of days, with competitive numbers -- 732,000 -- in key women 25-54 viewers. Analysts had said it would be difficult to figure out where "Oprah's" ratings points would land. Some figured they would head to cable's OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. But that is not the case so far, with OWN remaining a work in progress. Oprah Winfrey herself isn't visible on OWN -- though it appears that will change in the coming months. What is going on? Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate media director for Horizon Media, says: "Oprah leaving helped free up some valuable time periods that needed to be filled. Some stations opted for local news and that may have helped other stations that air talk shows as well." Viewers are surely on the prowl. But the key is what happens when Winfrey figures out that her cable network's financial survival counts on creating more Dr. Phils, Dr. Oz's, and Rachel Rays, plus using existing talk personalities who still have plenty of value left -- namely, Oprah Winfrey.
If, like me, you're old enough to have watched the premiere of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975 and grew to adulthood thinking that Lorne Michaels was the coolest guy in TV, then the start of the show's 37th season with Alex Baldwin as the guest host was cause for celebration. Sure the show has had its ups and downs over the years, and the formula hasn't changed much since Gerald Ford was president, but it remains the most consistently exciting show on TV, one that appeals to both Baby Boomers and their kids. Or maybe it just seems exciting because it is so frequently buzzed about online. For years, we've debated whether digital media would undermine or strengthen the television business. The fear has been that if viewers could see television highlights online, they wouldn't bother to watch the actual show. Or that if they recorded an episode, they would fast-forward through the commercials. But if "SNL" is any kind of test case, I would say that, for now, digital media is a net plus for television. Social media plays a critical role in "SNL"'s marketing and promotion. The cast tweets about a show before it airs, but the real power to create buzz is with the hosts and musical guests; if the guest has 11 million followers, as Lady Gaga did when she appeared last May, then the ratings can be impressive. Then there's the water-cooler effect. The rise of Facebook coincided with the resurgence and increased relevance of "SNL." Fans now post their favorite skits on their Facebook pages, amplifying in the online world the conversation that is occurring in the real world. Chances are that if your friends are talking about a show -- in the real world or over the Internet -- you'll be more likely to watch in the future. Earlier this year, Wired magazine put "SNL" star Andy Samberg on its cover with the headline "How the Internet Saved Comedy." This refers in part to the Samberg-inspired "Lazy Sunday" digital short (http://bit.ly/kNvZT), one of the first TV videos to go viral on the Internet. After "Lazy Sunday," Samberg teamed with Justin Timberlake in a more calculated effort to create an Internet sensation and came up with "D**k in a Box," (http://bit.ly/ie74XY). The unanticipated success of these two videos provided a roadmap for television marketers, who have been trying to use the Internet to generate buzz ever since. It's probably going too far to say that the Internet "saved" comedy, or even "SNL", since people are going to laugh anyway. But comedy does benefit more than any other genre from Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other Internet-based communication. Monologues, brief interviews, short sketches, all of which can be digested in three to five minutes, are eminently suited for distribution over the Internet. You can't as easily excerpt a short clip from a drama because it would make no sense out of context, but you can easily grasp a Jon Stewart rant or a Weekend Update bit. I would go further than Wired, though, and say that it wasn't the Internet alone that increased the relevance of TV comedy, it was digital media more broadly understood. In particular, I'm thinking about the DVR. To take "SNL" as an example again, in the seven days after the original airing, an average of 800,000 people (or 14% of the audience) watched "SNL" last year on DVR. Without the DVR, "SNL"'s audience would have dropped steadily over the past decade. Instead, thanks to the DVR, the average number of total viewers has held steady Many of the best comedy shows, including Letterman, Leno, Colbert, "The Daily Show," and of course "SNL," are on during the late-night period. Sad to say, there is no way that I or many of my other Baby Boomer cohorts can routinely stay awake to see any of these shows live. In the days before DVR, I had essentially given up watching "SNL." For me, the '90s were "SNL"'s lost decade, especially after my son was born and late night television fell off the to-do list. Indeed, I recently looked up a list of guest hosts from the 1990s and was astonished to learn that Nancy Kerrigan, Jerry Seinfeld, Rosie O'Donnell, and Kiefer Sutherland all hosted "SNL" at one time or another during that period. But since getting my first DVR six years ago, I haven't missed a show. I am particularly excited about the upcoming season of "SNL" because it's an election year. The last time the show was white-hot relevant was during the 2008 campaign, when Tina Fey did her Sarah Palin imitation. And sure enough, the opening sketch this season spoofed the GOP presidential debates (including an eerily dead-on Michelle Bachman parody by Kristen Wiig.) Thanks to the miracle of digital media, I watched the season premiere first thing Sunday morning, then tweeted about it and posted a clip of the debate spoof on Facebook. Without digital media, "SNL" would have been just a rumor for an aging Boomer like me -- but thanks to digital technology, it's as relevant to me now as it was when I was in college.
For years TV stations have salivated over the prospect of mobile devices running their most prized content: news. The theory? Their well-known call letter brand names would drive existing (remaining?) viewers to those mobile areas. But it appears that the same outcome might occur with those brands that happened on plain-old laptops and desktops. New digital consumers are already using new media platforms -- some local, some not -- to access information on new-found weather, traffic, and news apps. A Pew Research study says as much. More than a few local TV media and marketing executives note that just having TV call letters isn't enough on new digital platforms -- that to truly distinguish a "new" digital brand, local TV programming and marketing executives need to come up with new brand identities -- perhaps including some hint of an association with the more traditional local TV brand name. But all this should go farther. Given the rise of digital platforms, many believe hyper-local newscasts will be the real value in the future. Make that long-term future. (Hello, AOL's Patch). Money is the big reason. TV stations are already strapped in their news-making budgets. Then, how do they expand news-making operations that need even more reporters for an increasing niche audience? Does everyone get paid less? Will local news journalism become a sideline hobby for wannabe journalists? Grabbing nascent bloggers for conversion to the big time could be the way to go. Even then, where is the monetization, the advertising dollars? All to say, the business is not there yet. Stations now have big-time competition in all areas where they used to have a near monopoly with radio and newspapers. What they do have are many news-making professionals. In that same Pew study, local TV -- by way of its traditional platform -- was found to still be the place viewers go for breaking news, weather and other content. The questions are how to brand that to new information-seeking digital consumers who are convinced they can get deeper -- and maybe better -- information on new digital platforms.