by Wayne Friedman on Dec 7, 1:23 PM
A lot has been made about so-called "native" advertising, especially in the digital space. But what about on television?
by Wayne Friedman on Dec 6, 1:01 PM
Sports fans, claiming that local TV blackout rules are anti-competitive to their viewing pleasure, say that individual teams and their regional networks or broadcast stations should be able to compete with each other. So if you live in Los Angeles and want to buy and see an individual New York Yankees or New York Mets home game, you should be able to do so.
by Wayne Friedman on Dec 5, 4:09 PM
A news story on a TV screen sits high in a gym workout room. With no audio, an on-screen message at the bottom of the screen appears to complement what a CNN anchor is saying: "Hundreds Killed In Chicago. At least five people working out stop immediately. They watch without blinking. A video finally appears, and it's reporting on long-term, increased violence in the Windy City. One viewer then says something everyone watching wants to hear: "Not all at the same time! Whew!"
by Wayne Friedman on Dec 4, 1:00 PM
Major media content creators believe they still hold the upper hand for getting every bit of their TV shows' viewing accounted for on new digital platforms. Confidence is high. But a firm schedule of those changes is another matter.
by Wayne Friedman on Dec 3, 2:58 PM
How are your fast-forwarding skills? Blowing through all those commercials for the iPhone5 or Geico insurance, or that trailer for the end-of-the-year horror movie from a major studio? How perfect are you when it comes to getting through all of it? The TV Watch family isn't all that good at it, so we're pissed. No, we don't get our knickers in a twist if some commercials for a new cholesterol-fighting drug slip through. But we do resent something less obvious: late local news promos.
by Wayne Friedman on Nov 30, 10:57 AM
TV news gatherers might look to get to a higher level. We are talking drones. But don't call it spying.
by Wayne Friedman on Nov 29, 3:50 PM
Past the high-interest Presidential election cycle, we continue to ponder new brands for TV news. But how far can networks and stations go?
by Wayne Friedman on Nov 28, 4:10 PM
This season, FX has let about five episodes of its heavily viewed "Sons of Anarchy" series run up to a half-hour longer than their usual 60-minute lengths, according to Variety. But in the modern cable TV world, this is not a pure-viewing formula because --accounting for national and local commercials and promos -- viewers see much less program content
by Wayne Friedman on Nov 27, 3:46 PM
Wait, I thought I was done thinking about "Two and a Half Men"! Nope. Now, Angus T. Jones, who plays the "half" part of the show's title -- teen Jake Harper - says he is devoutly religious and has issues with the show. As you can imagine, Jones' issues are opposite those of former star Charlie Sheen. The show's content can "fill your head with filth," according to Jones. What doesn't seem too filthy, of course, is the $350,000 per episode Jones gets. But hey, we are talking about the creative process. So snap your financially concerned wise-ass back to …
by Wayne Friedman on Nov 26, 4:09 PM
We may sometimes forget that broadcast stations have certain Federal Communication Commission requirements when it comes to programming -- specifically children's "informational" and "educational" content. But what if these regulations didn't just apply to kids programming? What if networks needed to have a specific number of comedies, dramas, reality and news programs? Sounds crazy, but maybe this would give some networks a needed jolt -- if not some needed failure.