05/01/23: Kevin Hart's "Muscle Car Crew" moves to The Roku Channel

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Monday May 1, 2023

Today’s Premieres
Acorn TV: Balthazar
Amazon Freevee: Casa Grande
HBO: White House Plumbers at 9p
ID: Undercover Underage at 9p
Nat Geo: A Small Light at 9p

Today’s Finale
ABC: The Good Doctor at 10p

IN THE NEWS

Former NBCU CEO Jeff Shell will forfeit $43.3 million in stock options and grants following his firing. “As previously disclosed, Mr. Shell’s employment was terminated with cause on April 23, 2023,” Comcast said in a SEC filing on April 28. “As a result, he did not receive any supplemental payments or benefits in connection with his termination. He will receive only his accrued but unpaid base salary and vacation time, vested employee benefits and reimbursement for any unreimbursed business expenses in accordance with his employment agreement.”

Twitter is rolling out a feature that will allow media publishers to charge users on a per-article basis with one click, tweeted CEO Elon Musk on Saturday. “This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per-article price for when they want to read an occasional article,” wrote Musk. “Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public.”

Meanwhile, during Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, President Biden responded to Musk’s suggestion that NPR be defunded. “The way to make NPR go away,” said Biden, “is for Elon Musk to buy it.”

Sinclair Broadcast Group is cutting local news operations in two small markets “to ensure our long-term success,” said the company. Stations affected are WNWO-TV in Toledo and KTVL-TV in Southern Oregon and Northern California. “Beginning May 15, The National Desk, which provides real-time national and regional news from Sinclair’s television stations across the US, will air during our regularly scheduled news time periods,” said a statement on the Toledo station’s website. The national news desk will also take over at KTVL-TV, “with an opportunity for local news cut-ins in the newscast.”

Bill Hader is open to reviving Stefon, his flamboyant “Saturday Night Live” character, after all. While Hader has said in the past he would probably retire the character due to concerns over stereotyping, “I’ve never had any gay man come up to me and be offended that I [played Stefon],” he told The Independent. “I’ve always had people come up and say how much they love those roles. Honestly, I don’t know why I said [I wouldn’t play him anymore]. I probably would play him.”

Hank Azaria’s depiction of Indian character Apu on “The Simpsons” is another matter. On NPR podcast Code Switch, Azaria said 2017 documentary “The Trouble with Apu,” with comedian Harry Kondabolu, made him realize how many people were negatively affected by his portrayal. “Watching the doc, I was like: ‘Oh, I admire all these performers. A character I did – I, like, hindered them? I caused them pain? I actually actively made their path harder? That sucks.’”

Black Public Media awarded $225,000 to creatives in film and immersive media. The PitchBLACK Forum – a pitch competition for independent filmmakers and creative technologists developing new projects on the Black experience – finished with three winners on April 27. Paramount+ recently joined forces with BPM for PitchBLACK and another yet-to-be-announced initiative.

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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Like “Cheers, but with coffee and colonists? “Beantown” is in development for CBS. The workplace comedy from Dan Kopelman (“Malcolm in the Middle”), Kaplan Entertainment, TrillTV and CBS Studios is set in a Boston coffeehouse in 1773, against the backdrop of the Boston Tea Party.

Police drama “On Call” has moved from Amazon Freevee to Prime Video. The series from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television stars Troian Bellisario (“Pretty Little Liars”) and Brandon Larracuente (“The Good Doctor”).

Fox handed a straight-to-series order for “Rescue: HI-Surf” from John Wells and Matt Kester, produced by Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment. “This new franchise is pure beachfront property for Fox, especially with the powerful auspices of John, Matt and our incredible partners at Warner Bros.”, said Michael Thorn, President Scripted Programming at Fox Entertainment. The series is scheduled to premiere in the 2023-24 season.

Hulu is set to produce a docuseries about Dr. Ann Burgess. “Mastermind” takes place in the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, where Dr. Burgess transformed the investigation of serial killers with the “mindhunter” method. Dakota and Elle Fanning are among the roster of executive producers.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

A docuseries focused on singer Ed Sheeran premieres on Disney+ on May 3. “Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All” from Fulwell 73 Productions is a four-part project for Sheerans’ latest album, “Subtract,” debuting May 5. The series will blend exclusive footage from Sheeran’s personal archive, interviews with his loved ones and intimate performances.

“Hailey’s On It” premieres on Disney on June 8. Created and executive produced by writing-producing duo Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton, the animated series follows a teenager on a mission to complete every item on her list of tasks in order to save the world. Julie Bowen, Al Yankovic, Sarah Chalke, Jo Koy and more star as recurring voice cast members.

“Silos Baking Competition” drops Sunday, May 28 on Magnolia Network, discovery+ and Max. Ffve bakers from across the country will compete for a $100,000 cash prize and for their treat to be featured at Magnolia’s Silos Baking Co. in Waco, TX.

STREAMING

Kevin Hart’s “Muscle Car Crew” has moved to The Roku Channel. The second season of the MotorTrend and Hartbeat series will continue to follow Hart and the “Plastic Cup Boyz” at their car restoration garage. Roku also acquired AVOD and FAST rights to the series’ first season.

Electric Entertainment launched a Spanish-language FAST channel in the US. The LA-based production and distribution company’s ElectricNOW en Español, the first all-Spanish OTT service from the company, debuts today on the TCL Channel, Local Now, Plex and more platforms.

CASTING

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez has joined “American Horror Story” season 12. Rodriguez, who previously worked with creator and director Ryan Murphy on “Pose,” will star alongside fellow cast members Kim Kardashian, Emma Roberts and Cara Delevigne in the anthology series, this time based on Danielle Valentine’s novel “Delicate Condition.”

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RATINGS

James Corden’s “The Late Late Show” finale audience jumper 77% compared to the season-to-date average on CBS. Reaching 1.43 million people, the farewell episode featured guests Will Ferrell and Harry Styles, an episode of Carpool Karaoke with Adele, and a pre-taped special complete with video montages and skits.

“Ted Lasso” earned a seat on Nielsen’s Top 10 overall streaming list last week. Coming in tenth place, the series saw 570 million viewing minutes. Netflix held onto the list’s top three spots with “The Night Agent,” “Love is Blind” and “Murder Mystery 2.”

And on FX, the Tupac-inspired docuseries “Dear Mama” is now the network’s most successful unscripted premiere to date, when accounting for same-day viewing on FX and next-day viewing on Hulu. FX Entertainment President Nick Grad said, “It’s only fitting that Allen Hughes’ definitive piece on Tupac and Afeni Shakur delivered a record performance for us and it speaks to Tupac’s enduring legacy.”

The cable news ratings race in the 8p slot has gotten tighter since Tucker Carlson was yanked from the air. On Thursday, “Fox News Tonight” took back the top spot from MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes,” delivering 1.46 million viewers versus Hayes’ 1.44 million, but Hayes won the demo battle, with 144,000 viewers A25-54, compared to 136,000 for FNC. CNN’s “Anderson Cooper” had a viewership of 644,000 (and 108,000 among A25-54), while Newsmax’s “Eric Bolling The Balance” rose to 456,000 (49,000 A25-54).

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Thursday, April 27
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: NFL Draft 4.11 (0.95)
CBS: Young Sheldon 7.20 (0.52), Ghosts 6.35 (0.49), So Help Me Todd 4.76 (0.36), Last Late Late Show 3.78 (0.30)
CW: Walker 0.54 (0.07), 100 Days to Indy 0.19 (0.03)
ION: Chicago P.D. 0.93 (0.13), Chicago P.D. 1.01 (0.17), Chicago P.D. 0.90 (0.16)
FOX: Next Level Chef 1.76 (0.35), Animal Control 0.99 (0.22), Call Me Kat 0.99 (0.17)
NBC: Law and Order 3.92 (0.35), Law and Order: SVU 4.39 (0.48), Law and Order: Organized Crime 3.24 (0.31)
Telemundo: Top Chef VIP, El Señor de los Cielos, Juego de Mentiras
Univision: Perdona Nuestros Pecados, El Amor Invencible, Cabo
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Glenn Geller moved to Skybound Entertainment as Head of Television. Geller most recently served as president of Gansa/Gordon Productions.

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This Day in History
1931 – The Empire State Building opened in New York City.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
The tagline of which short-lived series was, “History as we know it is a lie”? “Dark Skies” (1996-97). Kudos to: Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./New York, Louis Lewow-FITE/Atlanta, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA, Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank, CA, Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which 1970s heartthrob guested as Sex Ed Fred on “According to Jim” (2001-2009)? (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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Job of the day

MANAGER OF ENTERPRISE CONTENT, WTKR
SCRIPPS NETWORKS
NORFOLK, VA
Collaborates w/other newsroom managers to leverage the Scripps content strategy as the foundation for market-specific local content strategy. Leading a team of people to regularly & reliably produce targeted enterprise & investigative stories of impact & importance to our community. 3 yrs of exp. in digital media, journalism, broadcast preferred. Full info HERE

SR. DIRECTOR, DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND PARTNERSHIPS
TV ONE
SILVERSIDE MD, NYC, Hybrid Remote
Develop, cultivate, and socialize vision, mission, and strategy for Digital Business, Programming Visibility, Content Creation and Content Partnerships & Data Governance. Lead and facilitate cross-functional and cross-company project teams. 12 yrs in the media & emerging platform landscape with building digital platforms and vMVPD growth strategy. Full info HERE

VP OF BROADCAST ENGINEERING >>
NEWSMAX MEDIA, INC./NYC, NEW YORK: Oversee the planning, management, installation & maintenance of the networks technical infrastructure: studios, transmitters, digital production platforms & automated systems. Ability to deploy in the field to coordinate special events. 8+ yrs of broadcast troubleshooting in a television network environment, preferably in a network News environment. Full info HERE

MEDIA RESEARCH MANAGER
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Evaluate programming for our linear and FAST channel schedules to provide insights for content strategy and audience growth. Analyze & interpret media research for programming, ad sales, marketing, and affiliate sales. Research, & preferably Nielsen background is a strongly preferred. Media Research with linear, or similar platforms, is required. Full info HERE

SCHEDULING ASSISTANT- PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Partner with the Programming Director to perform scheduling tasks for our Linear and FAST Channels. This includes data entry and distributing weekly schedules. Strong attention to detail and love for data entry/meta data is a plus. This role is ideal for someone looking to break into the media world. Full info HERE

TRAFFIC ASSISTANT- AD SALES METADATA ENTRY
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Performing a variety of administrative tasks to provide support to the Traffic Department. The majority of this role will focus on metadata entry and must have strong attention to detail. This role will also assist team members with projects and serve as an idea source during team meetings. Full info HERE

VIDEO EDITOR- MOTION GRAPHICS
CIRCLE MEDIA
NASHVILLE, TN
Responsible for editing a variety of content, including but not limited to: network promos, show promos, sponsor ads and graphics. The ideal candidate is highly skilled in the Adobe editing suite and is highly motivated and organized. After Effects/Motion graphics skills are needed and coding is preferred, but not required. Full info HERE

VICE PRESIDENT, COMPENSATION
A+E NETWORKS
NYC, Hybrid, Remote
Review current compensation programs to identify changes needed for a true best in class compensation approach. Develop simple tools that can be used by recruiters, candidates, & employees to effectively communicate all aspects of a compensation package. Minimum of 10 + years of experience in compensation. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR OF SALES
NEXSTAR
COLCHESTER, VT
Leader of the Sales Team. Drive new business & digital sales development. Manage inventory, rates, political sales processes & revenue forecasting. Develop and execute integrated marketing packages and projects to increase stations’ revenue. Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service. Min. 5 years’ exp. in Television Sales Management. Full info HERE

NETWORK ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
WEIGEL BROADCASTING CO.
CHICAGO
Building and managing relationships with existing and potential new clients and agencies through routine communication; actively grow industry relationships to gain marketplace intelligence. Generate revenue for the networks & meet monthly goals through effective outside sales techniques. 5 yrs of National Network selling and sales development exp. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FETV
NYC
Represent FETV and FMC to media community via ongoing communications & relationship building. Maintain & develop strong working relationships w/both agencies & internal departments in support of sales efforts. Work w/sales management and pricing & planning to achieve quarterly revenue goals. 5+ yrs media sales exp. preferably in cable TV. Full info HERE

AD SALES PLANNER >>
SINCLAIR BROADCASTING GROUP/NYC, Hybrid: Responsible for creating, analyzing & communicating sales proposals to the Sales team for presentation to advertising agencies and/or clients. Collaborate w/all media platforms & departments to create proposals, execute campaigns, manage stewardship & pacing of linear & digital deals. Point of contact post sale & provide excellent client services. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR OF SALES >>
NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP WKRN -TV (ABC)/NASHVILLE TN: Being a Leader of the Sales Team and owning the position. Driving new business development. Managing inventory, rates, political sales processes & revenue forecasting. Developing and executing sales packages and projects to increase stations’ revenue. Performing other duties as assigned. Minimum five yrs experience in Television Station Management. Full info HERE

MANAGER, RIGHTS CLEARANCES, STANDARDS & PRACTICES
TV ONE
SILVER SPRING MD, Hybrid, Remote
Pre-screen broadcast programs, commercials and other content to ensure compliance with TV One’s current Content Standards, Federal Trade Commission/Federal Communications Commission regulations. Assign parental ratings to all TV One programming based on content review. 3+ yrs exp. in a rights clearances and standards and practices is preferred. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, UNSCRIPTED >>
LIGHTHEARTED ENTERTAINMENT/NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Hybrid, Remote: Responsible for overseeing the development of unscripted programming from concept to delivery. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of identifying, developing, pitching and producing successful unscripted projects across a range of genres and networks. 5+ years of experience in unscripted television development. Full info HERE

RESEARCH ANALYST >>
REELZ, NYC: 2+ years exp generating & analyzing competitive viewing & advertiser information. Support sales, programming, marketing and finance. Working knowledge of NPower, StarMedia, iSpot TV and MRI. Expertise in Excel & PowerPoint. Full info HERE

DIRECTOR OF AD SALES – PLATFORM PARTNER
BBC GLOBAL DIGITAL NEWS & STREAMING
NYC, Hybrid
BBC Global Digital News & Streaming is looking for a highly skilled, NY based, Director of Ad Sales – Platform Partner. The purpose of the role is to launch BBC Studios Youtube and social advertising proposition across the Americas, deliver advertising revenues across the BBC Studios global portfolio and build a best in market Partner Sales team. Full info HERE

LOG EDITOR, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
TV ONE
CHICAGO, IL, NEW YORK, NY – Hybrid, Remote
Prepare and update the daily assigned program log for TV One or Cleo TV. Manage the placement of key clients by using detailed instructions to ensure correct placement as ordered by the Advertising Sales team. Bachelor’s degree in a related field or 2+ years of experience in Broadcast Cable Log Operations. Full info HERE

SR. PROMO EDITOR
TV ONE
SILVER SPRING, Hybrid, Remote
Video editing, with primary responsibility in marketing and digital media. Work with creative marketing teams to complete their production assignments. Contribute creative ideas that will help elevate the brand. Organize, Manage and Archive Avid Media Projects and files. 10 years of video editing exp. including 5 years of promo editing exp. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE – AD SALES >>
GREAT AMERICAN MEDIA/CHICAGO Remote: Strategically sells linear & digital properties to drive Ad Sales revenue. Works with agencies & clients to develop unique advertising solutions for their brands. Requires 5-10 years of sales experience with established agency & client relationships. Seeking a motivated, self-starter with strong negotiation, communication & presentation skills. Full info HERE

SALES PLANNER – AD SALES >>
GREAT AMERICAN MEDIA/NEW YORK, Hybrid/Remote: Works with Account Executives to service clients daily. Builds sales plans, maintains media schedules & handles client requests such as stewardship, liability, and traffic concerns. Seeking a motivated, self-starter with strong communication, problem-solving & time management skills. Must have 1+ year of planning experience. Full info HERE

MOTION GRAPHIC DESIGNER >>
LONG STORY SHORT MEDIA/WASHINGTON, DC: Bring creative concepts to life through design and animation. Motion Designer will work in a team environment to share fresh design perspectives and create engaging high-quality content for a variety of subjects and media. Full Info HERE

SALES MANAGER >>
NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP/INDIANAPOLIS: Provides leadership for the broadcast/digital sales teams. Makes decisions regarding hiring, evaluation, promotion and operation of account executives and sales assistants. Develops and executes sales strategies that exceeds revenue targets in local, new business and digital revenue. Min 5 yrs of media sales exp; management exp. preferred. Full info HERE

SENIOR MANAGER, ACQUISITION AND OUTREACH >>
TELEVISION ACADEMY/LOS ANGELES, Hybrid: Develop, build, and execute member acquisition plans (monthly, quarterly, and annual) with measurable targets, optimize program performance and deliver strategic plans to achieve/exceed specific campaign KPIs. Identify and implement A/B tests & tactics, innovating & continually seeking to drive and improve. Min 4 yrs’ exp. in an acquisition role. Full info HERE

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING & ON-AIR PROMOTION >>
REELZ/ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Develop strategic approaches and tactical planning for on-air promotion, guiding the creative process from creation through post-production, and managing the execution of consumer marketing programs for on-air promotion and off-air advertising. Responsible for full on-air presentation and format management. Min of 8-10 yrs exp. Full info HERE

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE – AD SALES >>
GREAT AMERICAN MEDIA/NYC, Hybrid, Remote: Strategically sells linear & digital properties to drive Ad Sales revenue. Works with agencies & clients to develop unique advertising solutions for their brands. Requires 3+ years of sales experience with established agency & client relationships. Seeking a motivated, self-starter with strong negotiation, communication & presentation skills. Full info HERE

SALES ASSISTANT – AD SALES >>
GREAT AMERICAN MEDIA/NYC, Hybrid, Remote: Provides workflow support to ensure effective campaign delivery for advertisers. Verifies order and schedule accuracy and entry. Monitors accounts while booking and maintaining inventory. Works closely with Account Executives and Sales Planners. Seeking a motivated, self-starter with strong communication, analytical & problem-solving skills. Full info HERE

MANAGER, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
TV ONE
CHICAGO, NYC, Hybrid, Remote
Supervise & train copy coordinators & log editors for accuracy & attention to detail of building a commercial log & reading agency instructions. Monitor employee performance & output; provide back-up for all desks including log editing, added value insertion & continued communication with marketing for all custom creations. Min of 3 yrs of exp. Full info HERE

TRAFFIC MANAGER >>
WHYY/Hybrid, PHILADELPHIA: Create monthly programming grids for 12.1 and 12.3. Update programming grids when schedule changes are made. Prepare daily logs & submit to Centralcast Joint Master Control. Work w/WHYY Traffic Specialist who creates programming grids for 12.2 and logs for 12.2 and 12.3. 3-5 yrs of management exp. & working with data or traffic systems. Full info HERE

IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
NORTHSOUTH PRODUCTIONS
Remote, must be licensed in NY or CA
Negotiating and drafting development deals, shopping agreements, amendments, talent deals, above-the-line contracts, PSAs, production release templates, trade-out agreements, specialty releases and other necessary documents. Shaping corporate and production legal policies. 5-10 yrs of entertainment legal exp. working with a law firm or production. Full info HERE

MONDAY MAY 1
ABC: American Idol, The Good Doctor [f]
CBS: The Neighborhood, Bob Hearts Abishola, NCIS, NCIS: Hawai’i
CW: All American, The Flash
FOX: 9-1-1, Fantasy Island
NBC: The Voice, That’s My Jam
PBS: Antiques Roadshow, Antiques Roadshow, Independent Lens
Telemundo: Top Chef VIP, El Señor de los Cielos, Juego de Mentiras
Univision: Perdona Nuestros Pecados, El Amor Invencible, Cabo

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