05/15/17: BuzzFeed to produce its first linear series for Oxygen

Good morning. It’s Monday May 15, 2017 and this is your your first early morning Digital briefing!

TODAY’S CODEBREAKER

Ransomware: If you pay attention to current events, then you know that this is a timely one: Ransomware refers to malicious software that’s designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

TOP NEWS

For the first time, a BuzzFeed production is coming to linear TV. Oxygen has greenlit What Happened to…Jessica Chambers, a true crime series based on BuzzFeed reports. The show will discuss the death of its titular subject, a 19-year-old who was set on fire in 2014. NBCUniversal, a major BuzzFeed investor, collaborated on the series. Oh, and NBCU also happens to own Oxygen. The show’s release date hasn’t been announced.

NEWFRONT UPDATES

The final NewFront presentation of 2017 belonged to Group Nine Media, a Discovery Communications-backed company whose properties include NowThis (which focuses on news), The Dodo (animals), Seeker (science and technology), and Thrillist (food and travel). Among Group Nine’s announcements: Thrillist is partnering with TLC to launch Best Meal Ever, a short-form, multi-platform franchise in which TLC personalities reveal their favorite meals. The franchise will feature recipes posted across Thrillist and TLC’s platforms, as well as interstitials airing on TLC. As for NowThis, Group Nine announced that the news property has hired investigative journo Kaj Larsen, a veteran of CNN and Vice, as a senior correspondent. Larsen will spearhead the development and production of both short- and longer-form news and documentary content, much of which he’ll host. The Dodo’s new content includes Animal Heroes, a multi-platform program about people who go above and beyond to help animals, and Little Dodo, a sub-brand aimed at pre-school aged children. And Seeker’s new initiatives include The Edge, a series that will send VR cameras to extreme and little-explored areas of the world, and an “Everest VR” partnership, in which Seeker will team with studios Solfar and RVX to place a “Seeker Mode” inside their “Everest VR” experience. The “Seeker Mode” will provide additional data and storytelling within the experience. Finally, Group Nine discussed its new partnership with Digitas LBi, in which Group Nine will offer video content creation and distribution for DigitasLBi’s clients.

Also presenting last week was the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), which sponsored the NewFronts. During a long lunch session, ad tech companies and research companies Unruly, Receptiv, Sharethrough, and Rocket Fuel delivered presentations. Up top, the IAB presented some research of its own. In its new report, The Changing TV Experience Study 2017, the trade group – in partnership with MARU Matchbox – found that 46% of Americans’ TV screen time is spent watching traditional linear programming – no longer a majority. The IAB also found that half of streaming enabled TV owners say they prefer watching commercials over paying for ad-free subscriptions when streaming video on TV. And the survey found that multitasking on a second-screen device continues to be a common occurrence when consumers watch programming on TVs. However, the survey also found that multitasking incidence is lower when a consumer is watching digital video (72 percent) than during linear viewing (81%).

Cynopsis Digital caught up with Receptiv’s Richard Kosinski, one of the day’s presenters, after the presentation. As the President and Global CRO of a programmatic mobile video ad platform, Kosinski had a thing or two to say about importance of brand safety – one of the overriding themes of this year’s NewFronts. “When you look at buying that is increasingly being automated,” he said, “it’s critically important that you put safeguards in place…There’s always a chance – as you’ve seen with YouTube – that a message could show up where it’s not intended to.” For an automated tech company to combat such problems – and others – integrations and partnerships are crucial, he said. For instance, Receptiv partners with Integral Ad Science to fight fraud, and with Moat to combat non-human traffic. “On both sides – the buy-side and the sell-side – you have to meet in the middle and provide safety so that the reputational risk of a brand isn’t harmed,” he said.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Future Now Media & Entertainment Conference for Students

June 1-2, 2017 / The Sheen Center, NYC

If you’re thinking about your future in the Media/Entertainment industry, this is an invaluable opportunity you’ll want to be apart of (or share with a friend). Learn more here.

Admission is free, but students must apply: http://www.futurenowconference.com

(Deadline extended = May 22)

POWERED BY: iStandtv | SPONSORED BY: HBO / BET / WICTNY / Cynopsis / Media Village / DeSales Media Group / Nucleus Entertainment / Asbury University

VIRTUAL + AUGMENTED REALITY

Sometimes job listings can tell you a lot about a company’s plans. A new posting from Amazon Studios calls for a “Mixed Reality Producer” who can build “customer facing VR and AR applications across multiple platforms.” (Mixed reality – sometimes used interchangeably with augmented reality but technically not quite the same thing – refers to hardware that offers immersive experiences similar to VR, combined with the ability to integrate real-world images.) The new job posting mentions a number of VR platforms and companies – including Oculus, Google’s Daydream, HTC’s Vive, and the PlayStation VR – as possible destinations for new apps.

PLATFORMS, APPS + DEVICES

Los Angeles video startup Vidme has launched a new subscription feature. The service will now let users pay to subscribe to their favorite channels. Along with subscriptions come automated rewards, such as ad-free viewing and exclusive videos. Creators can set their own subscription prices. Vidme will take a 10% cut.

CYNOPSIS WEBINAR: SOCIAL GOOD

Research shows that the lines between nonprofits and corporations are blurring when it comes to impactful marketing strategies. Learn how this can translate into big potential for your brand in the May 23 webinar : How to Program & Market a Winning Social Good Strategy.

SOCIAL MEDIA

According to a new study from Manta, small businesses don’t seem to creating designated Facebook pages at quite the rate you might expect. The survey, which reached more than 4,700 U.S. businesses with less than 10 employees, found that only 49 percent had a Facebook page. (One caveat: This is a lower number than some other similar surveys have found.) According to the Manta survey, almost 75 percent of small businesses are spending less than two hours per week on Facebook marketing.

Facebook brought its “thankful” reaction back just in time for Mother’s Day. This time it took the form of a new emoji – a flower with purple petals. The Facebook app also added new Mother’s Day photo filters, allowing users to place themed frames (including ones populated with those purple flowers) around their pictures.

UPCOMING DIGITAL PROGRAMMING

… for the week of Monday, May 15 , through Sunday, May 21

– People Now at People.com , Monday-Friday at 8:30a ET and 11:30a ET. Guests include actress and TV personality Caroline Rhea (ABC’s Match Game), actress Mayim Bialik (CBS’s The Big Bang Theory), and model Kate Upton

– Acorn TV: BBC comedy/drama Decline and Fall debuts today, May 15

– Acorn TV: Documentary The Yorkshire Vet in Spring debuts today, May 15

– Netflix: Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive, a new comedy special, debuts Tuesday, May 16

– Netflix: Blame!, a new original sci-fi/animation film, debuts Friday, May 19

– Netflix: The Keepers, a new docu-series about the unsolved murder of a nun, debuts Friday, May 19

– Netflix: Season 3 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt debuts Friday, May 19.

– Hulu: Becoming Bond, a documentary about short-lived James Bond actor George Lazenby, debuts Saturday, May 20

TRIVIA

Digital media and production company AwesomenessTV is behind which Hulu original series? Answer: Freakish. Kudos to Louis Lewow-Lewow Media Group/GA, Andy Pittman-TAMU/TX, Shane Tierney, David Westberg SAG-AFTRA-Federal Credit Union/CA, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/CA, Lorrie Shilling/CA, and Brenda Fisher-RSA Talent/CA

Follow-up: Which Freakish actor plays the role of Grover Jones? (Email trivia@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, and state.)

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

The Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards has over 50 categories to choose from to ensure that you and your team are recognized for all you’ve accomplished in children’s media this past year:

The annual awards reception, held on September 19 in NYC, is a great opportunity to network and celebrate with fellow honorees in children’s media.
Receive added exposure with editorial coverage on cynopsis.com as well as our social media networks (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram).

You only have a month left to submit, so ENTER NOW and get the attention you and your company deserve!

Enter while early rates apply

DIGITAL SPOTLIGHT

If you’re any kind of a Yankee fan, then Budweiser’s emotional tribute to Derek Jeter is a must-watch. Check it out here .

David Teich
Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Diane K Schwartz Senior Vice President Media Communications Group	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina \| 203-218-6480 VP, Sales	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak \| 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

CYNOPSISJOBS – For More jobs, please visit Cynopsis.com

JOB OPENING: SR AD SALES RESEARCH ANALYST/Travel Channel & GAC/NYC: Partner w/Ad Sales team to produce actionable insights, compelling stories & persuasive network positioning. Bachelor’s degree & 3+ yrs of media rsrch exp. Expertise w/Nielsen, Star Media, MRI, Simmons, & Kantar systems. Full info/apply HERE (5/20)

JOB OPENING: INVENTORY CONTROL MANAGER/NBC/East Coast: Inventory Control Manager – max station’s revenue. Minimum of 3 years of Television traffic exp & exp with Wide Orbit traffic system. Full info/apply HERE (5/20)

JOB OPENING: TRAFFIC COORDINATOR/Z LIVING TV/NYC: Assist Ad Sales team in the management of traffic functions. Copy/material assignment, log placements, meeting daily traffic operations deadlines, as well as office manager and other duties that may be assigned. Cover/resume HERE (5/20)

JOB OPENING: MARKETING MGR/UP TV/ATL: 3+ creative media exp. at cable network. Exp. dev. mkting strategies & creative briefs. Exp. working w/ creative agencies and executing campaigns. Must have budget mgt exp. Exp. managing media trafficking for off channel. Apply HERE (5/20)

JOB OPENING: SVP LEGAL, AFFILIATE DIST /AMC Networks/NYC: 10+ yrs comm trans exp in a law firm and/or as in-house counsel. Exp in affiliate agreemnts strongly pref’d. Exp prov legal counsel, advice and oversight on matters involving affiliate dist, incl digital. Full info/apply HERE (5/18)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH DIRECTOR/WNBC/NYC: Resp for creation of compelling information & analyses in support of Sales, News and Digital strategies; provide day-to-day management and completion of qualitative/quantitative rsrch studies. 7+ yrs in the media or mkt rsch field w/expertise in Nielsen ratings, synd products. Full info/apply HERE (5/17)

JOB OPENING: SALES CREATIVE PARTNER/Pond5/NYC: Seeking a seasoned, energetic, driven & entrepreneurial talent to work directly w/customers. 5+ yrs exp + relationships within the TV/Prod space & knwlg stock industry, incl licensing terms a + not req’d. Full info/apply HERE (5/17)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL MEDIA PLANNER/BUYER/Serino Coyne/NYC: Enthusiastic, collaborative & detail-oriented person to strategize/create digital media plans for clients in collaboration w/acct services teams. Min 18months of digital media plan’g/buying and/or paid search exp. Full info/apply HERE (5/17)

JOB OPENING: MGR PARTNER MKTG/EPIX/NYC: Responsible for executing innovative integrated marketing initiatives to secure distribution & develop strategies for subscriber growth; 3-6 years of marketing experience. Full info/apply HERE (5/17)

JOB OPENING: CASTING MGR/Discovery Studios/LA: Tenacious mgr w/history of creating talent based concepts to join Dvlpmnt Dept. Success in rsrching finding building/maint relationships w/ talent. Team oriented to find best undiscovered, diverse & dynamic talent. 3-7 yrs exp w/focus on male skewing non fic prgrmng APPLY (5/16)

JOB OPENING: ASSOCIATE PRODUCER/HERO4HIRE CREATIVE/BOSTON: Responsible for all aspects of prod including communicating w/clients & animators to stay on schedule and on budget. Must be highly motivated & organized with ability to multitask and problem solve. Send resume: [email protected] (5/16)

JOB OPENING: PR & COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL/Beck Media & Marketing NYC: Seeking syndicated TV pros with affiliate relations/TV publicity experience for a breaking news TV show + other TV/entertainment clientele. Digital savvy a plus. Apply here (5/16)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA/OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK/LA: Develop and lead marketing strategies and campaigns across social and digital platforms. 7 yrs + leadership experience, BA required. Apply HERE: http://careers.own.tv (5/16)

JOB OPENING: INTEGRATED MKTG MGR/Interactive One/NYC: Work on strategic/creative dvlpmnt/mngmnt of revenue-generating mktg solutions for existing and prospective clients. Respond to RFP, RFI and general Sales Requests Min 5-7 yrs at agency media co or sales/mktg organization. Full info/apply HERE (5/16)

SITUATION WANTED: Veteran Researcher Looking for New Opportunities/NYC: 20+ years experience and expertise in Media Research/Communications/Brand Marketing/Programming/Consumer Insights/Digital. Strong Kwldge of Broadcast & Cable. Contact [email protected] (5/18)