Friday, May 29, 2009
But 270 minutes later......
19 Major Changes To NBC Summer Announced
Earliest change you'll see is in June with 30 Rock filling in for Earl in first hour of Thursday prime, but you'll also see lots of SNL Specials and even encores of America's Got Talent added.
My premiere clients will be changed this afternoon. But since this will take at least 90 minutes per station, not everyone will have new schedules before they go home tonight. So fire up MediaOffice Monday morning and look for all the changes.
Remember, if you don't close and re-start MediaOffice, you'll not see the latest updates.
(Oh, and this announcement doesn't mention where 10.5, originally scheduled for June 7th, is going)
Prime Changes Next Week
Sunday, June 7th gets the orphaned, encore second half of Last Templar.
And, of course, there's no mention of where 10.5 Apocalypse will now air, previously scheduled on June 7th. Looks like it's back to the tile puzzle for the summer.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Stanley Cup Games Move Up.. to this weekend
These games are already in your inventory in NHL/Winter Sports folder. Games 3 and 4 are on cable, but additional Stanley Cup games on NBC (5, 6 and 7 all if necessary) will be cliffhangers.
If the Sunday game starts at 8pm E, stations in Central and Eastern Time will get an hour of Dateline at 7pE/6pC.
Hope you weren't waiting for the second half of The Last Templar.. i
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Another Change for Next Week's NBC Prime
The Listener's premiere on Thursday, June 4th has now been expanded to 2 hours, nuking Office/30 Rock scheduled the hour before.
My NBC clients will be updated in the next hour... you know, traffic departments should get an express line at the Pearly Gates... in the words of our almost-VP (shudder): "God bless 'em."
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
NBC Preempts 2 SVUs next week.....
NYC Marathon Date Change
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
All NBC Clients Updated!
The stereotypical IT Helpdesk question of "did you reboot your machine?" isn't as cynical as it sounds when we talk about MediaOffice. Each time your desk PC loads MediaOffice, it grabs the very latest inventory and estimates I've created for your station.. but once it starts, MediaOffice doesn't automatically update them while running.
If you've seen a new update here on this blog, chances are, it's time to close MediaOffice and re-start it. Fresh and accurate info is a good thing. Don't miss out.
Sunbelt, Raycom and SarkesTarzian complete....
While Helena has new inventory published, I'm still working on Selling Book estimates at the moment.
Still to be done tonight... Granite stations....
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
More than 70 lines in Prime Inventory alone....
It's taking about 5 hours per station for this update.. more involving than a new sweeps data release, and for me, much more fun! Here's where I get to use 25+ years of broadcast ratings experience in markets all over the US to predict how each program will do, on each station, in each market, by quarter.
Remember, you'll be able to see the planner I create for your station by going to MediaOffice's Avail/Packages, then Open Package, and click on View Public Area.. and unclick View Only My Avails. If you Open As Template, you'll be looking at a prime avail through March 2010.
NBC Upfront: Splitting Seasons, Lots of Leno
NBC is splitting its new series offering between fall and winter, limiting its fourth quarter debuts to two new dramas, one new sitcom—and a whole lot of Jay Leno.
The network also has passed on scheduling "Medium" and "My Name is Earl," with both shows expected to either die or jump to another network.
As for scheduling strategy, NBC is following through with its announced plan to have shows share time slots throughout the season, thus cutting back on repeats—and providing more lead-in support to Mr. Leno's 10 p.m. comedy hour. The network will use its February coverage of the Winter Olympics as a natural division between its two seasons.
"We have the ability to be in originals all year long ... and drive circulation into Jay," Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, told TVWeek. "We've all seen repeats collapse."
In terms of specific nights, NBC is moving one of its biggest scripted assets, "Heroes," to 8 p.m. on Mondays in order to launch new high-octane drama "Trauma" at 9 p.m. The network is betting Sunday football will serve as a strong promotional base for the Monday-night action block.
"It's reinventing the night and making it fresh again," NBC Entertainment President Angela Bromstad said of the Monday rejiggering. "'Heroes' has such a passionate audience, and 'Trauma' is one of the strongest shows we've had."
NBC is keeping "The Biggest Loser" as a two-hour event on Tuesdays. The network considered splitting the show into hours, but didn't want to give up the high-rated 9 p.m. hour of "Loser" as a lead-in for Mr. Leno.
Mr. Silverman said he hopes the "big female circulation (from 'Loser') will flow" into Wednesday nights, where NBC is hoping for impressive things from its new family drama "Parenthood." The latter series will air at 8 p.m., leading into "Law & Order: SVU" at 9.
Thursdays will remain relatively stable, though 8 p.m. anchor "Earl" is gone. As previously announced, it will be replaced by "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday" at the start of the season, with "Parks and Recreation" and "The Office" remaining in their current 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. timeslots, respectively.
"Community" will begin the fall at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, but will soon be challenged by a move to 8 p.m. before year's end so that "30 Rock" can return at 9:30.
Fridays will be crime time in prime time on NBC, with "Law & Order" leading into sophomore hour "Southland." While some are interpreting the move as aggressive—since NBC has been very public in its support of "Southland"—the scheduling suggests that NBC realized "Southland" needs to be in a lower-risk timeslot after its weak overall performance Thursdays at 10.
It also shouldn't be hard for NBC to improve its ratings performance on Fridays with "Southland" and "L&O."
After the Olympics, NBC will shake up several key nights.
"Chuck," which escaped cancellation in part due to a fan campaign, will return from an extended break, staying on Mondays at 8 p.m. It will serve as a lead-in to new limited series "Day One."
Mr. Silverman credited viewer and advertiser passion for the "Chuck" pickup.
"Both the fans of the shows that matter and the advertisers of the shows raised their hands to say, 'We need “Chuck” on the schedule.' We will send you Nerds. We will buy Subway $5 footlongs. We will do whatever it takes'," Mr. Silverman said, adding that the pressure from fans was "relentless."
The executive took a swipe at two bubble shows that didn't return: "Medium" and "Earl."
"On the other side, we had an aging franchise, without a single fan letter, not one hand raised (at all of NBC's Infront sessions with advertisers). That speaks for itself. We believe in the future. We believe in shows without ceilings."
Tuesdays will remain the home to "Loser," but the show will go on a New Year's diet, shrinking to a 90-minute format so that NBC can launch new comedy "100 Questions" at 9:30 p.m.
On Wednesdays, "SVU" stays at 9, but NBC plans to replace "Parenthood" with new nurses hour "Mercy."
Thursdays and Fridays are expected to remain stable midseason. Sundays, look for Jerry Seinfeld's reality show "The Marriage Ref" at 8, with "The Celebrity Apprentice" back from 9-11 p.m.
Ms. Bromstad said NBC has chosen to put its new shows "in strategic timeslots that position them for success.”
"They join some of the highest quality returning shows on television, which will serve as a strong foundation to the new schedule," she added. "I think viewers are going to be happy to see this lineup of great new shows that will truly fit the NBC legacy of quality, culturally defining shows."
Other notes on NBC's new schedule:
—Mr. Silverman said NBC will bring back "Weekend Update" prime time two other times during the season for "strategic" purposes. He didn't say when or how the show would be used.
—NBC will once again expand "The Office" to an hour at least once next season.
—Mr. Silverman seemed skeptical of ABC's plans to launch so many new shows next fall. "We don't want to launch 10 new shows in a quarter," he said. "We can do three or four."
Of course, NBC is launching more new hours of programming next fall than any other network. When Mr. Leno's show is factored in, NBC will have eight new hours of prime-time programming in the quarter. ABC will have six.
New Season Schedule Announced..
NBC FALL 2009 SCHEDULE
*New programs in UPPER CASE
MONDAY
8-9 p.m. "Heroes"
9-10 p.m. - "TRAUMA"
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. "The Biggest Loser" (two-hour edition)
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "PARENTHOOD"
9-10 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. "SNL WEEKEND UPDATE THURSDAY" (multi-episode run)
8:30-9 p.m. "Parks and Recreation"
9- 9:30 p.m. "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. "COMMUNITY" (moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. after multi-episode run "30 Rock" returns)
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m. "Southland"
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. "TRAUMA" (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encore broadcast)
SUNDAY
7- 8:20 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8:20-11 p.m. "NBC Sunday Night Football"
NBC MID-SEASON 2010 SCHEDULE
(2010 WINTER OLYMPICS preempt regularly scheduled programming from February 12-28)
*New programs in UPPER CASE
MONDAY
8-9 p.m. "Chuck" (season premiere)
9-10 p.m. - "DAY ONE"
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
TUESDAY
8-9:30 p.m. "The Biggest Loser" (90-minute edition) 9:30-10 p.m. "100 QUESTIONS"
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "MERCY"
9-10 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. "COMMUNITY"
8:30-9 p.m. "Parks and Recreation"
9- 9:30 p.m. "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. "30 Rock"
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m. "Southland"
10-11 p.m. "THE JAY LENO SHOW"
SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. "Southland" (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encore broadcast)
SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. THE MARRIAGE REF
9-11 p.m. "The Celebrity Apprentice" (season premiere; two-hour edition)
(as you might imagine, I'll be putting this data in my NBC client inventories for the next couple of days)
Saturday, May 16, 2009
While you wait for Fall Schedules....
NBC Hired a Hit Maker. It’s Still Waiting.
WHEN NBC hired Ben Silverman in May 2007, he was the hottest executive in the television business, the man who had a hand in bringing reality shows and “The Office” to America. He also happened to be taking a job he had dreamed about as a junior high schooler hooked on television: the top programmer position at NBC.
Two years in, his dream job is significantly different. So is Mr. Silverman.
His assignment of reviving NBC’s long-troubled fortunes in prime time has proved heavier lifting than Mr. Silverman anticipated, thanks to a combination of external factors — like a writers’ strike and a battered economy — and internal factors, including some gossip-stoking incidents in his personal life and a few comments about others that he now acknowledges were ill-advised.
And as always, there is the issue of ratings.
While it has been a meager year everywhere for hits in the network business, NBC has for several years been all but desperate for a new breakout show — or two or three. Mr. Silverman’s first full cycle of programs has not yet produced anything fitting that description. The fall lineup was fallow; two spring entries have generated some great reviews but only hints of future ratings gold.
When the hits did not flow in the fall, it enflamed critics who were already disposed to find fault with Mr. Silverman over what they labeled as arrogance and a self-involved management style.
Some detractors, rooting for his exit, have suggested that he and NBC can’t wait to part company. But Mr. Silverman, who is 38, says he is staying put. “I am a happy worker at NBC,” he said in a recent interview in Manhattan. “I plan to stay at NBC as part of the NBC family. I’m there. I’m committed.”
Jeff Zucker, Mr. Silverman’s boss and the chief executive of NBC Universal, says he continues to value Mr. Silverman’s work. “Ben has a skill set that is incredibly appropriate for these times,” he said. “If we weren’t supportive of Ben, he wouldn’t be here.”
Still, the fact that there has been no formal deal announced to renew Mr. Silverman’s contract will probably set off speculation among Mr. Silverman’s critics that Mr. Zucker does not want to make a public endorsement of him.
As for his personal life, Mr. Silverman said he had taken steps to temper his social profile, which made him a frequent target in the Hollywood blogosphere. (He famously held a party populated by models in bikinis and white tigers in cages.)
“I am more conscious of how I’m being presented,” he said.
Not that he doesn’t acknowledge some missteps. He was quoted dismissing two network competitors as “D-girls” — or low-level development executives. “I should never have called them that,” Mr. Silverman said.
“Ben made some mistakes in his first year,” Mr. Zucker said. “The first year was a learning experience. He had to learn how to work inside a corporation.”
THE ratings — and Mr. Zucker’s expectations — have ratcheted up the pressure on Mr. Silverman to make something positive happen quickly, certainly within the next year. The programming team under him has been revamped and given wider responsibilities. And Mr. Silverman and NBC seem to have agreed informally that he will continue on a year-to-year basis after his initial contract expires in June.
Among NBC’s target audience — viewers ages 18 to 49 — this season’s ratings have been flat, not bad in a business of mostly consistent downward movement. But in its current position, still last among the major networks, NBC needs up, not flat; it also had the Super Bowl this season and it won’t next year.
So, to pick up that slack, it will require something (or several somethings) shiny and successful out of Mr. Silverman’s shop.
“We need better shows,” Mr Zucker said. “That is priority No. 1 right now.”
Ever confident, Mr. Silverman believes that he has the goods coming next fall.
Mr. Zucker said he expected better shows to begin to emerge more easily, mainly thanks to the realignment of duties he put in place at NBC Entertainment early this year. The principal change involved the replacement of Mr. Silverman’s hand-picked top lieutenant, Teri Weinberg, with a veteran NBC program development executive, Angela Bromstad.
One consequence of that change has been less day-to-day involvement for Mr. Silverman in program development decisions as well as the calls on which shows to “greenlight” into production.
Few naysayers are willing to go on the record because they still need to do business with him. One program supplier said Mr. Silverman has been marginalized, and focuses more on the marketing of shows than their creation.
But a supplier who is willing to go on the record has a different take. “Ben is always front and center, where he needs to be,” said Zack Van Amburg, co-president of Sony Television, who cited Mr. Silverman’s participation in the development of that studio’s comedy called “Community,” from the first cast reading of the script. (The series was selected for NBC’s fall schedule.)
Mr. Silverman said he remained a participant in decisions to greenlight shows, and he argued for patience before his programming grade is handed out.
“I’d like to think time will tell,” he said, “because you can’t really judge your programming skills in a strike-shortened, 18-month period.”
MR. SILVERMAN’S background is more high culture than pop culture. The son of an avant-garde composer, he forged his reputation in television as an independent — and untraditional — operator. In 1995, he became an agent at William Morris and relocated to London, then considered a show-business backwater.
It was there that he noticed a trend sweeping European television: reality programming. Mr. Silverman became a middleman in deals that brought shows like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Survivor” to American networks.
That led Mr. Silverman to create Reveille, a production studio. Reveille generated a string of successful shows on cable, like “Nashville Star” and “The Tudors,” but gained real prominence for its network shows. Two Reveille series, “The Office” and “The Biggest Loser,” remain the biggest hits on NBC.
While at Reveille, Mr. Silverman became an eager spokesman for a vision of the network business built around international co-productions and partnerships with advertisers to get their messages directly into the content. For example, he created a reality show called “The Restaurant” with the backing of American Express; the company’s card was used exclusively in the show. He arrived at NBC prepared to carry out those plans.
“What I didn’t realize is, it’s really hard to have a vision running a network,” Mr. Silverman said. “You can have an agenda. But it’s almost impossible to have a vision because of the scale of the business and the entropy that already exists.”
In the spring of 2007, when Mr. Zucker turned to Mr. Silverman, NBC was starved for hits, especially the kind the network has been associated with for a generation: high-quality drama (“ER,” “The West Wing”) and classic comedy (“Seinfeld,” “Friends”).
Initially, Mr. Silverman couldn’t do much because he arrived after NBC’s fall slate was locked in. But he did have an early effect on one NBC product: he devised a deal with the satellite service DirecTV to keep the critically acclaimed “Friday Night Lights” in production through two additional seasons.
Once he was in full control, Mr. Silverman tried to revive some older franchises, both in reality (“American Gladiators,” which worked for one cycle of programs before fading) and drama (“Knight Rider,” conceived partly as a deal with Ford, which supplied the car that was the central character. It ran for this season and was canceled). In the wake of the writers’ strike, NBC did not have many pilots and bought some shows simply on the basis of scripts. None of those worked out. The most ambitious drama, “Kings,” which played as a biblical allegory, won positive reviews but puny ratings.
From the start, many of Mr. Silverman’s management decisions came under attack from some quarters of the Hollywood establishment. Ms. Weinberg, initially in charge of program development, became a lightning rod for anger from some producers who said she was too inexperienced and played favorites. Ms. Weinberg said on Friday that at NBC she was, “collaborative, smart, inclusive and easy to work with.”
Another focus of scrutiny about Mr. Silverman has been the deal to sell Reveille, completed in February. Critics suggested that while Mr. Silverman was being paid as an executive, it looked as if he was in a position to help build up his company before selling it for an estimated $200 million to Elisabeth Murdoch, the daughter of Rupert Murdoch of the News Corporation.
Reveille certainly benefited when other shows it owned were added to NBC’s list. (Mr. Silverman imported one comedy, “Kath and Kim,” from Australia while he still ran Reveille.)
Mr. Zucker said that there was nothing improper in how Mr. Silverman dealt with Reveille. When he signed Mr. Silverman, Mr. Zucker said he agreed to a process in which he, and not Mr. Silverman, would have final say in ordering shows from Reveille.
Mr. Silverman said: “People didn’t even know it, but NBCU owned a piece of the deal. And they made all their money back on it already.” Mr. Zucker confirmed these details, saying NBC made an undisclosed profit. (Not as much as Mr. Silverman; he made an estimated $125 million.)
Ms. Murdoch, who runs the Shine Group, professes nothing but satisfaction — though she also happens to be one of Mr. Silverman’s closest friends. “We now have two powerful creative engines making hit shows in the two most valuable markets in the world,” meaning the United States and Britain, Ms. Murdoch said in an e-mail message.
Looking ahead, Mr. Silverman said he was feeling positive about the new season.
“I’m starting to get excited about it,” he said, pointing especially to NBC’s move of Jay Leno to an across-the-board slot at 10 p.m. weeknights.
That move was handled entirely by Mr. Zucker, though he credited Mr. Silverman with establishing a strong relationship with Mr. Leno.
“I’m really focused on what we’re doing right now, and on launching more shows off the Winter Olympics as well,” Mr. Silverman said. “That’s one reason I want to stay. I want to see this through. I really think we’ve got a little momentum.”
That sentiment comes easy at every network this time of year, when pilots for new shows are arriving. But Ms. Bromstad has received high marks for stabilizing NBC’s entertainment operation.
She described the new arrangement as a partnership that is working well. She said Mr. Silverman handles the larger strategy and also makes deals with talent and producers. She handles the day-to-day duties of taking pitches and ordering scripts.
“I love Ben,” she said. “We’re moving in different directions and doing different things.”
THERE is no doubt that in recent months, Mr. Silverman has altered his approach to both his personal and professional lives.
Mr. Zucker says he believes Mr. Silverman has made the necessary adjustments. He credited Mr. Silverman’s showmanship as NBC’s front man for presentations to advertisers this month. “The advertisers feel better than they have in years,” he said.
Mr. Silverman pitched a batch of new comedies and dramas, including two introduced this spring, “Parks and Recreation” and “Southland,” a police series that was the best-reviewed show on network television this year. They will be the first scripted shows in Mr. Silverman’s tenure to return for a second season. He also rejuvenated the “Apprentice” reality franchise.
And he continues to try to find ways to merge advertisers’ messages into the network’s programming. Eric Hadley, general manager of worldwide marketing for Microsoft, said the company had ambitious plans to place product messages in NBC shows.
“The way Ben thinks about shows, it takes in programming, advertising and what’s culturally relevant,” Mr. Hadley said.
“Those kinds of deals are what we have to do to drive the survival of our content base,” Mr. Silverman said. “At the end of the day if we’re still going to make the best programming in the world, we’ve got to find the funding for it.”
“I am resilient,” he said.
Friday, May 15, 2009
A Thank You to RDRx Clients & OneDomain
Some of these folks have worked with me as far back as 1984.. things sure have changed in the quarter-century since.
Thank you.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Howie Doesn't... Air This Friday
All of my MediaOffice NBC clients have already been updated. Close MediaOffice and re-open it to see changes. Remember, you MUST re-start MediaOffice at least as often as you see updates here. If you don't see a program in inventory, chances are you need to re-start MediaOffice.
Monday, May 11, 2009
4th Quarter Golf & Sports Specials Announced
A HUGE thank you to NBC and WRCB; ODI Research now has access to APT, and up to 7 years of historical program titles.. essential for those NBC Sports Specials estimates.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Google finally uses the reach medium.. TV
Color, motion and emotion. A call to action at the end. The most massive internet advertising company in the world will now use plain old television (although just cable at the moment) to expand their reach.
These guys/gals ARE smart!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Changes to Summer Overnight NBC
This will be on all client stations today.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Another Free Lunch from RDRx
http://www.unthinkfc.com/
Farrah's Story: Friday May 15th
Derby Delivers 10.2 HH Rating / 22 Share
by Frank Angst from ThoroughbredTimes.com
The combined efforts of NBC and Churchill Downs Inc. to angle the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (G1) broadcast to a wider audience apparently paid dividends.
NBC Sports reports the race segment of its broadcast registered the highest overnight rating in 17 years. During the hour of the race—6 p.m.-7 p.m. EDT on May 2—the Derby registered a 10.2 overnight rating and a share of 22.
The race ratings are up 6.8% from last year and are the highest since 1992, when Lil E. Tee won the classic.
NBC included segments in its broadcast designed to interest women, including red carpet celebrity arrival coverage, Top Chef, and fashion segments.
“I think a key word for our coverage is balance: balance serving the horsemen and journalism; balance in serving the male-female viewers,” said NBC Sports Spokesman Adam Freifeld. “Balance in covering the scene and the race.”
NBC also employed its “big event” marketing strategy for the race by providing coverage and promotion through the "TODAY" show, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "NBC Primetime," Bravo, and Oxygen. NBC started the promotion with an ad on Super Bowl Sunday.
NBC also promoted the race through iVillage and its companion service BlogHer.
Frank Angst is senior staff writer of Thoroughbred Times
Monday, May 4, 2009
Some Fall Prime Announced: No Schedule till May 19th
The new and returning series will launch next season and the epic event series "Day One" is slated to premiere out of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
"The Jay Leno Show" will be broadcast Monday-Fridays, 10-11 p.m. ET beginning in the fall. Previously announced series pickups include "The Office," "30 Rock," "The Biggest Loser," "The Celebrity Apprentice," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Friday Night Lights," and new alternative series "The Marriage Ref," "Breakthrough With Tony Robbins" and "Who Do You Think You Are?"
Additional series pickups will be announced May 19, when NBC announces its 2009-2010 schedule.