CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis

06/02/05

Good morning.  It’s Thursday, June 2, 2005 and this is your first early morning briefing.

By now you’ve probably heard — Nielsen Media Research will go forward with LPM service in both Philadelphia and Washington DC, but extend to June 30, 2005, the preliminary period when both LPM service and Metered Market service will operate side by side.  On that date, though, Metered Market service will be discontinued, leaving these markets with LPM service only. According to its statement, Nielsen agreed to the postponement at the request of the letter from Pat Mullen, Tribune Broadcasting, and 17 other client media companies.  The time extension for the dual services will “allow for the comparison of demographic data from the May measurement period,” per Nielsen’s statement. The statement goes on to say:

“It is apparent that many of our clients in these markets require more time to understand the impact that this change in methodology will have on their businesses.  We see our LPM rollout schedule as part of our paramount duty to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.  Because we have no doubt that LPM technology is far superior to any existing alternative, we are anxious to establish it as the currency as soon as possible so that all users of the data will be able to take advantage of increased accuracy.”

Not to go unnoticed, the Don’t Count Us Out Coalition also chimed in yesterday with this statement from Lillian Lopez, President/Hispanic Federation and a founding member of DCUO:

“Today’s action by Nielsen Media Services to delay the rollout of the LPM system in Washington DC and Philadelphia further reinforces what DCUO has been saying publicly since we first raised this important issue over a year ago – the LPM is a flawed, inaccurate system which disproportionately undercounts minority viewers.  And Nielsen has not responded in a meaningful way in implementing recommendations made by its own Task Force on Television Measurement. … We support the efforts and intense pressure mounted by the independent broadcasters group that helped bring this delay. However, we still stand strong that the only way to ensure that Nielsen is held accountable is through authoritative, independent oversight.”

Tonight’s Premiere:
NBC:    Hit Me Baby One More Time at 9p

Touchstone Television has signed Bert Salke and Chris Brancato to a 2-year, seven-figure development deal, for series projects to be produced under their own banner, Brancato/Salke, as well as provide services to current Touchstone series.  You know their work — they were the exec prods behind the NBC’s series Boomtown. 

CBS has ordered 12 eps of Old Christine (Warner Bros. TV) for midseason.  Including the pilot, that gives CBS 13 eps of the comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a single mom trying to keeping up with the neighborhood.

It is anticipated that Robert Johnson, Founder/CEO of Black Entertainment Television, will announce today his resignation as CEO of BET, though that he’ll take on the moniker of Chairman, effective immediately.  It is also expected that he will name Debra Lee, currently Pres/COO of the network, as his successor in the CEO chair. 

AMC will be spending in the neighborhood of $80 million with Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution in a deal for 22 titles – some not released yet – each for a two year term, according to Variety.  Titles in the package include the upcoming Batman Begins, as well as Million Dollar Baby, Ocean’s Twelve, Two Weeks Notice, Ladder 49, Mystic River, among others. The $80m price tag is just an estimate at this point, as it is based on a percentage of domestic box office receipts.  The first title to air will be Two Weeks Notice which AMC will air Fri / Sat / Sun at 8pm the weekend of June 10.   According to Variety, there is room in the deal for another network to participate, and for a broadcast network to pick up specific titles/runs.

Effective next week, Lifetime Real Women will be offered in the DIRECTV Total Choice Plus and Total Choice Premier packages.  Launched in August 2001, Lifetime Real Women is a 24/7 ad supported cable network with true-to-life programming told from a woman’s point of view.

Sing with me now … duhn … duhn duhn … dunh dunh … dunh dunh dunh dunh dunh dunh dunh dunh … “We gonna need a bigger boat.”  Of course we all recognize the shark music from Jaws.  Why are we singing it now, you wonder?  Because Shark Week is coming and I know you’d want to take note – July 17-21 on Discovery Channel at 9p each night.  Included this year is a spotlight on the man who inspired the character Quint in the Jaws movie, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. Good times.

These guys don’t have a song … yet. But also worth noting.  The Weather Channel will present Hurricane Week starting this Sunday.  Apparently it’s time to begin preparations for the upcoming hurricane season.  The programming includes two of the net’s most dramatic Storm Stories episodes and a new one-hour program called Storm Stories – Season of Suspense airing this Sunday evening at 8p and hosted by storm chaser Jim Cantore.

OLN‘s press conference yesterday yielded more details on their picking up the syndicated TV rights to Mark Burnett Prods’ Survivor.  The net has acquired all 10 seasons and has an option on seasons #11 and #12.  The show will air Mon-Thurs evenings at 7p and 10p, launching on July 24 in “Super Bowl style,” i.e., right behind a major sports event, in this case the Tour de France.  Special ep weeks will air on occasion, i.e., Best Villain Week or Best Thriller Week. OLN’s goal is to cater to the true Survivor diehard fans, as well as find some new vie. Still no word on the $$.

VH1‘s fifth season of The Surreal Life will bow on Sunday, July 10 at 9p.  Originally it had been scheduled to debut in September.  The participants for this go-around include Janice Dickinson (freshly off the America’s Next Top Model panel), Omarosa (can you imagine the chemistry between these two?), Bronson Pinchot, Jose Canseco, Sandi Denton, Caprice and Carey Hart.

Comedy Central‘s untitled late night series with Adam Carolla is set to premiere in mid-August following the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  The show is still untitled.  Also coming to the network in October is The Colbert Report, scheduled to air in latenight.  Both new series will air Mon-Thurs.

TV Azteca will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange following corporate changes spearheaded by the network’s chairman Ricardo Salinas Pliego according to Variety. The company’s extraordinary meeting this week allowed several adjustments to stockholder attendance and voting requirements reportedly to allow Ricardo Salinas Pliego, a majority stockholder (close to 60% of stock), to remove Azteca, retailer Elektra and telecommunications company Iusacell (both controlled by Salinas-controlled). Last night the board made its final decision to delist all three companies from the NYSE by a 99.85% approval vote. Trading is anticipated to stop for Azteca, Elektra and Iusacell in 30 days with delisting expected in 60 days. As for its stock prices, TV Azteca shares started out 2005 at close to $10 but have since hit $7.77 and were last quoted at $8.38 on yesterday’s closing.

Despite the strike respite, BBC troubles with the UK’s National Union of Journalists, Bectu and Amicus unions look like they will continue to continue.  Director General Mark Thompson’s proposal to include a 1-year freeze for 4,000 necessary job cuts (in addition to asking for voluntary layoffs), a 2-year freeze on BBC Resources’ sale and better guarantees for BBC Broadcast staff members’ pension rights (following its sale) was rejected.  The 2-day strike scheduled to begin this past Tuesday was cancelled by the unions in order to review Thompson’s offering but the proposal did not meet their approval.  Reasons given centered on lack of sufficient discussion of the high amount of job layoffs.

BBC America picked up the 4-season rights to the UK’s Footballers Wives. The series (35×60) will debut on July 17.  The Shed Prods production was acquired by the US network from distributor Target TV.

Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported Network Rankings among Total Viewers for the month of May 2005:
Primetime      (000)    Total Pgm Day   (000)
TNT              2763     NICK              1889
USA              2038     NAN*              1459
NAN              1918     TNT               1374
CARTOON 1650     CARTOON 1279
SPIKE            1541     ADULT SWIM      1164
LIFETIME         1529    USA               1007
TBS              1493     LIFETIME         990
FOXNEWS 1401     TBS              895
FX               1317     FOXNEWS 754
ESPN             1285     ESPN              653
 Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research Data.
All ratings based on Total U.S. Television Universe of 109,600,000 homes
* = Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24 hour day. Primetime listing only includes those networks broadcasting more than 51% of the primetime hours (M-Su 8p-11p)

Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported Network Rankings among A18-49 for the month of May 2005:
Primetime     (000)     Total Pgm Day   (000)
TNT              1422     TNT               752
USA              896      NAN*              613
TBS              821      ADULT SWIM      522
SPIKE            790      TBS               518
FX               715      USA               494
ESPN             639      LIFETIME         448
LIFETIME         614     NICK              418
DISCOVERY        572     ESPN              394
MTV              558      FX                375
COMEDY  523      MTV               353
 Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research Data.
All ratings based on Total U.S. Television Universe of 109,600,000 homes
* = Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24 hour day. Primetime listing only includes those networks broadcasting more than 51% of the primetime hours (M-Su 8p-11p)

Top 10 Cable Programs among A18-49 (000) for the month of May 2005
TNT      Pistons/Heat (820p)     3120 on 5/25
Spike   WWE (10p)                3084 on 5/16
TNT     Pistons/Heat (821p)     2865 on 5/23
TNT     Heat/Pistons (805p)     2771 on 5/29
Spike   WWE (9p)                 2768 on 5/2
FX      Nextel Cup Race          2734 on 5/14
Spike   WWE (10p)                2727 on 5/23
Spike   WWE (10p)                2695 on 5/2
ESPN    Spurs/Suns (857p)       2668 on 5/24
FX      Nextel Cup Race          2638 on 5/21
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research Data.

Top 10 Broadcast Programs among A18-49 Rtg for the week of 5/23-29:
Fox     American Idol – Wed             12.5/31
Fox      American Idol – Tues           11.6/30
ABC      Lost                                    7.8/19
Fox      House                                 7.7/18
CBS    CSI: Miami                               7.3/18
NBC     L&O: SVU                          6.0/15
Fox      24                                        5.1/14
NBC     L&O: CI (5/25)                     5.0/12
CBS     2-1/2 Men Spec                  4.9/12
CBS    CSI                                      4.7/14
Source:  Nielsen Media Research, Galaxy Explorer

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. has hired industry veteran Michael McNeil as VP/ Partnership Marketing to develop strategic partnerships and new sponsorship opportunities for WWE’s various media platforms, including syndicated television programming, events, tours, WWE’s VOD service, websites, consumer products and other sponsorable WWE business initiatives.

Tuesday- A18-49 Analysis:  Fox led in the fast affiliate ratings on Tuesday night, according to Nielsen Media Research, posting an overall 2.9/8 A18-49 rating.  CBS delivered a 2.6/7, followed by ABC 2.4/7, NBC 2.0/6, WB 1.0/3, UPN 0.9/3.  At 8p Fox’s return of Trading Spouses earned a 2.7/8, pacing ahead of ABC by a share point.  At 9p, a repeat of House delivered a 3.2/8 for Fox, again a share point ahead of both ABC and CBS.  UPN’s third installment of Brittany & Kevin: Chaotic earned a 0.8/2 among A18-49, and among female teens a 2.3/9, winning the time period.  Bad Girls Guide at 930p posted a 2.0/8, tied with Gilmore Girls among female teens. At 10p CBS was in front with 48 Hours earning a 3.2/9.

Fast Affiliate Ratings: Tuesday, May 31, 2005, for all Networks – time period averages.  Source: Nielsen Media Research. 

CBS     7.0/12   NCIS [r] 6.5/11,  NCIS [r] 7.1/11, 48 HRS 7.6/13

FOX     4.8/8    Trading Spouses 4.2/7, House  5.3/8

ABC     4.4/7    My Wife and Kids [r] 4.4/8, George Lopez [r] 4.2/7, According to Jim [r] 4.5/7, Blind Justice 4.3/7

NBC     3.9/6    Movie: Traffic  3.9/6

WB      1.7/3    Gilmore Girls [r] 1.6/3, Gilmore Girls [r] 1.8/3

UPN     1.5/3    All of Us [r] 1.6/3, Eve [r] 1.7/3, Brittany & Kevin: Chaotic 1.7/3, The Bad Girl’s Guide 1.1/2

A18-49           Fox 2.9/8, CBS 2.6/7, ABC 2.4/7, NBC 2.0/6, WB 1.0/3, UPN 0.9/3

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM FOOD NETWORK

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1953- Some 20 million people watch the BBC’s television coverage of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London’s Westminster Abbey. With many people crowded around the television sets of their neighbors, it was the first television broadcast that many of them had ever seen. The coverage was broadcast in 44 languages.

Answer to Yesterday’s  trivia question: This song “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” was a singing commercial for which company? COCA COLA
Kudos to: Michael Bannon-Zimmerman Partners Advertising/Ft Lauderdale; Steve Sherlip-Bright House Networks/Tampa; Lilly Dickinson-Telemundo/NY; Tom Casola-KB Enterprises/Mount Arlington NJ; Chuck Gordon-Charter Media/Birmingham AL; Jason Unger-WOOD TV/Grand Rapids; Sally Shoquist-Empower Media/Cincinnati; Mark Meadors-Natural State Productions/Little Rock AR; Phyllis A Coblentz-51 Minds Entertainment/LA; Phil Olsman-Roggin Productions Inc/LA; Linda Green/LA ; Nancy Dixon Welch-Eclipse TV& Sports Marketing/Tortola, BVI; Mark Fabian-EFE Quebec/St Jean-sur-Richelieu

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

Today’s trivia question:  The movie, released in 1933, was the first movie to have its sequel released in the same year.  What movie was the original? (click here 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
06.02.05  5:27am
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT: Thursday, June 2, 2005

ABC              Movie: Charlie’s Angels, Primetime Live
CBS              Cold Case [r], CSI [r], Without a Trace [r]
FOX              The O.C. [r],  The O.C. [r]
NBC              Will & Grace [r], Will & Grace[r], Hit Me Baby One More Time [p], ER [r]
PAX              Young Blades, Diagnosis Murder
UPN              WWE Smackdown
WB               Blue Collar TV [r], Blue Collar TV [r], Beauty and the Geek [r]
TELE             Amarte Asi (7p), Los Plateados, La Ley del Decisiones
UNIV             Inocente de ti (7p), Apuesta por un Amor, La Madrastra,  Cristina