CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

04/06/04

Good morning.  It’s Tuesday, April 6, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

Nielsen will go forward with plans to launch Local People Meters in the #1 DMA, New York, on April 8. Numerous complaints and concerns have been made known in recent weeks, most loudly from the NAB, the NAACP, Fox Television Stations Group and a few well placed Senators and New York City Council members.  The concern is the LPMs will under-represent the Latino and African American sectors of the NYC population.

Can you really buy your friends?  Sure!  At $1 million a pop, you certainly can. The ask for the renewal of Friends beginning in 2011 is $1 million per ep, and 1-1/2 minutes of barter.  Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution sent out a letter to cable nets reminding them Friends can be bought, and bids are due by April19 for the off-net’s second cable cycle.  There are 236 episodes in the offing and a four year term.

Lloyd Braun is leaving his Chairman post at ABC, probably within the month, according to Variety. Amid his departure are rumors which suggests the likely ascension of Anne Sweeney, currently President of ABC Cable Networks Group,  to the position of overseeing both broadcast and cable.

Leo Hindery Jr. has left the building.  YES Network CEO resigned on Monday after just 30 months with the cable net, and just 11 days after an arbitration panel order Cablevision to provide YES on its basic tier and not as premium net.  In his decision to turn his attentions elsewhere, Hindery says he’d like to travel as well as work with the Kerry for President campaign.

Fox programming changes – Wonderfalls has fallen off the schedule.  The Thursday 9p time period will be filled with repeat eps of Fox’s newest reality series, The Swan which premieres tomorrow.

UPN will push Game Over into the ‘hiatus’ column effective immediately.  Just last Friday UPN began airing Game Over twice from 8-9pm, and repeats of their Monday night sitcoms from 9-10p.  As of this Friday, UPN brings back the movie.

Revlon announced the launch of a new global, multi-media campaign in collaboration with the Company’s agency of record Deutsch Inc. It will feature traditional and non-traditional media placement in print, television, theatrical, outdoor and Internet venues.  Revlon’s celebrity spokespeople, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Eva Mendes and Jaime King, will be featured together in the campaign. 

Reality Central, a soon-to-be launched cable network centering on the reality genre, and United Stations Radio Networks are partnering to create an extensive slate of original reality television news, features and specials for 3300 radio stations throughout the U.S..  The radio package will be branded with the Reality Central name and be syndicated and distributed through United Stations’ affiliated networks, including Launch Radio Network.  It will be produced by the cable network’s in-house news and programming production team.  The cornerstone of the package will be a daily Reality Central news update.  The segment will offer the most current highlights, information and gossip about reality series, casting and stars.   Reality Central will also tap into reality winners and participants and produce year-round satellite tours with these personalities for United Stations affiliates.

Sci Fi Channel announced its upcoming programming plans to advertisers yesterday and amid the bevy of new projects are these most notable:  Earthsea is a sweeping epic fantasy starring Isabella Rossellini, Danny Glover, Shawn Ashmore and Kristin Kreuk based on Ursula K. LeGuin’s Earthsea novels.  Produced by Hallmark Entertainment with Bender-Brown Prods, Earthsea is on target to debut in December.  History of the Devil (Seraphim Films/Lions Gate Television)is a six hour limited series wherein the Devil is attempting to litigate himself into Heaven. Battlestar Gallactica is being developed for a weekly series.  And a new untitled series, described by Sci Fi as S#x and the City meets V meets 3rd Rock (that last one is my comparison), with a team of elite scientists are studying the Earth and its inhabitants, preparing for an invasion, and within that study each member of the team must experience a different aspect of human life.  Joel Schumacher will exec prod with April Smith.

The reality of reality television seems to have really hit home with Mark Burnett’s second chapter of The Restaurant scheduled to being airing on NBC on April 19 at 10p.  Included in storyline of season #2 of the show, investors of Rocco DiSpirito’s restaurant are unhappy and ultimately sued Rocco last February for mismanagement and for millions in losses.  Yesterday, Rocco filed a countersuit against the investors, China Grill Management, accusing them of fixing the books, which he says they kept, and then leaving him on the cutting board without a piece of the business.

SiTV, the English language network which launched last February and provides programming for a young 18-34 Latino audience, has also attracted approx $60 million in investor bucks.  Among those in the ring are Time Warner, Echostar,
Syndicated Communications Ventures, Columbia Capital and Rho Ventures among others.  Thus far, SiTV is available in 7 million homes, and has carriage deals with Comcast, Cox, Time Warner and Echostar.

USA TODAY Live, a division of USA TODAY, is developing a weekly half-hour television show titled USA TODAY Sports Page as part of an initiative to extend its brand into TV.  Media consultants Sverdlik Brady LLC will represent the company for program distribution and advertising sales.   USA TODAY Live managing editor and former reporter/anchor Lauren Ashburn will oversee the show.  The show is currently searching for anchors, reporters and an executive producer.  USA TODAY Sports Page will showcase programming with uplifting stories from the world of sports for the entire family. I know what you’re thinking – haven’t we been down this road before?  Sure, but you gotta think USA Today has learned a lot since the less than successful launch of its day-and-date strip series in the early 1990’s, and this one is different (weekly, sports concentration).

New in Development, Casting, Production:

• ABC has signed Rebecca de Mornay to do four episodes of the current The Practice, with an option to continue with the same character into the new Practice next season.  Next season’s show does not have a title yet, but will star James Spader and include William Shatner.  Rebecca de Mornay replaces Fay Masterson in the new series.
• Elsewhere at ABC, Annie Potts joins the cast of We are Family (Touchstone).  And Craig Ferguson has been added to the cast of Hot Momma (Warner Bros. TV) along with Gina Gershon and Lindsay Price.
• WB‘s new rendition of Dark Shadows (John Wells Prods/Warner Bros. TV) has found its Barnabas Collins.  Alec Newman has been cast in the starring role.

The Biography Channel kicks off a new series tomorrow night called Famous, airing at 8pm.  Up close and personal with Hollywood’s elite begins with Jodie Foster, and subsequent weeks including Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Russell Crowe, etc.

ABC Cable Networks Group – ABC Family, Disney Channel, SOAPnet and Toon Disney, have extended their affiliation agreement with Adelphia Communications Corp., thereby continuing and expanding the networks’ carriage on the MSO.  As part of the agreement, Adelphia has been granted retransmission consent for the ABC O&O stations, including those Hi-Def stations.  Elsewhere at the Disney Company, ESPN has reached an agreement with Adelphia for carriage of ESPN Broadband, ESPN Deportes and ESPN HD.  Adelphia serves 30 states and Puerto Rico. 

Fox Sports Net have crystallized an agreement with XTRA Sports Radio (690/1150A) that will include program simulcasting, Fox Sports Net branded sports updates and talent sharing. XTRA will simulcast Fox Sports Net’s Southern California Sports Report weeknights at 10p, followed by Lee Klein’s new show, Final Call. Additionally, the radio net’s sports update which airs three times every hour, will be rebranded as the Souther California Sports Report.  Talent will also be shared from XTRA to Fox Sports with Lee Hamilton and Mychal Thompson showing up regularly on the cable net’s nightly news shows. Additionally, various sports anchors and reporters from Fox Sports Net will be heard on XTRA Sports Radio. XTRA reaches from Central California down to the Mexican border, making it the nation’s most powerful sports radio station, home to the Clippers, Avengers, UCLA Bruins and Oakland Raiders.

A close Sunday night with a tie between NBC and ABC, each posting a 3.3/9 A18-49, with CBS and Fox tied not too far behind with a 2.9/8, followed by B 1.0/3, according to Nielsen Media Research.  At 7pm ABC and CBS tied at 2.1/8, followed most closely NBC’s 2.0/6 for Dateline.  At 8pm a double run of The Simpsons caught the most eyeballs 18-49 with a 3.6/10 for the hour, followed by CBS’ Cold Case (3.3/9) and ABC’s ongoing Ten Commandment movies.  At 9pm NBC was in front with L&O: Criminal Intent (4.3/11) with the ABC movie continuing in a strong #2 position (3.7/9).  At 10p NBC’s Crossing Jordan climbed to a 4.6/12, as did Moses on ABC with a 4.2/11, with CSI Miami coming in #3 with a 3.6/9.

Michael Dugan, President/COO, EchoStar announced yesterday that he will retire from both positions, effective April 30, and less than a month later he will join the company’s board of directors and serve as a senior advisor.  Dugan, a 14 year veteran of EchoStar made the decision to retire from his posts to devote more time to his family, personal interests and to accelerate efforts to make his Whistling Elk guest ranch in northern Colorado available to disadvantaged children.  Dugan is credited with being the ‘chief architect of the technological foundations upon which the success of DISH Network was founded,’ as well as for nurturing the market to market roll-out of DISH Network, resulting in subscriber growth that went from 3.9m subs in 28 markets with local TV channels in April 2000 and now stands at 9.4m subs delivering to local channels 110 markets. 

TV Guide Television Group has named Tom Cosgrove as General Manager, SVP/TV Guide Channel.   Tom will oversee all day-to-day functions for TV Guide Channel, including programming, production, scheduling and marketing.  Stacy Jolna was named to a newly-created position as SVP, General Manager of the Group’s new non-linear network designed for VOD, DVRs, broadband and cellular distribution. The network will be named in a few months.  It will provide TV viewers with impulse TV information and guidance about what to watch. Both Tom and Mr. Jolna are based in LA and report to Ian Aaron, President/TV Guide Television Group.

MGM has upped attorney Michael Moore to VP/Intellectual Property Group.  Michael is responsible for protecting MGM’s IP assets, including the world’s largest library of modern films and a trademark portfolio which includes the MGM Lion, the Pink Panther and Rocky.  He is based in LA and reports to Jay Rakow/SVP, General Counsel of MGM.

UK- based Tiger Aspect Productions named producer Steve Hewlett as its Non-Executive Director.  Steve will work with Department Heads to develop programming, broaden broadcasters relations and help expand the company’s international opportunities.  

Sunday, April 4, 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

CBS     7.8/13  60 Minutes 7.7/15, Cold Case 9.0/15, Without a Trace 7.1/11, CSI: Miami 7.5/12

NBC     6.7/11  Dateline 4.2/8, American Dreams 5.4/9, Law & Order: CI 8.0/12, Crossing Jordan 9.0/15

ABC     6.2/10  The Ten Commandments (7p-1145p) 6.2/10

FOX     3.9/7   King of the King [r] 2.4/5, King of the Hill [r] 3.0/5, Simpsons [r] 4.5/8, Simpsons [r] 5.0/8, Malcolm [r] 4.7/7, Arrested Development 3.6/6

WB      1.7/3   Smallville [r] 1.2./2, Charmed [r] 1.9/3, High School Reunion 1.9/3

A18-49  NBC 3.3/9, ABC 3.3/9, CBS 2.9/8, FOX 2.9/8, WB 1.0/3

The History Channel presents This Day in History: 
1968 – Two days after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee (April 4), dozens of U.S. cities erupt in violence. For champions of non-violent civil rights activism, these race riots mark the tragic end of an era.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question: Often referred by his nickname Handi-Man, this guy worked inthe mailroom at the Daily Glove newspaper.  What was this character’s real name?  CLARK BENT played by Damon Wayans. Kudos to: Richard Walsh-OMD/NY; Ron Salcedo-Zimmerman Partners/NY; Carl Mayer-MindShare/NY; Tim Riviere-WPVI/Philadelphia; Les Stipp-GSD&M/Chicago; Susan Goldberg-Beverly Park Prods/LA; Richard Storrs-Creative Television Marketing/Burbank; Dave Harding-Termite Art Prods/LA; Muhammad Eldereiny-RPA/Santa Monica.

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For more information, visit www.sales.we.tv

Today’s Trivia Question: “It’s this dumb thing that Ross made up because he was trying to fool our parents. It’s a way of giving the finger, without actually having to give it. I remember I cried the night he made it up, `cause it was the first time that I realized that I was actually cooler than my older brother.”  What is Monica describing? (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
04/06/04  5:29am
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  TUESDAY, APRIL 6,  2004

COURT TV:       The I-Zone, Forensic Files, The Investigators
ABC             8 Simple Rules, I’m with Her, According to Jim, It’s All Relative, NYPD Blue
CBS             Navy NCIS, The Guardian, Judging Amy
FOX             American Idol, 24
NBC             Whoopi, Happy Family, Frasier, Scrubs, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
PAX             AFV, AFV, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder
UPN             One on One, All of Us [r], Rock Me Baby, Half & Half [r]
WB              Gilmore Girls [r], 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