CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

07/15/04

Good morning. It’s Thursday, July 15, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing.

WB has built its network with a strong teen base over the past ten years, but yesterday Garth Ancier at the TCA event, told critics he thought “to the degree that we have presented ourselves as just a teenage network, that’s a very large mistake on our part.”  This season, WB is looking to cast a wider net and capture some of the older end of the P12-34 demo. And they’ll do that with some older established names in their fall lineup including Christine Lahti in Jack & Bobby, among others.

Discovery Channel is getting guerrilla over sharks.  The marketing plan for Shark Week calls for flying an aerial banner (apparently the biggest ever) behind a helicopter from Southampton to New York, along the beaches of course, on July 24, and then the next day from Sandy Hook to Seaside Heights/NJ.  And if that’s not enough, they will also tow a 30′ inflatable shark fin (just the fin) up the coastline from New Jersey and the Hampton beaches from July 9 through July 25. On the 19th, the fin will ‘swim’ down the East River in NYC.  Shark Week begins on July 25 and runs through July 30, at 8pm nightly.

Elsewhere at Discovery, the net’s American Chopper episode this past Monday featured the family building a custom bike for the movie I, Robot.  Will Smith and the Teutuls family will be seen walking the red carpet with the bike at the premiere of movie. Monday night’s ep drew key numbers among men: 4.4 M18-34, 3.5 M25054 and a 2.5 among A25-54.

Fox has picked up Quintuplets nine more eps, which gives it a full season order. This summer Fox launched four new series – Quints, The Jury, Method & Red and Simple Life 2; thus far the Quints is the only show to get a full season order.

Sundance Channel has picked up the cable rights to two Robert Greenwald documentary – Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War and Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election.  Both will air on Monday, September 6th at 9p and 10p respectively. No word yet if Sundance will also pick up Greenwald most recent Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism.

Fox has bought the US format rights to a reality show dubbed Hell’s Kitchen from Granada Television, that stars Gordon Ramsay, chef and former soccer player apparently with a sailor’s mouth, according to Variety.  The show casts a group of chef wannabes, has them all live together, naturally, and for this show, they will also all work together.  A restaurant opened specifically for this show and operated by the houseguests under Ramsay’s acerbic watch, is the venue as well as the ultimate prize.  The houseguests job is to run the restaurant, feeding up to 80 people a day.  Those not measuring up, will be fired, expelled, down the garbage disposal.  The last contestant standing, wins the restaurant.  Production is expected to kick off in September.

Time to make a change to that fall schedule — UPN will flipflop their Friday night schedule with Star Trek Enterprise at 8p and a repeat of America’s Next Top Model at 9p.  Warming up the viewing audience before fall, UPN will move insert repeats of Star Trek Enterprise to Fridays at 8p starting August 6.  So far, UPN has not announced their fall premiere dates.

Fox‘s presentation of the 2004 All Star Game on Tuesday night won the night with an overall 4.8/15 A18-49 in primetime (the game went until approx 11:40pm), according to national numbers from Nielsen Media Research.  The pre-game show delivered a 3.9/14 A18-49 rating, while the game itself from approx 8:45 to 11pm averaged a 5.0/15. In total viewers, the game pulled in approx 14 million, slightly up from last year’s 13.8 million. Elsewhere CBS return of Big Brother at 9pm earned a 3.4/9, behind the baseball game and behind NBC’s Last Comic Standing (3.6/10).  Amazing Race at 10p avg a 4.3/12, #2 behind the All-Star Game.

Apparently, Slim Fast didn’t find Whoopi Goldberg‘s comments at the Kerry/Edwards fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall last week at all amusing, and has cited that evening’s performance by Goldberg as the reason they are ending her Slim Fast spokesperson status.  According to a statement provided by Slim Fast, the company says they are disappointed with her comments and that ads featuring Whoopi would no longer be on the air.

The MGM/NBC Media Sales Group will disband as of tomorrow, splitting and representing their own inventory for the upcoming season. The announcement was made by Barry Wallach, President/NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution and Jim Packer, EVP/MGM Television Distribution–North America.  Following that split, several key changes in jobs and titles.  Chris Kager, formerly the sales group president, will become EVP/Media Sales for NBC-U Domestic Television Distribution, in NYC.  Michael Daraio, EVPof the group, will become EVP/MGM Media Sales. Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, formerly EVP/Ad Sales Universal Television Distribution, is leaving to pursue other ventures. The decision to dissolve the Sales Group will not affect MGM’s international distribution pursuant to its agreement with NBC Enterprises nor will it affect MGM’s strategic alliance with CNBC Asia Pacific in the operation and distribution of the MGM Channel across Greater China and Southeast Asia.

Angela Bradley has been upped to VP/Int’l PPV and VOD for MGM International Television Distribution.  She will continue to oversee distribution activities for international pay-per-view and video-on-demand programming for stations and hotels. 

Peter Dunn has been named Pres/GM of KYW and WPSG stations in Philadelphia.  Both stations are owned by Viacom. Peter has been VP/GM of KYW for the past two years, and now adds the duopoly station to his realm, replacing Kevin O’Kane who has left to pursue other interests.

Tuesday, July 13, 2004. National Household Ratings for all Networks. Fast affiliate numbers which reflect time period data, not program data, and can change slightly once the finals come in, particularly for LIVE programming (i.e. Football). Source Nielsen Media Research. Time Period Averages Only. [p] = Premiere; [o] = Original; [r] = Repeat

FOX     8.5/15  MLB: All Star Game Pre-Game 7.1/13; All Star Game 2004 8.8/15 (game ended at approx 11:40p)

CBS     6.1/10  Navy NCIS [r] 6.3/11, Big Brother 5.6/9, Amazing Race 6.4/11

NBC     5.3/9   Last Comic Standing [r] 4.0/7, Last Comic Standing 4.8/8, Law & Order: SVU 7.2/12

ABC     4.1/7   8 Simple Rules [r] 4.2/8, I’m With Her [r] 3.6/6, According to Jim [r]4.4/7, Less than Perfect [r] 4.0/6, NYPD 24/7 4.2/7

WB      2.2/4   Gilmore Girls [r] 1.8/3, Summerland 2.6/4

UPN     1.5/3   All of Us [r] 1.4/2, Eve [r] 1.5/3, America’s Next Top Model [r] 1.6/3

A18-49  Fox 4.8/15, CBS and NBC 3.3/9, ABC 2.0/6, WB 1.3/4, UPN 0.9/3

A MESSAGE FROM WARNER BROS. DOMESTIC CABLE DISTRIBUTION

Source: NHI Explorer, 7/5/04-7/11/04.  HH Cvg Rtg.  Prgm Rank: Blue Collar ties Reno 911.

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1869 – The winner of a prize offered by Napoleon III to invent a “product suitable to replace butter for the navy and the less prosperous classes of society,” Hippolyte Mège-Mouriés receives a French patent for margarine.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question:   What large family lives at 698 Sycamore Road, San Pueblo, California? THAT WOULD BE THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY. Kudos to: Patrick Castro-WLVI/Boston; Adam Bernstein-RBC Capital Markets/NY; E.B. Moss-Moss Appeal Mktg/NY; Steve Wishnoff/NY; Jordy Luft-WNOL, WGNO/New Orleans; Brad Wood-WRTV/Indianapolis; Damon Zaleski-Warner Bros./Chicago; John Ryan-KAZT/Phoenix; Darlene Lieblich-Fox Cable Nets/Santa Monica; Michael Lopez-Das Entertainment/Silicon Valley; Adam Ripp-a thomas edison invention/LA; Randy Warner-Special Looks Ent/LA.

A MESSAGE FROM COMCAST SPOTLIGHT

Comcast Spotlight is at the forefront of creating innovative advertising opportunities with Comcast’s ON DEMAND VOD service. Whether through program sponsorship, product placement content or long format advertorial, Comcast Spotlight can help advertisers take advantage of this emerging technology. Comcast Spotlight – Spot cable finally delivers. For more information click here.

Today’s Trivia Question courtesy of Mike Valerio-Silverman Prods: Who is the only character (not actor) from TAXI to ever appear on CHEERS?  (click here to 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.)

HEADS UP! Cynopsis will be on vacation next week – and while there will be no publishing going on, please do send in your subscriptions and press release info as usual.  Thank you!

Later — Cyn

Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis
07/15/04  5:23am
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JOB OPENING:  SALES ASSISTANT/Outdoor Life Network, NY. Entry-level Ad Sales.Assist sales staff in all aspects of order process. 4-yr degree, strong computer/interpersonal skills req.Email resume/salary
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JOB OPENING:  TRAFFIC Coord/Paramount Ad Services/NY. Min 2 yrs traffic exp, strong time mgmt/multi-tasking skills. Review of scheduling data. Degree in adv or comm pref. Visit www.viacomcareers.com and create a profile to apply  (7/29)

JOB OPENING:  WRITER/PRODUCER/The WB Network. 3+ yrs exp copywriting/producing on-air promos, interstitials & ad campaigns; manage editing/VO/delivery. Send resume/reel to The WB, 411 Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505. Code:28490BR  (7/28)

JOB OPENING:  WRITER/PRODUCER & SENIOR TALKSHOW BOOKER/PRODUCER for new synd. reality show from 20^th TV/ Banyan Prods, in Philly area. Email resume (MS word)/& cover letter to

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JOB OPENING:  DIR RESEARCH TV SYNDICATION/DIST/NY. Oversee NBC Universal‘s TV sales research office; research for ad sales, cable pgm/station sales. 6-10 yrs TV res./synd  exp. Apply: www.universalstudios.com/jobs Req#957BR.EOE  (7/27)

JOB OPENING:  MGR/DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION, National Geographic Channel/LA. 3-5 yrs TV dev/prod req; writing/developing exp, reviewing proposals & budgets for non-fiction production. Creative/organized. Apply at www.foxcareers.com
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JOB OPENING:  PUBLICIST/Food Network, NY. 2-4 years public relations experience. Strong written, verbal and organizational skills. Experience handling talent and creating publicity campaigns. Email
 
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JOB OPENING:  DIRECTOR, AD SALES RESEARCH, Comedy Central, NY. 7+ years ad sales research exp w/agency or net; proven mgmt exp. Expert: Nielsen sftwr, N-Power, MRI, Simmons. Strong writing/presentations. Apply: www.mtvncareers.com
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A MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2004:

COURT TV:       The I-Zone, Forensic Files, Body of Evidence, The Investigators 
ABC             Kingdom Hospital (2-hr Finale), Primetime Thursday
CBS             Big Brother, CSI [r], Without a Trace [r]
FOX             North Shore [r], Tru Calling [r]
NBC             Will & Grace [r], Will & Grace [r], Will & Grace [r], Will & Grace [r], ER [r]
PAX             AFV, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder
UPN             WWE Smackdown
WB              Pepsi Smash, JKE [r], JKE [r]
TELE            Prisonera, El Alma Herida, Protagonistas VIP
UNIV            Mariana de la Noche, Amarte es mi Pecado, Aqui y Ahora