The Ratings Wizard
Monday, March 22, 2004-Sunday, March 28, 2004TV Season Week No. 27Fox edged out NBC for a weekly victory in adults 18 to 49 with a 4.3/12 to NBC’s 4.2/12. In total viewers, CBS took the week with 16.7 million. Top…
Author Page
15,322 Entries
Writers Prez Enters Ring With Producers
There are thorny issues on the table as the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers begin bargaining this week for a new basic three-year contract. Among the issues are writers’ demands for a…
Nets Turn to V-Chip as Savior
The Big 4 networks did an apparent about-face on the v-chip last week, and veteran executives said the reason is simple: Despite their serious reservations about the device during its development a decade ago, the sky didn’t fall when the…
N.Y. Braces for People Meters
Nielsen Media Research is standing by plans to switch Thursday to Local People Meter measurement service in New York in the face of pressure and criticism from lawmakers, advocacy groups and even some clients.“We’re still on target,” said Nielsen spokesman…
Once `Punk’d,’ Twice Shy
We didn’t blink when MTV announced last week that “Punk’d” was returning to its schedule, despite the apropos April Fool’s Day timing. It appeared the joke already had been played on the media in December, when series star-executive producer Ashton…
Editorial: Mandating a la Carte Is Not the Way to Go
Selling cable TV networks individually or in small, defined groups-the so-called “a la carte” system-holds obvious appeal for consumers troubled by rising cable TV bills. It seems so simple: Receive only the channels they want in return for a lower…
Hallmark Channel on Mission to Up Revenue
Hallmark Channel has a new greeting to send to Madison Avenue this upfront season.After two years of growth, the network continues to add original movies and acquired programming. And now it wants advertisers to pay.“We think we’re undervalued in the…
A GUIDE TO USING THE V-CHIP
The premise behind the v-chip is fairly simple. It grabs content ratings information for programming and compares it with the parameters that have been set up by the TV owner. The v-chip is an extension of the control circuitry inside…
Court TV Makes Case for ‘CPI Viewer’
Halfway through the 2004-05 cable upfront TV sales season, some interesting pitches have emerged. All are designed to differentiate the presenting network from the ever-expanding clutter of advertising options and get planners and buyers involved enough with its programming that…
EDGINESS ISN’T ENOUGH: NETS NEED HIT SHOWS
Back in spring of 1987, shortly before newly minted Fox Broadcasting launched its first prime-time schedule, I put a question to then-President Barry Diller, who had been hired to lead the new network by News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch: How…