CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

11/16/04

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, November 16, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing.

Desperate or otherwise, ABC wins Sunday night in fast national ratings among A18-49 according to Nielsen Media Research.  ABC’s evening averaged to a 5.4/13 A18-49, besting CBS by a share point (5.1/12), followed by Fox 4.5/11, NBC 3.7/9, WB 1.1/3.  At 7pm Fox’s NFL Runover won the hour with a 6.6/18.  In the non-sporting category, ABC and CBS tied at 7p with a 9 share.  ABC’s first hour of the American Music Awards led at 8p with a 5.9/14,  while Cold Case on CBS drew a 4.6/11 and American Dreams on NBC a 4.6/11.  ABC and CBS tied at 9p in share, though ABC pulled ahead in demo rating: 6.5/14 vs. 6.2/14.  Law & Order: CI on NBC averaged a 4.8/11 and The Mountain on WB found its best draw among W12-17 with a 1.3/4.  At 10p, CBS pulled out the stops for the second hour of its movie with a 6.5/15, ahead of ABC’s 5.6/13 and NBC’s 4.6/11.  Part 1 of the CBS miniseries Category 6: Day of Destruction delivered a 6.3/15 from 9-11p (part 2 airs on Wednesday).

ABC has added to its roster for full season freshman series with Complete Savages (NBC Universal/Icon Prods) and Rodney (Touchstone) both getting their back 9 ordered. You’ll recall the network originally ordered additional scripts for both of these shows. Both shows will end the season with 22 episodes.  Season to date, Rodney has averaged a 3.8/9 A18-49 rating on Tuesday nights following According to Jim, and Complete Savages has averaged a 2.1/7 on Friday nights after 8 Simple Rules.

Tonight’s Premieres:
CBS:  The Amazing Race (9pm)
Fox: House (9pm)
Univision:  Lo veremos todo con Niurka y Bobby (10p)

Casting / Development / Production

• SciFi Channel has ordered up new seasons of Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1, both from MGM Television Entertainment. The net has ordered 20 eps for both series; production begins in March for summer 2005 premiere dates.
• TBS has cast Rachel Hunter in the role of Ginger in its new reality series Gilligan’s Island, premiering November 30.  Each of the other castaways are, well, nobodys, but certainly they are all stars in their own homes, and certainly TBS homes they are stars in your home too after the 30th.
• UPN has ordered 8 episodes of a new reality series called R U the Girl With T-Boz & Chilli (Fox TV Studios). The music group trio TLC lost one third of its group, Lisa Left Eye Lopes a couple ofyears ago, leaving Tionne Watkins (aka T-Boz) and Rozonda Thomas (aka Chilli) without a third. This reality/competition has the two checking out wannabes female singers – the winner joining T-Boz and Chilli for a concert and recording session. 
• WB has signed rapper/actor Bow-Wow to a talent holding deal for development of a comedy project for next season, per Hollywood Reporter. This isn’t Bow Bow’s first go around with the WB – in 2002 he starred in a comedy pilot which was considered, tho ultimately declined, for the 2003-04 season. As for his acting skills, remember the 2002 movie Like Mike? Yeah, the kid can act. 

Taking a bold move in this day and age when even Saving Private Ryan seemingly can’t be saved on some stations, Raycom owned WOIO/Cleveland is taking a stand.  One of its late news anchors became part of the story as she shot a first person singular account on what it’s like to be part of a Spencer Tunick photo shoot, a performance art photographer.  Tunick’s photos feature a sea of naked bodies, which may not be immediately discernible as naked bodies.  See http://www.spencertunick.com/. News anchor Sharon Reed participated in the shoot last summer along with hundreds of others, the photo to be released this fall. Here’s the thing – WOIO on Monday night aired her story – no pixelating, no blurry boxes, no blue dots, and no full frontals either, but yes, there is nudity in this local stations late newscast. Says News Director Steve Doerr, the decision to air the piece was partly sweeps ratings stunt and partly a resolve not to be regulated by a fear of what the FCC may or may not deem indecent. Doeer told Broadcasting and Cable: “When we saw ABC stations who felt they were unable to run Saving Private Ryan for fear of an FCC fine, that steeled our resolve … We are not going to be pushed around.”

Speaking of FCC fines, recall the fine against Fox for its Married by America episode of April 7, 2003, containing “s#xually suggestive” content which eventually earned it a $1.2 million fine? Web blogger Jeff Jarvis (www.BuzzMachine.com) has discovered that the 159 complaints received by the FCC were in fact just 90 complaints as confirmed by William H. Davenport, FCC Chief of Investigations and Hearings.  Looking further, Jarvis discover that those 90 complaints were sent in, repeatedly, by 23 people.  And of those 23, all but two of the letters were virtually identical – a form letter written by one and copied by many others. Bottom line – three letters were written.  Of the millions of viewers who tuned in that April evening, three complaints bringing a fine of $1.2 million seems a little steep, eh? Fox plans to address the issue with the FCC.

Where did you turn when you knew the Peterson Verdict was about to be announced? 3.4 million viewers turned to Fox News.   2.66 million viewers turned to Court TV‘s coverage, giving the network a .9 A18-49 rating at 4pm ET as the verdict was announced last Friday, November 12, the network’s largest audience ever.  CNN had 1.7 million and MSNBC had 605,000 viewers.

Come February 2005, MTV will launch MTV Base in Africa, its 100th TV channel worldwide. The new MTV Base in Africa channel will be a localized version of MTV Base, the urban music service seen in much of Europe.  A 24/7 English language service, MTV Base in Africa programming will feature a range of African music genres including Kwaito, Hip-Life, Mbalax and Zouk, and music from international artists including Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Sean Paul, IAM, Passi and Saian Supa Crew. The channel will also carry non-music programming including popular MTV series Cribs and Making The Video.  MTV Base in Africa will initially be available in South Africa and Nigeria via MultiChoice’s pay service DSTV with expansion to additional platforms nationwide expected to follow.  The channel will broadcast via satellite to 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.  While MTVN has aired its European channels in African markets since 1995, this is the first service created specifically for African audiences/region. 

Directors guilds from around the globe released a pledge to support efforts to quell piracy issues.  The International Affiliation of English Speaking Directors Organizations stated that “piracy affects both the director’s economic rights (rights to be remunerated) and their creative rights to protect their vision (rights of integrity).  IAESDO supports, and is actively involved in, promoting legal, legislative and technological measures to strengthen and pass antipiracy laws and enforcement mechanisms, as well as campaigns to educate the public about the issue.” The other guilds collaborating on the statement are the Australian Screen Directors Association, Directors Guild of America, Directors Guild of Canada, Directors Guild of Great Britain, Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand and the UK’s BECTU.  This IAESDO statement follows on the heels of the Motion Picture Association of America’s declaration of its member studios’ intents to sue those involved in unlawfully trading films via the internet (at an estimated annual cost of $3.5 billion to MPAA members).

Mel Wheeler Inc. has sold KCRG/Columbia Jefferson City station to Barrington Broadcasting for an undisclosed sum, and subject to FCC approval.   Barrington is headed by Jim Yager, former head of Benedek Bcsting, and the company now owns four television stations -WEYI/Flint, KHGA/Quincy Ill, and KHQA/Quincy.

National Geographic Television & Film has appointed Jocelyn Shearer to Director/Sales for National Geographic Film Library, it was announced by Matthew White, VP/Film Library, NGT&F. She will be based in Washington, D.C.  Jocelyn will oversee all film library sales and research activities in the United States and abroad. She will work with producers, advertisers, educators, curators and other media professionals to assess film needs; conduct qualitative research; and license footage for use in film, television and new media productions, educational presentations and programs, museum exhibitions and other projects.

Nancy Kanter has been upped to SVP/Original Programming at the Disney Channel.  Nancy will continue to oversee development and production of all series and adds oversight of all interstitial content for Playhouse Disney.  The announcement was made by Gary Marsh, EVP/Original Programming and Production, Disney Channel, to whom Nancy reports.

The Cartel Group named Robert J. Schoenbeck as its new COO.  He will oversee the multicultural ad agency’s daily operations and operating divisions.  He was previously with LLS Associates as Managing Partner.  Robert will report to CEO Victoria Varela-Negrete.

Sunday, November 14, 2004. Fast National Ratings for all Networks – time period averages.  Source Nielsen Media Research. Time Period Averages Only. [p] = Premiere; [o] = Original; [r] = Repeat

CBS     11.6/18 60 Minutes 9.9/16, Cold Case 11.7/17, CBS Miniseries: Category 6: Day of Destruction (pt 1) 12.4/19

ABC     7.7/12  EM: Home Edition [r] 5.2/8, American Music Awards 8.5/13

NBC     7.3/11  Dateline 5.0/8, American Dreams 5.5/8, L&O: CI 9.7/14, Crossing Jordan 9.0/14

FOX     6.3/10  NFL Runover (to 7:49p, Malcolm joined in progress at 7:49p) 10.1/16, Simpsons 5.5/8, My Big Obnoxious Boss 3.3/5

WB      1.8/3   Steve Harvey 1.8/3, Charmed 2.5/4, The Mountain 1.2/2

A18-49  ABC 5.4/13, CBS 5.1/12, Fox 4.5/11, NBC 3.7/9, WB 1.1/3

A MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1776:  Hessian Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen and a force of 3,000 mercenaries capture Fort Washington in upper Manhattan.  After a brief siege, three thousand Continental forces, led by Colonel Robert Magaw, surrendered.  The outlines of the fort, which incorporate the highest natural point in Manhattan, are visible today in the Washington Heights neighborhood’s lovely Bennett Park.

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:   In the last decade, UPN has aired two primetime series feature characters suffering from amnesia.  What are these two shows?   NOWHERE MAN (95-96), LAZARUS MAN (1996).  Kudos to:  Matt Willence-ITN Networks/NY; Lorrie Shilling/Centennial CO; Greg Armstrong-KTVD/Denver; Susan Goldberg-Beverly Park Prods/LA; Robert Illes-Worldwide Illes Prods/Santa Monica.

A MESSAGE FROM CYNOPSIS

In January 2005, this daily edition will introduce brand new ad space as well as make available previously sold out space.  New space includes Top of Page above the title (only Thursdays available). And becoming avail in 2005 for the first time in more than 4 years is Space A, immediately following the daily Nielsen Media Research household ratings chart. 

If you’d like to see a Media Kit outlining the demographics of the Cynopsis sub base as well as 2005 rates, send me a note at

Today’s Trivia Question: Where is Bridal Veil Mountain in the fictional world of TV?  (click
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.)

A MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

Later — Cyn
11.16.04  

In 2005, Cynopsis will offer new ad space. Interested?

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Copyright Cynthia Turner 2004

CYNOPSIS CLASSIFIEDS

JOB OPENING:  ADMIN ASST – L’Oreal USA, NY – Support SVP; Must have strong admin skills, ability to analyze numbers and College degree; French skills a plus.E-mail:
, subj Admin Asst.   (11/23)

JOB OPENING:   EXEC ASSIST/NYC. 5+ yrs exp. Strong interpersonal and computer skills required. Children’s entertainment experience in television, licensing and/or branding preferred. Please E-mail resumes to: wrdlgl
  (11/23)

JOB OPENING:  Denver. Exp. long-format TV PRODUCER/WRITER willing to relocate to Denver to write & produce segments & episodes for nat’l cable networks. Exp w/ HGTV or Food Network a +.  E-mail:
   (11/23)

JOB OPENING:  Comcast Spotlight/Chicago. INTERCONNECT TRAFFIC SUPERVISOR. Resp for all traffic, copy, reconciliation for 2M sub interconnect. Mgmt exp; 3+ yrs successful cable/bcst traffic exp. Email
  (11/23)

JOB OPENING:  SR AD SALES RESEARCH ANALYST/AETN, NY.Provide research tools for sales to properly position nets in mktplce. Knwldge of Nielsen systems/ad sales process. 3-5 yrs Tv, cable or agency exp. Email
  (11/23)

JOB OPENING:  MANAGER, PRIMETIME PROGRAM RESEARCH/ABC, LA. Min 5 yrs exp rtgs analysis& primary research; exc writing skills, insightful analysis essential; multi-tasker, meet demanding deadlines.  Resumes
   (11/20)

JOB OPENING:  TEMP/FILM FESTIVAL & AWARDS DEPT-NY. Asst w/ entries/talent travel & admin. 2 yrs exp w/hi volume, multi-deadlines. Cable,ent pr,studio bkgd pref. Resume & ref must verify. Apply:
   (11/20)

JOB OPENING:  CNBC, RESEARCH ANALYST: Ratings analysis, collaboration on strategic initiatives. 1-3 yrs exp pref in TV/Cable industry. Strong quantitative, analytical, communication & PC skills. NYC Area. Apply at www.nbcjobs.com
(11/20)

JOB OPENING:  AD SALES SR RESEARCH ANALYST, TBS/TNT-NY 3-5 yrs Nat’l exp; strong analysis/comm skills, able to interpret data; proficient in Nielsen systems; info www.turnerjobs.com #29520BR; resume-
   (11/20)

JOB OPENING:  EXEC PRODUCER/BET, NY. Resp for planning, dev & prod of pgming for Music dept. Oversee all aspects of prod incl format, content & graphic look, acq & places talent, coordinates activities of staff:
  (11/19)

JOB OPENING:  DIR FIN OPS, Cable TV Co, Stamford. Mge fin ops for Consumer Prods Div. Forecast/budget/inv control/manufacture/prod dist. BA/BS Acctg or Fin exp in acctg, fin & inv mgmt in manuf. or retail. Email
  (11/19)

JOB OPENING:  ICM is seeking is seeking an ASSISTANT TO A NEWS/BROADCASTING AGENT in its NYC office.  A bachelor’s degree and at least 3 years administrative experience are required.  Please email resume to
  (11/18)

JOB OPENING:  SALES PLANNER/GSN, NY~2+ yrs cable experience  Must have prior experience in planning client maintenance delivery & presentation skills Thorough knowledge of excel and powerpoint a must email resume to
  (11/17)

JOB OPENING:  PUBLICIST/OLN, Stamford, CT. Exceptional verbal and written skills,3 yrs PR exp req’d; cable or sports industry a +.See www.olntv.com for more info. Resume/salary:
  (11/17)

JOB OPENING:  GENERAL SALES MANAGER/Comcast Spotlight, Hartford DMA. 5 + yrs of media  sales mgmt exp. with proven ability to lead and motivate a 35+ member sales team to achieve & exceed sales goals. Apply at www.comcast.com (11/17)

JOB OPENING:  LOCAL SALES MANAGER/Comcast Spotlight, Middlebury, CT. 2+ yrs of media sales mgmt exp. with proven ability to lead and motivate a sales team to achieve & exceed sales goals. Apply at www.comcast.com (11/17)

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

SITUATION WANTED: RESEARCH PRO–NYC, 14+ years with rep firms & syndication. Strong analytical, written, presentation and training skills. Detail oriented. MS Office, Nielsen software, MRI. E-mail:
   (11/20)

SITUATION WANTED: REALITY WRITER/PRODUCER:POSITION SOUGHT: L.A./NY. Versatile and experienced in both scripted and non-scripted. Creative and collaborative. Please email:
or call, (310) 435-5238 (11/20)

SITUATION WANTED: Studio-Experienced PROGRAMMING EXEC ACQ. & PROG. EXEC (Warner, Fox, PBS) shifted to the “real” world, but in need of chaos of The Biz.  Connected to producers globally!  Contact: 

(11/20)

SITUATION WANTED:  SALES/MKTG/BIZ DEV PRO w/12 years TV Synd exp + 4w/start-ups in New Media (Internet Video &mobile apps). Seeks opps in Affiliate sales, add sales, Mobile, VOD, PPV. Will relocate E-mail: chrisrovtar
(11/20)

SITUATION WANTED:  EP/PRODUCER/DEV EXEC. Award Winning-Live Action Series/TV Movies, ww exp, bcst/cable Nets, seeks permanent/freelance assignments-gets it done well & on budget. Motivator. -References.
@worldnet
(12/1)

SITUATION WANTED: CREATIVE POSITION/ PRODUCTION:  MTV Asia Senior Producer (6 yrs) & film director of TV commercials, music videos, promos, drama.  Work experience in Asia/ UK/ US.

. NYC  (11/17)

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A MESSAGE FROM CYNOPSIS AD SALES

WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  NOVEMBER 16, 2004:

ABC             My Wife & kids, George Lopez, According to Jim, Rodney, NYPD Blue
CBS             NCIS, The Amazing Race [p]
FOX             The Rebel Billionaire, House [p]
NBC             The Biggest Loser, Scrubs, Law & Order: SVU
PAX             World Cup Comedy, Cold Turkey, Cold Turkey
UPN             Vibe Awards (OTO)
WB              Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill
TELE            Prisionera, Gitanas, Te Voy a Ensenar a Querer
UNIV            Rubi, Amor Real, Lo veremos todo con Niurka y Bobby [p]