Good morning, this is your first early-morning briefing.
Tonight’s Premieres:
Travel: Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests at 9p
Saturday’s Premieres:
Animal Planet: The Zoo: San Diego – California Tales at 8p
Saturday’s Finales:
Great American Country: Texas Flip N Move at 10p
Sunday’s Premieres:
Facebook Watch: Ball In The Family
ID: Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster at 9p
The Weather Channel: Storm Stories: The Next Chapter at 8p
VRV: HarmonQuest
Sunday’s Finales:
HGTV: Mexico Life at 9p and 9:30p
Smithsonian Channel: Mighty Trains at 9p
IN THE NEWS
Elizabeth Warren has some strong thoughts on ViacomCBS. The Democratic senator from Massachusetts and Presidential hopeful tweeted out that the Department of Justice “should be paying close attention” to the CBS-Viacom merger. Cautionary about the consolidation across the media industry, Warren said the mergers have potential to “raise serious concerns for consumers, employees, and the entire sector.”
Groundbreaking series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, will come to an end after three seasons airing on A&E. In a show first, the two-hour series finale special that airs Monday, August 26 at 9p will be filmed in front of a live studio audience. Remini and Mike Rinder will “explore stories of how Church of Scientology policies have hindered members from reporting instances of abuse and sexual assault to the authorities,” according to the network.
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah will air live following the next round of Democratic debates on Thursday, September 12. Noah will air live at 11p on Comedy Central as part of the continuing “Votegasm” 2020 coverage.
NY’s Cayuga Nation slapped Showtime and the exec producers of its hit series Billions with a defamation lawsuit citing depictions in the show of “unscrupulous dealings and even criminal conduct.” In their suit against the network and Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin, the federal and state recognized Indian Nation and its tribal leader Clint Halftown claim “the offense and reputational damage to the Nation and Mr. Halftown caused by the Defendants, whose sole goal was to earn millions at the Plaintiffs’ expense, forms the basis for this action.”
How do you convey the transformation of a 50-year-old legacy like Fred Rogers Productions, or the complexity and depth of a Ken Burns project? Suzy Jurist, founder and President of NYC advertising agency SJI Associates, offers insights on the branding process in Cynsiders.
Despite losing subscribers for the first time in the past eight years, Netflix is still the preferred way to watch TV programs among US consumers, according to a new report from ThinkNow Media. Preferred by 61 percent of consumers for the past two years, the streaming giant’s dominance hasn’t been marked so much by growth as it has been by the drastic decline of live TV, states the report.
The Paley Center for Media today will celebrate great comedic moments and legends in TV at this year’s The Paley Honors: A Special Tribute to Television’s Comedy Legends, November 21 in LA.
Comcast NBCUniversal will be honored as the 2019 Diversity Champion, and City Year as the Diversity Advocate at the 36th annual Walter Kaitz Foundation Fundraising Dinner in September. In 350 schools across the country, diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide support to students, classrooms and administrators, helping ensure students in systemically under-resourced schools receive a high-quality education.
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***SOLD OUT***
CYNOPSIS TOP WOMEN IN MEDIA AWARDS GALA
September 9 | 5:45PM – 8PM | Tribeca Rooftop, NYC
Cynopsis is celebrating the 2019 Top Women in Media — the outstanding women across every facet of the media industry — TV, digital/tech, esports, sports, marketing and more. From corporate visionaries to rising stars, they are making bold decisions and driving their businesses forward and they deserve their moment in the spotlight.
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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Celebrated actor, director and producer Don Cheadle launched production company Radicle Act and signed a first-look deal with Industrial Media. Mika Pryce will join the company as SVP/head of development to lead content efforts for all platforms. On the film side, Cheadle has set up the adaptation of the book Amari and the Night Brothers with Universal Pictures, which he will produce alongside Mandeville and Genius Productions. “With the advent of Radicle Act, we hope to live up to the namesake and seed the landscape, producing new and exciting material across multiple platforms,” said Cheadle.
NBUniversal’s forthcoming streaming service gave its first official pilot orders. YA treatment One of Us Is Lying, based on Karen M. McManus’ mystery/thriller novel, is described as The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, and centers on what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Project hails from NBCU’s UCP and John Sacchi’s 5 More Minutes Productions. Series originally was in development at E!… In related news, the planned reboot of Queer as Folk, originally in development at Bravo, is also now in development for the streaming service, with Digital Rights Group still producing with Nicola Shindler of Red Productions.
E! Entertainment has in its future new half-hour reality sitcom Meet the Frasers, which follows Rhode Island local celeb couple, 28-year-old psychic medium Matt Fraser and his pageant queen girlfriend, 21-year-old Alexa Papigiotis. Slated to premiere in 2020, series will showcase their lives, careers and their very involved extended families.
Alpha Girls, a Silicon Valley drama series based on Julian Guthrie’s new tome Alpha Girls: The Women Upstarts Who Took on Silicon Valley’s Male Culture and Made the Deals of a Lifetime, is in development at TriStar Television. Cathy Schulman will exec-produce, Guthrie will serve as a co-producer, and Margaret Nagle (The Good Lie) will pen the adaptation.
Production of original movie Sacrifice is underway at BET Networks and slated to premiere on BET’s new streaming service BET+ in 2020. Starring Paula Patton (Hitch, Precious), legal thriller follows a highly sought after entertainment lawyer as she navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients.
UCP beat the competition and optioned the rights to The Girl From Plainville, Jesse Barron’s 2017 Esquire article that details the events in the texting-suicide case that led Michelle Carter to stand trial for her boyfriend Conrad Roy’s homicide. Prosecutors argued Carter’s calls and texts fueled Roy’s suicide when they were both teens; Carter recently petitioned the Supreme Court to take the case.
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Smithsonian Channel returns with a 13 season of Air Disasters on September 1 at 8p. Using eyewitness accounts, archival footage and reenactments, experts will take viewers to the scene of the some of the world’s most tragic crashes and uncover the truth behind what went wrong.
Season premieres are in the air at OWN, which returns Greenleaf on Tuesday, September 3 at 10p and Love & Marriage: Huntsville on Saturday, September 7 at 10p. In this season, the Greenleafs attempt to maintain a united front in the face of losing their church; Love & Marriage follows three powerful African American couples working in real estate in Huntsville, AL.
Insight TV, 4K UHD HDR broadcaster and producer of native UHD content, is debuting three original series across its linear and digital platforms. Up first is Jndia, The Fast Life, premiering August 10 at 10p, followed by Car Crews with Supercar Blondie, premiering August 22 at 9p and Street Kings in Jail, premiering September 10 at 10p. In the US viewers can watch Insight TV on RCN cable and Layer 3, and its streaming service is available on Samsung TV Plus, among other outlets.
Golden Globe winner for best comedy series The Kominsky Method will return for season 2 Friday, October 25 on Netflix. Powered by Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin in the lead roles, series follows the golden-years goings-on of aging actor-cum-acting coach Sandy Kominsky and his longtime agent Norman Newlander.
COMING UP
Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones premieres on Netflix on Monday, August 26. The streamer dropped a trailer for the new stand-up comedy special.
The Feud, a dive into the Hatfield-McCoy feud from the perspective of a rapidly transforming Appalachia, premieres Tuesday, September 10 at 9p on PBS stations.
The sequel to Netflix’s 2018 original romcom To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before will bow on the streamer on February 12, 2020. Titled To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, the new movie will again star Lana Condor and Noah Centineo. A third film in the series is in the works.
STREAMING NEWS
Gamified video streaming platform BitMovio is partnering with content studio Gunpowder & Sky to license dozens of short-form and feature films across its Dust (sci-fi) and Alter (horror) brands. BitMovio will acquire 90-plus hours of premium film content for its blockchain-enabled video entertainment marketplace, available in open beta to users around the world via web browsers, iOS and Android devices. BitMovio also will acquire rights to offer its users with a unique “movie night” live event-type experience by live-streaming select films,
TECH TALK
Bleacher Report is pumped for football season. Under the new B/R Gridiron brand, the WarnerMedia service will launch a content lineup tailor-made for its millennial and Gen Z-heavy audience of more than 200 million monthly fans. Kicking off Monday, September 2, programming includes a new live Sunday gameday show, the debut of an interactive fantasy football show, return of animated series Gridiron Heights, B/R betting integrations from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and live event activations.
Screen Engine/ASI, the research firm that specializes in focus-group testing of movies and TV pilots, acquired digital marketing and ticketing platform TicktBox. The TicktBox platform is used by television networks, movie distributors and exhibitors, and with the purchase Screen Engine will own one of the largest databases of active moviegoers in the country.
Charter is cracking down on unauthorized password sharing. As part of this week’s new carriage agreement between company that operates Spectrum and Disney, the two companies in a statement said they’re working together “to implement business rules and techniques to address such issues as unauthorized access and password sharing.”
Media center app maker Plex is phasing out support for Home Theater PC in its latest app for Windows and Mac OS. The new app also introduces a new framework for downloading media for offline consumption.
PODCAST POSTS
Canadian public broadcaster CBC is developing five original CBC podcasts for the small screen. Projects include David Ridgen’s scripted Someone Knows Something (First Generation Films); documentary Uncover: The Village (Noble Entertainment); unscripted shows Personal Best (3Arts Entertainment) and Tai Asks Why (Irwin Entertainment) and Alone: A Love Story (Sienna Films).
New podcast Reality Therapy lets listeners hear the behind-the-scenes process of casting hit unscripted shows. Seasoned casting veterans Danny Passman (Crybaby Media) and Lauren Burger interview potential reality talent and figure out if they are fit for TV… or if they just need therapy. Series is produced by MCS Media; new eps are out every Monday.
Ashley Flowers, creator and host of Crime Junkie—currently the top true crime podcast—responded to allegations she’s used material on the show from multiple sources without credit. In a statement to Variety, Flowers said, in part, “we recently made the decision to pull down several episodes from our main feed when their source material could no longer be found or properly cited. Since then, we’ve worked to put additional controls in place to address any gaps moving forward.”
ADVERTISING & BRANDS
Video advertising platform SpotX launched its latest Prebid adapter video header bidding solution. Through the adapter, publishers can leverage Prebid’s header bidding capabilities without commitment to any one SSP or the use of proprietary wrappers.
CASTING
Michael Cimino (Annabelle Comes Home, Training Day) will topline Love, Simon, the Disney+ series inspired by the 2018 movie that also stars previously announced Ana Ortiz… Upcoming HBO series The Nevers added six more cast members: Kiran Sonia Sawar, Elizabeth Berrington, Ella Smith, Viola Prettejohn, Anna Devlin and Martyn Ford will join the cast that already includes Laura Donnelly, Olivia Williams and Nick Frost… WWE star Ronda Rousey will join the cast of season 3 of Fox drama 9-1-1.
Casting call: QVC cooking brand casting Celeb Chef / Culinary Influencer / Food TV host to act as spokesperson. Credibility in the food space with a passion for cooking and kitchen products. Brand Representative has command and confidence while also being authentic, warm and energetic. Shoots live in suburban Philadelphia based around talents availability. Web links or EPK to Casting Director Sean De Simone at [email protected].
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The ultimate resource for media’s jobs seekers & hiring managers
Are you looking for a media job within the TV, Digital or Sports industries OR are you looking to hire a media professional? The Cynopsis Jobs site offers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors.
Check out our new Cynopsis Jobs site, here for a complete look on what’s out there.
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RATINGS
After more than 8,100 episodes and 32 years on the air, CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful claimed first place in the soap opera demographic. For the week ended August 9, the show hit a 0.9 among W25-54, beating longtime No. 1 and sister show The Young and the Restless, which landed a 0.8.
Live + Same Day Viewers AA (millions): Wednesday, August 14 time period averages
Source: NTI, Galaxy as dated Live+SD
NBC: 4.59 million
America’s Got Talent 7.72, Songland 3.66, The InBetween 2.38
ABC: 3.17 millon
Press Your Luck 3.22, Card Sharks 3.23, Match Game 3.07
CBS: 3.10 million
Big Brother 4.28, SEAL Team 2.58, SEAL Team 2.44
FOX: 2.76 million
MasterChef 2.96, BH90210 2.57
Telemundo: 1.18 million
Poquito Tuyo 1.01, Final del Paraiso 1.33, Preso No. 1 955,000
Univision: 920,000
Copa de Campeones 1.15, Juntas, Corazon 799,000
CW: 570,000
Bulletproof 0.64, Hypnotize Me 0.50
Wednesday A18-49 Rating
FOX .9/4, NBC .7/4, CBS .6/3, ABC .5/3, UNI .4/2, TELE .4/2, CW .1/1
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Stephanie Ramos has been promoted to correspondent at ABC News; she previously reported for local stations in Kansas City, MO; Topeka, KS; and Columbia, SC.
Mass Media brought on Stephanie Ceccarelli, formerly VP, program publicity & communications at CMT, to launch its first-ever Entertainment division.
Friday Fun Fact
A single cloud can weight more than 1 million pounds.
This Day in History
1954 – Jack Paar replaced Walter Cronkite as host of The Morning Show on CBS.
Answer to our last trivia question
What was the first series distributed via the internet? Rox. Kudos to: Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NY; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; Mark Wajda/Lakeland, FL; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station, TX; Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank; Dan Haberer-Creo Entertainment/Playa del Rey, CA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG•AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank
Today’s Trivia Question
What long-running series originated as a segment on Love, American Style in 1969? (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.).
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SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Hallmark’s Home & Family
LA
Tech-savvy, self-starter professional, exp’d in SM to support strategic social media initiatives set in place. Able to multi task many projects; 1-2 yrs SM exp w/previous writing/editing/creating exp; strong knwlg SM platforms & social community mngmnt.
Full info HERE
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR >>
Hallmark’s Home & Family/LA: Tech-savvy, self-starter professional, exp’d in SM to support strategic social media initiatives set in place. Able to multi task many projects; 1-2 yrs SM exp w/previous writing/editing/creating exp; strong knwlg SM platforms & social community mngmnt. Full info HERE (8/29)
DIRECTOR, DISTRIBUTION >>
Fremantle, Canada International: Maximize revenue across Canada for all Fremantle Int’l proprietary programs towards the achievements of targets. Proven/ demonstrable exp of Sales exp w/in TV licensing enviro, either working within brdcst or wider ent industry/competitor. Full info HERE (8/28)
SR DIRECTOR, IT OPERATIONS >>
GSN/Santa Monica: 10+ yrs. Lead & manage infrastructure & applications teams. Active Directory, Azure, VMWare, AWS, SQL Server, Citrix, Telephony, storage, networking. OS: Server 2012, 2016, Windows 10, Mac OS. Manage SOX-404 audits. This is a hands-on technical position. Full info HERE (8/23)
SPECIALIST, AFFILIATE OPERATIONS >>
MLB/Secaucus NJ: Spearhead affil tech/operational efforts (incl launch authorizations, blackout implementation, VOD & TV Everywhere +) for MLB & NHL Networks. Able to work w/prod, engineering & brdcst depts; Min4-6 yrs exp cable affil sales & mktg, sports media, &/or media ops req’d. Full info HERE (8/23)
MGR, RECRUITING >>
A+E/NY: Manage the day-to-day recruitment function for a defined set of clients to identify, acquire, assess and hire candidates to fill roles required to meet company business goals. 5+ yrs hands-on recruiting exp, preferably within a media environment; strong HR network of recruiters Full info HERE (8/23)
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER >>
PointsBet/Denver: Exceptional candidate with broad, hands-on operational skills to lead our US company through our next stage of growth. Min 10+ yrs of operational exp; proven operational success in gaming, sports or technology sectors a +. Strong written/comm skills. Full info HERE (8/22)
DIRECTOR, OTT ADVERTISING STRATEGY >>
NBCU/NYC: Work w/Business Operations & Strategy group & impact new rev generation across the NBCU portfolio by identifying growth opps; 8 yrs work exp; this could incl professional services (e.g., consulting, investment banking) or media exp at a large network/publisher/agency. Full info nbsp;HERE (8/22)
SR ANALYST, AD SALES STRATEGY >>
NBCU/NYC: Design/execute strategic sales initiatives in the NBCU Digital Partnerships team along w/the wider Ad Sales org. Min 2 yrs exp @ either a leading investment bank, mngmnt consulting firm or in strategy/finance role at a major TMT corp. Full info HERE (8/22)
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE >>
Trifecta Entertainment/NYC: Dynamic individual to focus on developing new and growing business among major agencies via strong relationships and superior client service. 5+ yrs sales exp w/syndication, national cable, broadcast ad sales or media buying background req’d. Full info HERE (8/21)
PRODUCER/SHOOTER/EDITOR >> Overtime/NYC: Applicants should have a min of 2 yrs filming doc and/or reality content. Exp functioning as a one-person-band is mandatory since it will be a standard part of the job. Full info HERE (8/21)
CONSUMER INSIGHTS MGR >>
Gamut – Cox Media/NYC: Lead data-driven rsrch projects that align w/sales objectives & client needs. Thru analysis of mult rsrch sources, he/she will support the media ad sales team to consult clients on their ad strategies. 6-9 yrs of exp in a rsrch or insights role at a media agency. Full info HERE (8/20)
MEDIA INSIGHTS ANALYST >>
Gamut – Cox Media/NYC: Perform data runs & analysis through the use of multiple rsrch sources to support the media ad sales team & consult clients on their media plans. 1+ yr exp in a rsrch or insights role at a media agency, brdcst/dig co., or media rep firm. Full info HERE (8/20)
MGR, AD SALES MARKETING >>
Gamut – Cox Media/NYC: Lead planning/execution of multi-channel mktg strategies designed to drive ad sales revenue for the co. Must possess a demonstrated ability to comm & collaborate with all levels of the org; 5+ yrs of exp in Ad Sales Marketing at a Media, Brdcst or Ent co. pref’d Full info HERE (8/20)
DIGITAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE >>
AMI Entertainment Group/NYC: Secure digital advertising from a diverse list of Entertainment, CPG, Beauty, Fashion and misc. Strong knwldg NY based digital advertising mkt. 2+ yrs of exp selling online advertising; recent online sales req’d. Full info/apply HERE (8/20)
DIRECTOR, BUSINESS STRATEGY >>
FX/LA: Work cross-functionally w/FX leadership team, while also being resp for creating models, performing analyses around talent term deals, orig prgrmng costs, back-end profit participations, ancillary rev streams, content windowing & AdHoc projects. 5+ yrs relevant exp. MBA req’d. Full info HERE (8/17)
BUSINESS ANALYST, INT’L & DIGITAL SOLUTIONS >>
A+E/NY: Analyze existing business processes & systems functionality; propose new or updated solutions to changing business needs; be an active member of Technology Team. 5+ yrs exp working w/applications & technology solutions that are vendor supported, strong analytical skills, project mgmt exp, detailed oriented, strong communication skills, exp w/HTML, CSS or WordPress preferred. Apply HERE (8/17)
SALES PLANNER, DIRECT RESPONSE >>
Hallmark/NYC: This position is responsible for providing sales and analytical support to the Direct Response sales team for Crown Media Family Networks: Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama. Must have a minimum of 1 years of industry-related experience. Apply HERE (8/17)
DIRECTOR of SALES, USA >>
NHNZ: Generate and maximize sales for NHNZ in the USA through proactive, business orientated, results driven client management. Self-starter with a clear creative vision and an understanding of all things TV. Full info HERE (8/17)
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FRIDAY AUGUST 16
ABC: American Housewife, Fresh Off the Boat, What Would You Do?, 20/20
CBS: Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I., Bluebloods
CW: Masters of Illusion, The Big Stage, Hypnotize Me
FOX: BH90210, MasterChef
NBC: American Ninja Warrior, Dateline NBC
PBS: Washington Week, Firing Line, Great Performances
Telemundo: Un Poquito Tuyo, En Final de Paraiso, Preso No. 1
Univision: La Reina Soy yo, Juntas, el Corazon Nunca Se Equivoca, Sin Miedo a la Verdad
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