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Thursday November 11, 2021

Today’s Finale
WE tv: A House Divided at 10:08

IN THE NEWS

Anchorman Brian Williams is leaving MSNBC and NBC News. “Following much reflection, and after 28 years with the company, I have decided to leave NBC upon the completion of my current contract in December,” wrote Williams in a statement. “I have been truly blessed. I have been allowed to spend almost half of my life with one company. NBC is a part of me and always will be.”

Williams has been anchor of “The 11th Hour” at MSNBC for five years. He landed at the cable net after being replaced as anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” a job he lost following the revelation that he had exaggerated some stories in interviews. But Williams’ image recovered, and his late night cable show was a success. Proof of his good-guy cred? “I ask all those who are a part of our loyal viewing audience to remain loyal,” said Williams. “’The 11th Hour’ will remain in good hands, produced by the best team in cable news.” Said NBC News President Rashida Jones, “We and our viewers will miss his penetrating questions and thoughtful commentary.” As for what the future holds, “I’ll pop up again somewhere,” said Williams.

In more (not related) Williams news, Wendy Williams isn’t ready yet to return to her talker, “The Wendy Williams Show,” but she’s getting there. “As everyone knows, my health has been a hot topic. I’m making progress but it’s just one of those things that’s taking longer than we expected,” posted Williams online, thanking “Debmar-Mercury and our stations for being so understanding.” Season 13 of Williams’ show was delayed due to medical conditions, and eventually launched with guest hosts.

Discovery Inc. chief David Zaslav, who will also oversee WarnerMedia when the companies merge next year, will be “very hands-on” with WarnerMedia’s operations – to the point that he’s moving to California. “That’s where the content is made. This is a content company,” said Zaslav at the Paley Center for Media’s International Council Summit. “The better content we have, the better chance we have of being the leading media company in the world. I’ve been there, it’s invigorating.”

Financial considerations are prompting plans for 44% of Americans with at least one TV subscription service to cancel at least one sub in the next six months. That’s according to a new report from Moho, which also found viewers are managing costs by using free trials (55%), sharing logins (48%) and cutting the cord (54%). The report also noted that 74% of Americans currently subscribe to different TV services to expand available content, and 78% have subscribed to a new service just to watch one particular piece of content. Eighty percent say limited viewing options have pushed them to cancel a TV subscription.

HBO Max has renewed streetwear competition series “The Hype” for season two. The series, from Scout Productions, premiered in August. The streamer is also picking up Selena Gomez cooking show, “Selena + Chef” for season four.

Show us your BEST… programming, marketing, social good campaigns, social justice and diversity & inclusion initiatives, tech innovations, podcasts and more. See the full list of categories for the Best of the Best Awards and submit your entries before the extended deadline: Friday, November 19th. We hope to see you and celebrate together in person February in NYC!

Disney+ added two million subscribers in Disney’s fourth quarter, for a total of 118.1 million, versus expectations of 125.3 million. Disney posted earnings of $159 million, or 9 cents a share, for the quarter ending October 2, versus a loss of $710 million, or 39 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings were 37 cents a share in the latest quarter, below analysts’ estimates of 52 cents a share.

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Tegna has partnered with Law&Crime Productions and UK’s Cineflix Rights to co-produce original docuseries leveraging Tegna stations’ library of true crime and investigative content for a worldwide market. Tegna’s Vault Studios, Law&Crime Productions and Cineflix Rights will launch the partnership with the production of 50 hour-long episodes, starting with the new series “Cult Justice.”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” host RuPaul will exec produce Paramount+ drag singing competition series “Queen of the Universe.” The series from MTV Entertainment Studios and World of Wonder will follow drag queen contestants from across the globe.

Peter Greene (“Training Day”), Ayomide Adegun and Jeremy Bobb (“Russian Doll”) have been added to the cast of Starz event series “The Continental,” an adaptation of the Lionsgate film franchise John Wick, coming to Starz in the U.S. and Starzplay in Europe, Latin America, and Japan.

Discovery+ has ordered “The Great Giveback with Melissa McCarthy and Jenna Perusich” (wt), reuniting the cousin team behind HGTV’s “Celebrity IOU.” The renovation series will be produced by Scott Brothers Entertainment, with Drew and Jonathan Scott and McCarthy as EPs.

Crime drama “Happy Face” landed a series order from Paramount+. The show, following a serial killer who drew smiley faces on letters to media and prosecutors and based on a podcast of the same name, hails from Jennifer Cacicio (“Your Honor”) and Robert and Michelle King (“The Good Wife”).

Brand and communications agency Human Design is launching a new documentary unit, Human Entertainment. “This move will allow us to more efficiently create and back original content designed to move hearts, minds and the human race – a core agency philosophy represented in our work with diverse brand clients over the years,” said Daniel Clarke, Managing Director and Partner of Human Design.

JOIN THE JUDGES PANEL. Are you qualified to help judge the Best of the Best in programming, marketing, social good, social justice or tech? Apply Now to Judge the Best of the Best Awards. Want to suggest a colleague? Contact [email protected].

Producer Eric Schotz’s Anvil 1893 (“Kids Say the Darndest Things”) has partnered with celebrity tattoo artist and LA foodie, Brian Woo (aka “Dr. Woo”) for a new anthology series that explores culture and the culinary experience through the lens of national food holidays.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

CBS set Wednesday, January 5 at 10p as the series debut for “Good Sam.” The medical drama will follow the two-hour season 33 launch of “The Amazing Race.” Season 11 of “Undercover Boss” kicks off Friday, January 7 at 8p, replacing “S.W.A.T.”, which moves to Sundays at 10p starting January 2. Season three of “Celebrity Big Brother” premieres Wednesday, February 2 at 8p, while “Survivor returns Wednesday, March 9 at 8p.

Homage alert: Part two of season one of HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” reboot will air Thursday, November 25 – Thanksgiving.

Season two of TNT’s “Shaq Life” premieres Thursday, December 2 at 9p. Also on TNT, the fourth and final season of “Claws” launches Sunday, December 19 at 9p (moved up from December 26).

British crime drama “The Madame Blanc Mysteries” premieres Monday, November 15 on Acorn TV. The six-parter follows a widowed antiques dealer on the hunt for the truth behind the sudden death of her husband.

Digital star David Dobrik takes his viral surprises global beginning Tuesday, November 16 on discovery+. As a DACA DREAMer, David has been unable to freely travel outside of the US, until now. With his green card in hand, the global adventures begin, in his homeland of Slovakia, in “Discovering David Dobrik.”

Season 10 of “Flip or Flop” premieres Thursday, December 9 at 9p on HGTV. The premiere episode will feature LA’s Highland Park neighborhood, where Tarek El Moussa and ex Christina Haack tour a partly renovated property that’s been abandoned.

COMING UP

NBC announced dates for its holiday programming, including “A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving” on Wednesday, November 24 at 9p, and 1966’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on Friday, November 26 at 8p followed by Jimmy Fallon’s “5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas” at 8:30p and “Trolls Holiday in Harmony” at 9p.

A+E Networks announced multiple partners – DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Rocket Mortgage, Wounded Warrior Project, and others – with sponsors’ brand-specific activations and custom content set to run across The History Channel, Lifetime, as well as across social media, the History This Week podcast, and other digital platforms in honor of military veterans and their families.

Lined up as sponsors for the “22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards” are returning partners Bulova, Frontera Wines, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Verizon, and Walmart. New to the big night are Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, Meta, and Old Parr Whisky, and the debut of digital-only sponsors Clinique and Sally Hansen, as well as returning sponsor Ford. The show airs live on Univision on Thursday, November 18 at 8p.

Yahoo has launched a short documentary about its All Blind Fantasy League, a group of sports fanatics who use assistive technology, like screen readers, with the Yahoo Fantasy app. The short doc captures the stories of blind and visually impaired team owners, sharing their enjoyment of a game that millions of people love, but which was not always accessible to people with vision loss.

Red Door Community, New York City’s nonprofit cancer support organization, is hosting their 26th Annual Benefit Gala, “Celebrating the Next 25,” at Cipriani 42nd Street in NYC today. Among the honorees will be Paul Buccieri, President & Chairman, A+E Networks Group.

Francesca Amiker will join E! News as an on-air correspondent covering stories across the brand’s linear, social and digital platforms. Amiker begins her new role next week.

TECH TALK

ViacomCBS and Twitter inked a new, multi-year global agreement to deliver premium digital content around ViacomCBS’ portfolio of entertainment, news and sports brands, including BET, CBS Television Network, CBS News, CBS Sports, Channel 5, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Network 10, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network and Telefe. Paramount+ will also host three Twitter Watch Parties, in partnership with Twitter, to fuel conversation around select original series. “Twitter is the digital water cooler for trending topics and fandom worldwide, and we’re excited to provide front-row access to innovative digital content experiences and culture-defining moments across the best of entertainment, news and sports for Twitter users everywhere,” said Andrea Wolinetz, SVP, Distribution & Business Development-Streaming at ViacomCBS.

EDO has launched its new Ad EnGage Convergent product, expanding coverage, providing household-level measurement, and introducing new advanced modeling techniques. Early adopter Fox will implement Ad EnGage Convergent to inform and optimize the efficacy of on-air promotion in driving traffic to its vital new initiatives including Big Noon Kickoff, a college football show broadcast by Fox and simulcast on FS1; Fox Bet, a sports betting platform; Credible.com, a personal loan and mortgage comparison platform; and free streaming service Tubi’s month-long Halloween celebration, “Terror on Tubi.” “Our insights help marketers justify TV ad spend and optimize promotional spending across rapidly changing media environments,” said Kevin Krim, CEO and President, EDO.

Sinclair Broadcast Group and its advanced marketing services company Compulse have selected Oracle Moat to measure media performance, helping advertisers determine traffic metrics, viewability metrics, and brand safety rates for ad campaigns. “Sinclair has digital inventory across several categories, including news, sports, weather, and more,” said Ryan Moore, SVP Digital Sales at Sinclair. “By working with Oracle Moat to measure media performance across our digital properties, we are able to give advertisers who buy our high-value inventory an added level of transparency, validation, and safety.”

Vimeo announced agreements to acquire Wiremax, a player in interactive and shoppable video, and video creation suite Wibbitz. Why make the deals? “Vimeo now serves over six thousand enterprises with our video software, and we’ve only just begun to unlock the myriad ways video can be used at work to communicate, collaborate and connect better,” said Anjali Sud, CEO, Vimeo. “Both Wiremax and Wibbitz bring industry-leading technology and products to Vimeo, along with impressive teams and deep institutional knowledge in strategic areas of enterprise video.”

DoubleVerify, the software platform for digital media measurement, data and analytics, has entered into an agreement to acquire OpenSlate, a pre-campaign contextual targeting platform that enables brands to align advertising with suitable or contextually relevant content across social video and CTV. “DV’s mission is to make digital advertising stronger, safer and more secure, giving global brands clarity and confidence in their digital investments,” said Mark Zagorski, DoubleVerify CEO. “Our strategy in support of this mission is to verify everywhere – across channels, formats, platforms and geographies. The combination with OpenSlate fully supports this approach.”

605 and Polk Automotive Solutions by IHS Markit announced the expansion of their existing collaboration. Through the deal, 605 will further integrate Polk Automotive Audiences and Polk Signals, including anonymized vehicle sales within the company’s TV measurement and attribution products 605 PLATF0RM and 605 IMP4CT.

STREAMING

Affordable live TV provider Frndly TV and A+E Networks struck a multi-year distribution agreement that brings A+E Networks’ A&E, History Channel, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, FYI, Military History, and ViceTV to Frndly subscribers starting Thursday, November 18. “The addition of the seven A+E Networks’ channels is a seminal event in Frndly TV’s growth,” said Michael McKenna, Chief Programming Officer. “Our customers are both loyal and vocal – and they have asked us about adding the great A+E Networks’ content.”

AccuWeather Now is joining Stirr’s lineup of channels. Users can now access AccuWeather’s forecasts as well as continuous daily programming, dedicated to all things weather.

GOING GLOBAL

Google is still on the hook for a massive $2.8 billion fine imposed by the European Commission in 2017.A court has dismissed Google’s challenge to the fine, imposed after an investigation concluded Google had abused its dominant position by favoring its own comparison shopping services over competing services.

Banijay confirmed the return of “MasterChef, in New Zealand” following a six-year hiatus. Screentime New Zealand, a Banijay company, and Discovery, have struck a deal that will see the show launch on Discovery’s Three in 2022.

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CBS is claiming the crown as the most-watched broadcaster of the season so far, with 166 billion minutes of programming watched through the first seven weeks of the 2021-22 broadcast season, according to Nielsen total day data. NBC comes in second with 130 billion minutes, followed by Fox (108 billion) and ABC (98.5 billion).

The weekend premiere of Hallmark Channel movies “Gingerbread Miracle” (2.0 million Live+SD viewers, 262,000 W25-54), “Next Stop, Christmas” (2.8 million viewers/464,000 W25-54) and “A Christmas Treasure” (1.7 million viewers/293,000) propelled the network to rank as the #1 most-watched entertainment cable network for the Week among Households, Women 18+, Women 18-49, Women 25-54 and Total Viewers.

Basic Cable Top 5 Nielsen Ratings for the week of November 1
Network, P2+ AA (000)
Prime Time
ESPN 2880
Fox News 2809
Paramount 1549
Hallmark Channel 1406
MSNBC 1136
Total Day
Fox News 1646
ESPN 922
Hallmark Channel 783
MSNBC 656
Paramount 586

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Tuesday, November 9
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: The Bachelorette 2.60 (0.6), Queens 1.34 (0.3)
CBS: FBI 7.17 (0.7), FBI: International 5.59 (0.5), FBI: Most Wanted 4.88 (0.4)
CW: Supergirl 0.59 (0.1), Supergirl 0.49 (0.1)
FOX: The Resident 3.00 (0.5), Our Kind of People 1.36 (0.4)
ION: Chicago Fire 1.02 (0.2), Chicago Fire 1.04 (0.2), Chicago Fire 1.05 (0.2)
NBC: The Voice 6.85 (0.8), La Brea 4.70 (0.6), New Amsterdam 3.07 (0.4)
Telemundo: La Casa del los Famosos 1.16 (0.2), Parientes a la Fuerza 0.72 (0.2), Malverde: El Santo Patron 0.71 (0.2)
Source: Nielsen, live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Beyond Rights has hired Sarah Bickley as SVP Sales. Bickley joins from Tin Roof Media, where she was responsible for the distribution operations of Blink Films and Outline Productions

Marblemedia has promoted Donna Luke to the newly created role of SVP, Business Operations. Additionally, the company has hired Stefanie Haist as Head of Production Unscripted, and expanded the responsibilities of Diane Rankin, SVP, Rights and Executive Producer.

Animation studio ZAG has appointed former Zinkia executive Maria Doolan, who drove the global growth for the “Pocoyo” brand, to the newly created position of VP, TV Content.

Trioscope hired animation veteran John Evershed as Chief Strategy Officer and Taylor Church joins as Vice President of Production.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What was the first Hallmark Hall of Fame television presentation, on December 24, 1951? “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” the first original opera commissioned for television. Kudos to: Doug Boynton-WHRO Public Media/Norfolk, VA; David Rubinsohn-American Public Television/Boston; Marc Goldstein-Marc Goldstein Media Solutions//NYC; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; Randall Bosley-Studio Talent Group/Santa Monica, CA; Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station, TX; David Westberg-SAG-AFRA Credit Union/Burbank; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
On which sitcom was a former “As the World Turns” actress cast, then replaced by another “As the World Turns” alum? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four per time zone.)