01/06/21: Ashleigh Banfield jumps to WGN America

 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

 

THE DR. OZ SHOW SOLD THROUGH FALL 2023!

 

Renewed In Over 80% Of The U.S. Through Season 14
Including Fox, Hearst, Nexstar, Sinclair & Gray Station Groups

 

Together, Dr. Oz & His Partner Stations Are Committed
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Cynopsis Medias First Morning Read

 

Wednesday January 6, 2021

Today’s Premieres
PBS: “When Disaster Strikes” at 10p
A&E: “Nature Gone Wild” at 10p
AXS TV: “Rolling Stone Magazine: Stories From the Edge” at 9p
BYUTV: “Random Acts” at 7p
Discovery: “Undercover Billionaire” at 8p, “Undercover Billionaire: Comeback City” at 10p
DIY: “Flea Market Flip” at 9p and 9:30p
Food Network: “Kitchen Crash” at 10p
Fox: “Name That Tune” at 9p
Netflix: “Surviving Death”
TNT: “All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite” at 8p

IN THE NEWS

Former CNN, MSNBC and HLN anchor Ashleigh Banfield is joining WGN America as host of “Banfield,” an hour-long weeknight news show launching Monday, March 1 at 10p. The new program is part of an expansion of WGNA’s lineup complementing its prime time newscast, “NewsNation.”  

Nielsen inked a renewal agreement with Tegna Inc. that includes continued access to ratings for 34 of Tegna’s 51 markets, including data services Nielsen Arianna, NLTV, Digital in TV Ratings, Grabix, Rhiza and Nielsen Scarborough. Nielsen recently updated its local measurement methodology, combining advanced meter technology and big data with people-powered panels.

Add Netflix to the list of media companies pressing pause on production due to the recent surge of Covid-19 infections. Also postponing production for the time being are ABC Signature, CBS Studios, Lionsgate TV, Sony Pictures TV, Warner Bros. TV, Universal TV, and 20th Television.

The 63rd Grammy Awards show, slated to air January 31 on CBS, has been moved to Sunday, March 14. “The deteriorating Covid situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do,” said The Recording Academy and CBS. “Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.”

C-SPAN announced that Steve Scully, placed on leave after falsely claiming his Twitter account was hacked, is returning to work – but not the screen – this week. Scully will start with assignments as a producer, and on radio’s “Washington Today” and podcast “The Weekly.” “We view October’s events as a singular episode in an otherwise successful 30- year C-SPAN career,” said the network. “And while it was appropriate in October for Steve to be immediately relieved of his duties leading our 2020 election coverage, we reiterate our belief that now, having completed a three-month administrative leave, he can continue to contribute to CSPAN’s mission.” Faced with criticism for posting a partisan tweet last fall, Scully claimed his Twitter account had been hacked, later apologizing.

Save the Date!
Our Best of the Best Awards are coming up…

Join us on Thursday, February 25 for our virtual celebration of the industry’s Best of the Best.

Finalists will be announced later next week!

PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

Rhys Darby (“Flight of the Conchords”) landed the lead in HBO Max period comedy “Our Flag Means Death,” loosely based on the true story of a gentleman farmer who suffers a mid-life crisis and becomes a pirate. The show reunites Darby with filmmaker Taika Waititi (“Flight of the Conchords”); series creator David Jenkins (“People of Earth”) will serve as showrunner.

Clancy Brown (“Highlander”) is joining Showtime’s revival of “Dexter,” opposite Michael C. Hall. The original ran from 2006-13.

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Endeavor Content inked a deal with South Korean production company Bon Factory to develop original TV series. “Compelling narrative should always find a global audience, and global stories demand top-tier talent in today’s marketplace to be told as genuinely as possible,” said Kelly Miller, VP, International Strategy, Endeavor Content. “South Korean culture has impacted the world globally, and Bon Factory’s storytelling style and ability to weave local and global approaches to content make this the perfect partnership.”

COMING UP

“Restored by the Fords” stars Leanne and Steve Ford are helping families return to their Pittsburgh roots in new HGTV series, “Home Again with the Fords,” premiering Tuesday, February 2, at 9p. The seven-episode series will follow Leanne, an interior designer, and Steve, a licensed contractor, as they update old homes.

HGTV offers a peek at programming on the new Discovery Inc. streamer in “discovery+ Previews,” tonight, January 6 at 9p.

Season two of “Married at First Sight: Couples Cam” follows favorite couples from the past season, starting Thursday, February 4 at 8p on Lifetime. The opener is followed by the debut of “Married at First Sight: Australia” at 9p.

Nat Geo’s “North Korea: Inside the Mind of a Dictator” pulls back the curtain on the life and reign of Kim Jong Un as he attempts to turn around his nation’s fortunes. The two-hour special premieres Monday, January 18, at 8p.

STREAMING

fuboTV announced preliminary fourth quarter revenue and subscriber results including Q4 total revenue of $94-$98 million, a 77% to 84% increase year-over-year. Prior guidance was $80-$85 million. Paid subscribers at year-end are expected to exceed 545,000, an increase of more than 72% year-over-year, versus prior guidance of 500,000-510,000. “fuboTV’s strong preliminary fourth quarter 2020 results exceeded what was already expected to be a record year for the company,” said David Gandler, co-founder and CEO, fuboTV. “In 2021, we will continue to be laser focused on executing our growth strategies, which include continuing to grow advertising revenues, working to implement sports wagering into our product and further establishing fuboTV as a leader in sports and live streaming.”

FAST Studios has launched, aimed at investing in and operating free ad-supported streaming television channels. “The next generation of TV is shaping up quickly as the lines between OTT and linear continue to blur,” said Stuart McLean, CEO of FAST Studios. “We are seeing gaps and obstacles for current and future channel owners who need to act like broadcasters to compete. FAST Studios addresses these needs by acting as a strategic investor, operator and distributor of channels, lowering the barrier to entry while delivering broadcast quality channels and infrastructure.”

The Doctor is in: Dr. Oz, a dedicated channel featuring episodes of “The Dr. Oz Show,” launched on Pluto TV on Tuesday. “‘The Dr. Oz Show’ has been delivering informative content on health and wellness to millions of Americans and established a commitment to keeping America healthy,” said Amy Kuessner, SVP, Content Strategy & Global Partnerships at Pluto TV. “By bringing the series to Pluto TV, we are excited to help viewers rediscover past episodes of this iconic show.”

Women’s lifestyle site Popsugar has launched a new modern love destination and a podcast series, “Love These Days,” in partnership with Crate and Barrel Wedding Registry. The destination will feature editorial content around the marriage planning process and relationships, as well as opportunities for site visitors to shop Crate and Barrel Wedding Registry products.

TECH TALK

Kantar announced an exclusive partnership with AI-powered search intelligence company Adthena. Kantar will integrate Adthena’s worldwide search data into its ad Intelligence platform in the US, Brazil, Denmark and France. Bain Capital Private Equity acquired 60% of Kantar from WPP in 2019.

Twitter has acquired social broadcasting app Breaker, which will shut down January 15 as its team joins Twitter to help “improve the health of the public conversation.” “Here at Breaker, we’re truly passionate about audio communication and we’re inspired by the ways Twitter is facilitating public conversations for people around the world,” said Breaker CEO Erik Berlin in a blog post. “We’re impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit at Twitter and enthusiastic about the new experiences that the team is creating.” Twitter is in the testing phase of an audio-enabled chat room feature, Spaces.

GOING GLOBAL

UK’s Channel 4 has commissioned “Britain’s Most Luxurious Hotels” (wt) from Spun Gold TV. The three-parter goes behind the scenes at Corinthia, The Langham and Chewton Glen, following the staff as they cater to their guests’ every whim.

Advanced TV platform company Cadent has expanded its automated addressable linear and VOD Advertising Platform into Liberty Global’s Irish footprint, Virgin Media Ireland, with its continental European markets to follow later in 2021.

Cynopsis Sports Media Awards
[ ENTER BY 1/27 ]

Call for entries are now open for the
9th Annual Cynopsis Sports Media Awards.

This awards program is dedicated to celebrating the work of talented producers, hosts, sponsors and executives alike, and saluting the initiatives that drove audiences and turned sports viewers into fans over the past year.

GET STARTED

RATINGS

 

The debut of Fox’s “The Masked Dancer” waltzed off with a 1.7/9 Live+7 rating, to rank as the 2020-21 season’s #1 program premiere. The competition was the top entertainment show the week of December 21, and the most-watched (5.9 million P2+) on Sunday night.

CNN’s “New Year’s Live” special saw the biggest year-over-year boost among shows ringing out 2020, averaging 3.36 million viewers, up from 1.73 million in 2019. The show grew from 0.4 to 0.81 among A18-49. ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” drew the most viewers with 18.4 million (up 5%) and 5.6 (up 10%) in the demo.

In 2020, Discovery boasted cable’s top 4 series on Friday nights among M25-54 and M18-49 in Live+3 Nielsens: “Gold Rush,” “Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail,” “Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine” and “Gold Rush: White Water.” Meanwhile, network sib HGTV ranked as the #1 non-news network in Total Day among W25-54, HHs, P2+, P18+, and W18+, and Food Network was the #2 non-news cable network (tied with HGTV) in Total Day among W18-49 and the #4 non-news net among P2+. TLC was the #1 cable network in Prime for Women 25-54/18-49/18-34), and saw its best W25-54 ratings and P2+ delivery ever.

The season 25 premiere of ABC’s “The Bachelor” delivered 5 million total viewers and 1.3 among A18-49 on Monday, a premiere low but enough to handily top the night in the demo.

TV Time’s Binge Report for the week of December 28
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix) – 4.86%
Bridgerton (Netflix) – 4.59%
Cobra Kai (Netflix) – 2.52%
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – 1.62%
Attack on Titan (NHK) – 1.54%
Friends (NBC) – 1.44%
One Piece (Fuji TV) – 1.26%
The Office (NBC) – 1.26%
Modern Family (ABC) – 1.24%
The Crown (Netflix) – 1.09%
The weekly Binge Report ranks shows with the most binge sessions. A binge session is when four or more episodes of a show are watched and tracked in the TV Time app within a given day.

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Friday, January 1
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Shark Tank 2.56 (0.45), 20/20 2.19 I0.37
CBS: MacGyver 3.06 (0.25), Magnum P.I. 3.10 (0.26), Blue Bloods 3.53 (0.28)
CW: RuPaul’s Drag Race 0.45 (0.10), Masters of Illusion 0.31 (0.06)
FOX: WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2.01 (0.53)
NBC: The Weakest Link 2.45 (0.38), Dateline Classic 2.48 (0.39)
Telemundo: Cine Telemundo 0.79 (0.2), Todo Por Mi Hija 1.29 (0.3), Falsa Identidad 0.67 (0.2)
Univision: Vencer al Desamor 1.61 (0.4), Imperio de Mentiras 1.20 (0.3), Dulce Ambicion 1.08 (0.2)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews has been appointed EVP and CBS News Washington Bureau Chief. Ciprian-Matthews has served as an EVP for CBS News since 2018, and was most recently CBS News’ EVP of Strategic Professional Development. She has served as CBS News’ acting Washington bureau chief since July.

John Robertson has been promoted to VP of Distribution at Hearst Television. Robertson has been Senior Director of Finance since 2018.

IN MEMORIAM

Tanya Roberts, who was erroneously reported to have died on January 3, passed away January 4 at age 65. Multiple outlets, including Cynopsis, reported that Roberts died after her domestic partner mistakenly informed her rep that the “That ‘70’s Show” actress had died in his arms on Sunday. Roberts had been hospitalized since collapsing on December 24.

This Day in History
1975 – “Wheel of Fortune” debuted on NBC.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which US sitcom was the first to feature teenagers as the lead characters? Syndicated “Meet Corliss Archer” (1954) was first; “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” (1959-63) was the first produced for a major network.

Today’s Trivia Question
Who replaced Pat Sajak on “Wheel of Fortune” when he left to host a late-night talk show? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.)

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@robertacaploe

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Check out more jobs in Cynopsis Classifieds »
Job of the day

SALES PLANNER
UPTV
NYC

Work with advertising agency contacts and other advertising sales personnel to ensure that administration aspects of accounts are in order, build, revise and maintain all sales proposals for AEs. Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university; at least 1+ years related cable experience preferred. Full info HERE (1/21)

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, AD SALES RESEARCH, INSIGHTS AND INNOVATION >>
THE WEATHER GROUP/ATLANTA: Create effective sales positioning, develop a strategic plan to leverage research and insights. 8-10 years’ experience in TV, Digital and Social media ad sales research required. Full info HERE (1/21)

MANAGER, DIGITAL MARKETING >>

A+E NETWORKS/NYC: Dynamic digital marketer to drive growth in A+E’s Digital business by acquiring OTT, mobile, and website video streamers for A&E, HISTORY and Lifetime brands. Leverage owned, earned, and paid marketing tactics. 5 years’ experience with direct response digital marketing. Full info HERE (1/20)

DIRECTOR, VENDOR & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
>>
A+E NETWORKS/NYC: Critical role in media acquisition team as tech liaison for suppliers/production teams to intake content and shepherd through to air. Project leadership + Media Supply Chain tech exp (camera technology/NLE workflows/content acquisition/QC). Act as technical consultant on prod/post prod. workflows across all A+E formats-scripted/non-scripted/live/movies/episodic series. 4+ yrs hands-on technical exp.(Post-Prod Sup./Online/Finishing Prod. Full info HERE (1/17)

SR PRODUCER/WRITER, ORIGINAL CONTENT MARKETING
>>
NBCUNIVERSAL/NYC:
Concept, write, produce and execute best-in-class creative launch campaigns for Peacock Originals for use on all platforms. Minimum 7 years of experience in writing, producing and video editing, experience leading 360° Originals creative campaigns in television or entertainment and Expert in digital video file formats. Full info HERE (1/14)

SR DATA ENGINEER
>>
NBCUNIVERSAL/NYC:
Looking for a Data Engineer who will be directly responsible for developing efficient data ingestion processes and automated management; develop and operationalize of machine learning models; and building robust data platforms to enable scaling of our products. 4+ years’ experience processing large amounts of structured and unstructured data in a cluster-computing environment required or similar experience in academia. Full Info HERE (1/14)

CONTRACTS ADMINISTRATOR >>
THE JIM HENSON COMPANY/LA: Collect and track pertinent data and information from production, talent, and license contracts, assist with negotiating terms and conditions of contracts and draft initial contracts and revise as needed. Minimum of two years’ experience in a law firm, network, or studio. Experience with guild agreements and/or Paralegal training and certification a plus. Full info HERE (1/14)

DIRECTOR, DATA SCIENCE >>
NBCUNIVERSAL/NYC: Seeking a Director of Data Science who will lead a team of Data Scientists that focus on the design and execution of advanced data exploration, data mining, inference and prediction of multiple traditional and non-traditional media measurement data sets. Expert knowledge of R and Python required, additional languages (i.e., Julia, Java, Scala) a plus. Full Info HERE (1/14)

EVP, GENERAL COUNSEL
>>
CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS/STUDIO CITY, CA
Provide strategic legal counsel to Crown Media executives, on matters of the highest profile, impact, complexity or sensitivity and leads the attorney and legal specialist team members. Substantive experience handling and advising on entertainment network legal issues within a broadcast/cable/digital in-house environment is sought. HERE (1/13)

SR. MANAGER, COMMERCIAL CLEARANCE
>>
A+E NETWORKS/NYC: Ensure Ads are compliant with A+E’s policies and federal guidelines during content and advertising review. Liaise with internal Ad Sales executives and external Ad Agencies. 5+ years experience, preferably at a network working in Ad Standards & Practices/Commercial Clearance. Strong familiarity with rules including FDA, FTC and FCC regulations, indecency and trade libel. Full info HERE (1/8)

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR >>
A+E NETWORKS/NYC: Creative point in print, promotion, and marketing from concept to development across A&E, History & Lifetime projects. Must be well versed in managing design principles for both print and digital deliverables. Demonstrated hands-on ability to create key art and design projects from conception to completion. Expert in Adobe Creative Suite software and industry standard programs and software. 5 years experience working for network, film or other entertainment outlets. Full info HERE (1/8)

PLAYOUT OP >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA/NY, NY:
Must be able to perform ingest and playback functions during live and pre-recorded programs. Traffics video clips according to shows’ rundowns. Edits content as necessary. Min 3 yrs exp in executing video playback in live control room environment. Plus 1yr exp with Ross Tria or EVS. Full info HERE (1/7)

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE>>
TELEMUNDO/SACRAMENTO, CA: Responsible for partnering with local clients, both on the agency level and direct, to create innovative and unique mrktg and adv solutions that target a client’s demos and products/services. AE will also need to deliver quarterly results and meeting individual budget requirements. Min 2 yrs direct sales exp with 3 yrs of media sales exp. Full info HERE (1/7)

DIRECTOR, RETAIL DEVELOPMENT, AMERICAS >>
BBC STUDIOS/NY, NY: Resp for building relationships with key retail accounts at the buyer/mrktg levels. Partner with licensee’s sales teams to pre-sell BBCS franchises and meet the needs of key buyers across retail. Build retail strategies that drive brand strategies set by the franchise/licensing teams. 10yrs exp in licensing or entertainment focusing on retail development. Full info HERE (1/7)

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA/NY, NY: Directs, co-develops/delivers locally prod programs and PSA for nat and inter’l audiences. Also oversees prod crew that produces regular, special and live shows related to various political, historical and other appropriate topics. Min 3 yrs exp in directing Live television news, studio-based programming or similarly related professional media productions. Full info HERE (1/7)

VIDEO ENGINEER & ROBOTIC CAMERA OPERATOR >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA/NY, NY:
Exp in configuring and setting up all broadcast studio cameras both manned and robotic for daily use. Maintains network-level camera blocking and composition. Monitors/adjusts video signals including cameras, monitors, playback sources, color correction equip/incoming feeds. Min 4 yrs exp. Full info HERE (1/7)

FEEDS MANAGER >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA/NY, NY: Resp for managing tech/logistical traffic supporting live news shows. Full knwldge of video and tech workflow throughout all locations. Provide tech guidance to help create better video workflows. Ensure all broadcast feeds are meeting specific tech quality standards. Min 3 yrs tech managing, or equivalent knwldge. 5 yrs in live TV prod. Full info HERE (1/7)

GFX Op >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA/NY, NY: Must be able to set up and play out all graphic elements which are included in pre-recorded or live programming. Mnge graphic content as it corresponds to live and pre-recorded programs. Satisfy all production req for live and pre-recorded programming under the supervision of the show’s director and technical operations mngmt. Min 3 yrs of exp in graphic and character generation, plus 1yr exp with Ross Xpression. Full info HERE (1/7)

AUDIO TECHNICIAN >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA/NY, NY: Operate/executes audio mixing/creation for live and taped broadcasts, in the context of orig produced programs and PSAs. Collaborate with News depart and prod crew that produce regular, special and live shows. Generate timely and pertinent broadcast material. Min 2 yrs exp in graphic and character gen in television news, creative services, studio-based prog or related profession. Full info HERE (1/7)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER >>
Newsmax Media/NYC:
Responsible for designing and building shows, managing show hosts and production team, identifying and integrating guests, overseeing and executing the production of key video & graphic elements. 3+ yrs EP exp or political news & talk programming. Full info HERE (1/7)

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER >>
Newsmax Media/NYC:
Write for fast paced news and opinion show. You are an exceptional storyteller with a command of political news and cultural trends. At least 3 years of national or large market local news experience. Full info HERE (1/7)

SENIOR LINE PRODUCER >>
Newsmax Media/NYC:
Responsible for the production and execution of live political news programming, and recorded video segments for television, and digital platforms. 3+ yrs experience line producing. Full info HERE (1/7)

PRODUCER >>
Newsmax Media/NYC:
Responsible for the production of live news & talk show, and recorded video segments for television, and digital platforms. 3+ yrs in TV news and/or talk production. Full info HERE (1/7)

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 6
ABC: “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”
CBS: “Young Sheldon,” “The Neighborhood,” “SEAL Team,” “S.W.A.T.”
CW: “Riverdale,” “Nancy Drew”
FOX: “The Masked Singer,” “Name That Tune” [p]
NBC: “Chicago Med,””Chicago Fire,””Chicago P.D.”
PBS: “Nature,” “NOVA,” “When Disaster Strikes” [p]
Telemundo: “El Domo Del Dinero,” “Todo Por Mi Hija,” “Falsa Identidad”
Univision: “Vencer El Desamor,” “Imperio De Mentiras,” “Dulce Ambicion”

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