Cynopsis

02.24.09

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, February 24, 2009, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

Tonight’s Premiere:
Animal Planet: Dark Days in Monkey City at 10p

Tonight’s Finales:
The CW: Privileged at 9p
TNT: Leverage at 10p

Peter Chernin, President/CEO of News Corp. is departing the company as his current contract ends June 30. No replacement has been named for the 20-year News Corp. veteran, though the heads of departments supervised by Chernin will now report to Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch and until June 30, Chernin will work closely with Murdoch. It was also confirmed, Chernin will take advantage of a clause in his contract granting him a film and TV production deal with Fox.

Sunday night’s broadcast of the 81st Annual Academy Awards on ABC averaged 36.3 million total viewers with a 12.1 rating among A18-49 viewers. Comparing this year’s Oscars to 2008, the awards show swelled by 4.3 million viewers and tallied a +13% increase among A18-49, as well as improvements with other key demos including a +22% bump with M18-34. Prior to the Oscars’ telecast, ABC attracted 24.3 million total viewers and posted a 7.2 rating with A18-49 for the Oscar’s Red Carpet 2009 pre-show at 8p. Additionally, the one-hour Barbara Walters Special at 7p drew in an average of 11.6 million total viewers and a 3.2 rating among A18-49.

E! also registered more pre-Oscar viewing on its network as 3.2 million total viewers watched its two-hour Live from the Red Carpet show Sunday night at 6p, up 14% from a year ago. The show additionally captured a 2.43 HH rating.

Univision’s finale of its novela Fuego en la Sangre (Burning for Revenge) last Friday night at 9p was #1 for the hour with all A18-34 and A18-49 viewers, across all languages. The one-hour conclusion attracted 1.8 million A18-34 viewers, 3.2 million A18-49 viewers and nearly 5.9 million total viewers.

Travel Channel checks out the Chicago Blues scene in its newest series Rissi Palmer’s Country starting this Saturday at 10p. Country music star, Rissi Palmer explores some of the hottest blues clubs in the Chicago area.

VERSUS, already the exclusive cable home of the IndyCar Series, announced it will increase its motorsports race programming this year, with a total of 130 hours of IndyCar Series coverage during the season including a minimum of seven hours during a race week. The additional coverage, with telecasts produced and available in hi-def, will begin a month early with four 60m specials airing each Saturday in March at 2p. Other added coverage includes more programming in May around the Indianapolis 500 race and during race weeks, a three-hour block on Mondays featuring Firestone Indy Lights events and encores of IndyCar Series races.

Gospel Music Channel (GMC) introduces a new original series Ha!: Standing Up for Clean Comedy, a family-friendly comedy show opening as a special on March 7 at 8p. Ha! will then be programmed as shorts throughout the GMC schedule. Hosted by comedian/actor Jonathan Slocumb (aka “Mr. Clean”), the show will spotlight a variety of comedic talents doing stand-up and sketches from the clean comedy scene.

Nielsen reports viewing of the Three Screens of television, internet and mobile devices increased significantly, based on information found in its fourth quarter A2/M2 Three Screen Report. Nuggets of information from the report include:

• The average American watches more than 151 hours of TV per month, equating to an all-time high. This is 5 hours and 13 minutes more per month compared to 145:49 from 4Q07.
• Americans watch nearly three hours of video via the internet per month and internet usage overall is up by an hour versus a year ago to 27:04 per month.
• Time-shifted television consumption is up by 33% compared to a year ago to 7:11 in 4Q08 versus 5:24 in 4Q07.
• Consumption of mobile video viewing is also on the rise to 3:42 per month versus 3:37 from 3Q08.

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.

On Sunday, Gospel Music Channel (GMC) was made available to Bright House Central Florida Division, serving the Orlando area with 500,000 subscribers. To date, GMC is distributed in all of the nation’s 210 DMAs with a total of nearly 41 million subscribers, up from approximately 22 million subscribers when the network launched in 2008.

Bilingual Latino network mun2 was added to Time Warner Cable’s variety tier in Los Angeles, making the network now available to 2.0 million households in the L.A. area via cable and satellite operators. mun2 is currently available to more than 28 million US households nationwide.

Fox Reality Channel commenced production on season three of its original series The Academy. This new season, The Academy: Orange County Fire will follow 29 Los Angeles County Sheriff Department recruits as they go through a rigorous 18-week training program. For this series, the Orange County Fire Authority allowed Fox Reality Channel to have unprecedented access to its training and firefighting training procedures. The 10-episode series opens October 24 and is produced by Scott Sternberg Productions.

Radio personality Sam Phillips and her radio show The Single Life is crossing over to television via international cable network MavTV that targets men with sports and entertainment content. The half-hour lifestyle entertainment show, The Single Life with Sam Phillips will focus on dating, relationships and more and will include her radio co-host Chris Leary. 

Career Sports & Entertainment (CS&E) established a working partnership with New York City-based Bold Studios. The deal allows CS&E to finance and market content for on-air and emerging media produced by Bold Studios, as well as scripted programs in development.

Casting Call: The CW’s America’s Next Top Model reality competition series is searching for model contestants to appear on the show’s thirteenth cycle, and are now allowing shorter model wannabes to apply. For the first time, females age 18 to 27 years of diverse backgrounds, shapes and sizes can be 5’7″ or under in height. Open casting calls will begin this Saturday in Miami at Eden Roc from 10a-3p followed by March 3 in San Francisco; March 7 in Washington, D.C.; March 14 in New York City; March 21 in Dallas; March 25 in Chicago; and March 28 in Los Angeles. For casting updates, times and locations for open casting calls, visit www.cwtv.com . Cycle 12 of America’s Next Top Model debuts March 4 at 8p on The CW.

CYNOPSIS DIGITAL – TODAY’S TOP STORY:  President Obama has chosen former MPAA lobbyist and current FTC member Jon Leibowitz to serve as the next Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, reports Bloomberg. The body that reviews mergers and enforces consumer protection laws, the FTC has already warned that it may take a closer look at behavioral targeting practices if the online advertising industry doesn’t successfully establish and adhere to self-regulatory guidelines. Leibowitz himself has been a critic of the industry’s lack of transparency and Byzantine opt-out solutions and has pushed the government to take a stronger tack toward privacy policies.   Full edition: CYN DIGITAL.

CYNOPSIS KIDS – TODAY’S TOP STORY:  HarperCollins Children’s Books inks a deal for the publishing, film, TV and audio rights to Captain Bulk, a new preschool book series by author/illustrator Sam Lloyd, per Global License Magazine.  Described as an “eco warrior hero,” Captain Bulk teams with old toys, which he saves from the dumpster, to go up against evildoers and helps the toys get recycled and find a new home.  The first title in the four book deal is slated for publication in spring 2010.  Full edition: CYN KIDS.

 
Friday – A18-49 Analysis: UNIV catapulted to #1 Friday night with 2.0/6 A18-49 each, according to final national ratings from Nielsen Media Research. At 8p, UNIV narrowly won the hour with Cuidado con el Angel at 1.9/7 over CBS’ encore of Ghost Whisperer at 1.9/6. During 9p, the finale of Fuego en la Sangre sizzled in first place at 2.7/8 while ABC’s Supernanny and FOX’s Dollhouse tied for second at 1.7/5 apiece. ABC then was tops at 10p as 20/20 delivered a 2.0/6 with CBS’ Numb3rs repeat coming next with 1.8/5.

Live + Same Day Household Ratings: Friday, February 20, 2009  time period averages. Source: NTI Galaxy, as dated. Live+SD.

CBS: 5.1/9       Ghost Whisperer [r] 5.3/9, Flashpoint [r] 5.0/9, Numb3rs [r] 5.1/9

ABC: 3.6/6         Wife Swap [r] 2.6/5, Supernanny 3.4/6, 20/20 4.8/9

NBC: 2.9/5         Howie Do It 2.6/5, Howie Do It [r] 2.4/4, Friday Night Lights 2.5/4, Dateline 3.8/7

FOX: 2.5/4          Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles 2.4/4, Dollhouse 2.7/5

UNIV: 2.4/4         Cuidado con el Angel 2.4/4, Fuego en la Sangre [f] 2.9/5, La Rosa de Guadalupe 1.8/3

MNT: 2.2/4          WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2.2/4

CW: 0.7/1           Everybody Hates Chris [r] 1.0/2, The Game [r] 0.8/1, 13: Fear Is Real [f] 0.6/1

TELE: 0.7/1         Dona Barbara 0.6/1, El Rostro de Analia 0.6/1, Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso 0.8/1, Cartel F 0.7/1

A18-49: UNIV 2.0/6, CBS 1.7/6, ABC 1.7/5, FOX 1.5/5, NBC 1.4/4, MNT 1.3/4, TELE 0.6/2, CW 0.4/1

Andree C. de la Garza was named Group Marketing Director for National Geographic Adventure and National Geographic Traveler magazines through the National Geographic Magazine Group. Andree will handle marketing event marketing and promotional partnership duties for both magazines, working with other marketing directors within the Society to develop integrated programs.

Mark DiDia joined Island Def Jam Music Group as EVP/GM, Island Records to supervise daily operations of the label. Based in New York, Mark will report to Steve Bartels, President/COO, Island Def Jam Music Group.

AETN upgraded Mark Garner to SVP/Distribution and Business Development to manage non-linear and digital distribution, business development and marketing with affiliates for A&E Network, History, Bio Channel, History International and Crime & Investigation Network. Prior to this promotion, Mark was served AETN as VP/Distribution and Business Development since January 2007 when he started with the company.

Comcast Programming Group tagged Steve Margosian as SVP/Marketing Solutions and Sports Sales for Comcast Networks and the new division Comcast Sports Sales (CSS). In his new role, Steve will head integrated sales and marketing initiatives for VERSUS and The Golf Channel.

Petry Holding, Inc. appointed Julie Holmberg Bowyer as President of Petry Network, formerly named Petry International. Previously, Julie was President/CEO of Blair Television which recently merged with Petry Television. Petry Holding also recruited Marty Shapiro as SVP/Petry Network in charge of advertising sales for the company’s international network clients and responsible for bringing in new networks to the company’s current client roster.

Dean Hadaegh advanced to Chief Technology Officer/SVP, Technical Operations with the Tennis Channel. Dean will continue to supervise the strategic direction of the network’s technology and all facets of facility management, however, with his new promotion will have the added responsibility of managing all network technical operations staff.

Sony Pictures Television promoted Jeffrey Reyna to VP/Digital Distribution Business Affairs where he will facilitate the company’s distribution expansion, specifically into new media arenas. Jeffrey’s duties include negotiating agreements pertaining to the acquisition and distribution of feature films, television properties and digital channels among other products across all platforms. He also works with sales administration for pay TV and digital distribution. Jeffrey reports to Chris Elwell, SVP/Distribution.

This day in History:  1998 – Elton John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace.

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:   In what daytime soap did Millette Alexander play three different roles at different times: Gail Armstrong, Laura Hillyer, and Julie Jamison?  THE EDGE OF NIGHT Kudos to: Sakura Amend-Goodman Media International/NY; Telmo Tabuas-Turner Broadcasting/Atlanta; Peter De Jong-AETN international/NY; Marc Miller-NBC/NY; Lilian Lemer-MyMac Productions/Venice, CA; Matt Sautter-Dish Network/Denver

Today’s Trivia Question:  Submitted by Matt Sautter, DISH Network, Denver:   What Ohio journalistic honor did WKRP newsman Les Nessman win five times? (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
02.24.09

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JOB OPENING: CONSUMER PRODUCT LICENSING LAWYER/Cookie Jar Ent/CA: Draft & negotiate contracts and handle contract admin; Manage CPL Paralegals; manage disputes; negotiate; supervise litigation. Apply: www.thecookiejarcompany.com (2/27)

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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT –  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

ABC: Homeland Security, ABC News Special: Presidential Address to Congress, Primetime: What Would You Do?
AZTECA: Lo Que Callamos Las Mujeres Edicion Especial, Los 25 Mas, Al Extremo
CBS: NCIS, CBS News Coverage of the Presidential Address to the Joint Session of Congress, Two and a Half Men [r]
CW: 90210 [r], Privileged [f ]
FOX: Bones, Fox News Special: Presidential Address to the Joint Session of Congress
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, NBC News Special: Presidential Address to a Joint Session of Congress, Law & Order: SVU
PBS: Nova, Frontline [r], Independent Lens
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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