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Tuesday October 26, 2021

IN THE NEWS

Jonathan Lemire take over as host of MSNBC’s “Way Too Early” starting today. Lemire, who is also joining Politico as White House Bureau Chief, succeeds Kasie Hunt, who left the network for CNN.

Over a week after a cyberattack, Sinclair Broadcast Group said that while it is “still working” to resolve all programming issues, all of its networks and regional sports networks were on the air. “A large portion of other programming has and is airing as scheduled, and all our news stations are providing news programming to our viewers,” said the company.

Fifty-five million – or 40% – of US households watch only connected TV, according to a new study from Magnite. The study also found that CTV delivers an audience with diversity representative of the country, while pay TV is overly white and under represents Black, Latin and Asian consumers. “CTV is now much more than just an audience extension tool or an add-on to a linear buy,” said Magnite CRO, CTV, Sean Buckley. “While traditional TV audiences have become more homogeneous, CTV viewers encompass a representative cohort of ages and backgrounds.” Also of note: 23% of CTV viewers said they had made a purchase after seeing an ad, versus 12% of traditional viewers.

Warner Bros. Television is defending actor Dougray Scott, who plays Batwoman’s father on CW’s “Batwoman,” against allegations by Ruby Rose, who played the series’ title character in its first season. “We condemn the comments made by Ruby Rose about Dougray Scott. Warner Bros. has found Mr. Scott to be a consummate professional, and never received any allegation against him of bullying, or of abusive behavior on his part,” said WBTV. “Mr. Scott was greatly respected and admired by his colleagues, and was a leader on the set. Warner Bros. Television did not pick up Ruby Rose’s option for an additional season because of multiple complaints about workplace behavior that were extensively reviewed by the Studio.”

Charter Communications announced the addition of Spanish-language religious network ESNE TV to its Spectrum TV lineup. ESNE TV, which focuses on programming for the Catholic Hispanic community, is available to subscribers of Charter’s Mi Plan Latino and Latino View TV packages.

Forty-three percent of viewers watch the Super Bowl for the advertisements, while 57% tune in for the game, according to a poll by Omnicom’s The Marketing Arm. When it comes to those ads, 97% of respondents want spots that make them laugh, and 71% would prefer that brands steer clear of political messages.

Dave Chappelle responded personally for the first time since outrage over his Netflix special, “The Closer,” led to protests over his remarks about transgender people. “I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me,” said Chappelle in an Instagram post. “I am not bending to anyone’s demands.” Among the conditions Chappelle listed were, “You cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end,” and, “You must come to a place of my choosing at a time of my choosing.”

The Cynopsis Top Women in Media honorees are getting ready to celebrate. See the full list of honorees and Distinguished Companies and join us in person for the special Awards Gala October 27 in NYC.

RESERVE YOUR SEATS TODAY

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Netflix has ordered a “one-of-a-kind comedy special of epic proportions.” Executive-produced by showrunner James Longman, Emma Conway and Gabe Turner for Fulwell 73, as well as all three members of The Jonas Brothers, “Jonas Brothers Family Roast” will be hosted by “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thomson and include special guests Pete Davidson (“SNL”), former One Direction member Niall Horan, stand-up comic Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, John Legend, Lilly Singh and comedian Jack Whitehall.

Coming-of-age comedy “Primo” has been ordered to series by IMDb TV. Based on the life of Basketball (and Other Things) author Shea Serrano, the series comes from Mike Schur (“The Good Place”) and Serrano. The comedy is a Fremulon and 3 Arts production in association with Universal Television.

Peacock handed a straight-to-series order for a crime drama writer adapted for US television by David E. Kelley (“Big Little Lies”). “The Missing,” from Universal Television and Keshet Studios, will be based on the novel The Missing File, the first in a series of books written by Israeli crime writer Dror A Mishani.

Christopher Jackson (“Hamilton”) has inked a first-look deal with CBS Studios to produce across platforms, reports Variety. On the acting front, Jackson co-stars in CBS’ “Bull,” and will appear in “Sex and the City” reboot “And Just Like That.”

Freeform gave a pilot order to “What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding,” a comedy based on the memoir by Kristin Newman (“Only Murders in the Building”) starring Chelsea Frei (“Dollface”).

A lawyer for Facebook sent a letter to Anonymous Content CEO Dawn Olmstead warning her not to “recklessly” expose her company or its investors to “significant monetary liability” with its upcoming TV adaptation of An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination. Said the letter, “Although Facebook might consider working with you to ensure the project (if it proceeds) is accurate and truthful, this letter places you on express notice that (i) the Book is replete with false and defamatory statements, characterizations, and implications about Facebook and its leadership and also places Facebook and its leaders in a ‘false light,’ in violation of California law and (ii) if the screenplay includes false statements, characterizations, and implications (and does not include appropriate nuance and context), Facebook will take all appropriate legal action.” Claire Foy (“The Crown”) has been cast as Sheryl Sandberg in the series.

Disney+’s “The Mysterious Benedict Society” will pull up stakes from Vancouver and ABC’s upcoming “Promised Land” will relocate from Georgia thanks to tax credits awarded to the shows from California. The California Film Commission awarded the shows $15 million in tax credits.

Gaumont (“Narcos”) is teaming with Viva Maude to develop “Luster,” based on the book by Raven Leilani, for HBO. “We were riveted by this groundbreaking book…and are blown away at how quickly the series creative team which includes our writers, Lileana Blain-Cruz and Jackie Sibblies Drury, has come together,” said Nicolas Atlan, President of Gaumont US. “We can’t wait to get started.”

Tuc Watkins (“Desperate Housewives”) has joined the cast of Netflix’s “Uncoupled,” starring Neil Patrick Harris as a man blindsided after his husband walks out on him after 17 years. Also onboard are Tisha Campbell (“Martin”), Emerson Brooks (“The Last Ship”), and Marcia Gay Harden (“The Morning Show”).

NEW SERIES

Apple TV+’s first Korean series, “Dr. Brain,” premieres in the US Wednesday, November 3. The sci-fi drama stars Lee Sun-kyn (“Parasite”).

Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta Porsha’s Family Matters” premieres Sunday, November 28 at 9p. The reality show follows the drama of the Williams family – aunts, sisters, cousins, friends, grandmother, in-laws, ex-lovers, current lovers and all. Plus, tequila.

COMING UP

AXS TV is marking The Go-Go’s October 30 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with a collection of digital offerings from October 29-31. “The Go-Go’s Giveaway Weekend” will include interviews, performances, giveaways and more.

HBO Max comedy special “Fighting Words,” starring Aida Rodriguz, starts streaming Thursday, November 4. The travel documentary will conclude with Rodriguez being reunited with her estranged father.

STREAMING

True Crime Now, a new linear streaming channel from documentary streamer MagellanTV, has launched in North America, debuting in Canada on The Roku Channel. True Cime Now features a collection of more than 1,000 true crime documentary films and series, with new content added weekly.

Fox Weather, Fox News Media’s AVOD streaming weather service, launched yesterday to become the number one most-downloaded free app in the country, according to the Apple App Store. The platform offers a suite of forecasting products along with a 24/7 live streaming network.

S&P gave Netflix the stamp of approval, upgrading the stock to investment grade. The ratings agency pointed to Netflix’s solid revenue growth, rising margins, reduced leverage and positive operating cash flow.

TECH TALK

GroupM is teaming with WPP sib Hogarth to launch an Addressable Content Practice, combining the group’s addressable media offering with Hogarth’s content creation capabilities. “Campaigns are increasingly becoming outcomes-driven, especially as audience-first planning becomes the standard,” said Christian Juhl, GroupM Global CEO. “This reality, in addition to the pending deprecation of third-party cookies and the growing number of ad-lite or ad free platforms, means we will have fewer opportunities to reach consumers in the future. A powerful and precise addressable strategy, across media and content, will help brands realize more fully the potential and performance of their message and investments.”

Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Square, and PayPal have been ordered to provide detailed information about their policies surrounding consumers’ data. “Knowing what we spend our money on is a valuable source of data on consumer behavior,” said Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “This data can be monetized by companies that seek to profit from behavioral targeting, particularly around advertising and e-commerce.”

Whistleblower Frances Haugen offered evidence on Monday for the UK’s Draft Online Safety Committee Bill Joint Committee. “Facebook is negligent and shows a pattern of inadequacy. It is unwilling to acknowledge its own power or accept that children are not adults. Facebook believes in ‘flatness’ and won’t believe in the consequences of its own actions,” said Haugen, who stressed that those most in danger are children. It may be impossible for Instagram to be safe for 14-year-olds, and “definitely” not for 10-year-olds, Haugen told the committee.

Facebook reported better-than-expected 3Q21 earnings of $3.22 per share versus the $3.19 expected by analysts, but revenue was $29.01 billion compared a forecast of $29.57. The number of monthly active users rose 6% from the year earlier, to 2.91 billion. The company also announced it plans to break out its Facebook Reality Labs, focused on hardware, AR and VR products, into its own reporting segment next quarter. “We made good progress this quarter and our community continues to grow,” said CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “I’m excited about our roadmap, especially around creators, commerce, and helping to build the metaverse.”

Start-up Cameo, seller of video messages from celebrities, has bought marketing and merchandising platform Represent. “The new capabilities greatly expand Cameo’s value proposition to fans and talent alike,” said Cameo Co-founder and CEO Steven Galanis.

CYNOPSIS DIGITAL AWARDS

Tuesday, Nov. 9 @ 9AM | Tribeca 360 | NYC
Celebrate the Digital Model D & AdTech winners, It List honorees &
Outstanding Teams when they’re called up to stage!
Vaccine mandates & safety protocols in place.
MODEL D FINALISTSCYNADTECH WINNERSCYNIT LIST HONOREES

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The premiere of “Chucky” on USA Network and Syfy was seen by 4.4 million total viewers its first week, according to Nielsen, and 1.1 million among A18-49. Viewers on USA and Syfy’s YouTube channels, where the horror series’ debut was available for free, was a combined 2.2 million.

Shareablee Top 10 Streaming Shows for the week of October 18
Program, Platform, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content Fans & Followers
Sex Education (Netflix), 3.6m, 21, 170,954, 5m
You (Netflix), 1.4m, 47, 30,341, 1.7m
Get Organized With The Home Edit (Netflix), 429k, 31, 13,826, 5.9m
Locke & Key (Netflix), 412k, 84, 4,907, 377k
Nanatsu No Naizai (Netflix), 360k, 96, 3,748, 1m
Trailer Park Boys (Netflix), 318k, 50, 6,361, 3.1m
The Boys (Prime Video), 302k, 19, 15,873, 1.5m
On My Block (Netflix), 242k, 10, 24,159, 1.9m
The Grand Tour (Prime Video), 214k, 10, 21,428, 5.9m
Ozark (Netflix), 179k, 2, 89,524, 691k

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Friday, October 22
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Shark Tank 3.55 (0.5), 20/20 2.85 (0.4)
CBS: S.W.A.T. 4.70 (0.5), Magnum P.I. 5.07 (0.4), Blue Bloods 6.05 (0.5)
CW: Penn & Teller: Fool Us 0.63 (0.1), Nancy Drew 0.39 (0.1)
FOX: WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2.25 (0.6)
ION: Hawaii Five-0 1.02 (0.1), Hawaii Five-0 0.91 (0.1), Hawaii Five-0 0.86 (0.1)
NBC: Home Sweet Home 1.39 (0.2), Dateline 2.58 (0.4)
Telemundo: La Casa del los Famosos 1.150 (0.3), Hercal: Amor e Venganza 1.339 (0.4), Malverde: el Santo Patron 0.82 (0.3)
Univision: Rosa de Guadalupe 1.30 (0.4), Vencer El Pasado 1.51 (0.4), La Desalmada 1.66 (0.5)
Source: Nielsen, live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Abacus Media Rights has named Diane Tripp as agent. In 2020, Tripp launched Diane Tripp Media, focusing on content strategy and negotiating global licensing deals.

Binge Networks has appointed Allison Jernigan as Chief Content Officer. Jernigan joined Binge one year ago.

Ben Grossman has joined Doner Partners Network as Chief Strategy Officer, Partner Agencies. Grossman previously served as SVP, Group Strategy Director at FCB NY.

IN MEMORIAM

Actor James Michael Tyler died October 24 after battling stage 4 prostate cancer. He was 59. Tyler was best known to TV audiences as Gunther on “Friends.” “Friends would not have been the same without you,” posted Jennifer Aniston. “Thank you for the laughter you brought to the show and to all of our lives. You will be so missed.”

TV producer Stu Billet died October 22. He was 85. Billet’s credits include “The People’s Court,” “Superior Court,” and “So You Think You Got Troubles,” among others.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What was the name of the nursing student who rented Mike and Gloria’s old room on “All in the Family” (1971-79)? Teresa Betencourt, played by Liz Torres. Kudos to: Dan Whitford-WTTW/Chicago; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; David Rubinsohn-American Public Television/Boston; Christina Ricucci-Millenia3/Kennesaw, GA; Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
Which 2002-06 sitcom took its name from a 1980 hit record? (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.)