Cynopsis

02.17.09

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, February 17, 2009, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

Tonight’s Premieres:
MTV: Dogg After Dark at 9p
Bravo: The Real Housewives of New York at 11p

Tonight’s Finale:
Bravo: The Real Housewives of Orange County at 10p

As of midnight tonight, the original DTV transition date, 421 television stations will cease their analog signals. Another 220 stations have already made the switch, taking today’s total to 641 stations or 36% of the U.S., according to information disseminated by the FCC. Congress recently passed a bill moving the analog-to-digital date to June 12, 2009 and President Obama signed the measure into law last week. Anticipating where the transition impact will be the greatest, the FCC sent staffers to 72 markets where analog penetration is higher and has increased staffing at a call center housing its DTV help line at 1-888-CALLFCC. TV viewers can also access the FCC’s DTV reception map at http://www.dtv.gov/fixreception.html to find out what kind of DTV reception they should be receiving in their area. Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps said, “This is not just about whether people can watch their favorite reality show. It’s about whether consumers have access to vital emergency alerts, weather, news and public affairs.”

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM NICKTOONS

• the BIGGEST series premiere on Nicktoons Network ever.
• Slashing the competition – Fri. 8p premieres have outperformed Toon Disney by +31% with B6-11.
• Wolverine was extra sharp on Nickelodeon – #1 in its timeslot on cable with B9-14 and P2+!

Source: The Nielsen Company 1.NKTNS, K6-11, 9/24/04-2/12/09, LSD CVG AA%, Ori. Prem. 2.NKTNS Prog Avg vs TDSNY TP, 1/23-2/8, F 8-830P, LSD CVG AA% 3. Nick vs Ad Supp Cable, 1/24/09, Su 2-3P, LSD AA (000)

In a new Golf Channel series NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley hopes to resurrect his golf game with help from world-renowned golf instructor, Hank Haney, swing coach to Tiger Woods. The Haney Project, premiering March 2 at 9p, we’ll see Haney as he attempts to improve Barkley’s swing and his love of the game as they visit great golf courses and meet other celebrities. The seven-episode series is produced by Golf Channel in association with The WorkShop, LLC.

Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game on TNT posted single to double-digit viewer growth results from the previous year in various demos: +10% with A18-34 at 2.5 million; +6% among A18-49 at 4.0 million; and +12% with A25-54 at 3.4 million. The broadcast also averaged 6.8 million total viewers.

FX made a deal with Paramount Pictures on a multiple movie title package covering Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Most of the movies were 2008 releases and will be available to FX by the beginning of 2010. The exception in the mix is the movie Transformers which is scheduled to premiere theatrically this June and therefore not available to FX until the end of 2011. Other package titles consist of Cloverfield, Tropic Thunder, Eagle Eye and Beowulf plus a few other smaller films. Premium cable network HBO was granted the pay-cable window for Transformers, Tropic Thunder and Eagle Eye while the upcoming Epix, a partner of Paramount’s, picked up Cloverfield and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The deal also allows for Paramount to sell rights to a broadcast network within the FX window.

MIP TV Program Call: If your company will be attending and showcasing programming at MIP TV 2009 in Cannes, France, at the end of next month, Cynopsis will send out a special MIP TV Shopping Guide edition the Wednesday before the conference. To have your programming included, please send only the following info for your top 5 shows: title, availability date, number of episodes, length, type (i.e., movie, series, special, etc.), genre, your terms (barter, cash, etc.) and names and contact info of those attending from your company. If your company is interested in being included in this free guide, please send the details to
by Friday, March 20, 2009.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM HALLMARK CHANNEL

Source: Opinion Research (Dec 18-21, 2008), 83% of viewers described as very well/somewhat. Nielsen Company (2/7/09), Live+SD cvg area HH program average rating, Sat 9-11p. Subject to qualifications upon request.

Litton Entertainment announced WPIX/New York picked up The Brian McKnight Show adding the syndicated, one-hour weekly entertainment program to its weekend lineup for fall 2009.

CBS has ordered up the pilot project Thunder Road, exec produced by McG.  Described as Wipeout in cars, with two teams of drivers on a demolition course. Producing the pilot are Warner Horizon in association with Wonderland, reports THR.

Joining the cast of TNT‘s Time Heals opposite Jada Pinkett Smith will be Michael Vartan.  Stepping aside is Jeffrey Nordling who originally had the role of Tom Wakefield, the head of medicine at the hospital where Pinkett Smith’s character is the Director of Nursing.  The project comes from Sony TV and is scheduled to debut later on this season.

CYNOPSIS DIGITAL – TODAY’S TOP STORY:  Under pressure from next-generation smartphone platforms such as Apple’s iPhone and the Android-powered G1, Microsoft unveiled a new mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 6.5, at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The new OS features an entirely new dashboard-themed user interface integrating emails, text messages, calls, appointments and Office Mobile functionality. The company says the interface will support both touch and non-touch handsets. A free “My Phone” service will enable users to manage and synch personal info through cloud-based servers, ensuring that everything is up to date. One cool feature allows Zune subscribers to access the system’s full library of music. Another is the voice search app Microsoft Recite which retrieves spoken notes and reminders. Microsoft’s answer to the App Store is the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, hoping to attract new and creative open source apps. All of this if very forward looking, but the company doesn’t expect to release the Windows Mobile 6.5 on devices until the second half of 2009. That’s a long time for current Windows Mobile OS users to wait. So far handset makers LG and HTC have committed to the platform.  Full edition: CYN DIGITAL.

CYNOPSIS KIDS – TODAY’S TOP STORY:  Online ad outfit Betawave (f/k/a GoFish) is launching a new online video syndication platform to deliver original video content to its youth-targeted publishing partners. The Betawave TV network will consist of several regularly-refreshed ad supported channels of content produced exclusively for the platform including lifestyle segments narrative by That’s So Raven star Raven Symone; shorts and full-length movies from Cookie Jar Entertainment; and Live From The Red Carpet  consisting of interviews shot and uploaded live from movie premiers and launch parties; as well as Teek/Kid News; Young Hollywood offering celebrity programming. Competition to attract kids traffic online is fierce and word on Madison Avenue is that media buyers are looking to spread the wealth to allocate at least half of their kids’ budgets outside of the large media portals such as Disney.com and Nick.com. Betawave aggregates smaller publishers like digital doll site Cartoon Doll Emporium www.cartoondollemporium.com with a total audience of 25 million or so to give advertisers the reach they need. “A lot of smaller publishers have built compelling sites with audiences of 1-2 million but they have trouble getting face time with ad agencies,” said Jim Moloshok, Executive Chairman of Betawave.    Full edition: CYN KIDS.

Ratings: Friday, February 13 ratings were delayed due to President’s Day holiday and will be available tomorrow.

Gospel Music Channel (GMC) upgraded Alvin Williams to Senior Director/Music, Talent and Acquisitions up from Senior Director/Music Industry Development. Alvin’s position encompasses working with record labels, artists and their management, producers, writers and publishers to acquire and develop exclusive, original programming for GMC.

This day in History:  1971 – James Taylor made his prime time television debut on The Johnny Cash Show, singing Fire and Rain and Carolina On My Mind

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:   What was the last name of Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred?  PENNYWORTH Kudos to: Andy Coleman-MARC USA/Pittsburgh; Matt Noce-Nancy Glass Productions/Philadelphia; Peter Gordon-Golf Channel/Orlando; Phil Nobile Jr.-Center City Film & Video/Philadelphia; Ted Tremper-20 West Productions/Chicago; Bryan Wallace-HKS, INC./Dallas; Melissa Hernandez–KENS/KCWX/San Antonio; Tom Boyd-WGN/Chicago; Max Burnett/LA; JP Nickel-Five Cent Productions/Burbank; Lorrie Shilling-DIRECTV/El Segundo, CA; Robin Schmelling-BCMI/Rancho Mirage, CA; Sheldon Wiebe-EclipseMagazine.com/Calgary

Today’s Trivia Question:  In a rare outing, before his election to his first term as president, Richard Nixon appeared in an episode of what variety show? (Email
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
02.17.09

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Chuck Bolkcom – 646-468-6180 /

Mark Bohn- 203-583-1224 /

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A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM INSTITUTE FOR MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT (IME)

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

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL AD SALES ASST/NY: Entry level position, prefer industry internships, enthusiastic multi-tasked & detail oriented individual. Full details www.scrippsnetworksinteractive.com/careers & select req 272 (2/21)

JOB OPENING: COMMERCIAL OPS SPECIALIST (CMT)/NY: Schedule daily commercial logs and advertiser commercial copy. Must have exp in traffic/comm ops and traffic systems. Gabriel a +. Res:
(2/20)

JOB OPENING:  EDITORIAL MGR/ HBO Broadband/NYC:  Establish/maintain editorial, conceptual and writing standards. 7 yrs exp req. Entertainment writing exp desired. New media/online background required. Send to:
(2/20)

JOB OPENING: SPECIAL PROJECTS WRITER/PRODUCER/HGTV/Knoxville: Conceptualize, write, direct and produce high end on-air and off channel marketing campaigns.3+ yrs exp in cable net or equivalent. Apply: www.scrippsnetworks.com #262 (2/18)

JOB OPENING: SR. RESEARCH ANALYST/TVGuide.com/NYC: Track/report/analyze key metrics, create research materials & run panels. Omniture & Excel expertise a must; exp w/ other online research tools highly pref. Res:
(2/18)

JOB OPENING: SR ACCT EXEC/ACCT DIR Out-of Home media sales/NY: 5+ yrs nat’l sales exp w/clients & advrtsng agencies strat. plan’g groups. Proven track rec of new bus/acct dvlpmnt req’d. Exp w/Youth mkt a + Res to:
(2/18)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT/Story House Productions/DC: Lead creative development and sales process. Min 10 yrs exp in tv dev and prod req. Strong client contacts req. Apply: www.storyhousepro.com/page/position-summary (2/18)

INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. These ads are always posted for free, and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at
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SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY:  Exposure to business side of television. Work on program decisions, marketing & sales opportunities for client TV stations.   COX REPs-NY-Strong comm. & math skills required, Contact: 
  #(212)372-0443 (2/18)

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED …  There is no charge for placing your Situation Wanted ad … for more information contact Trish Pihonak at

SITUATION WANTED: EXECUTIVE/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT for 30 plus years. Worked in Production for Executive Producers, Writers, Directors and high level executives. Excellent skills … email:
  (2/24)

SITUATION WANTED: FREELANCE DP/SHOOTER (NE Corridor, NY based): HD, Betacam or DV. Full Production Services. 20+ year pro. From sports, magazines, and docs to testimonials, no job is more important than yours.
(2/24)

SITUATION WANTED: FREELANCE DEVELOPMENT PRODUCER (LA): creative exec in reality/doc seeks development gig for creating, developing, or expanding series proposals, formats, and materials. all genres.
(2/24)

SITUATION WANTED: CAREER COACHING for media professionals seeking to make a job change or to reposition their career. 15+ years exp in industry working with execs. contact:
(2/24)

SITUATION WANTED: LA Based, AWARD WINNING “PREDITOR” From cutting edge promos to breakthrough reality, I do it all. Specializing in Story Producing/Editing, I can make the AVID sing! Freelance or Permanent gig.
(2/24)

SITUATION WANTED: DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE Currently working Los Angeles based television development executive seeks new platform. I created/sold twelve series in the past four years and currently have six on the air. Email:
(2/21)

SITUATION WANTED: CELEBRITY TALENT PROD with exp on both coasts.Will connect your synd, ntwrk or cable prgrm w/ quality & approp celebrity guests. Staff or freelance – visit ……….
(2/20)

SITUATION WANTED: NON-FICTION PRODUCER/WRITER/DIRECTOR. Reality/Ent/Docs. 3 Emmy Noms.; Field and Post; NBC; Dis; TLC; CMT; VH1; E!; Runs on Batteries. LA based. 
(2/20)

SITUATION WANTED: RESEARCH DIRECTOR 20+ yrs media, Nielsen, Hispanic, & sales experience. Contract basis. Save money over a FT director. Let’s talk.Email:
(2/19)

SITUATION WANTED: 5 PRIME TIME EMMYS/ DOC. PROD, DIR., WRITER in L.A. Credits: National Geo, PBS, Discovery, History CH, TLC and MSNBC. Contact email:
(2/19)

SITUATION WANTED: DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/MANAGER: Major Network and Cable live News and Sports experience. Start-up, operations, editorial and production specialist. Available to meet your schedule Coast to coast!
(2/19)

SITUATION WANTED: TV PRODUCER reality with network and cable credit seeks show producer/field producer position at prod. co. or network. Most recently series produced show airing on NBC O and O’s. (NY based)
(2/19)

SITUATION WANTED:PRODUCER/WRITER/DIRECTOR (NY): Ultra-creative, award winning, all formats, all genres, all major networks and major cable. Fast, frugal and fun!
(2/18)

SITUATION WANTED:TV PRODUCER: Reality with network and cable credit seeks show producer/field producer position at prod. co. or network. Most recently series produced show airing on NBC O and O’s. (NY based)
(2/18)

E-mail
or call Trish Pihonak at 203.926.9878 for rates and specs for Job Openings.

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

WHAT’S ON TONIGHT –  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

ABC: Homeland Security, Scrubs [r], Scrubs [r], Primetime: What Would You Do?
AZTECA: Lo Que Callamos Las Mujeres Edicion Especial, Los 25 Mas, Al Extremo
CBS: NCIS, The Mentalist, Without a Trace
CW: 90210 [r], Privileged [r]
FOX: American Idol
ION: Boston Legal, Boston Legal, Boston Legal
MNT: Street Patrol [r], Street Patrol [r], Whacked Out Videos [r], Whacked Out Videos [r]
NBC: The Biggest Loser 7, Law & Order: SVU
PBS: Nova, Frontline, Independent Lens [r]
TELE: Dona Barbara, El Rostro de Analia, Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso
UNIV: Cuidado con el Angel, Fuego on la Sangre, Aqui y Ahora

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