Monday, July 30, 2012

NBC Gives Stations 2 More Olympic Spots Per Night

NBC is pleased to advise that you will receive 2 additional units in every London Prime Olympic night effective tomorrow, Tuesday, 7/31. Positions will be sent later today.

With incredibly healthy ratings for the opening weekend, this is great news for local stations.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

September Sports Specials Change

Posted: 07/26/2012 02:54:08 PM
Air Date: 09/01/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 02:30:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Duration: 02:30:00
Type: New Booking
Message: US SOCCER FRIENDLY: USAWNT VS COSTA RICA is booked. Please advise clearance. 
Posted: 07/26/2012 02:51:57 PM
Air Date: 09/01/2012 Saturday
Start Time: 01:30:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC SPORTS SPECIALS
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: Time Change
Message: DIAMOND LEAGUE (ZURICH) moves to 1:30pm ET (previously scheduled at 4pm ET). Please advise clearance. 
Posted: 07/26/2012 02:49:55 PM
Air Date: 09/02/2012 Sunday
Start Time: 01:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC SPORTS SPECIALS
Duration: 01:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: CAUGHT LOOKING booked (moved from previously scheduled on 9/1 at 3pm). Please advise clearance
Already published to RatingBook.com clients.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Grimm's Post-Olympic Monday 10p Run Extended

Posted: 07/25/2012 02:06:38 PM
Air Date: 09/10/2012 Monday
Start Time: 10:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: GRIMM
Duration: 00:59:30
Type: New Booking
Message: GRIMM is booked.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

SNL Presidential Specials Scheduled in September

http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/07/24/nbc-at-tca-greenblatt-announces-snl-election-specials-pilot-sampling-613211/9884/

Both specials have been added to NBC Specials inventory, using 2008 SNL Presidential Specials as PAV guidance for estimates.

RatingBook.com clients will find these already in their MediaOffice systems.

Friday, July 20, 2012

ABC/CBS To Cover Shooting Tonight @ 10pm

A two hour Dateline was already scheduled, but at this time, there's nothing new on APT or visible via press releases about NBC's plans to cover the shooting in Colorado tonight.  I'm sure it's coming.

Both CBS and ABC have preempted the last hour of prime tonight to air updates from Colorado.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Late Night Weekend Olympic Tweak

Posted: 07/19/2012 12:29:31 PM
Air Date: 08/12/2012 Sunday
Start Time: 11:35:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: 2012 OLYMPIC SUMMER GAMES
Duration: 00:30:00
Type: Format
Message: LONDON ENCORE: Format has been added. Please see format tab for complete details.
This half hour program cuts into the time previously allocated for the late night segment.  Audience comp is unknown at this time, so I'll use typical late night weekend Olympic numbers for estimates.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Thanksgiving Regulars Appear in APT

Posted: 07/18/2012 01:02:47 PM
Air Date: 11/22/2012 Thursday
Start Time: 12:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA
Duration: 02:00:00
Type: New Booking
Message: 2012 NATIONAL DOG SHOW presented by Purina is now booked. Please see contingencies on this day for further details and impact to other dayparts. 
This and the other usual suspects were announced.  RatingBook.com clients have had all of these programs in inventory since last December.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Fallon Music Clips Fill Next Wednesday @ 10pm

Posted: 07/17/2012 01:19:49 PM
Air Date: 07/25/2012 Wednesday
Start Time: 10:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: NBC SPECIALS
Duration: 00:59:30
Type: New Booking
Message: JIMMY FALLON'S PRIMETIME MUSIC SPECIAL is booked.

RatingBook.com clients have already been updated.

More Sports Specials Changes?

Normally, announcements like this are not released by themselves, so keep an eye out for updates to 3rd and 4th Quarter NBC Sports Special scheduling.

Type :  New Booking
Posted :  July 17, 2012 11:52:06 AM
Show Name :  NBC SPORTS SPECIALS
Air Date :  September 01, 2012 Saturday
Start Time :  03:00:00 PM
Duration :  01:00:00
Message :  CAUGHT LOOKING is now booked. Please advise clearance.

Ah, it's another in the line of NBC Sports Network programs getting promoted on local NBC stations.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

4th Quarter Sports Specials Change

After a long hiatus from changes to programming, NBC has announced minor tweaking to less than a dozen of lightly-viewed specials in 4th Quarter.  Client stations have been updated.

Also, I note NBC's APT has been updated.  We'll see how that goes.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

"Go On" Sneak Peak Timing Tweaked


Posted: 07/03/2012 05:06:45 PM
Air Date: 08/12/2012 Sunday
Start Time: 10:38:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: ANIMAL PRACTICE
Duration: 00:22:00
Type: Contingencies
Message: Please note, start time is now approximate. Please see updated contingencies/feed tab for further details.


Posted: 07/03/2012 05:03:49 PM
Air Date: 08/08/2012 Wednesday
Start Time: 11:04:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: GO ON
Duration: 00:26:00
Type: Duration Update
Message: START TIME/DURATION CHANGE: NETWORK PRIME = Please note revised apx start time and duration this night. Please see contingencies/feed tab for further details.


Posted: 07/03/2012 05:01:03 PM
Air Date: 08/08/2012 Wednesday
Start Time: 08:00:00 PM [ET]
Show Name: 2012 OLYMPIC SUMMER GAMES
Duration: 03:04:00
Type: Duration Update
Message: DURATION CHANGE: OLYMPICS PRIMETIME = Please note revised show duration this night. Please see contingencies/feed tab for further details.
 
Both sneak peak episodes are running spot-free, so these changes mean very little to my clients.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

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.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

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.”

Friday, June 22, 2012

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.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

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.

Monday, June 18, 2012

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 4th 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.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

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.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

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.

Friday, June 15, 2012

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.