Few will dispute that voting members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences largely got it right this year. In most categories they chose the best shows and performers for Emmy nominations and kept their usual oversights to a minimum. That makes the competition tougher than usual and the winners more difficult to call, as we'll see on Sunday during the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Last week we began a discussion of those ad-related terms that are common to both the established ad sales marketplace and the STB / Addressable Advertising marketplace (Set-Top-Box Lexicon:The Common Advertising Language). This week is a continuation of common industry accepted terms that relate to commercial packaging, scheduling and commoditizing.

Does a high degree of pre-season buzz have any impact on whether a new TV series ultimately becomes successful? The short answer is no. The long answer is no, no, no, no, and no. Over the past decade, roughly 30% of the new fall prime-time series with the most pre-season buzz were successful. What was the success rate of all new series during the same period? Roughly 30%.

In 2006 I was part of the Nielsen team that developed a cross-platform strategy called Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2), which set out to integrate measurement of video viewing across various screens. Some of what Nielsen planned to do now seems quaint.

As I sat reading by candlelight during Irene's visit to New York, I reflected on the role TV plays in an electrically powered world.

I don't have any problem with product placement, though I know a number of people who do. They howl their disapproval at the briefest glimpses of standard consumer goods in the settings of their favorite scripted television series as if something obscene has suddenly appeared on their screens. But here's an example that's way over the top.

A visitor to a new world may be able to make themselves known with common words like "yes" and "no." In the STB data world there also exists common advertising terms that are shared with the established standard ad marketplace and the STB / Addressable ad marketplace. Speaking a common language in the fine art of buying and selling ad time helps to facilitate business and fosters understanding and acceptance of results.

Betsy Frank, Chief Research and Insights Officer of Time Inc., has a background that spans many different media platforms and businesses -- from agencies such as Saatchi, to networks such as MTV and now to Time Inc. and its print and digital offerings. In my interview with her, Betsy talks about her background and how the media landscape has changed over the past 30 years.

With the tenth anniversary of 9/11 already hanging heavy in our hearts, the recent earthquake on the East Coast (and the follow-up hurricane) brought back jittery reminders that individuals and nations alike are not fully in change of their own destinies. Because earthquakes strike suddenly and without warning or preparation, the 5.9 quake on August 24 is a good case study on how communicating has both changed and remained the same since Sept. 11. What has not changed very much is the primacy of television as our main communications tool. As soon as I learned about the earthquake, I went …

There have been a number of outstanding scripted series this summer on basic and pay cable, all of them deserving of special praise. But at the moment there are three I can't stop thinking about: ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars," FX's "Louie" and Cinemax's "Strike Back," three expertly realized shows to which the industry should pay close attention. There is much to enjoy about each of them, and much to learn from them, as well.