A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM WARNER BROS. DOMESTIC CABLE DISTRIBUTION

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Source: NHI Explorer, L+SD (000).  Basic Cable Nets, Pgms=Trackage, Excl. Specials. Ind=O, Scripted=A, GD, GV, OP, PD, CS.  All-Time=09/30/91-02/04/07, Nip/Tuck=7/22/03-12/12/06 Tu 10-11p (Nip Tuck Premiere & Nip Tuck Wkdy Prime), 25+ tc.  Season=2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 09/25/06-02/04/07, 10+ t/c.  
Cynopsis

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2/13/07

Good Morning, it’s  Tuesday, February 13, 2007 and this is your first early morning briefing.

Viacom will lay off 250 people across the board at MTV Networks, approximately 6% of the Viacom division’s 4500+ workforce.  The move is tied to reducing costs and switching investment priorities to digital and new networks, while investigating new business models for its international TV networks and sales and online businesses.  The layoffs are expected to influence MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Spike, Comedy Central, and others such as music, children’s, family, and entertainment units.

Touchdown for Tiki Barber!  Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber who retired after the Pro Bowl last Sunday, has landed a sports gig with NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Football, and a news contributor for NBC’s Today show. A press conference is scheduled for today at 1130am at Rockefeller Center for the “major talent announcement.”  The four year deal is reportedly worth $3 million annually.

CBS Corporation has formed a new cross-platform division, CBS RIOT, which will encompass its radio, internet, outdoor and television sales operations. This new unit will combine CBS Radio’s 147 stations, local web sites managed by CBS Interactive, the millions of billboards and display faces under CBS Outdoor and the 39 O&O CBS Television Stations. CBS RIOT’s first client, Dodge Ram, with a new multi-million dollar contract, kicks off a campaign this Wednesday targeting male consumers. The new division will be led in tandem by Richard Lobel, EVP/Altitude Group, CBS Radio; Jon Camera, SVP/Business Development, CBS Television Stations; and Brigg Hyland, SVP/Business Development, CBS Outdoor.
 
TLC’s documentary series Little People, Big World returns with 18 new episodes starting April 9 at 8p following the Roloff family. This season the show will move to Monday nights with two piggy-backed episodes each week. The series is produced by Gay Rosenthal Productions for TLC.
 
A&E will debut the third season of its documentary series Intervention in a new time period: Fridays at 10p beginning March 16. The series profiles people who are dealing with drug or alcohol addictions and the surprise intervention conducted by friends and family and one of four specialists involved with the show. Intervention is produced for A&E by GRB.
 
BBC America will debut its version of the legendary hero Robin Hood on March 3 at 9p in a new 13-episode series. Encore airings of the show will happen each week on Sundays at 10a and 7p as well as Tuesdays at 10p. To create a pre-debut buzz, Time Warner and Comcast will feature exclusive series previews this month on Mondays prior to the linear debut on the network. In addition, both cable operators will offer the first half of the first episode as VOD two weeks before it airs on BBC America. Later, at www.bbcamerica.com viewers can access a library of new video clips after the broadcast of each episode as well as play an online, interactive game, download wallpapers, take the Robin Hood Quiz and more.
 
Clarification: In yesterday’s edition, Confidential with Neil Sean will air on The Biography Channel U.K. and not in the U.S.
 

Based on the ABC daytime soap General Hospital, SOAPnet has ordered 13 one-hour episodes of its first exclusive, serialized drama called General Hospital: Night Shift (wt). The weekly drama will center on the soap’s current characters and give viewers an extension of what happens during the nighttime hours at the hospital. The series is expected to premiere this summer and will be cross-promoted during the daytime version of General Hospital on ABC.

Comedy Central has picked up a second season of The Sarah Silverman Program, after airing just twice so far since its debut. With 1.8 million viewers for its premiere episode, it earned the title of most viewed premiere since Drawn Together launched in 2004.
 
HGTV has ordered additional episodes of three of its real estate-focused series:

• Hidden Potential, from Leopard Films, airs Mondays at 930p features architect/design expert Barry Wood showing prospective buyers the hidden potential of fixer-uppers through computer images.
• National Open House, from Pie Town Productions, airs Mondays at 1030p documents the cost of homes in various markets across the U.S.
• My House is Worth What?, also from Pie Town Productions, airs Wednesdays at 1030p helps homeowners discover the real value of their homes with host Kendra Todd.

FX has picked up a new drama pilot called The Inside about a former Special Ops agent who agrees to give up everything to go undercover in a major drug smuggling operation, reports Hollywood Reporter. The project is from El Sendero Prods.

A new project for TBS called The Bill Engvall Show in a comedy pilot about a therapist who should consider turning some of this therapist skills on his own family.  Nancy Travis has been cast to play his wife.  The show is expected to premiere this summer.

USA has ordered to series its pilot project Burn Notice from Fuse Entertainment, and starring Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar, per Variety. The story is about a secret agent forced out when someone or some group puts a “burn notice” on him. He eventually becomes a private detective, helping those who can’t go to the police with their troubles, while still looking for those behind his own burn notice.  The series is expected to launch in early summer.

Casting Notes:

• CBS:
  • Jimmy Smits has been cast in the lead role of its pilot drama project about a Latin American family who run a large rum merchant company.  Smits is hired from outside the family to run the operation.
  • Protect and Serve, a drama pilot about the lives of a group of cops in Los Angeles, has signed Steve Harris to star as one of the cops.
• ABC:
  • Judy’s Got a Gun has signed Matt Lanter to play opposite Louise Lombard.  Lanter will play an undercover narcotics officer posing as a high school student.
• NBC:
  • Ft. Pit has cast Elias Koteas in the drama pilot about a particularly bad Brooklyn police precinct.  Koteas’ character plays a veteran cop who pretty much likes to think he’s running the show.
  • The Bionic Woman has found its Jamie Sommers in British actress Michelle Ryan.

ION Media Networks has created OMVION, a new unit to explore ways to utilize digital TV spectrum to deliver content to mobile devices. ION, which operates 60 TV stations that reach 83% of the U.S., is also talking with other broadcasters to form an industry-wide alliance to develop a DTV-based platform for mobile applications. ION president of engineering David Glenn will manage the OMVION unit.

MTV Networks said will lay off an additional 250 employees as part of its push to reorganize into a multiplatform digital content provider. Heads are expected to roll in HR, PR, programming and legal departments. The firings won’t exactly help morale at MTV, which has been flagging since former CEO Tom Freston got the sack last summer. If it’s any consolation, earlier reports pegged the number of cuts at 500.

TV Guide Broadband will use Brightcove to publish and manage the online syndication of video content such as celebrity gossip, Red Carpet interviews with Joan and Melissa Rivers and American Idol Special, a behind-the-scenes look at auditions for the hit Fox show. Brightcove helps facilitate the proliferation of video content on the Internet by supplying content to a network of online content distributors large and small, from WashingtonPost.com to MomsWhoThink.com, the latter of which has already signed up to carry the TV Guide videos. Ad revenue generated from commercials that generally precede the clips is shared with the content owner, the syndicator and the distributor.

For reasons we have not been able to identify despite repeated requests for information, YouTube.com has unceremoniously removed all of the Cynopsis daily videos from its service and has “permanently disabled” our account. But no worries, you can find us elsewhere – www.cynopsis.com, iTunes, www.veoh.com, www.metacafe.com, www.grouper.com, www.dailymotion.com and www.video.google.com. 

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A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM CABLE U

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Cable U [cabl-U] -proper noun. 1. Online service that monitors and analyzes cable network performance and programming trends;  -verb. 2. To give networks and producers a unique competitive advantage

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WCBS-TV has upped Vanessa Kenon-Hunt as Public Affairs Manager to be the station’s community liaison, supervise PSAs and create community affairs efforts on behalf of the station.
 
The Los Angeles-based BBC Worldwide Productions USA has added several executives to its team who will all report to Paul Telegdy, SVP/Programming and Production. The new appointments include: Linda Giambrone, VP/Production; John Hesling, VP/Creative Affairs; Ian Moffitt, VP/Programming and Content Strategy; and Alice Taylor, VP/Digital Content.
 
Cathy Parks joins Cookie Jar Entertainment in the new position of VP/Retail and Promotions, North America. Based in Los Angeles, Cathy will identify retail and consumer trends in support of the company’s range of original brands. She will report to Kelly Elwood, SVP/Marketing.
 
Comcast has named Mike O’Leary to the new position of Regional VP/Business Services where he will be based in Sacramento to develop and execute the company’s strategy for the commercial services market in the Central California area.
 
Crown Media Holdings, Inc., owner and operator of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, has elevated Laura Masse to EVP/Marketing. Laura is charged with supervising all areas of marketing and branding for both channels and leading the teams that will develop multi-platform consumer, affiliate and advertiser-focused campaigns. In addition, she will be the liaison with Hallmark Cards to implement other brand extensions. She will report to Henry Schleiff, President/CEO.
 
Cira Limoli Nisco has been promoted to VP/Music Services with NBC Universal Television to manage the New York Music Services unit, including its daily operations, and the staff of four Music Clearance Administrators who handle clearances for NBC shows such as Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Cira will report to Nicole de la Torriente, VP/Music Business Affairs, NBC Universal Television.
 
 

Today in Cynopsis Kids, or listen to the audio version here:

• Todobebe partner with NBC Universal Television Distribution for DVDs and CDs
• Build-A-Bear the video Game
• LeapFrog introduces new version of Fly Pen and new baby and toddler products

Today in Cynopsis International, or listen to the audio version here:

• iD Distribution makes a slew of international sales for Rainbow Media Holdings LLC’s Women’s Entertainment programming
• Tribune Publishing selling its Spanish-language daily newspaper Hoy New York to ImpreMedia, LLC
• MTV Latin America launched new animated comedy, Forrito, Sex Police, produced by Comet Entertainment and Paneka Animaestudio

Sunday – A18-49 Analysis:  CBS won Sunday night on a high note with 7.1/17 A18-49, according to fast affiliate ratings from Nielsen Media Research. In second place was ABC at 5.4/13, and then FOX 3.0/7, NBC 2.2/5, UNIV 1.4/3, CW 0.9/2 and TELE 0.4/1. ABC started the evening with a win at 7p for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Part 1 at 3.9/11. Then for the rest of the night, CBS took control as its 49th Annual Grammy Awards presentation ranked #1 each hour: at 8p CBS led with 8.3/19; the Grammys peaked at 9p with 8.9/19; and then at 10p CBS ended the night with an 8.4/20.
 
Live + Same Day Household Ratings: Sunday, February 8, 2007 – FEBRUARY SWEEP DAY #11 – time period averages. Source: Nielsen Media Research

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CBS       11.7/18   60 Minutes 9.4/15, The 49th Annual Grammy Awards 12.4/19

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ABC       8.6/13       Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Part 1 6.2/10, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Part 2 9.3/14, Desperate Housewives 11.3/17, Brothers & Sisters 7.6/12

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NBC       4.3/7         Grease: You’re the One That I Want (2 hours) 4.1/6, The Apprentice 4.2/6, Crossing Jordan 5.1/8

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FOX       3.9/6         King of the Hill [r] 2.5/4, The Simpsons [r] 3.3/5, The Simpsons 4.9/7, King of the Hill 4.1/6, Family Guy 4.8/7, American Dad 4.0/6

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CW        1.7/3         Reba [r] 1.8/3, Reba 2.3/4, 7th Heaven 2.0/3, Beauty and the Geek [r] 1.0/1

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UNIV     1.7/3         La Hora Pico 1.4/2, Bailando por la Boda de mis Suenos 1.9/3

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TELE     0.4/1         Cine Millonario/Estreno 0.3/1, Cine Millonario/Estreno 0.4/1

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A18-49: CBS 7.1/17, ABC 5.4/13, FOX 3.0/7, NBC 2.2/5, UNIV 1.4/3, CW 0.9/2, TELE 0.4/1

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This Day in History:  
1866 – Jesse James holds up his first bank in Liberty, Missouri, stealing $15,000

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia: On what show would find a stunt performer who moonlights as a bounty hunter?  THE FALL GUY  Kudos to: Paul Rubin-PR Productions/NY; Michael Branch-TV Guide Channel/NY; Paul Brennan-Sony Pictures TV/NY; Jonathan Griffith-HBO/NY; Adam Leston – WDJT/Milwaukee; Dale Warshaw-KMSB KTTU/Tucson; Chris Faulhaber-Anheuser-Busch, Inc/St Louis; Brett Calvert-ECCA/San Antonio; John Knowles-Weirdsmobile Productions/LA; Ken Hommel-Emerging Networks, NBCU Cable Entertainment/Burbank; David Bobrow-PRN/San Francisco; David Garber-Linzack Productions/Woodland Hills CA

Today’s Trivia Question:  Darren’s mother Phyllis always complained to her husband of a headache after witnessing peculiar behavior at her son’s home. What was her husband’s (Darren’s father) first name?  ( 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 have been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.

Later — Cyn
02-14-07
 
Cynopsis Ad Sales:
Mark Bohn- 203- 583-1224 / [email protected]
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak- 203-926-9878 / [email protected]

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Copyright Cynopsis 2007

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Cyn opsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com classifieds page here

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JOB OPENING: PRODUCERS/APS/PHILLY AREA/HOME MAKE OVER SHOW: Applicant must be creative with excellent research and writing skills.5 yrs exp. Begin asap. Apply: [email protected] (2/20)

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/Galavision/NY: Generate upfront/scatter plans. Handle all aspects of ongoing deal maintenance/stewardship. Dealmaker/VCI/media experience & Spanish a plus. Apply: [email protected]. EOE (2/20)

JOB OPENING: HTML/CSS PROGRAMMER/Burbank: FT mid-level HTML/CSS programmer. Maintenance  & ad-hoc duties. build and maintain photo galleries, etc.  [email protected] (2/20)

JOB OPENING: ACCT EXEC/SCREENVISION/NY: Report to VP Eastern Region Sales. Sell/Mrkt all Nat’l prod’s. Maintain’g existing client  relationships & dvlpmnt of new buz w/ clients @ advertising agencies. Res: [email protected] (2/20)

JOB OPENING: PUBLICIST /LIFETIME NY: Resp. for all Lifetime Movie Network programming consumer and trade publicity, specifically LMN Original Movies. Apply at: http://www.lifetimetv.com/about/jobs.html (2/17)

JOB OPENING:  ASSOCIATE, MKTG & DVLPMNT/Celebrity Production Co/NY: Provide support in the plang/exctn of ent. & non-media related projects. Creative proj mgr w/ 2 yrs exp @ ent/media co/agency.  Email: [email protected]      (2/17)

JOB OPENING: MGR STRAT-ANALYST/ Showtime Ntwrks/NY: 3+yr exp Design/exec/interpret analyst. Showtime/competitors sales/mktg activities/industry trnds Strng analytical/comm/organiz. sklls/strategic thinkr [email protected]   (2/17)

JOB OPENING: LSM /WCSC-TV (CBS, Charleston, SC): Energetic and creative negotiator needed to lead local team. Strong  new bus dev, training & team building skills req. Broadcast sales mgt. exp. pref. [email protected].EOE (2/16)

JOB OPENING: EVENT MARKETING MGR/Screenvision/NY: Provide strategic guidance/support in the plan’g/execution of all event-related activities,develop revenue-generating mrktng prgrms & support . Res: [email protected] (2/16)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/CNN/NY: 1+ yrs tv research/agency exp, Multi-tasker, strong analytical/problem solving skills & MS Office proficient; info www.turnerjobs.com [email protected] (2/16)

JOB OPENING: SR RSRCH PROJ MGR, TNT/TBS/COURT TV, Ad Sales/NY: Dvlp effective analyses & positioning .Exc analytic, proj mgmt & team mgmt skills req. 5+ yrs TV/media rsrch exp req; primary rsrch exp a +.  [email protected]        (2/16)

JOB OPENING: RSRCH DIR, TNT/TBS/COURT TV, Ad Sales/NY: Provide strategic sales support, create in-depth analyses & effective positioning. Primary rsrch exp,  proj mgmt, sprvsry skills req. 6+yrs exp. [email protected] (2/16)

JOB OPENING: SR RSRCH ANALYST, TNT/TBS/COURT TV, Ad Sales/NY:   Provide research support; create sales positioning. Strong analytical/writing skills req.  3+ years exp req.  Contact: [email protected] (2/16)

JOB OPENING: MKTG MANAGER/DIGITAL MEDIA/NBCU/NY: Manager will assist the Dir. to market & increase sales across NBCU properties. Mgr is responsible for creating online & integrated offerings. Apply www.nbcunicareers.com Job#576426 (2/16)

JOB OPENING: MARKETING ANALYST, DIGITAL MEDIA/NBCU/NY: Assist Marketing Mgrs & Directors in preparing, implementing, & delivering client presentations (internal & external) & recommendations. Apply www.nbcunicareers.com Job#576424 (2/16)

JOB OPENING: DIRECT RESPONSE PLANNER/AETN NY: Analysis for projections, pricing & trends.DR inventory  management. Backup AE. Strong analytical skills/advanced excel/2 yrs DR exp. Apply: www.aetn.com/careers.html (2/15)

JOB OPENING: ASSOC. WRITER-PRODUCER/AMC/NY: write, cut spots, support Sr. creatives. Must know movies. Strong writer. Promo exp., reel, avid/final cut skills all a +.  Resumes to: [email protected] (2/15)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/The Outdoor Channel/Temecula, CA: 2 yrs research exp at media co, research firm or agency. Strong analytical/comm skils, exp. with Nielsen, MRI, CMR/TNS, etc. Resume to [email protected] (2/14)

JOB OPENING: VIRAL MARKETING DIRECTOR/Current TV, SF, CA: 7+ yrs. exp.  Drive Current TV brand awareness by developing & executing viral, guerilla & college marketing efforts. www.current.tv Email: [email protected] EOE (2/14)

JOB OPENING: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE/NYC: Media auditing firm seeks exp’d business dvlpmnt exec. Duties include mngng active new business projects & developing further new business initiatives. Send resume: [email protected] (2/14)

JOB OPENING: MEDIA RECRUITER/TTS Media/NY: Prospect media & adv profs. Support Acct team with client service & netwrkg. Self-starter to join fast-paced team! Strg comm & desire to make big $$ nec. Apply: [email protected] (2/14)

JOB OPENING:  RESEARCH DIRECTOR, PROGRAMMING/ HGTV/Knoxville: 8 yrs cable networks exp. Strong analytical skills & strategic thinker. Expertise: N-Power, other Nielsen and secondary tools. [email protected] # 5850-U (2/20)

WINTER INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. They are posted for free, and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at [email protected] .

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED —

SITUATION WANTED: ON-AIR SCHEDULING MANAGER: 23+ years of experience scheduling promos for network, cable and affiliate; seeking a similar position. Email: [email protected] (2/20)

SITUATION WANTED: MEDIA RELATIONS EXPERT seeks freelance assignments for Major Ntwrk & Cable Television press. Strong national media contacts and great pitching skills. Work from home assignments only. Contact: [email protected] (2/20)

SITUATION WANTED: COMEDIENNE with 20 + years, writer, speaker, adventurer and three time world record holder looking for television hosting position and freelance spokesperson work. contact: [email protected] (2/16)

SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCTION & OFFICE PA :   Experienced with all aspects of prod pre-post including casting, general reception, logging, and on set work.  Prev exp as AD and Scripty on numerous projects. Contact [email protected] (2/15)

E-mail Trish Pihonak for rates and specs for Job Openings.

Are you looking for a job? Post your Situation Wanted Ad here — Email Trish Pihonak for specs.

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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT: Tuesday, February 13, 2007

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ABC:  AFV, Primetime, Boston Legal
CBS:  NCIS, The Unit, Without a Trace
CW:   Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars
FOX:  American Idol, House
ION:  Mama’s Family, Mama’s Family, Diagnosis Murder, Charlie’s Angels
MNT: Wicked Wicked Games, Watch Over Me
NBC:  Dateline NBC, Law & Order: CI, Law & Order: SVU
PBS:  Nova, Frontline, Independent Lens
TELE: Marina, Zorro, Decisiones (De Famosos)
UNIV: La Fea Mas Bella, Mundo de Fieras, Ver Para Creer