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Monday May 10, 2021

Today’s Finale
Nat Geo: “Race to the Center of the Earth” at 10p

IN THE NEWS

IPG Mediabrands announced that it will work to invest a minimum of 5% in Black-owned media channels across all clients by 2023. Nationally, Black-focused media spend in 2020 remained below 2% of total spend, according to Nielsen Ad Intel, despite Black consumers being 13%+ of the population. In 2021, MAGNA estimates the available impressions for Black-owned media equates to 3% of total impressions available across all media types. “The time is past due to embrace the opportunities to connect with influential audiences through Black-owned media,” said Daryl Lee, Global CEO at Mediabrands. “Innovation and growth are flourishing across Black-owned media outlets, providing brands with deeply authentic ways to reach diverse audiences in a supportive, meaningful manner. We are excited to be adding our voice to a growing industry conversation in support of greater diversity and equity in media spend.”

Hours after YouTube TV said it was adding a “Go to YouTube TV” function within the main YouTube app, a workaround after Roku pulled the app from the Roku channel store, Roku labeled the move “the clear conduct of an unchecked monopolist bent on crushing fair competition and harming consumer choice.” The heated words come during a distribution dispute, with Roku accusing YouTube parent Google of insisting that certain technical features be added to Roku’s devices and interface that Roku deems unreasonably complex and expensive.

AMC Networks revenue dipped 6% during the first quarter versus the year-earlier period, to $691.7 million, but earnings per share beat analyst forecasts. AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan said the company anticipates hitting 9 million total streaming subscribers by the end of 2021, on its way to becoming “the worldwide leader in targeted streaming on the strength of our focused, strong content,” with upwards of 25 million subscribers by 2025. By then, streaming would be the company’s biggest revenue contributor. During an earnings call, CEO Josh Sapan noted the efficiency of the company’s economic model: “The playbook we’re running is pretty different than whole-house services, who frankly — God bless ’em — have ambitions for a quarter of a billion subscribers or maybe more.”

The E.W. Scripps Company reported core advertising outperformed expectations for 1Q21, rising 2%. The new Scripps Networks division met expectations on first quarter revenue, flat to Q1 2020, and is “gaining strong traction in the upfront and scatter markets as well as continued growth in direct response advertising demand and rates,” said Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson. “The foundation of our acquisition of ION and the creation of our OTA powerhouse networks portfolio is growth in free, over-the-air television viewing that consumers pair with subscription streaming services.”

Season three of Amazon’s “Absentia” will be its last. On social media, the thriller’s star, Stana Katic, said the “Absentia” team had considered extending the show’s run, but “’Absentia’ was always meant to be only 3 seasons, & I couldn’t think of a better note to end on.”

SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris has been elected President of the International Federation of Actors, the first American to hold the position. The FIA represents performers’ trade unions, guilds and professional associations across the globe.

Fox News White House correspondent Kristin Fisher announced on air on Friday that it was her last day at the network. “I started out 6 years ago on the early morning weekend shift,” said Fisher on “Special Report with Bret Baier.” “I made it all the way to the White House, which is something that has been at the very top of my career bucket list ever since I was a very little girl. But I’ve just realized that there are a few other things on that list that I would like to try to tick off.” Fisher is reportedly heading to CNN.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association hopes for face time with Ted Sarandos. After the Netflix co-CEO sent the HFPA a letter saying the streamer will not work with the Golden Globes until more significant work is done to tackle the HFPA’s “systemic diversity inclusion challenges, or the lack of clear standards for how your members should operate,” HFPA President Ali Sar replied to Sarandos in a letter of his own. Sar said the group’s code of conduct is being evaluated, and “diversity and inclusion is at the core” of the reform plan. Sar told Sarandos, “We would love to meet with you and your team…and open dialogue would help to ensure that we are addressing these concerns as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, Amazon Studios jumped into the fray, joining a growing list of organizations that say they will not cooperate with the HFPA until it ups its game when it comes to diversity. “We have not been working with the HFPA since these issues were first raised, and like the rest of the industry, we are awaiting a sincere and significant resolution before moving forward,” said a statement from Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke.

Think nationally, but buy locally. That’s the message from our partners at New York Interconnect on the effectiveness of single-market media buying, which provides advertisers with an opportunity to connect with targeted, desirable consumer segments while simultaneously growing their business across the country. Learn more in our 12-page report.

Pasiones, WAPA América and CentroAméricaTV will be fully distributed across Cox Communications’ national footprint, joining their Hemisphere Media Group sister network, Cinelatino. The three newly expanded networks are expected to be available to Cox Latino Pak subscribers in all markets by July 1.

Enter the

Cynopsis Top Women in Media Awards by Thursday, May 20.

Help us salute the amazing women on your team—innovators, out-of-the box thinkers, visionaries, mentors, role models—from marketing to research to content to data.

View Categories CYN Nominate
(sponsored by TurnkeyZRG)

Amazon Studios came out the winner in a bidding war for QCODE sci-fi podcast “From Now,” and will adapt the series for television. The podcast, starring Richard Madden (“Succession”) and Brian Cox (“Game of Thrones”) as identical twin brothers separated by time, debuted in December 2020 and rose to #2 overall in the Apple Podcast charts. Rhys Wakefield (“True Detective”) and William Day Frank (“Berserk”) created the podcast and will adapt it for television. Madden, Cox, Wakefield, and Frank will serve as executive producers. Rob Herting and Dave Henning will executive produce on behalf of QCODE. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fred Berger, Justin Levy will executive produce on their Automatik banner.

Discovery and Georgia Aquarium are collaborating on a new multi-platform partnership that will provide Discovery’s multi-platform audiences and discovery+ with immediate access to real-time content highlighting Georgia Aquarium’s global conservation efforts and the major milestones of the animals in the aquarium. “The Aquarium,” which ran on Animal Planet from 2019-20, is available on discovery+.

Fox gave out two series orders: to country music drama “Monarch,” created by Melissa London Hilfers, and “The Cleaning Lady,” an immigration/crime drama from Miranda Kwok based on an Argentine series. The net is not moving forward with an untitled “Goonies” re-enactment series, and crime scene forensics drama “Blood Relative.”

Giuliana Rancic is leaving as host of E!’s red carpet shows, but still has a home at NBCUniversal. Rancic signed a development deal with NBCU.

With vaccinations on the rise, optimism for live events is spreading, but how close are we to seeing each other in person again? Cynopsis wants to know how working from home has impacted your business relationships with colleagues and clients. Share your insights here; it’ll only take one minute!

While PBS’ “Sandition” was renewed for seasons two and three, series star Theo James will not be along for the ride. “Although I relished playing Sidney, for me, I’ve always maintained that his journey concluded as I wanted it to,” said the actor. Rose Williams, who played the other half of the show’s star-crossed couple, will return.

Michaela Jai Rodriguez (“Pose”) will star with Maya Rudolph in an Apple TV+ series created by Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, about a woman whose life is upended after her husband leaves her with “nothing but $87 billion. “

COMING UP

The Muppets first-ever Halloween special, “Muppets Haunted Mansion,” debuts this fall exclusively on Disney+. The special will feature a Muppets, celebrity cameos and music.

Rapper and DJ, DJ Snoopadelic C will DJ at the “MTV Movie & TV Awards,” airing Sunday, May 16 at 9p, while “Bling Empire’s” Kim Lee will take the stage to DJ for the 2021 “MTV Movie & TV Award” the following night. MTV also announced two new social categories: “Best Music Documentary” and “Best Musical Moment” (presented by SONIC^® Drive-In) .

Oprah Winfrey and Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”) host OWN’s first Father’s Day special, “Honoring Our Kings: OWN Celebrates Black Fatherhood. ” The two-hour OWN Spotlight show featuring conversations with everyday dads, messages from celebrity fathers and musical performances premieres Tuesday, June 15 at 9p.

Fundrasing event “AIDS Walk: Live at Home” will feature appearances by Billy Porter, Rita Moreno, Tony Goldwyn, George Takei and others, with “Viewing Parties” from New York’s Central Park Boathouse and the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco. The event will be broadcast on ABC7/KGO-TV in the Bay Area and streamed live on CBSN and AIDSWalk.net on May 16.

SESSION SPOTLIGHT: Automating the Ad Buy
The key to automating ad buy/sell processes & workflows is connecting all the necessary and vital data throughout the advertising ecosystem. On Tuesday, June 15, Mark Gorman (CEO at Matrix) will look at how the industry is evolving to make tangible the reality of self-serve inventory ad buys, i.e. adopting a standard unit of measurement across platforms, eliminating makegoods, and the tech & integration points needed to make it happen.

REGISTER NOW

TLC was the #1 network on all of TV Sunday, May 2 in Live+3 ratings among W18-34 (tied with ABC). For the week, “90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After” was the #1 non-sports cable program in Prime among W25-54/18-49. Additionally, TLC was the #1 cable network on Monday night, led by “Unexpected,” which hit a season high among P/W25-54 and W18-49 since moving to its new night.

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Thursday, May 6
Show, P2+ millions, (A18-49)
ABC: “Station 19” 4.52 (0.8), “Grey’s Anatomy” 4.93 (1.0), “Rebel” 3.31 (0.5)
CBS: “Young Sheldon” 6.64 (0.6), “United States of Al” 4.80 (0.5), “Mom” 5.29 (0.6), “B Positive” 4.13 (0.5), “Clarice” 2.54 (0.3)
CW: “Walker” 0.98 (0.1), “Legacies” 0.50 (0.1)
FOX: “Name That Tune” 1.53 (0.3), “Last Man Standing” 2.14 (0.3), “Let’s Be Real” 0.99 (0.2)
ION: “Chicago PD” 1.00 (0.2), “Chicago PD” 1.04 (0.2), “Chicago PD” 1.06 (0.2)
NBC: “Manifest” 3.05 (0.5), “Manifest” 2.85 (0.5), “Law & Order: SVU” 2.30 (0.4)
Telemundo: “Exatlon Estados Unidos”1.06 (0.3), “La Suerte de Loli” 1.05 (0.3), “Busdandoa Frida” 1.26 (0.4)
Univision: “Disenando Tu Amor” 1.36 (0.4), “Te Acuerdas de Mi” 1.44 (0.4), “La Hija del Embajador” 1.38 (0.3)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Two new faces at CNBC: Tanaya Macheel joins as a reporter working on CNBC PRO, a subscription investor service. Macheel previously covered digital currencies for Blockworks. Kate Dore joins CNBC as a reporter on the personal finance team. Most recently, Dore was a freelance contributor for Lifehacker, Business Insider, Investopedia and Credit Karma.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which show featured the only TV appearances of Buddy Holly and the Crickets? “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Kudos to: Matt Sautter-WideOrbit/York, PA; Charles Lore/NYC; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; Mark Selby-Melbar Entertainment Group/Toronto; Sandy Spiegel-WTTW/Chicago; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station, TX; Kyle Krebs-Limestone Minerals/Dallas; Barb Throm-Stealth Creative/St. Louis, MO; Randall Bosley-Studio Talent Group/Santa Monica, CA; Stephen Fisch-Bento Box Entertainment/North Hollywood, CA; Jim Himmel-TCB Media/San Clemente, CA; Larry Hutchings/San Luis Obispo, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
On “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (2000-15), what was Catherine Willows’ occupation before joining law enforcement? (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.)