Comcast Looks To Program Congress by David Goetzl

With a slew of issues impacting the video marketplace expected to become an increasing point of emphasis in the next Congress, Comcast has been making contributions to federal candidates at a far higher rate than other media companies. The Comcast PAC has donated $1.51 million to House and Senate candidates, triple the amount of the next leading media company, Cox Enterprises. ...Read the whole story

  • Multiscreen TV-Tablet Viewing Soars by Wayne Friedman

    More evidence grows over multitasking multiscreen viewing. Almost two-thirds of tablet owners -- 63% -- watch TV while using their tablets, per a study from GfK MRI. The research says this is significantly more than any other activity done concurrently with tablet usage. ...Read the whole story

  • Dish CEO Fights Back Against CBS by David Goetzl

    A day after CEO Leslie Moonves said CBS will not make programming available to Dish Network unless it drops a DVR service that can automatically skip commercials, the satellite operator's CEO fought back. Dish CEO Joe Clayton charged CBS with being out of touch, while indicating that Auto Hop won't be going away. ...Read the whole story

  • 'Voice' Drowns Out 'X Factor' by Wayne Friedman

    In the first battle between the two heavyweight singing competition shows, NBC's "The Voice" easily bested Fox's "X Factor" in a head-to-head battle on Wednesday night -- but both suffered from lower ratings versus comparable original episodes. ...Read the whole story

Chasing Reach, But Getting Frequency by Dave Kissel

Effective media solutions will be those that deliver "network/prime-time TV" programming: big reach with engaged viewers, at effective frequency. That is, compelling out-of-home, prime-time TV-like experiences. ...More

  • Beck Beckons Back To TV -- But What About Advertisers? by Wayne Friedman

    Many Internet entrepreneurs love the idea that consumers can pay for the exact content they want without dealing with the vagaries of advertising. But after a while these same business professionals think, "Wait. Maybe I can monetize a little more." ...More

  • For Tablet Owners: Prime Time Is A Two-Screen Experience Now by Steve Smith

    Not only do a large majority of tablet owners use their devices when the TV is on, but a large share do so throughout the time they kinda watch the 'first screen.' ...More

  • Emotional Connectivity Crackles Through 'The Voice' and 'The X Factor' by Ed Martin

    Remember when the audition shows on Fox's "American Idol" became must-see television specifically because Simon Cowell was so unforgiving with his withering condemnations of sub-par singers? The opposite is true of NBC's "The Voice" and Fox's "The X Factor." On those shows, the auditions are all about playing to the viewers' emotions and instantly investing them in the outcomes of certain performances. It's not about waiting for people to make fools of themselves; it's about hearing the next moving or inspirational story and then anxiously waiting to see or hear how the judges react to the performance that follows. ...More

  • Networks Face Choices In Making Deals About Choices by Wayne Friedman

    Dish Network wants viewers to have a choice in how they skip TV commericials, with its new AutoHop feature allowing consumers to skip prime-time ads in bulk. I believe TV networks should also offer a choice to some business partners. ...More

  • TV Audience Fragmentation Is An Inescapable Reality: Embrace It by Dave Morgan

    TV content and TV audiences will never be as homogenous as they were in the '70s and '80s. That's reality and not going to change. The only way to deal with -- or overcome -- the challenges of fragmentation is to adjust our approach to TV media buying, selling and measurement. Here's what I mean: ...More