• Drone On: Will TV News Fly Around In A New Way?
    TV news gatherers might look to get to a higher level. We are talking drones. But don't call it spying.
  • After The Big Election, Where Are The New TV News Brands?
    Past the high-interest Presidential election cycle, we continue to ponder new brands for TV news. But how far can networks and stations go?
  • Scripted Cable Going Long: Good News For Advertisers, Viewers And Storytelling
    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
  • More Shark-Infested Marketing Waters For 'Two and a Half Men'
    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 …
  • With Different Programming Regs, No One Wants To Be One Reality Show Short
    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.
  • NBC 'Wins' Fall, But What About So-Called Season Title?
    NBC won the 18-49 November sweeps for the first time in nine years, but what does that mean come the last week in May? Even then, what does winning the "live plus same day" 18-49 season mean anymore?
  • Holiday Commercials In Reruns: Recent Nostalgia, Or Just Old?
    An older man in a health club locker room looks at a TV screen and says,"Wow. That's an old commercial." The holiday marketing rush thus begins with the viewing of a Corona Extra commercial. This 15-second spot, run in recent years, features a shot of a Caribbean or Pacific island night, a small hut by a beach with five or six palm trees, not-so-quiet nightlife animal sounds, and a man whistling "O Tannenbaum." Then Christmas lights on one of the palms come on, offering an alluring contrary take on a holiday season picturesque tableau.
  • BitTorrent On TV: Piracy Issues Make For Complicated Marketing
    Competition for space on the TV screen seems to be where the real battle is. No, we are not talking about NBC having too many new comedies for too few time slots, nor about Fox having promising reality shows but unable to wedge out another weekly episode of "X Factor" or "American Idol" next January. At issue are apps like Netflix and Hulu that are increasingly finding their way onto connected TVs via deals with Sony, Samsung, LG, and others.
  • The Elephant In Nielsen's Client Meeting
    Two weeks after Superstorm Sandy knocked much of the East Coast -- including many Nielsen households -- off the grid, Nielsen held a meeting with its East Coast clients to brief them on some important developments, but essentially ignored the elephant in the room: Sandy. In fact, there wasn't even a room for the elephant. The meeting, conducted via a webinar, was thrown together when Nielsen's original national client meeting was canceled on Oct. 31 due to the aftermath of Sandy, and a powerful Nor'easter.
  • Fourth Quarter Scatter: Up, Down, Or All Around?
    The big fourth quarter scatter market is always a benchmark for many TV sellers due to the push for end-of-the-year holiday consumerism. And this year's market is, well, iffy.
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