Olympic Trials Get "No Netflix" Bounce

TVbyTheNumbers features overnight LPM numbers that bode well for the coming Games.

Let's also remember Netflix streaming service was down all over the country due to extreme weather conditions.

Do Good People Finish Last @ NBC?

Through tears, she also said: “For all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I’m sorry I couldn’t carry the ball over the finish line. But, man, I did try.”

3rd & 4th Quarter Sports Specials Change

It may be a hot Friday evening in Manhattan, but someone is still kicking out NBC Sports Specials changes from 30 Rock.

Posted: 06/22/2012 05:07:36 PM
Air Date: 12/22/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 04:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC SPORTS SPECIALS
Duration: 02:00:00
Type: Title Change
Message: Program title changed to NBC FIGHT NIGHT.

---

Posted: 06/22/2012 05:02:03 PM
Air Date: 12/02/2012 Sunday
Start Time: 02:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC SPORTS SPECIALS
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: Title Change
Message: Program title changed to AT&T WINTER NATIONAL CHAMPS'.

---

Posted: 06/22/2012 04:52:30 PM
Air Date: 11/03/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 02:30:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC SPORTS SPECIALS
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is now booked. Please advise clearance.

---

Posted: 06/22/2012 04:51:16 PM
Air Date: 10/13/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 02:30:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC SPORTS SPECIALS
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is now booked. Please advise clearance

Here's just the tip of the iceberg.  RatingBook.com clients will have updated sports inventory Monday.

Two Saturdays in July Change Plus...

Posted: 06/21/2012 04:34:43 PM
Air Date: 07/21/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 09:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: LAW & ORDER: SVU is booked.

---

Posted: 06/21/2012 04:33:05 PM
Air Date: 07/14/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 10:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: THE FIRM
Duration: 00:59:30
Type: New Booking
Message: THE FIRM is booked.

---

Posted: 06/21/2012 04:31:44 PM
Air Date: 07/14/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 08:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Duration: 02:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: AN AMERICAN GIRL: MCKENNA SHOOTS FOR THE STARS is booked.

---

Posted: 06/21/2012 04:29:46 PM
Air Date: 07/02/2012 Monday
Start Time: 08:30:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: AMERICA`S GOT TALENT
Duration: 02:29:30
Type: New Booking
Message: AMERICA'S GOT TALENT is booked.

Completed: RatingBook.com clients were updated by 2:45pm today.

Does Your NBC Station Need MediaOffice Help?

As of today, current MediaOffice inventories at NBC stations list more than 120 Prime and OTO/Specials lines, not including Olympics.  In just the past three days, NBC has announced more than fifty program changes including “sneak peaks”, premieres, the new fall season’s staggered opening plus post-Olympic prime.  Most traffic departments we’ve worked with are too busy keeping up with last-minute programming and client changes to update the local sales team on every future NBC programming announcement. 

May 2012 Sweeps data is arriving now, and will be used to negotiate a large percentage of the remaining revenue in 2012.

Chances are, stations are looking ahead towards the most demanding 4^th Quarter budget ever.

But if an NBC station doesn’t have a Research Director,  their sales team is probably on the street or creating a proposal right now with old programming information, selling thousands of dollars of spots in programs that will not air and using out-of-date, potentially inaccurate audience estimates to guarantee GRP delivery.

At some of these stations, salespeople must create their own estimates, with the temptation of promising high GRP levels to get sales now while generating significant make-good liabilities for the station’s future.

It’s nearly impossible to find a full-time RD with any TV experience at the kind of money most stations can pay, even if you could get a budget for a new full-time position from the corporate bean-counters.

The professionals at RatingBook.com have been serving TV stations’ audience research needs for more than 25 years.  Our experience tells us there are women and men in positions of local revenue responsibility at TV stations who feel there is simply no local solution to this problem.

But now, NBC stations using MediaOffice can out-source these vital functions to research industry veterans who work exclusively with NBC stations using MediaOffice @ RatingBook.com.

From our state-of-the-art facility in Las Vegas, RatingBook.com constantly monitors NBC programming changes via authorized, full APT access; remotely updating our clients’ NBC inventory within MediaOffice on a daily basis.  Each time NBC makes a significant change, we notify our clients via email as well as through this website: www.NothingButChange.com.   Once inventory listings are updated,  RatingBook.com experts fine-tune each program’s audience estimates within MediaOffice Selling Books, and updated planners are made available to client sales teams. 

Our client list has included Hearst, Sunbelt, ComCorp, Raycom, Hubbard, Sarkes Tarzian, Granite and others in diary and metered markets.  We’ve provided outsourced RD services through OneDomain to as many as 13 TV stations at the same time, but we now focus on partnerships serving the long-term needs of professional broadcasters, like Ralph Flynn.

"I think your work looks great! We are using the estimates in negotiations with agencies and finding them well received. The salespeople.. see the great benefit in all this. We now have estimates and programming information that simply outclasses everyone in our market!! This is top 10 market information in the 86th market!!" - Ralph Flynn General Sales Manager WRCB TV NBC Chattanooga, TN

Our low long-term rates reflect our commitment to such broadcasters.   We’re cheaper than a part-time sales assistant yet we’ll be the “best RD you’ll never hire.”

Your first step to getting a quote for our service is to go here, or give us a call @ 702.354.9986.

RatingBook.com Clients Have May-based Estimates. Do you?

NBC television stations using RatingBook.com services now have updated audience estimates for the remainder of 2012 and the first half of 2013, using audience composition data from the just-released May 2012 sweeps.

If you're responsible for hitting local advertising sales at an NBC station with MediaOffice, and  you don't have a Research Director, you really do owe it to yourself, your employees, your station and your career to consider outsourcing this vital task.

May Data Arrives; Estimating Work Begins

Creating a pure MayEST Selling Book is very easy, but coming up with 4th Quarter 2012 estimates isn't.

I've been working on RatingBook.com clients since dawn; all clients will have their systems totally updated and ready by Monday morning, and GSMs will have May12-based Master Planners for their stations tonight.

Waiting For May 12 Data..

During this period of time each June, TV stations anxiously await the demographic shares they will be selling for the remainder of the year.

RatingBook.com clients know I check their MediaOffice servers several times a day during their window of data arrival..  the sooner I start, the sooner your sales team can get to work.

While I do have access to Nielsen's release dates, my experience over the past 16 years of RD work in metered markets tells me not to count the chickens before they hatch;  good intent means little if the data isn't accessible to the end user.

BTW, the Nielsen VIP telephone hotline, which used to be updated each day sweeps data was shipped, hasn't been updated for more than 340 days.  I'm sure there's a reason.

Thank You, NBC.. Well Done!

Regular readers of this website's 3+ years know too well a nasty habit I've developed:

Bitching About NBC Schedules

But now, allow me to thank the staff at NBC for neatly providing affiliate stations and prospective advertising clients NBC primetime and specials programming schedules for the remainder of 2012.

Local station salespeople have always told me they would much rather sell a program name than a time period.  Listings in APT give AE's additional confidence needed to sell specific demographic audiences rather than low-cost ROS packages.

Guys and Gals in New York, thank you for your hard work this week.  You deserve the weekend off.

 

RatingBook.com Clients Are Current through 2012

Yep, more than 100 different lines of NBC Prime and Specials inventory through December 2012, each with their own quarterly audience estimates.

NBC TV Clients have full Master Planners Saved as Avails for use as templates by AEs.

NBC Changes Next Wednesday Night Prime Again

---

Posted: 06/15/2012 09:56:29 AM
Air Date: 06/20/2012 Wednesday
Start Time: 08:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC SPECIALS
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: JUSTIN BIEBER: ALL AROUND THE WORLD, PART 1 is booked.

Wow.. they booked Part 2 the following night weeks ago.  What on Earth would make them delay this long to announce this program to stations, viewers and clients?

I have no freakin' idea.  Having been up till 1:30am this morning updating NBC's last batch of moves, I'm unable to find any reason behind 30 Rock's actions.   

"Animal Practice" & "Go On" Fill Sat 8p Hour in Q4

Posted: 06/14/2012 07:04:17 PM
Air Date: 10/13/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 08:30:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: GO ON
Duration: 00:30:00
Type: New Booking
Message: GO ON is booked on Saturday 10/13 through 12/29.

---

Posted: 06/14/2012 07:03:14 PM
Air Date: 10/13/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 08:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: ANIMAL PRACTICE
Duration: 00:30:00
Type: New Booking
Message: ANIMAL PRACTICE is booked on Saturday 10/13 through 12/29.

Wow..  I'm honestly impressed by the thoroughness of this release of scheduling this far out, even if it does change.; programs are far easier to sell than time-period blocks.  

Oooh.  Chicago Fire at 9pm for the same dates as above. 

Post-Olympic Prime Posted on APT

Following are the premiere dates for NBC’s Fall 2012 primetime schedule (all times ET; new shows are in upper case):

Wednesday, August 8
“GO ON” (sneak peek following Olympic Games coverage)

Sunday, August 12
“ANIMAL PRACTICE” (sneak peek following Olympic Games Closing Ceremonies)

Monday, August 13
8-10 p.m. “STARS EARN STRIPES” (two-hour premiere)10-11 p.m. “Grimm”

Wednesday, September 5
7:30-8:30 p.m. “NFL Kickoff Special 2012” (regular season)8:30-11 p.m. “Sunday Night Football” (regular season)

Sunday, September 9
7-8:15 p.m. “Football Night in America” (regular day and time)8:15-11 p.m. “Sunday Night Football” (regular day and time)

Monday, September 10
8-10 p.m. “The Voice”

Tuesday, September 11
9-9:30 p.m. “GO ON” (time period premiere)9:30-10 p.m. “THE NEW NORMAL”10-11 p.m. “Parenthood”

Wednesday, September 12
10-10:30 p.m. “GUYS WITH KIDS” (sneak peek after penultimate “America’s Got Talent”)

Friday, September 14
9-10pm - "Grimm" (time period premiere)

Monday, September 17
10-11 p.m. “REVOLUTION”

Thursday, September 20
8:30-9 p.m. “Up All Night”9-9:30 p.m. “The Office”9:30-10 p.m. “Parks and Recreation”

Wednesday, September 26
8-8:30 p.m. “ANIMAL PRACTICE” (time period premiere)8:30-9 p.m. “GUYS WITH KIDS” (time period premiere)9-11 p.m. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (two-hour premiere)

Thursday, October 4
8-8:30 p.m. “30 Rock”

Wednesday, October 10
10-11 p.m. “CHICAGO FIRE”

Friday, October 19
8-8:30 p.m. “Whitney”8:30-9 p.m. “Community”

RatingBook.com clients will find all  programming changes, along with customized audience estimates tomorrow morning. 




It's going to be a long night!

NYT: NBC Finishes "UpFront" Sales.. "Considering"

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/nbc-fares-well-in-upfront-market-considering/


One point the Times didn't mention in this article, perhaps because it's too easy to kick The Peacock when it's down. NBC's CPMs may be going up compared to last year, but the M (the audience size) part of the CPM has been going down for the last decade.

Thursday Night Changes: AGT Encore at 8pm

Don't expect much from this show, as it's up against NBA on ABC.

Posted: 06/11/2012 05:31:06 PM
Air Date: 06/14/2012 Thursday
Start Time: 08:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: AMERICA`S GOT TALENT
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: AMERICA`S GOT TALENT is booked.

Yes, this has already been updated and published to RatingBook.com clients.

Stanley Cup Game #6 Airs Monday Night

Which means the post below, regarding Tuesday night changes, does go into effect.

Update: See NBC's confirmation of Tuesday night changes below.

Next Tuesday Night Prime Changes..

Posted: 06/08/2012 12:06:06 PM
Air Date: 06/12/2012 Tuesday
Start Time: 08:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: Contingencies
Message: If there is an NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game #6 on Monday 6/11, "American Ninja Warrior' (Episode TBD) will replace 'America's Got Talent' on Tuesday 6/12, 8-9pm ET. Format remains the same. Please see contingencies on this date for details.

Saturday night update: There will be a Game #6 on Monday night, so the above change will happen.

Sunday night update:  NBC posts on APT over the weekend!  Thank you, NBC!

Posted: 06/10/2012 05:33:25 PM
Type: Announcements
Message: Now that NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game #6 is definite on Monday 6/11, "American Ninja Warrior' replaces 'America's Got Talent' on Tuesday 6/12, 8-9pm ET. Format remains the same. Please see updated schedule.

"Another" Scratches: Saturday Ratings Will Plunge

With the announced scratching of the winner of the Kentucky Derby and The Preakness a few moments ago, estimate viewership of what is now just a horse race this Saturday were revised on client inventories this morning.

Boy, the NBC Cable folks sold this out the wazzoo...  let's see how they like last minute changes THEY don't know about.

Update:  Here's how NBC spun it.

Here's part of the New York Times' coverage of this event.  

I’ll Have Another’s scratch is one of the most momentous in racing history. Only two horses who won the Derby and Preakness — Burgoo King in 1932 and Bold Venture in 1936 — did not contest the Belmont, and that was well before the Triple Crown had achieved mainstream prominence.

And an update from the better of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas.

Saturday Night Will See Game #5

Posted: 06/07/2012 10:13:35 AM
Air Date: 06/09/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 08:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Duration: 02:59:30
Type: Announcements
Message: 2012 NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: Game #5 (LA Kings @ NJ Devils) is definite on Saturday 6/9. Please see updated contingenices.

When does the workday begin at 30 Rock?

Saturday Night: Belmont Overrun and Stanley Cup #5?

Posted: 06/06/2012 05:17:14 PM
Type: Operating Conditions
Message: Sports Operating Conditions for Saturday 6/9 have been revised to reflect: 1) The addition of possible overrun format after 7pm ET for Belmont Stakes; 2) The addition of possible Prime programming if no NHL Game #5 this night.

 From what I gather from here, the Stanley Cup may be decided in Game 4 "airing" on one of Comcast's cable networks..  if anyone watches.  No, really...  see the link.

Looks like America's Got Talent will be running encores to fill in the event the game doesn't happen.

Or, they might burn off two more episodes of The Firm.  Un-freakin-believeable.

How Much Later Today?

Posted: 06/04/2012 03:14:12 PM
Type: Announcements
Message: ATTN STATIONS: Tomorrow's TODAY SHOW Format for all timezones will be modified later today. Please do not finalize your logs until updates have been published.

It's 5:25pm EDT, and still no information.  While this additional delay doesn't impact my work,  it's indicative of an attitude network management has about local stations.

Update:

 Posted: 06/04/2012 05:53:31 PM
Type: Contingencies
Message: Please see contingencies on Tuesday 6/5 for details on Optional and Live Special Report coverage of Diamond Jubilee events. Also see additional notes in format and timing tabs in all three Today shows.

More AGT reruns July 15th? Nahh.. old news.

This isn't news.  All clients already had this in inventory and estimates.

Posted: 06/04/2012 01:56:24 PM
Air Date: 07/15/2012 Sunday
Start Time: 09:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: AMERICA`S GOT TALENT
Duration: 02:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: AMERICA'S GOT TALENT is booked.

On The Way Out of 30 Rock on Friday Afternoon

Posted: 06/01/2012 04:25:55 PM
Type: Announcements
Message: Today Show (Tues. 6/5): NBC will provide extensive live coverage in all time zones of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. Special format/feed pattern adjusts and operational details will be available in APT on Monday (6/4).

Her Majesty gave fifty sixty years notice of this event, and you're only going to tell local stations your plans 24 hours in advance, leaving the traffic departments hanging till then?

Oh, that's right.. it's Summer in Manhattan.  We middle class workers can wait till Monday.