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.CYNOPSIS
03.16.17
Good morning. It’s Thursday March 16, 2017 and this is your first early morning briefing.
Tonight’s Premieres:
Comedy Central: Review at 10p
Fusion: The A.V. Club at 9p
WE tv: Hustle & Soul at 10p
The number of U.S. broadband households that do not subscribe to a legacy pay-TV service has more than doubled in the past 5 years, according to a report from The Diffusion Group; by year end 2016, 22% of broadband homes (22 million) were without pay-TV service. In “Live Without Legacy Pay-TV: A Profile of U.S. Cord Cutters and Cord Nevers,” TDG co-founder and director of research Michael Greeson notes, “Wall Street and the media are myopically focused on the quarterly drip of Legacy Pay-TV subscribers, which unfortunately overlooks a larger and more dangerous trend….where broadband (and broadband video) goes, Legacy Pay-TV subscriptions will increasingly decline.” The report points to Comcast’s early investment in IP-enabled set-top boxes and features as a strategy that’s working.
In related news, BMO Capital Markets anticipates 1% growth in revenue for U.S. MVPDs, to $116.8 billion in 2020, up from $115.5 billion, while OTT subscription VOD services will rise to $17.4 billion by 2020, from $10.9 billion in 2017. Newer OTT TV services that package live linear networks (DirecTV Now, Sling TV, YouTube TV) will grow to $11.6 billion, estimates BMO, from $4.2 billion. But, says the report, “MVPD subscriptions still make up the vast majority of spend on paid video content and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”
Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group are teaming to create a consortium they will own jointly to “promote spectrum aggregation, innovation and monetization,” and enhance their ability to compete in the wireless data transmission sector, exploring monetization opportunities such as spectrum utilization, virtual MVPD platforms and multicast channels, among others. They’ll also look at collecting the kinds of information about viewing and consumption behaviors that will mean broadcasters “will no longer have to rely on expensive third-party measurement services.”
A power outage at Nielsen’s data center in Florida over the weekend has kept the measurement company from reporting TV ratings. “We are running everything through additional vigorous checks to ensure the data meet our quality standards,” Nielsen told clients on Wednesday. “While the ability to collect data was not impacted by the power outage, the speed of our processing systems was, which is why it’s taken longer for us to provide estimates on data availability.” An update is expected this morning.
Michael Douglas will be on hand for the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival for 2 events. On April 8, Douglas will be interviewed by Ben Mankiewicz as part of the “Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival Series,” and participate in a discussion following a screening of 1979’s The China Syndrome. Festival takes place April 6-9 in Hollywood.
Bravo Media has partnered with Mills Entertainment to produce “The Real Housewives Live Tour: Uncensored & Unapologetic.” The multi-city nationwide tour promises “reunion-style insights, jaw-dropping gossip, and shocking revelations.” (And, of course, photo ops.) Tour kicks off in this spring.
Season finale of This Is Us: Thumbs up or thumbs down? Let us know in the new Cynopsis poll: http://cynopsis.com/poll/.
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
A&E renewed Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath for a new 10-part season. The series ranks as cable’s #1 new unscripted series among A25-54 and total viewers in Live+7 for 2016. “We have been deluged with messages from those who have stories to tell who feel the show is a forum where their voices can be heard,” said Remini. “We have been overwhelmed with support from well-wishers and fans of the show from around the world. But most importantly we felt compelled to proceed with another season to continue to reveal truths and seek justice for all victims.”
FX ordered season 2 of Legion, based on the Marvel Comics. “The first season of Legion was a stunning achievement,” said Eric Schrier, president with Nick Grad of original programming, FX Networks and FX Productions. “More than a new series, Legion is a wholly original take on the super hero genre.”
HBO picked up Crashing, currently airing Sundays at 10:30p, for a second season. Comedy was created by as stars Pete Holmes, and is exec produced by Holmes and Judd Apatow.
Fox Networks Group, Turner and Viacom are banding together to make the ad sales process easier with OpenAP, the TV industry’s first open platform for cross-publisher audience targeting and independent measurement. In an open letter, the companies said, “While demand for audience targeting has grown significantly, adoption has been limited by the fact that audience buying is not as transparent, as consistent and as easy as traditional guarantees. It doesn’t need to be that complicated. That changes today….OpenAP will be a single platform that agencies and advertisers can integrate with their own planning systems to activate advanced audience targeting and independent measurement within premium content. That premium content reaches 93% of all television audiences today, and we hope it will expand if additional publishers join OpenAP in the future.” More information to come on April 7.
Millennials don’t mind ads if the content is free on their mobile devices, according to a report from Nielsen, “Millennials on Millennials,” that looks at the media habits of the digital demo. Among A18-24, 51% of respondents said they “strongly agreed” they’re okay with ads if they’re not paying for programming. “As a result, marketers and advertisers have a notable opportunity to present their value propositions to young viewers who are tapping into the realm of content available via their connected devices,” says the report.
Heinz’s new ads, featuring photos of food without condiments, is the same one pitched by Mad Men’s Don Draper, of fictional ad agency Sterling Cooper Draper and Price. On the show, Heinz execs rejected the pitch but not in real life. “Heinz, a name that is synonymous with ketchup, and more recently mustard and BBQ sauce, selected the ‘Pass the Heinz’ campaign after an agency review because it is clever, modern and doesn’t require paragraphs of copy to convey what Heinz brings to the table,” said Kraft Heinz. “The ‘Pass the Heinz’ campaign, created by Don Draper, has been 50 years in the making, but it’s as timeless today as it was when it was first presented.” Ads will run on NYC billboards and in print.
For the first time, all 22 competitors in CBS’s The Amazing Race will be strangers who meet at the starting line. Teams will be determined by first impressions, with just moments to get acquainted before setting off. “For years, The Amazing Race fans have suggested we line up complete strangers and match them up at the starting line to see what would happen,” said Race host Phil Keoghan.“These newbie racers begin with no pre-existing relationships or emotional baggage, and the excitement of traveling around the world to complete dozens of gut-busting, mind-blowing challenges quickly ignites tension.” Season premiere is Thursday, March 30 at 10p.
The Good Fight will return to CBS All Access for a second season. “We’re only a few episodes into the first season and the reaction from CBS All Access subscribers and critics alike has been phenomenal,” said Marc DeBevoise, president and COO, CBS Interactive. “This series and its characters are just beginning.” Season is available to stream, with new episodes available on Sundays.
Season 2 of Bravo’s Below Deck Mediterranean launches Tuesday, May 2 at 9p. This go-round, a female captain will be leading the crew.
Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations is back for season 5 on Tuesday, April 18 with back-to-back episodes at 9p and 9:30p. Host/exec producer Andrew Zimmern tracks down specialties like a sweet and salty peameal bacon sandwich.
Disney Junior ordered season 2 of Mickey and the Roadster Races and season 3 of The Lion Guard. Mickey has reached over 41 million viewers since its January premiere, while Lion was 2016’s #1 series across preschooler networks in total viewers and Kids 2-5.
Discovery Family is bringing back My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic on Saturday, April 15 at 11:30a with back-to-back episodes. William Shatner is among the guest stars in late summer.
WE tv’s Hustle & Soul debuts tonight at 10p. Culinary docu-series follows Lawrence Page, owner and head chef of the Pink Tea Cup restaurant, a former West Village landmark resurrected and moved to Brooklyn. What’s the hook? “In the food world, you don’t often find an iconic brand being resurrected, so when we met Head Chef Lawrence Page and his staff, we saw a unique opportunity for the TV marketplace,” Dan Cesareo, president and founder of Big Fish Entertainment, tells Cynopsis. “Hustle & Soul really boils down to the intense dynamic of mixing up the soul food tradition and trying to take an enterprise to the next level.”
Steve Hilton, former advisor to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, will host a one-hour talk show on Fox News Channel focused on the rise of the populist movement in the U.S. and abroad. The Next Revolution premieres in May.
Musician Method Man and model Hailey Baldwin have been tapped to host TBS’s Drop the Mic, from exec producers James Corden, Ben Winston and Jensen Karp. Comedic music series launches Tuesday, May 2 at 10p.
Telemundo has 2 biopic series in the works. El Ganador is based on the life of Puerto Rican urban music star Nicky Jam, while Nace un Idolo serializes the life of Mexican singer-songwriter Jose Jose. “These are stories that speak to the lives of Latinos, right here in the United States,” said net president Luis Silberwasser.
President Donald Trump was not amused by Snoop Dogg’s video for “Lavendar,” in which Snoop pulled a gun on a Trump lookalike wearing clown makeup. “Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!” tweeted Trump on Wednesday. While some, like GOP presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, agreed the video went too far, T.I. called out the president on Instagram as a “Possum fur Wig wearing, Alternative fact, Atomic Dog diarrhea face.” And those were just the things we can print.
Antenna TV celebrates April Fool’s Day with, appropriately enough, a Three Stooges marathon. Nine-hour yukfest, including 24 episodes, starts at 1p.
The MTV Woodies air live tonight at 11p, from the SXSW festival in Austin. The annual event throws a spotlight on emerging artists across musical genres.
Parts 2 and 3 of Breakthrough Entertainment’s L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables are coming to PBS. The primetime U.S. premiere of the show reached 3.2 million viewers on PBS on Thanksgiving 2016.
Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) will play an ambitious consultant in Fox workplace comedy pilot Type-A, about a team of consultants hired for dirty work like layoffs and downsizing. Longoria stars opposite Ken Marino (Marry Me).
John Larroquette (The Librarians) will star opposite Bobby Moynihan in CBS comedy pilot Me, Myself & I, about a man’s life over a 50-year span.
Natalia Tena (Game of Thrones) and Jake Matthews (Bosch) landed series regular roles on CBS drama pilot Wisdom of the Crowd, centered on a charismatic tech innovator.
Parvesh Cheena (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and Ayden Mayeri (New Girl) are series regulars in ABC action dramedy pilot Unit Zero, starring Toni Collette.
Nigel Thath (Selma) and Corbin Reid (How to Get Away With Murder) joined the cast of CW military drama pilot Valor as series regulars.
Jessica Pare (Mad Men) nabbed a series regular role in CBS’s untitled Navy SEAL drama.
Missy Peregrym (Rookie Blue) has boarded season 2 of Syfy Dracula drama Van Helsing, as a woman with a mysterious past.
CBS and Verizon inked a new multi-year carriage agreement for CBS-Owned Stations, including The CW affiliates, as well as Showtime, CBS Sports Network and Smithsonian Channel. In the near future, Verizon will also provide access to live authenticated streaming on CBS.com, the CBS App and Verizon’s authenticated platform.
Wurl TV has launched its OTT channels on TiVo’s platform for retail devices and set-tops distributed by TiVo MVPD partners, among them RCN, Grande Communications, Suddenlink and Atlantic Broadband. Wurl TV’s content partners include the likes of Bonnier, Comedy Time, Foody TV, Popcornflix Channel, Baeble Music TV and Sportskool.
Among the formats Hat Trick International is bringing to MIP-TV is Cheap Cheap Cheap. In the comedy/game show, contestants win money by picking the cheapest of 3 similar items.
NATPE announced that during the June 19-22 Budapest Global TV Market & Conference, it will host a CEE Regional Producers’ Summit created to meet the needs of local and regional emerging producers and content creators. The summit will offer networking access to senior production company execs and experts in sales, as well as a pitch feedback session.
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
Everything you need to know to join the eSports movement and succeed. Tickets are flying off the shelves. Register now for the East Coast’s premiere eSports Summit!
Thank you to our 2017 Sponsors/Partners: Go To Team, PromaxGAMES, Polygon, Bruin Sports Capital, theScore eSports, eSports Ad Bureau, rEvolution, rEvXP.
Fuse Media hired Gino Marliani for the newly created position of Chief People Officer, focusing on culture and talent for the company’s digital growth initiatives. Most recently, Marliani was Group VP, Strategy & Operations for Discovery Studios.
Louisa Bayles was appointed Head of TV & Digital Sales for Studiocanal Australia and New Zealand. Previously, Bayles was VP Pacific Rim Sales at ITV Studios and Head of Digital and DVD Sales BBC Worldwide.
Commercial production company Nonfiction Unlimited signed director Abby Fuller (Chef’s Table). Fuller has directed docs for Imagine Entertainment, Sundance Channel and MTV, among others.
Julia Silverton has joined Entertainment One as Senior Vice President, Development, Alternative Programming, eOne Television. Most recently, Silverton was VP of Development at CMT.
This Day in History: 1988 – Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Vice Admiral John Poindexter were indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. in the Iran-Contra Affair.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question: Who used the aliases Cassie Lockhart and Sapphire on House of Cards? Rachel Posner. Kudos to: Jason Olexa-Viacom/NYC, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Deerfield Beach, FL, David Garber-Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank
Today’s Trivia Question Political Theme Week: Which TV mayor was often seen wearing an “I Survived Rocky Horror” pin? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: A limit of four correct answers from each time zone will be selected.).
Answer to Our Last Anagram: TV anagram: Slim Rigor Leg= Gilmore Girls. Kudos to: Rick Dascher-Turner Studios/Atlanta, David Stern-BARD Entertainment/NYC,Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA
Classic Sitcom Anagram: Stereo Hymns (Email [email protected]; first three respondents with the correct answer who aren’t in trivia will be posted in tomorrow’s newsletter.)
Keep Watching & Reading,
Lynn Leahey: Editorial Director @Lynn_Leahey
03.16.17
Roberta Caploe: Publisher @robertacaploe
Diane K Schwartz: Senior Vice President, Media Communications Group
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JOB OPENING: PART TIME ASSISTANT/Talk Show/NYC: Retrieve/relate info accurately & promptly regarding pending projects incl but not limited to: personal appearances, PR, travel & charity initiatives. Ability to work well under pressure & prioritize tasks w/mult deadlines. Resume: [email protected] (3/23)
JOB OPENING: DIGITAL RESEARCH ANALYST/TBS-TNT/ATL: Responsible for analyzing, tracking and reporting the multiplatform performance of programming and adoption and usage of network digital offerings. Track competitive digital landscape and environmental shifts. Full info/apply HERE (3/23)
JOB OPENING: WRITER-DIRECTOR/NYC: We are now building out the video team at Scary Mommy, and looking for an exceptional creative talent who will join us on our mission to reimagine video/visual storytelling. 5+ yrs’ exp writing, producing and/or directing for creative productions. Full info/apply HERE (3/23)
JOB OPENING: DEVELOPMENT MANAGER/Oriental DreamWorks/LA or NYC: Finding, evaluating and developing ideas for feature animation projects. Min 2 yrs executive level exp in creative development. Strong knwlg of global entertainment mktg. Mandarin Proficient a +. Full info/apply HERE (3/23)
JOB OPENING: DIR, SPORTS & SPECIALS/NBCU/NYC: Responsible for prospecting, targeting, and presenting all Sports & Olympics sales efforts. Min 8yrs of media sales, sponsorship, league/team sales or mktg focusing on client direct relationships. Full info/apply HERE (3/23)
JOB OPENING: ASSOC PRODUCER/OUTSIDE TV/Westport CT: Write/produce Short form videos & full length TV Programs that support brand. BS Deg. Exp in ths field & post production. Great opportunity for a self-starter to join our team and help grow our digital and TV footprint. Res/cover HERE (3/23)
JOB OPENING: SR ANALYST, AD SALES RSRCH/NBCU/NYC: Description: NBCU/NYC: Produce insightful reports for national ad sales & mrktng. Analyze trends, position NBC Entertainment in the marketplace & measure effectiveness of client campaigns. Ful info/apply HERE (3/22)
JOB OPENING: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, PROGRAMMING/NYC: Support 3 sr progrmng exec. Generate presentations and spreadsheets for meetings. Coord travel, meetings, exp reports. 5-7 yrs of work exp & BA degree req’d. Flexible hours. Full info/apply HERE (3/22)
JOB OPENING: SR MGR ON AIR PROMO PLANNING/Lifetime/NYC: Dvlp/implement on-air media plan’g strategies that support network. Min 5 yrs exp exp planning and executing on-air promotional logs for brdcst or cable. Ability to mng a team of individual’s resp for scheduling mult networks. Full info/apply HERE (3/22)
JOB OPENING: SENIOR WRITER/PRODUCER/EDITOR/IFC/NYC: Lead creative for IFC Originals launches and brand campaigns. Idea-generating/writing/producing/directing mastermind with a comedy background and "Always On, Slightly Off" sensibility. 6-8 years’ experience. Submit resume and reel link HERE (3/22)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, MEDIA SALES/BRITE MEDIA/NYC: Senior sales role to lead and cultivate programs with brands and agencies. Client and agency relationships – OOH, shopper, multicultural, promotional, sampling experience desired – 7+ years exp. Resume HERE (3/22)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY/TV LAND/LA: Responsible for dvlpng, overseeing, & implementing communications strategies for scripted series P&D. 8+ yrs exp TV comm (preferably scripted) or media relations. Superb writing & excellent verbal & interpersonal skills a must. Full info/apply HERE (3/22)
JOB OPENING: SR ANALYST, STRATEGIC INSIGHTS/The Weather Channel/Atlanta: Provide analysis and data-driven insights to inform strategy for television and OTT media properties. Occasional travel to ad markets. 2 yrs TV/video research exp. Full info/Apply HERE (3/21)
JOB OPENING: MGR, BRAND MKTG/PROMOTIONS/SYFY/NYC: Ideate & execute on ground consumer promotions, stunts, events & partnerships for Syfy’s original series & brand initiatives. 3-5 year’s experience. Full info/apply HERE (3/21)
JOB OPENING: ENGAGEMENT EDITOR/Consumer Reports/Yonkers NY: Resp for editorial & site copy content that engages & responds to members. Work w/content dvlpmnt team to prod a strategy for dvlpg/integrating interactive content. BA deg w/3+ yrs writer @ fast-paced, news-oriented enviro. Full info/apply HERE (3/21)
WHAT’S ON TONIGHT – THURSDAY MARCH 16, 2017
ABC: Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, The Catch
CBS: 2017 NCAA Basketball Tournament
CW: The Vampire Diaries [r], The Vampire Diaries [r]
FOX: MasterChef, Kicking & Screaming
NBC: Superstore, Trial & Error [r], Chicago Med, The Blacklist: Redemption
PBS: This Old House Hour [r], Secrets of Westminster [r], Antiques Roadshow [r]
Telemundo: La Fan, La Dona, El Chema
Univision: Pequenos Gigantes USA, Vino el Amor, La Piloto
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