• Upscale Consumers Set To Spend
    Networks able to demonstrate an upscale audience would appear to be in a strong position to keep ad dollars flowing, even if there is a general market slowdown. Complementing a New York Times piece not long ago, a new survey shows the 1% -- a term that is quickly entering the zeitgeist and needs no explanation - don't seem to be cutting spending.
  • Cars.com Takes Proactive Stance On Penn State Scandal
    Finally, an example of swift and powerful leadership in the Penn State scandal. Finally, someone willing to take a proactive moral stance with no outside pressure. Finally, someone strong enough to say we don't have all the facts, but we've seen enough. Cars.com has expressed its outrage by refusing to attach its name to Penn State football games on ESPN over the next two weekends and pulled its sponsorships.
  • Networks Can't Bear Thought Of Perry Quitting
    Early afternoon Thursday, a tweet flashed across computer screens saying Rick Perry would be dropping out of the Presidential race. What followed was mass panic among network executives. How could the Texas governor do this to them! Not when he is just hitting his stride in appearing un-presidential, helping with ratings and Web traffic. The tweet turned out to be a hoax. So, news departments and late-night shows can rest assured he will be around for more debates, speeches to civic groups and a concession speech in Iowa - all of which could bring more of the wacky, wayward material …
  • 'Beavis And Butt-Head' Campaign Uses Disruption For Reintroduction
    During the last "Beavis and Butt-Head" episode, the two misfits consider that someone may actually occupy a lower rung on the intellectual ladder than they do. While watching a clip from MTV's "16 and Pregnant," Butt-Head finds a character that prompts him to say: "This guy looks like he might be stupider than us." Beavis and his deviant cohort have been gone for nearly 14 years before returning to MTV this fall. When the new version of the show premiered Oct. 27, that marked the culmination of months of work by MTV's marketing team to drum up interest in the …
  • AMC Bases Currency On Single Multi-Platform Rating
    Looking to capitalize on a new opportunity in multi-platform sales, AMC is using a single rating that combines TV and online viewing as a currency. The initiative is propelled by a fledgling Nielsen data stream that produces an aggregated C3 rating for viewing on the two screens. AMC is using the unified C3 rating for three originals airing now: "The Walking Dead," "Talking Dead" and "Hell on Wheels."
  • Analyst: Time Warner Could Benefit From Endemol Acquisition
    Once again, Wall Street analyst David Bank has shown prescience with his endorsement of Time Warner's potential acquisition of the Endemol TV studio. While a deal may carry a huge price tag, it's a tremendous asset, standing at the locus of two crosscurrents: the extraordinary importance of content and, within that, networks' increasing fascination with reality TV.
  • Top Cablevision Executive And Dolan Family Member Battles Employer In Court
    The job market may be tough and layoffs have many jittery, but when your last name is Dolan and you work for Cablevision, maybe you feel a little more confident. So much so, that while holding down a top corporate role, you feel emboldened enough to sue your employer for $11 million. In April, Tom Dolan -- son of the founder and brother of the CEO -- filed a lawsuit against the company looking to claim the money he believes he is owed dating back to his one-year run as CEO of the Rainbow Media unit from 2004-05. Dolan, now …
  • HD Ads Limited In Local Markets, Stations Should Provide More Help
    With the costs of producing HD ads declining and seemingly every spot on the Big Four networks in high definition, the local market continues to lag. Are marketers losing an opportunity? Maybe. Are they entirely to blame? No.
  • Leaders & Bleeders: Alaska Up, E!/Kardashian Complex Down
    In this month's edition of Leaders & Bleeders, Alaska is a favored setting for reality TV. Former Governor Sarah Palin's show brought strong ratings, even though it wasn't given a second season. But now the last frontier's gold miners and Coast Guard are seeding the genre. Meanwhile, the highly rated broadcast of the Kardashian wedding on E! is proving to be an imbroglio. Followed by a divorce 72 days later, it has people questioning whether E! was in on a stunt. What's real and what isn't will always be a Kardashian question, but if matters look too staged that could …
  • Time Warner Cable And Viacom Reignite iPad Court Battle
    The Pax Viacoma is over. Viacom and Time Warner Cable have reignited their court battle after failing to reach a settlement in their dispute over in-home iPad streaming. An apparent driving force is a deal Viacom reached with another cable operator, Cablevision, on effectively the same matter. Time Warner Cable (TWC), in turn, feels it is entitled to similar terms. In June, Viacom and TWC agreed to put their iPad battle in New York federal court on hold, while they hoped to work out a solution. In a recent government filing, however, TWC said it ended the temporary truce in …
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