Good morning. It’s Tuesday, April 20, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing.
Fox is ready to let you know what they have planned this summer. You’ll notice a battery of new series, both scripted and un-, as well as continuing in the thus far successful strategy of airing a new ep and a repeat, all in one week. The summer schedule looks like this (with premiere dates in brackets): North Shore [6/14] will air Mondays at 8pm, followed by Mark Burnett’s The Casino [6/14]. On Tuesdays, Bernie Mac begins the night, followed by a repeat of new sitcom Method & Red (orig airs on Wed.); and The Jury (Levinson & Fontana)[6/8] airs at 9pm. On Wednesdays, That 70’s Show [r], new sitcom The Quintuplets [6/16], The Simple Life 2 [6/16 – in its first week, this show will premiere at 8p, a second airing at 9p, thereafter it will air only at 9p] and Method & Red [6/16]. On Thursday nights, look for a Totally Outrageous Behavior, followed by World’s Craziest Videos, and a repeat at 9p of Burnett’s The Casino. Friday is repeat night with North Shore and The Jury. On Saturdays, the usual (if it ain’t broke …) Cops, Cops and AMW. And Sunday nights will be Oliver Beene, King of the Hill, Simpsons, Quintuplets [r], Malcolm in the Middle, Arrested Development. For those of us attending Fox’s Upfront Presentation next month, Gail Berman warns it won’t be your average upfront with an array of new series, some tape of each new show, and the traditional parade of stars. The deal this year is to make sure you’re all aware of the network’s 12-month launch schedule, its move away from the September-May programming season and how that will play out.
A coalition of broadcasters that included Fox Entertainment Group Inc., Viacom Inc., Directors Guild of America, The Writers Guild, Screen Actors Guild, The First Amendment Project, Radio One, Inc., Margaret Cho, Penn & Teller, The Creative Coalition, among others, are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it any more. The coalition is petitioning the FCC to change is profanity ruling, and says the Commission has now reached beyond its constitutional borders. The result according to the petition is a standard of indecency which does not apply “contemporary community standards,” but rather is attempting to change the standard. NBC also filed its own petition saying the FCC “created a sweeping new definition” of acceptable community standards and the definition of profanity. NBC’s petition is in part reaction to the FCC’s decision it violated the indecency/profanity law when Bono shouted his profane utterance at the live Golden Globe Awards. Historically such events were considered to be ‘isolated’, and something that will occasionally occur in a live event. (Remember the streaker at the Oscars?). Both petitions also argue the FCC’s new standard of indecency is decidedly vague, which as NBC points out in its petition, “encourage[s] a ‘play-it-safe’ attitude by broadcasters in the exercise of their editorial judgment — a chilling effect that cannot be squared with the public interest or the Constitution.” In fact, radio broadcasters are now pulling some classic rock and roll songs off their playlists, and some broadcasters are editing documentaries to remove any hint of profane or indecency, and advertisers are quashing some of their ads. The FCC says it will review any and all petitions, though there is no deadline for a response. If the FCC dismisses the petitions, the alternative is to go to court.
Isn’t there something wonderfully ironic that C-Span and BookTV are now considering instituting a 5-second delay because of foul language used by call-in viewers. According to the New York Times, for the past 25+ years, the network has managed to deal with foul language by simply ignoring the caller and moving on to the next one. Now in this age of ohmygosh, somebody might say a bad word, C-Span has to take a more assertive stance.
And meanwhile, on the same topic, Attorney John Thompson (the original complainant behind Howard Stern’s radio show which resulted in huge fines) has filed another complaint with the FCC, this time against CBS’ 60 Minutes. According to Broadcasting and Cable, it appears there was an utterance during the broadcast by singer Mary J. Blige in which she used the ‘s’ word under her breath. Thompson likens this utterance to the Bono/Golden Globe incident, suggesting all such utterances, context aside, are actionable.
That being the case, what happens then during a sporting events when an athlete is seen cursing, though not heard? Case in point – Tiger Woods at a recent golf championship clearly was unhappy with a shot and clearly uttered something that appeared to be obvious, though without audio, is it actionable? Are we spending entirely too much time on this stuff?
Oh wait, we’re not quite done yet. Congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Commerce Committee, suggests cable ought to be on standby since its the next great frontier for the Congress to focus on. During a breakfast meeting at the NAB conference in Las Vegas, Barton suggests cable will be in the hot seat if it can’t demonstrate an ability to self-regulate, which he predicts it won’t be able to accomplish on its own.
Now we’re done. At least for this morning.
Season Finales: Whoopi and Happy Family, NBC 8-9pm
New in Casting / Development / Production
Joining the cast of Fox‘s North Shore (20th) is James Remar, in the role of Vincent, boss, replacing Rob Estes.
CBS‘ as yet untitled Staley Long project (Paramount Network TV) has added Josh Randall to the cast which is headed by Ricki Lake and Kirstie Alley. Randall will be the love interest of Ricki Lake’s character.
NBC‘s Beverly Hills SUV (NBC Studios) has signed Aron Kader to the cast, which also features Henry Winkler and Jeffrey Nordling.
An Apprentice spinoff? In early early discussions at NBC, says Hollywood Reporter, in which cameras will follow out boy Bill around for an entire year as he oversees the building of the new Chicago Trump International Hotel and Tower.
Still think you could’ve won the Sportscaster job on ESPN’s Dream Job contest? Well you chance is coming. ESPN has announced a second season will kick off in January 2005. Stuart Scott will once again host, and the format will be similar – nationwide search, culling down to the top few and ultimately one winner. This year’s series delivered on average more than a million viewers each week. ESPN’s Dream Job will be produced by Original Ent/Jumbolaya Prods/Blond/Endeavor. If interested, check out espn.com, keyword Dream Word as of June 1.
Perhaps you’ve been following TLC’s Trading Space Home Free series/competition wherein the winner after several room makeovers will win by having their mortgage paid off. Left standing are the Yellow Team and the Blue Team, and this Sunday on TLC at 8pm, Trading Spaces will announce the winner in a live broadcast.
Mediacom Communications Corporation announced an affiliation and carriage agreement with Starz Encore Group LLC to be launched in May. The new deal, carried through Mediacom’s subsidiaries, would add a Starz! HD (HDTV) service to Mediacom’s digital cable service with 20 Starz movie channels. Starz! HD consists of Starz on Demand and first run movies.
TV Land will bid farewell to NBC’s Friends on May 6, the night of the grand finale, with a two pronged salute. From 6-9pm the classic tv net will air Before They Were Friends, featuring each of the cast members on various sitcoms long before they came together for Friends. Then at 9pm – this is the brilliant part – for the entire hour that the Friends finale is airing, TV Land will be closed. Instead of regularly scheduled programming, viewers tuning in to TV Land will be treated to a room full of TV Land staffers – purportedly watching the Friends finale — periodically addressing the camera to remind viewers that the Friends finale is on and that we really aren’t airing anything so there’s no point staying tuned. Worth tuning in just to see what’s going on, albeit briefly. During the finale of Seinfeld lo those many years ago, TV Land shut down for that hour as well, airing nothing except a door with a sign that said they were closed and would be back after Seinfeld.
ESPN announced yesterday for the second year in a row, it will telecast live nighttime events from the Winter X Games IX, January 29-February 1, 2005 from Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado. The Winter X Games feature extreme athletes from around the world competing for titles and prizes in extreme sports including, Moto X, Ski, Snowboard and Snowmobile. This is the fourth time that the Winter X-Games have been held in Aspen/Snowmass, and as previously announced the games will be held there through Winter X-Games XI, 2007.
As a whole, Sunday night was not the most stellar, but it certainly was one of the more universally competitive we’ve seen in a while. NBC won the night by a share point with a 3.6/10 A18-49 rating over Fox’ 3.4/9, ABC 3.2/9, CBS 2.6/7, WB 1.3/4, according to Nielsen Media Research. At 7pm Fox led with a 2.8/10, a share point ahead of ABC’s AFV 2.5/9. CBS quickly followed with a 7 share, NBC with a 6, WB a 3. At 8pm Fox continued to lead with a double run of Simpsons 4.2/12 and ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition pulling in a 3.7/10 (winning the hour handily among all key female demos including W18-49 with a 4.6/12). At 9pm NBC’s Law & Order: CI led with a 4.6/11, followed again by the evening’s perennial bridesmaid, ABC with a 3.7/9 for Alias. WB’s 9pm airing of High School Reunion found an audience among the teen crowed delivering a 2.3/7 for the hour, tied #2 with ABC and behind Fox, and building on the Charmed lead-in. At 10p NBC’s Crossing Jordan was the highest rated hour of the night with a 5.1/13. Who was #2? You guessed it – ABC with a 3.0/8 for The Practice, in a tie with CBS’ final hour of the movie Along Came a Spider.
Tribune Broadcasting named Roger Bare as VP/General Manager of KHWB WB39 in Houston. Whoo-Whoo! Give Roger a call and congratulate him! Roger has been with the station for 11 years, most recently as GSM.. He is succeeding Tom Ehlmann, who by the way has been sent north to WGN/Chicago as VP/GM — another good move by Tribune! Nicely done, Tom!
Jack Harvey was named SVP/Advertising Strategy, a newly-created position, at TV Guide Consumer Electronics, a division of Gemstar-TV Guide International. Jack will be based in Bedford, MA and report to Doug Macrae, President/TV Guide Consumer Electronics.
Urban Television Network Corporation named Edward C. Maddox as President. Edward is also the Founder, President and CEO of Powerhouse Corp, Inc., a multi-ethnic PR firm.
Robert C. Bateman will succeed David D. Hillard as CFO at Fisher Communications. David has retired after working with the company since 1979. Robert was upped to this new position after serving as VP/ Finance since 2003.
Ben Sherwood was named Executive Producer of ABC News’ Good Morning America. Ben will report to Phyllis McGrady, SVP/ABC News. He previously worked with ABC News in 1989 as an associate producer before travelling over to NBC News for 5 years.
Mellynda Hartel has been named VP/Director of Sales for FOX’s O&Os KSAZ – KUTP / Phoenix and the Regional Sports Net Arizona. Mellynda steps into the seat previously held by new VP/GM, Pat Nevin who was promoted earlier this week. She will oversee all sales activity for the three properties in Phoenix.
Andy Alexander has been named VP/Programming & Research for KDFW and KDFI/Dallas. Andy adds the programming responsibilities to his current position as VP/Research for the two stations and Fox Sports Net Southwest.
Sunday, April 18, 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
NBC 7.2/12 Dateline (7-9p) 5.5/10, Law & Order: CI 8.8/13, Crossing Jordan 9.0/15
CBS 7.2/12 60 Minutes 7.3/14, Cold Case 8.3/14, Movie: Along Came a Spider 6.5/10
ABC 5.4/9 America’s Funniest Home Videos 4.9/9, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 5.7/9, Alias 5.2/8, The Practice 6.0/10
FOX 4.4/7 King of the King 3.6/7, King of the Hill [r] 4.0/7, Simpsons [r] 5.4/9, Simpsons 5.4/9, 24 4.0/6
WB 2./0/3 High School Reunion [r] 1.3/3, Charmed 2.5/4, High School Reunion 2.1/3
A18-49 NBC 3.6/10, FOX 3.4/9, ABC 3.2/9, CBS 2.6/7, WB 1.3/4
A MESSAGE FROM COURT TV
COURT TV The Investigation Channel’s SPOT QUIZ CONTEST
Our Investigative Trivia + YOUR POP CULTURE SAVVY = Great ROInvestigation
Last Week’s Winner was: Remy Harrold
See our ad below for today’s trivia question!
This week’s prize is a Spa Gift Certificate
The History Channelpresents This Day in History: 1999 – At Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, two students go on violent rampage with automatic guns and homemade bombs, killing fifteen people. It is the worst episode of school violence in U.S. history.
Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question: Miss Bunny Swan is an irritating lady who works as a manicurist at the Gorgeous Pretty Beauty Nail Salon in Kuvaria. Where is Kuvaria? NEAR THE NORTH POLE WHERE SANTA LIVES. Character is from MAD TV and played by Alex Borstein. Kudos to: Alex Mullin-MTV Ad Sales/NY; Tim Riviere-WPVI/Philadelphia; Scott Richmond-NCC/Atlanta; Dewi Subianto-Morales/Discovery Comm/NY; David Tynan-Charleston; Tim Rank-KDNL/St. Louis; Kate Gutmann-Spot Plus/Dallas; Robert Ray-HDNet/Houston; Michael Lopez-Das Entertainment; Susan Goldberg-Beverly Park Prods/LA; Dave Harding-Termite Art Prods/LA; Jimmy Ong-Carat USA/Irvine.
A MESSAGE WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT
Your weekly guide to fashion’s hottest tips and latest styles.
Look fabulous every day with the WE original series, Full Frontal Fashion. We’ve got the inside scoop. We’ve got the audience. You’ve got the opportunity.
FULL FRONTAL FASHION | WEDNESDAYS AT 10 PM (ET) For more information, visit www.sales.we.tv.
Today’s Trivia Question: This TV Spy created a fashion trend in the 1960’s. In a field of spies (both good and bad) who all wore shirts and ties, this guy, the subject of many a young girl’s crush (present company included), always wore a turtleneck and jacket (spy gun and personal communication device optional). Who was this guy? (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.)
Later — Cyn
Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis 04/20/04 5:19am Free Subscriptions to Cynopsis: email
Archived Editions Check out any previous copy of Cynopsis, or search via keywords at www.Cynopsis.com Click
to subscribe toCynopsisKids! and put Kids! in the subject line. Click
to subscribe to Cynopsis Multi-Cultural Edition and put MCE in the subject line. Cynopsis Ad Sales 203-526-8978 Press Release Fax: 203-381-9318 All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free.
Copyright Cynthia Turner 2004
CYNOPSIS CLASSIFIEDS
JOB OPENING:SENIOR/SUPERVISING PRODUCER/NYC. New nat’l synd. tv show. Must have field/reality exp. with a strong story backgr. Interviewing in LA this week only. MUST BE WILLING TO RELOCATE! Contact (4/27)
JOB OPENING:GM w/ Spanish-language media sales background for KSFV-LP in LA. Exp in managing TV/radio station’s overall ops incl traffic, MCO & prod. Excl PC, verbal & written skills. Email: cmeng
or fax: 323-965-5411 (4/27)
JOB OPENING:COORDINATOR, PROGRAM PLANNING, VH1/NYC. Extensive knowledge of ent. industry & VH1 prgming, detail oriented, multi-task skills, skilled writer Excel/PowerPoint/PTS, program planning exp A+.Apply www.mtvncareers.com (4/24)
JOB OPENING:DIRECTOR OF ORIGINAL SERIES, Spike TV/NY. Manage orig. dev. Projects, inception to series. Liaison between net & projects/prods. 5-7 yrs exp in TV Devel &/or prod; 3 yrs exp at exec level. Reply: www.mtvncareers.com (4/24)
JOB OPENING:DIR/PGM & OPS, FitTV, Silver Springs MD. 5+ yrs exp in net pgm/sched. Knwldg of prod/mgmt/mktg. Analyze rtgs/qual data & apply to pgm/prod. Cable exp req. Int. in health/fitness req. Reply http://corporate.discovery.com (4/24)
JOB OPENING:SR. RESEARCH ANALYST, Nickelodeon Ad Sales. 3 yrs research exp, pref in ad sales or children’s mktplc. Req knwldg of Nielsen systems, analyze rtgs & qual. Data (MRI), dev. Sales pres. Reply: www.mtvncareers.com (4/24)
JOB OPENING: CLIENT SUPPORT-Nielsen/NY. Responsible for software installation, training and support for local software products for the New York Region and markets throughout the Northeast. www.NielsenMedia.com ref:(200401980-JL) (4/22)
JOB OPENING: NBC NY, SALES RESEARCH ANALYST: Interpret and highlight CNBC daypart/program performance. 1+ years TV research experience with strong oral/written skills required. Apply online at www.gecareers.com; Job #354103 (4/22)
JOB OPENING: RESEARCH DIRECTOR/TBS/TNT Atlanta. Resp for TBS/TNT series research, tracks perf, program acquisitions, estimating, up to 3 direct reports.Report to VP TBS/TNT Programming Research.Apply: www.turner.com, job #23480 (4/22)
JOB OPENING:CLIENT SERVICES-Nielsen/NY. Responsible for Installing, Training, Supporting & Maintaining NMR software at client sites. Training and Presentation experience a must. www.NielsenMedia.com ref:(200401966-JL) (4/21)
JOB OPENING: MANAGER, SYN. RESEARCH, Buena Vista TV, LA. 3+ yrs. exp. Proficiency w/Nielsen Gal. Expl., Mkt. Brks, WRAP, Word, Excel & Powerpoint necessary. Please send resumes to (4/21)
SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED —
SITUATION WANTED: Organized, multi-tasker, BA Comm, minors Marketing/Psych seeking ENTRY-LEVEL position in TV or Film industry in NYC. Please contact
or call 908-687-5765 (4/27)
SITUATION WANTED: SCRIBE FOR HIRE: TELE/SCREENPLAYS, REWRITES, TREATMENTS, SERIES PROPOSALS. EXPERIENCED W/CONNECTIONS. ALSO AVAILABLE FOR TV DEVELOPMENT CONSULTATION. Contact
or 714-393-3052 (4/24)
SITUATION WANTED: Dynamic, results-driven EXECUTIVE uniquely qualified for DRIVING E BUSINESS AND INTERNET STRATEGIES, empowering Media organizations to monetize web properties & enhance user experiences. Contact
(4/24)
SITUATION WANTED: ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING EXEC with 8 years record label & music magazine experience seeking full-time Mgr or Dir position in music/TV/radio/film industry in NYC. Contact
or 917-796-2757 for resume (4/22)
SITUATION WANTED: Talented PRODUCER/DEVELOPMENT EXEC seeking full-time position. 10+ years experience in development, TV & film.Collaborative & creative.Please contact
or call: 310-470-4262 (4/22)
E-mail
for rates and specs for Job Openings. Your ad will be read by 71,650+ Cynopsis & Cynopsis Kids! readers every day. No wonder Cynopsis ads get results.
Are you looking for a job? Post your Situation Wanted Ad here —Email
for specs.
WHAT’S ON TONIGHT: TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2004
COURT TV The Investigation Channel SPOT CHECK:
96% A25-54 Retention Through Commercial Breaks (#1 in cable) + YOUR SPOT = Great ROInvestigation
SPOT QUIZ: Who plays the determined federal agent that Tom Cruise tries to dodge in Minority Report ? Click this spot to enter Click here for source
COURT TV: The I-Zone, Forensic Files, The Investigators ABC 8 Simple Rules, I’m with Her, According to Jim [r], According to Jim [r], NYPD Blue CBS Navy NCIS, The Guardian, Judging Amy FOX American Idol, 24 NBC Whoopi [finale], Happy Family [finale], Frasier, Scrubs, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit PAX AFV, AFV, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder UPN One on One, All of Us, Rock Me Baby, Girlfriends WB Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill TELE Prisonera,El Alma Herida, Mujeres Apasionadas UNIV Mariana de la Noche, Bajo la Misma Piel, Casos de la Vida Real: Edicion Especial
Thursday September 19, 2024 Today’s Premieres HBO: The Penguin at 9p Netflix: Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story; The Queen of Villains; Twilight of the Gods Prime Video: A Very Royal Scandal Vice: The Truth? With Shane Smith at 11p Today’s Finale ABC: Lucky 13 at 10p IN THE NEWS Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos […]
Wednesday September 18, 2024 Three days after Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president, digital billboards in NYC and Nevada were posted referencing the singer. In Times Square, a billboard reads, “We’re in our Kamala era” (Swift, of course, is in the midst of her Eras Tour). Another image has lyrics from Swift’s album, Reputation: […]
MOTION DESIGNER LONG STORY SHORT MEDIA WASHINGTON, DC 8-12 week, on-site, contract. Required proficiency in Adobe After Effects, and strong knowledge of typography, composition, animation principles, and experience with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are essential. Full info HERE*** Wednesday September 18, 2024 Cynopsis BIG TV Summit: New Strategies […]
Wednesday September 18, 2024 Today’s Premieres ABC: The Golden Bachelorette at 8p Bravo: The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City at 9p BritBox: The Bay CBS: Survivor at 8p Disney+: Agatha All Along Netflix: What’s Next: The Future with Bill Gates, Envious, I Am Georgina PBS: Big Cats 24/7 at 10p Univision: Pedro el Escamoso: […]
Tuesday September 17, 2024 Today’s Premieres ABC: Dancing With the Stars at 8p; High Potential at 10p FX: American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez at 10p ID: Body Cam at 9p; Exposed: Road Rage at 10p; Naked Crimes at 10:30p MTV: Caught in the Act: Unfaithful at 9p Netflix: Culinary Class Wars; Live From the Other […]
Cynopsis 09/06/24: Paramount+ orders limited series starring Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen as parents of JonBenet Ramsey https://www.cynopsis.com/cynopsis-09-06-24-paramount-orders-limited-series-starring-melissa-mccarthy-and-clive-owen-as-parents-of-jonbenet-ramsey/
Cynopsis 09/05/24: "Only Murders in the Building" renewed for season five https://www.cynopsis.com/cynopsis-09-05-24-only-murders-in-the-building-renewed-for-season-five/
