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Cynopsis

06.12.09

Good morning. It’s Friday, June 12, 2009, and this is your first early morning briefing.  And as always, if you prefer to watch this morning’s news instead of reading it, click here.  

Today’s Premiere:
WE tv: The Mom Show at 10a

Tonight’s Premiere:
BBC America: Friday Night with Jonathan Ross at 8p

Sunday’s Premieres:
HBO: True Blood at 9p
A&E Network: Hammertime at 10p

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM USA NETWORK

DTV Deadline tonight at midnight!

The DTV conversion deadline is here and depending on your local broadcasters  some of which may have already made the switch  the move to full digital signals from analog will happen at some point today. Individual stations can chose the time of day they will switch and in your market all of the stations could select different times, tho all will be done midnight tonight. To download a break-down of when the digital switch will occur market by market, click http://dtv.gov/FULL_POWER_STATIONS_LIST.xls . Regardless of the time, stations are required by the FCC to have plenty of folks manning the phones for consumer questions. We called several stations around the country yesterday and asked some very basic consumer questions. While some station representatives provided somewhat erroneous information, for the most part the stations were quick to provide accurate answers to our questions and many also suggested we check the FCC DTV website ( www.dtv.gov ) for additional information.

Stations are required to provide consumers with assistance over the weekend  many are using a recorded response to assist and answer basic questions and then directing callers to the FCC DTV website for more answers. Some stations though, will have extra staff on hand to take viewer calls starting in the wee hours of today and some are doing a countdown to their own digital conversions via their local morning news programs. The FCC is also sending representatives to stations in some markets to monitor calls and questions.

While making these calls we learned something we hadn’t realized — Best Buy electronic store’s Geek Squad is providing free DTV installation for consumers. The Geek Squad will adjust existing antennas; scan and rescan converter boxes to locate the maximum digital broadcast channels available; integrate an existing VCR; and provide guidance on the operation of the converter box. This free service is available until June 30th in 31 states. For more information on this, call the DTV conversion hotline at 877-BBY-DTV9 (877-229-3889) 9a-12m daily. There are also plenty of other local contractors who are offering services for free  call your local TV station for names, or check the station website for more information.  One station said their calls were not so much about viewers concerned about losing signals but how to hook up the converter boxes. For more information on converter boxes, check out DTV2009.gov.

In addition, we called local cable companies in a couple of markets and spoke to knowledgeable representatives who answered questions about the conversion. In one instance, the cable company rep did try to sell their cable services as a quick means of retaining a TV signal but for the most part provided competent information about the conversion and the sales part was a “soft” approach. Another cable company rep put it simply, it really doesn’t matter what type of TV you own; it’s the signal and how it goes into your TV that matters. For some this will undoubtedly be a long day  but for more of the country, it should go fairly smoothly.

And elsewhere in the world …

ABC’s The View co-star Joy Behar is getting her own show on HLN (formerly known as Headline News and sister network to CNN) this fall. The Joy Behar Show will air nightly at 9p as a lead-in to the Nancy Grace Show with a talk and interview format. Behar will continue as co-star on The View during the day, a position she’s had since the program began in 1997.

The Style Network opens season two of its docu-series Ruby July 5 at 8p. In the second season, viewers follow Ruby Gettinger as she continues her journey to lose weight and save her life after topping out at 500 pounds. During new episodes, Ruby will try new firsts such as eating healthy, buying new clothes and learning how to deal with childhood memories following the unexpected death of her father. Additionally, The Style Network will air a one-hour special June 21 at 8p called Ruby: The First 100 Pounds.

Bravo’s series premiere of Top Chef Masters Wednesday at 10p attracted 907,000 A18-49 and 1.37 million total viewers.

Wednesday’s finale of MTV’s Real World/Road Rules: The Duel 2 posted a 2.03 rating among P12-34 and 2.2 million total viewers.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL

NGC is also now ranked #1 in Distinctiveness & Trust* among
all measured media brands in the EquiTrend®, 2009 Study.

For integrated media solutions visit us at natgeotv.com/solutions

*Harris Interactive® EquiTrend®, 2009 Study  tied for #1 in Quality and Trust   

ABC acquired five episodes of the series Let’s Dance, a format based on the British show Let’s Dance for Comic Relief, reports Variety. The series has celebrities learning dance routines but with a more comedic bent. In Let’s Dance, celebrities will perform famous dance numbers from movies like Singing in the Rain or Dirty Dancing but with a shorter time commitment involved compared to ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Let’s Dance episodes will air live and viewers will have the chance to vote on their favorite routines leading to the finale where the winner’s proceeds will go to charity. Whizz Kid created the UK format and will produce the US version along with FremantleMedia North America.

Dennis Hopper will continue to head the cast of Starz Entertainment’s original drama series Crash as Ben Cendars during season two which premieres September 18 at 10p. Joining Hopper for the new season is Eric Roberts as Seth, a billionaire who wants to give Los Angeles a new professional football team; Dana Ashbrook as Jimmy, a charismatic gambler; Linda Park as Maggie, a children’s book author; Jake McLaughlin as Bo, a former high school baseball pitcher; Tess Harper as Bo’s mother, Wendy; and Julie Warner as Andrea, an ambitious assistant to Seth. The new season will have 13 episodes and is co-produced with Lionsgate.

Twentieth Century Fox TV confirmed initial talks with Turner to revive the cancelled NBC comedy My Name Is Earl have ended because of financing issues. TBS currently airs off-net reruns of My Name Is Earl so it was thought Turner could step in and produce additional original episodes. Previously, Twentieth Century TV tried to sell the show to Fox and ABC following NBC’s cancellation.

CYNOPSIS DIGITAL – TODAY’S TOP STORY:  After years of planning and months of delay DTV Transition day has finally arrived. All full-power TV stations must pull the analog plug by midnight tonight but most will make the switch this morning. Estimates vary as to how many households will go black with the switchover. Nielsen says 2.8 million homes are unready, while the NAB estimates the number to be closer to 2.2 million – some of whom have ordered but have yet to receive their digital converter boxes. The FCC has mobilized a virtual army to help with last minute installations, establishing over 600 walk-in centers, setting up assistance for the deaf, and appointing AmeriCorp volunteers in 30 markets and fire departments in another 57 markets to visit affected homes. The web has been an extremely effective tool with which to educate consumers. The newly-upgraded dtv.gov site, which provides tuner and reception information searchable by zip code, received more than 24 million visits in May alone. Then again it’s not the web savvy we’re worried about.  Full edition: CYN DIGITAL.

CYNOPSIS KIDS – TODAY’S TOP STORY:  CBBC commissions a new science series, Space Hoppers, and a second season of the science-based game show Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab.  Space Hoppers (7×30)  is an interplanetary adventure series featuring Professor Brian Cox.  Using animation and CGI and experiments, the series investigate what one might need to go on vacation in outer space and the extreme environments in the Solar System.  Set to launch in 2010, which happens also to be the BBC’s Year of Science, Space Hoppers is produced in conjunction with BBC Science’s series Seven Wonders Of The Solar System, also hosted by Cox. Space Hoppers is a collaboration between the London Factual department and CBBC.  The second season of Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab includes 26×30 episodes. The second installment of the first series of Blast Lab begins on BBC Two on Saturday June 20 June, at 8.30a, repeated on CBBC on Monday June 22, at 4.30p.    Full edition: CYN KIDS. 

Wednesday – A18-49 Analysis:  FOX delivered the winning ratings Wednesday night among A18-49 at 3.3/10 A18-49, according to final national ratings from Nielsen Media Research. At 8p, FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance glided into first place with a 3.1/10 followed by ABC’s Wipeout at 2.6/9. The 9p hour was a re-do of  the previous as FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance held steady at #1 with a 3.6/10 while ABC’s second half of Wipeout came second again at 3.3/9. TELE was the victor at 10p as its soccer coverage topped with 1.9/6 and CBS’ CSI: NY repeat came next at 1.7/5. 

Live + Same Day Household Ratings: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 time period averages. Source: NTI Galaxy, as dated. Live+SD.

FOX: 5.3/9          So You Think You Can Dance 5.3/9

CBS: 4.7/8           Old Christine [r] 2.9/5, Gary Unmarried [r] 2.8/5, Criminal Minds [r] 5.7/9, CSI: NY [r] 5.5/10

ABC: 4.1/7           Wipeout 4.7/8, The Unusuals 2.8/5

NBC: 3.2/6           I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here! 3.2/5, Law & Order [r] 3.3/6

UNIV: 2.1/4         Cuidado con el Angel 2.1/4, Manana para Siempre 2.5/4, Don Francisco Presenta 1.7/3

TELE: 1.0/2         Mas Sabe el Diablo 0.5/1, Rumbo Pre-Game 0.7/1, Rumbo Al Mundial: Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago 1.6/3

CW: 0.6/1           America’s Next Top Model [r] 0.7/1, Hitched or Ditched [r] 0.6/1

MNT: 0.5/1          World’s Funniest Moments [r] 0.6/1, Twilight Zone [r] 0.5/1, Twilight Zone 2 [r] 0.5/1

ION: 0.4/1          Wednesday 7PM Movie: Just Cause 0.3/1, Wednesday PM Movie: Just Cause [r] 0.4/1

A18-49: FOX 3.3/10, ABC 2.4/7, NBC 1.7/5, UNIV 1.6/5, CBS 1.5/4, CW 0.4/1, MNT 0.2/1, ION 0.1/0

Discovery Communications appointed Jackie Tajada as VP/Operations for Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic. Jackie will head the Media Asset Management and Broadcast Operations groups in addition to being involved with the division’s integrated technology activities. Based in Miami, Jackie will report to John Honeycutt, Chief Media Technology Officer and Enrique Martinez, EVP/Managing Director, Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic.

Richard Foster advanced to Managing Director of GroupM Entertainment UK and Director/Strategy and Distribution of GroupM Entertainment Worldwide. Richard will lead the development and implementation of the company’s business in the UK and initiate a global strategy for the company’s content-focused efforts. Richard will report to Nick Theakstone, CEO, GroupM UK and Peter Tortorici, CEO, GroupM Entertainment Worldwide.

National Geographic Channel (NGC) announced three staffing changes:

• Kiera Hynninen was upped to EVP/Marketing in charge of the network’s marketing activities encompassing consumer and digital marketing, media strategy, ad sales, partnership marketing efforts, creative and branding. Kiera continues to report to Steve Schiffman, NGC’s GM/EVP.
• Dawn Rodney was elevated to SVP/Strategic Marketing and Creative, reporting to Kiera Hynninen.
• Josh King was added as VP/Ad Sales Marketing and Partnership Marketing, also reporting to Kiera Hynninen.

Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) hired Erin Gough Wehrenberg as SVP/Comedy Development. In her position, Erin with oversee daily operations of WBTV’s primetime comedy series development team where she will work closely with WBTV writers and producers as well as lead the company’s search for new talent and material. Erin will report to Len Goldstein, EVP/Creative Affairs, WBTV.

Hilary Vlachos was named Executive Director/Community Relations at WNET.ORG, parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW/New York. Hilary will be responsible for the organization’s Community Relations Team and will present THIRTEEN’s programs and educational outreach to the local community in addition to major arts and cultural organizations in the New York City area. Hilary will report to Michael Cunningham, Assistant to the President, Strategic Planning.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM PROMAX/BDA

Friday Fun Fact: The top of the Empire State Building was built to anchor blimps.

This day in History:  2009 – Digital Conversion deadline is reached — all analog TV signals turned off by midnight on 6/12/09, home users either need to receive DTV signal via cable or satellite service, over the air with digital converter box and antennae or with a digital-ready television with antennae.  For those of you on the front lines of this switch … good luck today! 

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:   This ad campaign characterized its product as “The daily diary of the American Dream.”  What is the product?   THE WALL STREET JOURNAL  Kudos to: Gabe Alfaya-XL Worldwide Corp./New York; Jim Bono-Hallmark Channel/NY; Pete Gautieri-Lifetime/New York; Jennifer Moyer-Smith-QVC/West Chester; Jim Gray-FrogLight Pdns/Missoula; Brett Calvert-ECCA/San Antonio; Matt Sautter-Dish Network/Denver; Skip Engle-Editech Inc/Omaha; Bill Bracken-Brad Lachman Productions/Burbank; Chip Beaman-Soundelux Design music Group/Hollywood; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg–M and S Entertainment/LA; Tina Staffon-Home Organizers Plus, Los Angeles

Today’s Trivia Question:  If you’re hanging out at The Brick, what show are you on?  (Email
with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)

Later — Cyn
06.12.09

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JOB OPENING: SVP, MARKETING/Sundance Channel/NYC: 10+yrs cable network exp. developing brand mktng. for consumers, affiliates, sponsors, prog. etc. Strng strat. neg. & mgmt skills. Apply
(6/19)

JOB OPENING: COORDINATOR, INTEGRATED MARKETING/Nickelodeon/NYC: 2+yrs mrktg/sales exp. in mrkting/ad agency in Ent/Media, Fast paced/Strng multitasking skills, Stng Project/Time Mgmt skills EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (6/19)

JOB OPENING: SR MGR, MEDIA RELS/Radio Disney/LA: Press liaison for radio netwk; kids/tweens progrmng; pitch/ secure coverage in print/brdcst outlets; top writing skills; 5+ yrs publicity exp. Apply www.disneycareers.com Req #198584 (6/17)

JOB OPENING: MGR, MEDIA RELS/Radio Disney/LA: Press liaison for radio netwk; kids/tweens progrmng; pitch/ secure coverage in print/broadcast outlets; top writing skills; 5+yrs publicity exper . Apply www.disneycareers.com Req #198584 (6/17)

JOB OPENING: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/ Nickelodeon Creative Adv/NYC: 7+yrs exp. Prod&Shooting in OnAirPromo/Adv, Strng Creat/Concept, Prod Sense/Aesth, Strng Org/Mgmt Skills, A+ EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (6/17)

JOB OPENING: MANAGER PROGRAM SCHEDULING/EPIX Studio 3/NYC: 3-4 years exp; prefer previous movie channel exp.; program planning/sched, strategy, competitive tracking; Email
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JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/ Screenvision Cinema/NYC: 2-4 yrs exp; proficient w/Nielsen & Research systems. Ability to analyze data & execute for sales in fast pace environ. Apply at: www.screenvision.com (6/16)

JOB OPENING: SUPERVISOR/Univision NAT’L TV Sales /NY: Prior Brdcst exp req’d, Exe Asst exp pref’d. Detail-oriented, strong comm & orgnztnal skills, fluency in MS Office. 4 yr BA degree pref’d. Email:
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JOB OPENING: SHOW RUNNER/DOCU-SOAP: Est NY prod co seeks highly exp’d docu-soap whiz to produce, work w/talent, craft storylines, oversee staff, create a hit show. Previous docu-soap series an absolute must. Res:
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JOB OPENING: NON-SCRIPTED MGR & VP DVLPMT/PROD Co/LA:Create/dvlp new & current unscripted prgrmng brdcst/cbl ntwrks. Adapt intern’l formats for dom. dist.Exp reality dvlpmnt. Firm relationships cbl ntwrk execs & agents.
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JOB OPENING: ACCT EXEC ADVRTSNG SALES/Kids Ntwrk./NY: 3+yrs Advrtsng Sales exp. pref Kids; new buz dvlpmnt & growing existing buz; existing client/agency contacts a must. Apply: http://www.thecookiejarcompany.com/cj_careers.php (6/13)

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SITUATION WANTED: DOCUMENTARY. PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, WRITER in L.A. Credits: National Geo, PBS, Discovery, History CH, TLC and MSNBC. Contact email:
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SITUATION WANTED: WRITER/DIRECTOR: Very fast, flexible and creative writer for movies, TV, rewrites, polishes or script consulting. LA based, will travel. References/reel available upon request. Contact Chris:
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT –  FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2009

ABC:  Surviving Suburbia, The Goode Family, Samantha Who? [r], Samantha Who? [r], 20/20
AZTECA: Lo Que Callamos Las Mujeres Edicion Especial, Extranormal de Impacto, Al Extremo
CBS: Ghost Whisperer [r], Flashpoint [r], Numb3rs [r]
CW:  Privileged [r], Everybody Hates Chris [r], The Game [r]
FOX: Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Mental
ION:  Movie: Sudden Impact (7-9p), Movie: Sudden Impact (9-11p)
MNT: WWE Friday Night Smackdown
NBC: The Listener [r], Dateline
PBS: Washington Week, Now on PBS, Bill Moyers’ Journal, Inside
TELE: Mas Sabe el Diablo, El Rostro de Analia, Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso
UNIV: Cuidado con el Angel, Manana es para Siempre, Rosa de Guadalupe   

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