Good morning. It’s Friday, October 29, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing.
28.8 million tuned in to see the Boston Red Sox sweep the World Series in the 4th Game on Fox, delivering an 8.8/23A18-49 rating according to final national ratings from Nielsen Media Research. ABC was #2 for the night, and led the non-sports programming for the night with a 4.5/12, followed by CBS 3.6/9, NBC 3.2/8, and tying at 2.0/5 were WB and UPN. At 8pm Lost doused the competition with a 6.4/17, the closest competitor for the hour was WB’s Smallville (2.7/7). NBC’s time period premiere of LAX at 8pm followed WB and UPN with a 1.8/5. CBS’ King of Queens (3.9/10) and Center of the Universe (4.0/9) led the non-sports programming category at 9pm. The Bachelor and West Wing tied at 3.5/8. Jack & Bobby on the WB debuted in its new time period and slipped from its lead-in Smallville share of a 7 down to a 3; however scored its highest number since its premiere among P12-34 with an 1.8/5. At 10p CSI: New York held tough with a 5.2/13, followed by Law & Order’s 4.3/11, and ABC’s Wife Swap 4.2/10.
CNNfn will go dark in December 2004. CNNfn has struggled since its launch in 1995, and after nine years is today in only 30 million homes, far behind its main competitor CNBC’s carriage of 86 million homes. Of the approx 110 employees, 45% will remain within CNN news – including CNNfn head Ken Joust; while the remaining 55% will have an opportunity to reapply for positions within CNN. An estimated 100 new positions will become available within CNN, most specifically within the Headline News Channel group. The remaining question is what will happen to the channel space and one potential answer is CNN International, though nothing concrete has been announced.
Meredith Broadcasting has terminated the employment of Kevin O’Brien, President of the group, effective immediately. According to a statement from Meredith, the Board of Directors cited “violations of Meredith’s equal employment opportunity policies” and while it wouldn’t say more on what those violations involved, Meredith did specifically state it did not involve any financial matters. Stepping in as acting President in the interim will be Stephen M. Lacy, Meredith Corp.’s President/COO. An executive search for a new President is underway.
Casting / Development / Production:
Fox has ordered up put pilot starring Alicia Silverstone called Queen B (20th/Imagine TV) from writer Jennifer Crittenden (Seinfeld). The project is about a girl attempting to use her high school techniques of becoming popular in her post-high school years, with less success.
Bravo‘s newest series Queer Eye for the Straight Girl (Scout Prods) has cast what Bravo calls its group of Gal Pals: Robbie Laughlin, Danny Teeson, Damon Pease, and the first woman makeover specialist for the Queer Eye series is Honey Labrador. The new weekly series is set to launch in January 2005.
Fox‘s midseason series Point Pleasant (20th TV/Original) has added Grant Show (Melrose Place) to the cast, says Hollywood Reporter. The show is about a sleepy little seaside town that gets a wakeup call when a young woman with bizarre powers shows up on the beach.
UPN
has set its premiere date for its newest reality series, The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott to kick off on January 5 at 8pm with the first of its 10 episodes. Each episode will eliminate one musical legend wannabe via the decision of an industry panel of judges. The last one standing will receive $100,000, a record label contract and first single release by Missy.
“All parties have agreed that there was no wrongdoing whatsoever by Mr. O’Reilly, Ms. Mackris, or Ms. Mackris’ counsel” and thus a settlement has been reached. The statement was provided by O’Reilly’s lawfirm, and does not mention whether or not Andrea Mackris continues to be employed by O’Reilly’s show or by Fox News. The specifics of the settlement, including financial, have not been divulged. All parties were due in court today for Mackris’ attorney to reveal what proof, audio or otherwise, they had of the alleged harassment.
Comedy Central debuted its newest animated reality show, Drawn Together, about a group of animated characters from a variety of backgrounds all living together in a house a la Big Brother. The show aired following a new episode of South Park which provided a lead=in of 2.9 million viewers and an A18-49 rating of 1.6. Drawn Together followed with 2.2 million viewers and a 1.3 A18-49 rating. According to the network, Comedy Central was the most watched cable network on Wednesday night 10-11pm in the A18-49 demo as well as all key male demos.
Univision’s 2-hour finale of the primetime novela, Amarte es Mi Pecado (My Love, My Sin), drew in 3 million Adult 18-49 year old viewers on October 22 and a 28.4 Hispanic Household rating according to Nielsen Media Research. The network garnered the top primetime spot in many key Hispanic metro areas including Dallas, Houston, LA, Miami and Phoenix.
Top 10 M-F Syndicated StripSeries for the week of October 11-17, 2004 ranked by HH Rtg Wheel of Fortune (King World) 9.0 AA Jeopardy (King World) 8.6 AA Oprah (King World) 7.8 AA / 8.0 GAA Everybody Loves Raymond (King World) 6.4 AA / 8.0 GAA Entertainment Tonight (Paramount) 5.3 AA / 5.4 GAA Dr. Phil (King World) 5.2 AA / 5.2 GAA Friends (Warner Bros.) 5.2 AA / 6.6 GAA Seinfeld (Sony) 5.1 AA / 6.0 GAA Judge Judy (Paramount) 4.6 AA / 6.9 GAA Regis & Kelly (BVT) 3.4 AA Source Nielsen Media Research
Top 10 M-F Syndicated Strip Series for the week of October 11-17, 2004 ranked by A18-49 Everybody Loves Raymond (King World) 3.7 AA / 4.6 GAA Friends (Warner Bros.) 3.6 AA / 4.5 GAA Seinfeld (Sony) 3.3 AA / 3.9 GAA Oprah (King World) 3.2 AA / 3.3 GAA Jeopardy (King World) 2.7 AA Wheel of Fortune (King World) 2.6 AA Entertainment Tonight (Paramount) 2.3 AA / 2.4 GAA Dr. Phil (King World) 2.1 AA / 2.1 GAA That 70’s Show (Carsey-Werner) 1.9 AA / 2.3 GAA Will & Grace (Warner Bros.) 1.9 AA / 2.2 GAA Source Nielsen Media Research
Top 5 Broadcast Spanish Language Primetime Programs for the week of October 18-24, 2004 ** UNIV Amarte Es Mi Pecado (M-F 9p) 26.5 NHTI HH Rtg UNIV Rubi (M-F 8p) 20.5 NHTI HH Rtg UNIV Don Francisco Presenta (Wed 10p) 17.0 NHTI HH Rtg UNIV Cristina (Mon 10p) 17.0 NHTI HH Rtg UNIV Mujer de Madera (M-F 7p) 16.7 NHTI HH Rtg UNIV Casos Vida R: Ed. Esp. (Tue 10p) 16.7 NHTI HH Rtg UNIV Aqui Y Ahora (Thu 10p) 15.3 NHTI HH Rtg Source: Nielsen Media Research Note: NHTI Ratings are based on 10.57 million Hispanic TV Homes ** Please note that Nielsen Media’s rating parameters are listed for some shows that air Monday-Friday to include the 5 day average instead of listing each individual weekday.
Top 10 Broadcast English Language Primetime Programs in Hispanic TV Homes for the week of October 18-24, 2004 FOX MLB ALCS Game 7 (Wed 830p) 14.4 NHTI HH Rtg FOX MLB ALCS Game 6 (Tue 815p) 13.1 NHTI HH Rtg FOX World Series Game 2 (Sun 815p) 11.0 NHTI HH Rtg FOX MLB NLCS Game 7 (Thu 815p) 10.2 NHTI HH Rtg FOX World Series Game 1 (Sat 8p) 9.8 NHTI HH Rtg CBS CSI (Thu 9p) 7.0 NHTI HH Rtg FOX World Series Game 2 (SUN 750p) 7.0 NHTI HH Rtg ABC Desperate Housewives (Sun 9p) 6.6 NHTI HH Rtg CBS Without a Trace (Thu 10p) 5.8 NHTI HH Rtg UPN WWE Smackdown! (Thu 8p) 5.8 NHTI HH Rtg ABC Lost (Wed 8p) 5.7 NHTI HH Rtg ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Sun 8p) 5.6 NHTI HH Rtg Source Nielsen Media Research Note NHTI Ratings are based on 10.57 million Hispanic TV Homes
African American television homes in the US represent 13,170,000 households. Here are the rankings for the week of October 18-24, 2004 – highest rated primetime network programs in African American TV homes according to Nielsen Media Research UPN Girlfriends (Mon 9p) 17.1 HH Rtg UPN Second Time Around (Mon 930p) 15.4 HH Rtg UPN Half & Half (Mon 830p) 15.3 HH Rtg UPN Kevin Hill (Wed 9p) 14.4 HH Rtg UPN Eve (Tue 830p) 14.4 HH Rtg CBS Genius Night for Ray Charles (Fri 9p) 14.2 HH Rtg UPN One on One (Mon 8p) 14.1 HH Rtg UPN All of Us (Tue 8p) 13.4 HH Rtg UPN America’s Next Top Model 3 (Wed 8p) 13.3 HH Rtg CBS Without a Trace (Thu 10p) 12.9 HH Rtg Source Nielsen Media Research
INdTV, the Newsworld International channel that former-US VP Al Gore and a group of investors acquired earlier this year from Vivendi Universal, yesterday announced the appointments of David Neuman as President/Programming and Anne Zehren as President/Sales and Marketing. The appointments appear to fit in with INdTV, which is positioning itself as a youth-targeted news and information service. Neuman was most recently the Chief Programming Officer/CNN. He also spent four years as the President/Programming, Channel One Network, and is a former President/Walt Disney Television & Touchstone Television. Zehren is the founding publisher of Teen People magazine, prior to which she was the associate publisher/marketing at Glamour.
National Geographic Channel has upped John Fletcher to VP/Production Services and Network Operations. John will oversee all network operations, post facility and program packaging activities for the Channel as well as manage the state-of-the-art in house studio facility. Additionally, NGC has promoted Dawn Rodney to VP/Creative. Dawn will manage the overall branding and creative execution for the Channel, including on-air promotion, program graphic packages as well as the design and production of all consumer and trade advertising.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004.FINAL National Household Ratings for all Networks. Source Nielsen Media Research. Time Period Averages Only. [p] = Premiere; [o] = Original; [r] = Repeat
FOX 16.2/25 World Series, Game #4 18.2/28 [game ended at 11:47pm)
ABC 7.7/12 Lost 10.4/16, The Bachelor 6.0/9, Wife Swap 6.7/10
NBC 7.1/11 LAX [tp-p] 4.5/7, The West Wing 7.7/11, Law & Order 9.1/14
CBS 6.9/10 60 Minutes 5.4/8, King of Queens [p] 7.0/10, Center of the Universe [p] 6.8/10, CSI: NY 8.4/13
UPN 3.0/5 Top Model 3.4/5, Kevin Hill 2.6/4
WB 2.7/4 Smallville 3.4/5, Jack & Bobby [tp-p] 2.0/3
A18-49 Fox 8.8/23, ABC 4.5/12, CBS 3.6/9, NBC 3.2/8, WB and UPN 2.0/5
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THE VERDICT IS IN: A TIME TO KILL DELIVERS
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Source: NTI Explorer, 10/18-10/24/04, US 000. Time-Kill=TNT, Sun 8p. Men & Adults=18-34/18-49/25-54.
Friday Fun Fact: In 1990, Upjohn ran the first TV commercial in the U.S. during which an actor said he had diarrhea. You just can’t make this stuff up.
The History Channel presents This Day in History: 1964: The world’s largest star sapphire, the 563-carat “Star of India,” is stolen from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Donated in 1900 by wealthy financier J.P. Morgan, the stone disappeared along with several others in the museum’s collection. Former surfing champion Jack “Murph the Surf” Murphy was arrested days later along with two accomplices, and the Star of India was found in a locker in a Miami bus station. While most of the other gems were also found, the Eagle Diamond was never seen again.
Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question courtesy of Aaron Shapiro-Turner Ent/LA:This basketball player was trained by Bruce Lee and starred in some movies with him where they fought on screen. Who was it? KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR inGame of Death (1978) and Goodbye Bruce Lee (1975). Kudos to: Karen Feigenbaum-MTV/NY; Tim Hagar-WXIA/Atlanta; Brian Ricco-BOXTV The Boxing Channel/NY; Jim Mason-Comcast Spotlight/Pittsburgh; Victor Arias-Dieste Harmel & Partners/Dallas; Dirk Claussen-CNN Network Ad Sales/Chicago; Kent Kimberlain-Spotplus/Dallas; Pamela Mapua-GSD&M/Austin; Donna Castleberry-Haworth Mktg & Media/LA; Adam Ripp-a Thomas Edison invention/LA; Craig Cegielski-CBS, Paramount Int’l TV/Santa Monica; Patrick Nichols-Lifetime/LA; Mitch Altman/Toronto; Ray Sweeney-CTV/Toronto; Bob Clark-TV3/Moscow.
Today’s Trivia Question: After all these easy ones, try this one on for size. This Playboy review was a published in 1968 – what hit movie is it referring to:
“The movie is so completely absorbed in its own problems, its use of color and space, its fanatical devotion to science-fiction detail, that it is somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring.”
(click hereto respond to the trivia question and please be sure to include with your answer your name, company, city and time zone. Only the second four correct responses from each time zone will be listed in tomorrow’s kudo list.)
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What fine repast does Pantera demand be in their dressing rooms before the show ends? Click here for answer
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Have a safe weekend and watch out for particularly short ghouls and goblins.
Later — Cyn
Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis 10/29/04 5:26am
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HIP, HIP …OLÉ Galavisión turns 25.
America’s #1 Spanish-language Cable Network is Celebrating 25 years of Connecting Hispanics to the People, Places and Sports that Matter Most.
All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free. Copyright Cynthia Turner 2004
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2004:
ABC 8 Simple Rules, Complete Savages, Hope & Faith, Less than Perfect, 20/20 CBS Joan of Arcadia, JAG, dr. vegas FOX Totally Outrageous Behavior, World’s Craziest Videos, Renovate My Family NBC Dateline, Third Watch, Medical Investigation PAX Talented Kids, MGM Movie: Cutthroat Island UPN Star Trek, Top Model [r] WB What I Like About You, A Scooby Doo Halloween, Reba, Reba TELE Prisonera, Gitanas, Te Voy a Ensenar a Querer UNIV Rubi, Amor Real, La Escuelita, La Casa de la Risa
NETWORK ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE WEIGEL BROADCASTING CO. CHICAGO Building and managing relationships with existing and potential new clients and agencies through routine communication; actively grow industry relationships to gain marketplace intelligence. Generate revenue for the networks & meet monthly goals through effective outside sales techniques. 5 yrs of National Network selling and sales development exp. Full […]
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM REELZ Since Launching on Peacock REELZ is UP an ADDITIONAL 14% In PRIME TIME with A25-54 VIEWERS REELZ #1 CABLE NETWORK Friday & Saturday Nights Feel the Unexpected Click here for source and more information Wednesday March 29, 2023 Today’s Premieres Apple TV+: The Big Door Prize CW: […]
Tuesday March 28, 2023 Today’s Premieres BET: Carl Weber’s The Family Business at 9p; All the Queen’s Men at 10p BritBox: Staged HGTV: Renovation 911 at 9p ID: Murder in My House at 9p; Murder & Basketball at 10p Today’s Finale FX: Under the Banner of Heaven at 10p IN THE NEWS Disney will start […]
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM PREMION PREMION Viewers are as Dynamic as the Content they Watch. Leverage the Power of Persona-Based Targeting with PREMION AUDIENCE FIRST LEADING THE EVOLUTION IN LOCAL OTT & CTV ADVERTISING TAG CERTIFIED AGAINST AD FRAUD TAG BRAND SAFETY CERTIFIED PREMION.COM/AudienceFirst Monday March 27, 2023 TikTok CEO Shou Zi […]
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM SCRIPPS NETWORKS LEADERS IN STREAMING ION, Court TV, ION Mystery, Scripps News, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, and ION Plus Scripps Networks’ Connected TV Brands are distributed on every major platform: Amazon Freevee, Pluto TV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, Vizio WatchFree, and more! ION is one of the most viewed […]
