Today’s Premieres
History: The UnBelievable With Dan Ackroyd at 10p
Netflix: Fisk; Sweet Home
Showtime: The World According to Football at 8p
Starz: Power Book III: Raising Kanan at 8p
WE tv: Life After Lockup at 9p
Saturday’s Premieres
Netflix: Welcome to Samdal-ri
Oxygen: Fatal Family Feuds at 9p
Sunday’s Premieres
FYI: Barrett-Jackson: Revved Up at 9:30p
PBS: Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen at 8p
IN THE NEWS
“Only Murders in the Building” is coming to broadcast TV. Season one of the Hulu hit starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez will air Tuesdays on ABC in January, with the first three episodes debuting on January 2. A new episode of “Celebrity Jeopardy!”, moving from its original Wednesday slot, will follow.
ABC is also mixing it up with the Oscars telecast, which will begin an hour earlier than usual, at 7p on Sunday, March 10. “Abbott Elementary” will get the plum post-awards slot at 10:30p. Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the ceremony for the fourth time.
“Swagger” has been canceled after two seasons on Apple TV+. The sports drama was inspired by the childhood experiences of NBA star Kevin Durant. “Apple, while you are not ordering a season three, I made the show I wanted to make. Thank you for that,” wrote series creator Reggie Rock Bythewood on Instagram.
And we’re off! Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign is launching its first primary ad today, part of a $10 million ad buy in Iowa and New Hampshire. The 30-second spot, calling for “moral clarity” and “a new generation of conservative leadership,” will run on broadcast, cable and digital platforms.
Expand your political ad expertise at Cynopsis’ virtual conference Political Ad Spend 2024 on February 15. Register for free to stay ahead in the evolving world of political ad buying: https://www.cynopsis.com/events/political-ad-spend-2024/?oly_enc_id=
MSNBC is heading into the 2024 election season with a new weekend morning show, “The Weekend,” hosted by Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele. “As we emerge from a multitude of historic events these past months, we have an opportunity to build on our accomplishments and keep the momentum going into 2024 and beyond,” wrote MSNBC president Rashida Jones in an email to staff. Other changes include Ayman Mohyeldin moving to 7p on Saturday and Sunday; Alex Witt anchoring from 1-4p both days; Jonathan Capehart moving to 6p on both days; and Katie Phang in the anchor seat from 12-1p on Saturdays. |
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Cynopsis Standouts
IT’S HERE
Cynopsis is proud to announce the Cynopsis Standouts of Q3! For their exemplary leadership, influence and impact, we salute the executives paving the way to excellence.
VIEW THE WINNERS HERE |
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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Michelle Williams (“Fosse/Vernon”) is returning to FX, to star in and produce “Dying for Sex,” a limited series based on the Wondery podcast from 20th Television.
The Daily Wire has ordered animated scripted series “Mr. Birchum,” created by comedian Adam Corolla. The main character, a junior high woodshop teacher, was launched on KROQ radio and moved to Comedy Central in puppet form on “Crank Yankers.” In addition to Carolla, cast members in the latest iteration include Megyn Kelly, Jay Mohr, Roseanne Barr, and Danny Trejo, among others.
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
A&E is expanding its ‘Secrets Of’ franchise with new docuseries “Secrets of Polygamy,” exposing the realities of life within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Kingston clan or The Order also known officially as the Davis County Cooperative Society, and the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB). Investigator Matt Browning attempts to shine a light on these groups starting Monday, January 8 at 10p.
Nat Geo’s “Life Below Zero: First Alaskans” returns Tuesday, December 5 at 10p. The series dives into the ever-changing environment of Alaska through the eyes of the Indigenous Peoples.
Food Network’s “Kids Baking Championship” returns for a new season on Monday, January 1 at 8p. For the first time, Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman welcome a dozen mini-bakers to take on challenges inspired by the best parts of the school year.
“Elementary” kicks off on Weigel Broadcasting’s Start TV Network with a New Year’s Day marathon, before the series moves to its regular Monday-through-Sunday showings at 12p and 1p. The procedural ran on CBS from 2012-19.
Season two of Hallmark Channel’s “The Way Home” premieres Sunday, January 21 at 9p. The series stars Andie MacDowell, Chuyler Leigh, Evan Williams and Sadie Laflamme-Snow.
COMING UP
Equalpride and ABC Owned Television Stations are distributing the “Out100 Special” beginning Sunday, December 9. The ABC Owned Television Stations will amplify through its platforms the stories of this year’s most inspiring and impactful members of the LGBTQ+ community. “We are immensely proud to collaborate with the ABC Owned Television Stations,” said Mark Berryhill, CEO of equalpride. “This partnership enables us to continue promoting diversity, inclusion, and understanding by bringing crucial reporting impacting LGBTQ+ people to ABC OTV’s audiences.”
HBO documentary “Trees and Other Entanglements” debuts Tuesday, December 12 at 10p on HBO. The film is described as a “poetic meditation on nature, mortality, and the passage of time.”
TECH
“If somebody’s going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money – go f— yourself,” said Elon Musk at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit this week. Musk, of course, was referring to the blowback in the ad community over X posts by Musk that were widely considered antisemitic. But he wasn’t suggesting the subsequent pullback in advertising won’t have consequences. “What this advertising boycott is going to do it, it’s going to kill the company,” he said.
C-suite marketing leaders and CEOs feel significantly more prepared for the phase-out of third-party tracking cookies than their junior employees, according to a report from Fyllo, a provider of contextual targeting solutions combined with audience data. Fyllo’s study found that 88% of the C-Suite and 78% of CEOs feel their current targeting solutions are prepared to operate without cookies, compared to 62% of VP/Director level executives. “While they’re preparing for the future, senior leadership might be more optimistic about the transition than their managers in the trenches,” said Jeff Ragovin, President of Fyllo. “Contextual targeting will almost certainly prove to be the dominant alternative to behavioral targeting, and such widespread experimentation suggests that advertisers of all descriptions are looking to future-proof their digital strategies.”
CTV planning tool LightBoxTV announced its latest integration with search intelligence platform Captify to enable media buyers to more effectively plan and manage CTV campaigns. “The integration of Captify into our platform marks a significant milestone in our mission to offer top-tier tools for CTV campaign management,” said Mark Giblin, CEO of LightBoxTV. “Access to Captify’s advanced insights at the planning phase enables our clients to make more informed, strategic media decisions.”
STREAMING
Documentary streaming platform MagellanTV unveiled Magellan Voice Works, a new translation and dubbing technology developed in collaboration with Amazon Web Services cloud provider and generative AI leader Mission Cloud. Magellan Voice Works will allow MagellanTV to output its library of documentaries in most major languages at a fraction of the cost of traditional dubbing. The announcement was made at AWS re-Invent in Las Vegas.
BritBox International, co-owned by BBC Studios and ITV, has surpassed 3.4 million subscribers globally. The streaming service operates in eight territories – U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland – and has seen an increase of 15% in its membership since the start of 2023.
SPORTS ROUNDUP
NASCAR has added Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon to a seven-year media rights deal that will run from 2025 through the 2031 season. The Cup Series will include existing partners Fox Sports and NBC, with five races on Fox and four on NBC, with the remaining races for those two partners to air on FS1 and USA Network. “We are super excited about what 2025 is going to bring to us because of where the distribution that we now have across air, which is a combination of obviously broadcast, cable and streaming,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said. “We want to meet race fans where they are or potentially where they are. We think this group does exactly that for us.”
SiriusXM and Major League Baseball struck a five-year extension of their broadcasting agreement. SiriusXM will continue to air live play-by-play of every regular season and postseason MLB game, as well as select spring training and Spanish-language game broadcasts, through the 2028 season. SiriusXM will also continue to produce the MLB Network Radio channel.
The CW Network will become the exclusive broadcast home of the 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Now in its eighth year, the game features two bowl-eligible teams from the Mountain West Conference and Mid-American Conference and will air live from Arizona Stadium in Tucson on Saturday, December 30 at 4p.
The National Hockey League inked a multiyear partnership with fan engagement company Rival to serve as the Official Tournament Platform and League Operator for all competitions within the NHL’s esports umbrella, including the EA SPORTS™ NHL World Championship. Now in its seventh season, the NHL’s annual tournament, which encompasses a European and North American draw that culminates at the World Championship, incorporates 32 Club qualifier tournaments, satellite qualifiers that are held during NHL Signature events, as well as an Open Play period.
ONE Championship, the martial arts organization, announced ONE’s return to Japan on January 28 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo with ONE 165: Rodtang vs. Takeru. The pay-per-view event will be headlined by a five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight between ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Japanese kickboxing megastar Takeru Segawa.
GOING GLOBAL
WildBrain has secured international distribution deals for animated preschool series, “Brave Bunnies.” The news comes as producers WildBrain, Glowberry, Anima Kitchent and KidsMe launch a second season of the series. Under the partnership, WildBrain handles global distribution of the series, while Glowberry manages distribution in Ukraine, KidsMe in Italy, and Anima Kitchent in Spain.
UK-based distributor DCD Rights confirmed new deals for the second season of international crime drama “Hidden Assets” to the BBC (UK), which is set to air the fast-paced drama early next month, as well as SBS (Australia), Stan (Australia), Acorn TV (New Zealand), TV4 (Sweden) and TV2 (Norway). |
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Cynopsis Special Reports
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Cynopsis’ 2023 Holiday Guide is HERE! Looking for when to catch your favorites on cable? Browse the guide (with listings from now through Jan. 1, 2024) to make sure you won’t miss out on the ho-ho-holiday hits this month.
FOLLOW THE GUIDE HERE |
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RATINGS
It’s happy holidays indeed for Hallmark Channel, which ranked as the #1 most-watched entertainment cable network in the fourth quarter to-date with its Countdown to Christmas programming. Want to talk turkey? The net’s Merry Thanksgiving Weekend last weekend reached 10.3 million unduplicated viewers, according to Nielsen.
The first episode of CNN’s “King Charles,” a weekly show featuring Gayle King and Charles Barkley, drew 510,000 viewers, according to Nielsen fast nationals.
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Daniel Callahan has joined Spectrum Reach as Group Vice President, National Sales. Most recently, Callahan was SVP of Strategy and Sales Innovation for FOX Corporation Ad Sales.
Moonbug Entertainment has named Peter Stone as CMO. Stone was most recently Head of International and UK Film Marketing at Netflix.
Palisades Park Pictures has appointed Kyle Bellinger to the position of Vice President of Distribution and Marketing. Previously, Bellinger oversaw the international marketing and distribution strategies for Screen Media’s theatrical slate.
The ARF has tapped Tom Lynch to serve as Director of Programs and Development for the ARF Charitable Foundation’s Workforce Initiative for Diversity and Excellence (WIDE). Lynch was previously SVP, Strategy at Digitas. |
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This Day in History
1640 – Portugal regained independence after 60 years of Spanish rule
Friday Fun Fact
A blob a toothpaste has a name: a nurdle.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What was the name of Fred and Ethel’s dog on “I Love Lucy” (1951-57)? Butch. Kudos to: David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Just Pierce-JP Consulting/LA; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Joe Lyons-Back Nine Productions/FL; Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC
Today’s Trivia Question
What year did Hallmark Channel first run its “Countdown to Christmas” programming stunt? (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.) |
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
INTERSECTION
SEATTLE, WA
Grow in billings, income, and experience on a team that continues to lead our industry. Take your career to the next level with a company that is transforming cities and delivering on our promises to our clients and to our long-standing Municipal and Transit Authority partners. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
INTERSECTION
PORTLAND, OR
Grow in billings, income, and experience on a team that continues to lead our industry. Take your career to the next level with a company that is transforming cities and delivering on our promises to our clients and to our long-standing Municipal and Transit Authority partners. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, AD SALES >>
FUSE MEDIA/NEW YORK, NY: Support the Ad Sales team by prospecting, selling and expanding the Company’s advertising revenue base. The candidate will have a strong media sales background with a network of industry clients and prospects as well as establish a book of business and exceed pre-established activity and sales quota utilizing CRM tools to document sales activity. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, EAST COAST ADVERTISING SALES
THE ALLEN MEDIA GROUP
NYC (Hybrid)
Responsible for coverage of assigned advertising agencies and clients specifically dedicated to representing AMG linear, digital and streaming platforms. Also grow and maintain existing clients as well as prospect and close new business. Work closely with clients and advertising holding companies ensuring AMG is a ‘must-buy’ for advertisers. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
TV ONE NETWORK
(Remote, Hybrid)
Communicate the value and brand strength of the Network to advertisers and agencies as well as create compelling presentations that convey the benefits and features of TV One programming and the TV One viewing audience. Full info HERE
COPY COORDINATOR
TV ONE NETWORK
(Remote, Hybrid)
Manage the delivery and arrival of commercial content working closely with Manager of Commercial Operations to resolve conflicting traffic instructions as well as oversee maintenance of E-faxes and storage of client files. Responsible for entering original account data and revisions into the traffic system. Full info HERE
AD SALES COORDINATOR
TV ONE NETWORK
(Remote, Hybrid)
Establish business relationships with agency counterparts and internal departments including: Pricing and planning, inventory management, marketing, traffic and billing, also fulfill advertiser allocations requests, ensure stewardship delivery in accordance to deal guarantees, send commercial airing times, and update clients of programming. Full info HERE
DIRECTOR, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
HALLMARK MEDIA
NYC
Execute communications objectives and develop strategies to elevate Hallmark Media, its workforce, and business entities. Evaluate existing communications program in the context of its ability to support strategic planning and operating objectives. Minimum of 10+ years progressive PR/Communications Industry Experience. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
FUTURE TODAY
CHICAGO
Represent Future Today, selling an expansive portfolio of O&O CTV apps, inclusive of HappyKids, Fawesome, The LEGO Channel, FilmRise, Blippi. 5+years selling linear/streaming/OLV exp req.Biz dev position inclusive of direct, pmp/pg.Solid relationships; agency & client. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
TV ONE
NYC, Hybrid, Remote
Communicate the value & brand strength of Urban One Networks to advertisers & agencies. Create compelling presentations that convey the benefits & features of our programming and the viewing audiences. Proactively keep clients informed of pertinent account and network information. Min. 4+ yrs national advertising sales or equivalent sales exp. Full info HERE
VP/HEAD OF ADVERTISING SALES
FREEBEE
FL/NYC Remote
Lead, manage, develop, and grow Ad Sales teams. Attract and retain the best talent. Work with leadership team to set, achieve, and grow revenue targets across OOH, Digital and Experiential. Instrumental in driving the team to exceed all expectations and goals. 15+ years’ experience in advertising, media, and relevant sales management roles. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FREEBEE
MIAMI
Achieve revenue and growth targets across linear and digital. Identify and execute strategies which result in exceeding revenue targets. Develop and execute effective sales strategies that showcase as well as maximize overall revenues for the overarching National Sales division. 7-10 yrs exp. in advertising, media & relevant sales management roles. Full info HERE
SENIOR AUDIO/VIDEO PROMOTION PRODUCER >>
WHYY/PHILADELPHIA: Produce best-in-class promotional spots, accurately reflecting WHYY’s brand mission, from strategy through management approvals. Write killer scripts for audio and video to engage audiences. Organize promotional spot production schedule for video and audio spots needed for TV, FM, digital and social platforms. 10-15+ years’ experience. Full info HERE
DIGITAL DIRECTOR, NEWS >>
WHYY/PHILADELPHIA: Develop a cogent strategy for developing and publishing WHYY news content across social media and emerging digital platforms. Convey and create SEO, social media and digital best practices in concert with the digital staff with the focus of informing and developing the newsroom’s digital muscles. Five or more years of journalism experience. Full info HERE
SENIOR STUDIO TECHNICAL MANAGER
A+E NETWORKS
HYBRID NYC
Technical manager for live, studio, productions/events. Provides technical oversight, support, solutions, troubleshooting, and in-house technical resource. Functions as Studio and Tech Manager for Studio and Tech Manager for remote productions, on-site and off-site corporate events. Requires 5-7 years production technical management experience. Full info HERE
SENIOR DIRECTOR, DIGITAL CONTENT LICENSING
A+E NETWORKS
REMOTE
Negotiate, draft & review agreements for owned & operated platforms/services, third-party platform. Exp. in digital media, content licensing (domestic/international), linear & on-demand rights & distribution, Privacy & Data Security preferred. Min 5 yrs of exp. supporting digital media at media company or streaming platform. Full info HERE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT TV
NYC
Represent FETV & FMC to media community via ongoing communications & relationship building. Maintain & develop strong working relationships w/both agencies & internal departments in support of sales efforts. Work w/sales management, pricing & planning to achieve quarterly revenue goals. 5+ yrs media sales exp. preferably in cable TV- agency exp. +. Full info HERE
BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS AND DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE >>
HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP/CHARLOTTE, NC: Proactively identify, research, and develop new opportunities for our family-friendly programming blocks on ABC, CBS, NBC, The CW, Telemundo, & other media & digital/social outlets. Support creation and present strategic, cross-media concepts to multiple stakeholder groups that meet our client’s business objectives. 8 + yrs of business dev. exp. Full info HERE
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR >>
BIG FISH ENTERTAINMENT/NYC/NJ: Coordinating onboarding for all new hires.
Administering the benefits and payroll changes for employees accurately.
Maintaining an efficient filing system—paper and electronic, for employee and company records related to their job functions. Building a successful bridge between management and employees. 7 yrs entertainment exp. preferred. Full Info HERE
DIRECTOR, MEDIA SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS >>
PBS DISTRIBUTION/ARLINGTON VA, Hybrid: Oversee media systems operations, including daily operations as well as development and implementation of overall media supply chain. Work with external vendors and internal stakeholders on design and implementation of hardware and software solutions for media systems. 7+ yrs of work exp. in the areas of television, media, or consumer products. Full info HERE
TV/VIDEO SPONSORSHIP-PRODUCT INTEGRATION SALES REPRESENTATIVE >>
GAME ON MEDIA SOLUTIONS/Remote: Game On Media Solutions is looking for an independent business development oriented sponsorship sales representative. Focus will be on TV/Streaming project opportunities for brands that include product integration and placement. This is an Independent Contractor performance compensated opening. Attractive fees can be earned for closed deals. Full info HERE
BRAND ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/NYC: Full-service communication, strategy, and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, brand, entertainment, and nonprofit sectors, is seeking a Brand Assistant to join the Brand team in our New York office. The Assistant will play an integral role in supporting accounts for a wide variety of Fashion, Beauty, CPG and Lifestyle clients. Full info HERE
TALENT ASSISTANT >>
THE LEDE COMPANY/LA: Full-service strategy, communications and social impact consulting firm, specializing in corporate, entertainment and nonprofit sectors. We are looking for a Talent Assistant to a Talent Publicist in Los Angeles. We are seeking enthusiastic candidates who can work in a fast-paced environment, are driven & have strong communication and writing skills. Full info HERE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR NATIONAL POLITICAL SHOW >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Develop and oversee the production of a daily or weekly national political show that covers the most important political news and events of the day. Develop and execute strategies to increase the show’s audience and engagement. At least 5 years of experience as an executive producer for a political show or similar program. Full info HERE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT >>
BAHAKEL COMMUNICATIONS/CHARLOTTE NC: Oversee all editorial and entertainment content, news production and presentation. Responsible for day-to-day operations of the show: producing, writing, and guiding creative. Develop content for the News @ TEN, plan, assign and create production schedules. 7 years of experience as executive producer or show producer. Network experience preferred. Full info HERE |
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 1
ABC: Pac-12 Football Championship
CBS: The Price Is Right at Night, Raid the Cage, Blue Bloods
CW: Penn & Teller: Fool Us, FBoy Island
FOX: WWE Friday Night SmackDown
NBC: The Wall, Dateline NBC
PBS: Washington Week, Firing Line, La Frontera with Pati Jinich, La Frontera with Pati Jinich
Telemundo: Exatlón Estados Unidos: All-Stars, Vuelve a Mí, Secretos de Sangre
Univision: Vencer la Culpa, Mujer, Minas de Pasión |
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