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With seven seasons under its belt, NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” is still growing—particularly in developing alternative revenue streams beyond advertising. “Loser’s” consumer-product lines, which include items such as CDs, weight-loss plans, DVDs, workout equipment and now a Nintendo Wii video game, has...
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With the television industry slogging through the worst economy in decades, the broadcast networks put their best foot forward at the upfront, then braced for long negotiations with media buyers and advertisers. “I’m surprised by how normal everything felt,” said one veteran buyer, noting the presentations...
Posted to
The Business of Television
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News
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Fri, May 22 2009
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Filed under: Broadcast, Fox, ABC, Advertising, CBS, NBC, The CW, Print Edition, Upfront, Ad Buys
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Turner Broadcasting announced new original series projects with Steven Spielberg, Steven Bochco and Kevin James. Turner, which is crashing the broadcast networks’ upfront advertising sales week with a presentation of its own Wednesday, has been pumping up the amount of original programming on TNT and...
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It pays to advertise in ABC’s top drama, “Grey’s Anatomy.” According to TiVo’s StopWatch ratings service, eight of the top 10 most-watched commercials aired during the medical show. But TiVo notes the most-watched commercial didn’t air in the top-rated episode of the series, which appeared March 26,...
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The CW has been working to find a place not only in the hearts of 18- to 34-year-old women, but also in the hearts of advertisers who target them. The network, which holds its upfront presentation in New York on Thursday, has showed its advertiser friendliness by coming up with several ways in which...
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Before deciding to put Jay Leno in prime time, NBC offered its 8 p.m. timeslot to Oprah Winfrey. NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said that the notion of Oprah having a nightly show in prime time wasn’t a new idea. NBC talked to Ms. Winfrey about two years ago, Mr. Zucker said. She passed but said she might...
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Like Fox on Monday, ABC on Tuesday went before advertisers and media buyers to pitch the mighty power of broadcast TV and show off some of the new shows that will be on its fall schedule. “Television is the strongest advertising medium available today,” said Anne Sweeney, president of ABC Media Networks...
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NBC is splitting its new series offerings 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...
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ABC is making some big moves in the fall, launching an all-new comedy night and slotting buzz drama "Flash Forward" in the key 8 p.m. Thursday time slot. Other big plays include a new Mark Burnett reality show, "Shark Tank," Tuesdays at 8, as well as the shift of "Ugly Betty"...
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With Fox preaching stability in its lineup, its upfront presentation was reminiscent of last year’s. The main thing upsetting the sense of déjà vu was that this year’s presentation at New York’s City Center and party afterwards at Central Park’s Wollman Rink were held on the opening night of the broadcasters...
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Credit Suisse is forecasting that sales in the broadcast upfront market will drop 15% to $7.9 billion. Analyst Spencer Wang expects the broadcasters, whose ratings were down 10%, to sell 5% less primetime inventory at flat pricing. For cable, Mr. Wang sees the upfront slipping 0.6% to $7.8 billion. He...
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Media buyers are still calling for price rollbacks going into television’s annual upfront advertising market this week, but network executives say demands for price cuts have softened since the stock market bounced higher. This week, the broadcast networks—plus cable networks Turner Broadcasting System...
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TV’s top-rated show, “American Idol,” also topped the Content Power Ratings list put together by media buyer Optimedia US. The list, released Thursday, also held some surprise shows. To create the Content Power Ratings rankings, Optimedia factors in TV audience, Web and mobile viewing, viewer involvement...
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CBS CEO Les Moonves said that NBC’s decision to put Jay Leno on in prime time will help his company’s bottom line. “We were the No. 1 network at 10 o’clock last year,” Mr. Moonves told analysts and investors during CBS’ quarterly earnings conference call Thursday. He estimated that CBS took in 38% of...
Posted to
The Business of Television
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News
on
Thu, May 7 2009
Filed under:
Filed under: Broadcast, Cable, Digital, Advertising, CBS, NBC, Syndication, Jay Leno, Earnings, Les Moonves
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“The Biggest Loser” has proven to be a big winner for Jennie-O Turkey Store. The NBC series, which chronicles the efforts of overweight people trying to reduce their size and improve their health, might not seem the most appetizing place to advertise a food product. But the producers of Jennie-O turkey...