CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

05/13/04

Good morning. It’s Thursday, May 13, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing.

As expected, NBC and Universal are one.  NBC Universal includes NBC, Universal Film, Telemundo, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, Sci-Fi Channel, USA and a group of local stations and a theme park. Get out your rolodexes, this is going to take a little time:
Bob Wright as Chairman/CEO heads up the company
Ron Meyer, President/COO of Universal Studios overseeing the studio, Universal Pictures and the theme parks
Randy Falco, President/NBC Universal Television Networks Group
Jeff Zucker, President/NBC Universal Television Group overseeing all the nets’ programming except sports which stays with Dick Ebersol, Chairman/NBC Universal Sports & Olympics.  Ebersol also gets USA’s sports roster.
Jeff Gaspin, President/NBC Universal Cable Entertainment overseeing the cable operations
Kevin Reilly, President/NBC Entertainment
Jay Ireland, President/NBC Universal Television Stations
Bonnie Hammer, President/USA & Sci Fi Networks
Lauren Zalaznick, President/Bravo & Trio
David Kissinger and Angela Bromstad are co-Presidents/NBC Universal Television Studio
Frederick Huntsberry, EVP/CFO
Barry Wallach, President, NBC Universal Domestic Sales & Distribution (syndication arm)
Belinda Menendez, President/NBC Universal International Sales & Distribution (int’l syndication)
Brandon Burgess, EVP/Digital Media, International Channels and Business Development.
Phew.

NBC had a couple of other things going on yesterday — first it re-signed its Law & Order franchise for two more years including L&O, L&O: SVU and L&O: CI, as well as ordered a new version – Law & Order: Trial by Jury, which will kick off in the fall.  Additionally, the network’s untitled Jason Horwith project has been given a go to series and the new title is Medical Mysteries.  The show focuses on a team of doctors who take on cases that have baffled the rest of the medical community.  And there’s more – Revelations (Pariah) has received a 6-ep order starring Bill Pullman and Natascha McElhone.

And Tom Brokaw has just signed with NBC a long term 10 year deal through 2014.  That doesn’t mean he’ll continue in the anchor chair for NBC Nightly News – that position goes to Brian Williams on December 1.  Brokaw will produce documentaries as well as participate in various major news events as warranted as an analyst. 

CBS has ordered up another season of Amazing Race, its sixth season.  The show’s 5th season begins this summer.

As Alias wraps up Season #3 on ABC, Buena Vista Television has cleared the show in syndication on the Fox Station Group for a Fall 2005 weekend run.  The deal includes all 35 of the O&O station group including WNYW/WWOR in New York; KTTV/KCOP in LA and WFLD/WPWR in Chicago.

Pre Upfront WB Projections:

• Official New series receiving orders:  The Mountain (13 eps ordered), Jack & Bobby (13 eps ordered)
• Production begins, but nothing official from WB:  Blue Collar TV (6 eps), Wannabe (6 eps)
• Official Renewals for Next Season:  Reba, Grounded for Life, What I Like About You, 7th Heaven, Everwood, Charmed, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Smallville     
• Returning this summer: Pepsi Smash (May 27)
• New shows expected this summer:  Summerland (debuts 6/1 at 9p), Superstar USA (starts Monday), Make My Day (6 eps), Who Wants to be a Superhero? (6 eps), Big Man on Campus (Mike Fleiss)
• Nothing Official Yet:  All About the Andersons, The Help, JKE, Like Family, Run of the House, Steve Harvey’s Big Time

Title Change: ABC‘s summer series What Happens in Cabo has been officially changed to The Ultimate Love Test.  The show kicks off on June 2 and airs every Wednesday at 10pm.

AMC has ordered up 39 new eps of the weekly series, Sunday Morning ShootOut (Scott Sternberg Productions), hosted by Peter Bart, editor-in-chief, Variety, and Peter Guber, Chairman, Mandalay Pictures. AMC is also working with the editorial staff of V Life, Variety’s celebrity and lifestyle magazine, to produce a series of specials providing the viewer with an insiders view of celebrity life.
 
ABC Regional Sports Sales has signed a multi-year contract to be Kroenke Sports Enterprises’ Altitude Sports & Entertainment regional sports network’s exclusive national sales rep.  The new sports network will be the home of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Mammoth in addition to collegiate and secondary school sports, entertainment, community, outdoor and lifestyle programs in the Rocky Mountain West region.  It is slated to start in September.
 
Trading Spaces designer Doug Wilson is expanding his TLC universe beyond 2 days, 2 sets of friends, $1000. Doug will be hosting America’s Ugliest (Stone Stanley Ent.), a series of four quarterly specials set to launch in October where he and two others will determine America’s Ugliest room, and then he makes it over.  (Discovery is currently accepting submissions at the website for ugly baths and kitchens; deadline May 29. … excuse me a sec …. okay, all set. Had to submit my kitchen.)  The other project for Wilson is called Moving Up (working title) (BBC Prods) where families who have moved out of their homes return several weeks later to see what the new owners have done.

Michael Moore’s film Fahrenheit 9/11 looks like it may get seen around town after all.  The film, produced for Miramax, which is owned by Disney, had originally refused to release the film, seeing it as perhaps inflammatory (the film links Pres Bush’s family to various Saudi Arabians, including Osama bin Laden’s family).  Disney and Miramax are currently in negotiations whereby Disney will sell Miramax the rights to the film, and then Miramax can go out and find a new distributor.  Fahrenheit 9/11 is also scheduled to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival this week.

Westwood One and NBC News are teaming up to bring radio listeners Meet the Press with Tim Russert, staring Sunday, May 23, 2004. The one-hour program will air every Sunday at 12N, with second feeds at 3p and 6p.  Westwood One affiliates carrying the show will include at least WTKK/Boston, WTNT/Washington, KTRK/Houston, KLS/Salt Lake City, KMBZ/Kansas City. Westwood One produces and distributes NBC News Radio, which includes 1m newscasts every hour between 6a and 10p, so adding this public affairs news program on Sundays is not a huge leap.

Fox let the night again on Tuesday night with American Idol and 24 delivering an overall 7.3/20 A18-49 rating according to Nielsen Media Research.  NBC was second for the evening with a 3.5/9, followed by ABC and CBS 3.0/8, WB 2.0/5, UPN 1.5/4.  At 8pm American Idol came on strong with a 9.3/28 A18-49 rating (W18-49 12.0/33).  It’s closest competitor was a tie between ABC and CBS, each posting a 2.4/7, followed by NBC’s 1.9/6.  At 9pm 24 led on Fox with a 5.3/14, while CBS and NBC tied each posting a 9 share; ABC an 8 share.  The season finale of WB’s One Tree Hill earned a 1.8/5 among A18-49, and in its core demo W18-34 it delivered a 3.8/10 (season high), with a 4.5/15 among teens (also a season high), winning that demo.   UPN’s America’s Next Top Model aired an original special and earned a 1.9/5 A18-49, 2.9/7 W18-49 and 4.0/10 W18-34. At 10p NBC’s Law & Order SVU reigned with a 5.1/13, NYPD Blue and Judging Amy each posted a 9 share.

Helen Howells was named Director of International Licensing for Target Entertainment Ltd..  She will work with the licensing team to manage the company’s existing licenses and identify possibilities for new Target assets, especially in the international pre-school market. Helen previously worked as Commercial Director at 4 Kids Entertainment with such brands as Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Univision Communications Inc. has upped Alina Falcón to EVP/Operating Manager of the TeleFutura Network. She will continue to be responsible for overseeing all TeleFutura Network operations, including programming, promotions, talent relations, technical operations and news.  She will remain based in Miami and will report to Ray Rodriguez, President/COO, Univision Television Networks.

 If you receive multiple copies of this edition this morning, please know we are working on the problem and hope to have it corrected by end of today or tomorrow. I know its a pain, and thanks for your patience.

Tuesday, May 11, 2004. Fast Affiliate 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     10.4/17 American Idol 13.4/22, 24 7.4/11

CBS     8.6/14  Navy NCIS 7.2/12, The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited 9.9/15, Judging Amy 8.8/14

NBC     6.6/11  Frasier 4.3/7, Frasier 4.5/7, Dateline NBC Special: Frasier Interviews 6.8/10, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 8.8/14

ABC     5.1/8   8 Simple Rules 4.3/7, 8 Simple Rules [r] 4.1/7, According to Jim 5.1/8, Less Than Perfect 4.6/7, NYPD Blue 6.4/10

WB      3.1/5   Gilmore Girls 3.1/5, One Tree Hill [season finale] 3.2/5

UPN     2.5/4   One on One 2.2/4, All of Us 2.2/4, America’s Next Top Model: The Runway Ahead 2.7/4

A18-49  Fox 7.3/20, NBC 3.5/9, ABC and CBS 3.0/8, WB 2.0/5, UPN 1.5/4

A MESSAGE FROM WARNER BROS. DOMESTIC CABLE DISTRIBUTION

Source:  NHI, Explorer 5/10/04 or as noted. Ratings.

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1970 – The Beatles film Let It Be premiers in New York.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question: You’ve never seen her, though you know all about her.  One actor recently joked she would be getting her own show – only nobody would be able to see it.  She is described as “best kept in an air tight container” and “100% fat free” with “ferret eyes and disturbing hair.”  Who is this wonderous lady?  MRS. NILES CRANE, MARIS.  Enjoy tonight’s series finale on NBC, the fun starts at 8pm.  Kudos to the entire free world, except those who said Lilith, Vera or Jeannie. You know who you are.

A MESSAGE FROM SUPERSTATION WGN

Today’s Trivia Question:  Who uses an Aristo model watch? (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.)

Later — Cyn

Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis
05/13/04  5:19am
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2004

COURT TV:       The I-Zone, Forensic Files, Body of Evidence, The Investigators
ABC             2004 NBA Playoffs: L.A. Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs 
CBS             Survivor: America’s Tribal Council, CSI, Without a Trace
FOX             Special: Cops: Caught Red Handed – The 15 Greatest Takedowns
NBC             Frasier: Analyzing the Laughter, Frasier [series finale], ER
PAX             AFV, AFV, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder       
UPN             WWE Smackdown
WB              Movie: Crazy/Beautiful
TELE            Prisonera, El Alma Herida, Mujeres Apasionadas
UNIV            Mariana de la Noche, Bajo la Misma Piel, Aqui y Ahora