1. Ben B from Retired
    8 hours ago re: DirecTV Offers Discount With Bold 'No Locals' TV Station Strategy by by Wayne Friedman (Television News Daily - March 18)

    I think local TV stations should be included no matter what in my opinion. I wouldn't be surprised that the FCC will get into it saying that Pay-TV has to include the local TV stations in the basic package NAB isn't going to like either. If I had DiecTV I'd keep the locals I don't see the savings in my opinion.

  2. John Grono from GAP Research
    11 hours ago re: Where Your Advertising Work Comes To Life: It's That Time Of Day by by Wayne Friedman, Staff Writer (TV Watch - March 18)

    Apparently not enough people watch ads between 1 a.m. and 2 p.m. to bother researching that time-slot.  

  3. David Scardino from TV & Film Content Development
    Yesterday, 3:19 PM re: Where Your Advertising Work Comes To Life: It's That Time Of Day by by Wayne Friedman, Staff Writer (TV Watch - March 18)

    So, Wayne, another case of research confirming common sense perception. Wonder how much the research cost...?

  4. Teresa Buyikian from Mediapost
    Yesterday, 11:35 AM re: Wendy's Dynamic Pricing Controversy: Sound And Fury Signifying Nothing by by Teresa Buyikian (QSR Insider - March 12)

    Thanks!

  5. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc
    Yesterday, 9:42 AM re: Is YouTube A Streamer? Does It Matter? by by Maarten Albarda, Featured Contributor (Media Insider - March 15)

    Maarten, I, too, am on YouTube all the time but various partis differ on what they think is "TV". For example, national TV advertisers wish to be associated with "quality" content because they believe that these are better environment for their ad messages and the ads are more likely to be seen. Also, they want in-show ad placements, not pre- or mid-rolls, and they are concerned about their image--which makes some---or many "user-generated" videos no, nos. While some of these feelings are subjective, hence questionable, there is evidence about commercial atentiveness which seems to support the fear that You Tube commercials are less likely to be seen.

    That said, as YouTube evolves re its TV content---I have little doubt that it will command an increasing share of national branding ad dollars as it has other positives going for it---younger viewers, targeting, etc. But this will take time to develop and You Tube could speed the process by creating a national TV advertising opportunity that meets the advertisers' requirements and by measuring its audience in a comparable manner to the various linear and streaming ad -supported networks. It's simple: premium content, in-show commercial breaks, no invitations to viewers to zap commercials, comparable reach/frequency measurements, third party auditing of placements and GRPs, etc. What's so difficult?

  6. Gordon Hotchkiss from Out of My Gord Consulting
    March 16, 2024, 2:04 PM re: My Award For The Most Human Movie Of The Year by by Gord Hotchkiss, Featured Contributor (Media Insider - March 12)

    Jim - I loved Past Lives. In some ways, it was my favourite from among the nominated movies. The fact that it had a Canadian director was another plus for me - for purely personal reasons.

  7. john rohm from connect ventures llc
    March 16, 2024, 1:57 PM re: Repositioning Goliath by by Joe Mandese (Planning & Buying Insider - March 15)

    profound in both it's revelations and situational perspective, I applaud the acceptance of the challenge! Definitely worth following the progression.

  8. Ben B from Retired
    March 15, 2024, 10:17 PM re: PETA Peeved At 'Animal Control' Monkeyshines by by Adam Buckman, Featured Columnist (TVBlog - March 15)

    PETA can't back it up since this group likes to get attention is all with the letters that go nowhere and epic fail stunts as well. The Real PETA stands for People For Eating Tasty Animals and I like eating my meat I have seen some of there food ideas which look gross and I wouldn't try it. PETA is wrong simple as that and they are also animal killers as well they put dogs asleep and killed animals when building there HQ, PETA doesn't tell that story. And why I take what they say with a gain of salt.

  9. John Grono from GAP Research
    March 15, 2024, 8:35 PM re: Mythbusters: LinkedIn Edition by by Zach Oscar, Op-Ed Contributor (MediaDailyNews - March 15)

    Readers may agree or disagree with Zach's posting.

    Many may challenge the veracity of "One of the greatest myths ever told is that people like advertising.   Sure, they like Super Bowl commercials, but ads in general? I don't think so."

    Take your own test.

    At the top of the artilce was an ad.   Does anyone recall it let alone like it?

  10. John Grono from GAP Research
    March 15, 2024, 8:18 PM re: Multiple Media Currencies: No Apples-To-Apples Models, Missing Benchmarks? by by Wayne Friedman, Staff Writer (TV Watch - March 15)

    Wayne, here is a suggestion.

    1. Get each of the "four major currency vendors" to publicly release a nomintaed week's ratings
    2. That not only MRC but other entities are given access at an elemental level for analysis
    3. That the results of all four are then compared
    4. Then, and probably only then, will the folly of multiple "currencies" become clearer
    ... and heaven know you might find out which is the better and most approriate provider.

  11. Michael Giuseffi from American Media Inc
    March 15, 2024, 4:52 PM re: What is Truth? The End Of 'Capote Vs. The Swans' by by Barbara Lippert, Columnist (Mad Blog - March 13)

    Capote described "In Cold Blood" as a non-fiction novel, so perhaps you can look at this season of FEUD in the same way.  I loved it, particularly the episode "It's Impossible".  It was expertly directed and the first 15 mins of the episode are filmed and acted to perfection.

  12. Tony Jarvis from Olympic Media Consultancy
    March 15, 2024, 3:00 PM re: Multiple Media Currencies: No Apples-To-Apples Models, Missing Benchmarks? by by Wayne Friedman, Staff Writer (TV Watch - March 15)

    "Multiple Media Currencies" for a medium or for that matter any particular category is, of course, a contradiction in terms!  Currency for a medium is singular, albeit there are usually and often invaluable ancillary data sources available to enhance the industry agreed currency metrics for planning, buying or selling of that medium, e.g., VideoAmp or iSpot to "enhance" Nielsen?
    As Ed Papazian, Richard Marks, John Grono, myself and other media research cognoscente warned when this farrago began, "multiple or alternate currencies" for TV/Video, or indeed for  any medium, will drive chaos.
    A medium's currency should ideally be managed by a JIC (a real JIC!!!) or a MOC per the "Ten Cornerstones" published by Media Post - https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/390836/jics-mocs-ten-cornerstones.html.  The currency should be based on people, NOT solely device based, measures of Eyes/Ears-On for all content and ads.  Part of the cross-media measurement dilemma is that generally each ad medium has a different basis for its "agreed" currency beyond the basis harmonization and common metrics needed for the all-important  cross-media reach & frequency data over time for the brand's target group. 
    The MRC will not resolve the current chaos.  More likely it would actually add to it should each of the protagonists earn accreditation. MRC accreditation, while technically complex, hard earned, and costly, would merely confirm that the "alternate" vendors met MRC Guidelines and executed what they said they did.  (They are Guidelines NOT Standards; contain critical flaws; and do not, purposely and wisely, prescribe the specifications required by a research vendor to be a medium's singular, definitive currency!) 
    In addition, while ad campaign outcomes or program/content audience delivery are the ultimate goals, it is the creative message that is the primary driver of such outcomes over which media, as the secondary driver, has no control.  So, outcomes as a potential currency, with its intriguing mix of creative power and targetted exposure or contacts by the media, I think not.  

  13. Zach Oscar from Kairos Media
    March 15, 2024, 12:12 PM re: Mythbusters: LinkedIn Edition by by Zach Oscar, Op-Ed Contributor (MediaDailyNews - March 15)

    Hey Carol! Appreciate the experience of you & your son. I'm always glad to hear about excitement around these kinds of things. Do you think it brought your son closer to the brand/increased his desire to engage with McDonalds outside of the game? 

    Earning Robux is also a good way to encourage these kinds of collaborations, but as mentioned I do find the Robux to USD conversion rate a little alarming.

  14. Carol Gleeson from Push Media Inc
    March 15, 2024, 12:01 PM re: Mythbusters: LinkedIn Edition by by Zach Oscar, Op-Ed Contributor (MediaDailyNews - March 15)

    My 11 year old son enjoyed the McDonalds integration in Roblox and was excited to show me around. I believe it included the ability to work in the drivethrough and earn Robux. As far as I observed, it was a one off which created excitement and engagement. 

  15. Tom Goosmann from True North Inc.
    March 15, 2024, 11:56 AM re: Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin Assembles Team To Buy TikTok by by Colin Kirkland (MediaDailyNews - March 14)

    I'd trust China with my personal data a lot more than Steve Mnuchin and his pals. 

  16. Ben B from Retired
    March 14, 2024, 10:07 PM re: Allies Through Thick And Thin: America, Ukraine, Israel by by Dave Morgan, Featured Contributor (Media Insider - March 14)

    Well said Dave I agree 100% with the article. I just wish everyone could live in peace just live in harmony even with the differences that countries have.

  17. Ben B from Retired
    March 14, 2024, 8:56 PM re: Young Streamers Believe They Are Overspending On TV, Video by by Wayne Friedman, Staff Writer (Advanced TV Insider - March 14)

    I'm old school I perfer cable I don't do streaming I'll be the last to do streaming when everything goes streaming from Pay-TV. The thing is pick 2 or 3 streaming services you like and be done with it I'm not that type to cacel or uncacel just for a show or 2 and a movie as well then sign up again when the show returns.

  18. John Grono from GAP Research
    March 14, 2024, 6:13 PM re: New Peacock Drama Is About A Family of Sour 'Apples' by by Adam Buckman, Featured Columnist (TVBlog - March 14)

    Gees.   The person in the (above photo, left) looks more like a bloke than looks like Annette Benning.

    Oops?

  19. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc
    March 14, 2024, 12:02 PM re: Brands Wasting Millions Of Dollars On Made-For-Advertising Sites by by Laurie Sullivan, Staff Writer (Search & Performance Insider - March 13)

    The solution is to buy direct and check out the sites you are dealing with, rather than having computers do this for you. Otherwise, it will  kep happening agian and again---along with outright fraud where you pay to get low CPM "impressions" against bots.

  20. Jack Wakshlag from Media Strategy, Research & Analytics
    March 14, 2024, 11:32 AM re: 4A's: Shift To Multi-Currency National TV Ratings 'Not Ready For Prime Time' by by Steve McClellan (MAD - March 13)

    Yup. 

  21. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc
    March 14, 2024, 9:57 AM re: 4A's: Shift To Multi-Currency National TV Ratings 'Not Ready For Prime Time' by by Steve McClellan (MAD - March 13)

    Finally, a more realistic report on the practical possibilities--or more properly, the impossibilities---of using many alternate metrics as "currencies" with each seller selecting the ones that are most favorable to its sales posture while ignoring those that aren't. As the report states, if there were,say 10, " certified alternate currencies" in use would the agencies have to subscribe to all 10 ---which might be costly not only as to price but you would need more people to study all of that data, wouldn't you? Would clients reimburse the agencies for the added costs?Don't count on that, folks.

    And one might add, what about the media-aloof CMOs and their minions--the brand managers. If various TV time sellers could pick and choose from any of 10 "currencies" wouldn't each brand have to specify its overall "needs" 10 different ways? Gulp!

    Finally, if a brand wanted 5.893 billion sweaty brows per quarter as one of its "needs" for the upfront, but only three sellers  used this "metric" how would a time buyer compare the offerings of one seller with those of another? And how would the time buyer determine that the whole buy---on 10-12 sellers---- resulted in sweaty brow guarantees that accomplisehd the brand's total--all-seller---  sweaty brow goal?

  22. Ben B from Retired
    March 13, 2024, 7:46 PM re: TV 'Arms Dealers': Choose Your Programming Weapons Accordingly by by Wayne Friedman, Staff Writer (TV Watch - March 13)

    In the next few weeks Paramount & Charter Spectrum needs to get a deal done and I think in summer it will be Dish Networks turn to get a deal done as well.

  23. Jim Meskauskas from Media Darwin, Inc.
    March 13, 2024, 7:24 PM re: My Award For The Most Human Movie Of The Year by by Gord Hotchkiss, Featured Contributor (Media Insider - March 12)

    I think you make an excellent observation. The other nominee that AI would be hard pressed to have produced is "Past Lives." That story isn't something one "reads," it is somethin that one "lives." And AI, well...it doesn't live.