A little less than half the country, 49%, has DVR time-shifting technology, according to Nielsen. The number has barely moved in the last few years. Still, the penetration number is not insignificant. Nielsen says time-shifting was 30 minutes a day on average in the third quarter, up from 28 minutes in the same quarter last year. That will help TV networks attain their goal of gaining 1% to 3% more advertising revenue from time-shifters. They will do that by using commercial ratings metrics that extend to seven days or more of time-shifted viewing.

Nothing conveys "the honorable pursuit of excellence in college athletics" more than hiring a PR agency -- unless it's a television contract worth millions.

End-of-the-year predictions are nice fodder for growing TV/media executives. A recent Borrell Associates webinar offered a few interesting, if head-scratching ideas:

Arguments have raged for years over financial formulas for after-market sales of TV shows. One formula came through the budding syndication marketplace in the late '80s and early '90s. Then U.S. media gained strong influence internationally, and revenues also came from U.S. cable networks. Now there has been a move for many to non-advertising-based platforms. Some now wonder how much big media content creators can expect from advertising-supported after-market TV marketplaces in the future.

Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks is a good businessman, smart athlete -- and now a good social comedian. He gets paid for endorsing Campbell's Soup and Beats by Dr. Dre. But NFL policy states that players are not allowed to show or use items with non-NFL sponsor logos for 90 minutes before or after games.