CBS: Problems, Problems

"CBS has hit some rough patches, according to Paid Content:

The parent company is under a mini-siege of sorts about
a) its performance,
b) Leslie Mooves’ salary, [sic]
c) Katie Couric’s disastrous tenure at the company,
d) layoffs (even on the digital side, as others are ramping up) and other issues…
e) CBS’s need for an acquisition is becoming apparent. Some CBS executives privately agree."
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"Indeed, other networks have found it difficult to keep low-rated shows alive, even if the programs notch fans in other venues. After keeping the sci-fi drama "Jericho" for another season due to fan protest, CBS decided to yank the drama. Last year, CBS executives admonished fans that no matter how much they enjoyed the program online and via DVR playback, low ratings could not be tolerated."
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"Moonves is a typical old-fashioned Hollywood mogul who believes that stars are the most important element in the success an entertainment program. He obviously believes that CBS's showcase news broadcast, The Evening News is not a news program but an entertainment program -- a show -- which is why he lured Katie Couric away from NBC to be its anchor. He thought she would bring personality and show biz spark to the show. But the largely 65+ audience for The Evening News didn't find perkiness a sufficient substitute for knowledge of current events or news judgment. The show's ratings dropped to an even lower third place than before Cute Katie came on board."

Jericho: No Regrets ?

"With audiences increasingly distracted by other entertainment mediums, what network wouldn't be tempted to give a second chance to a show that sparked so much enthusiasm with a story that kept getting more interesting? After all, viewers never get this riled up about "Cold Case.

No matter what happens with 'Jericho,' there will be no regrets here," one CBS insider says. "We listened to our audience, and the producers delivered seven terrific episodes at a time we needed original programming during the writers strike."

Fans, however, have a very different take on the "Jericho" saga. Despite CBS risking a pickup, many blame the current "Jericho" woes on the network's lack of support."

Nielsen Gadgetry

"Over the years, I’ve seen plenty of good shows tank due to poor ratings, including Sports Night, Wonderfalls, Freaks and Geeks, and Undeclared. And one day about two years ago, I thought all that would change, because my household was randomly chosen to be part of the "Nielsen family.

Not only did my watching or not watching shows have no impact on what made it and what didn’t, but also the Nielsen gadgetry became larger and larger, until at one point our two TVs had so many boxes and wires hanging off of them that they resembled a fifth grader’s technology project, with boxes literally duct-taped to the backs of the TV sets. (Oh, and the technicians had to buy us two new VHS recorders when they managed to drop each of ours within hours of each other.)

The last straw was when Nielsen called and said they would have to come by my house to install some new equipment (for the third time in six months) and it would probably take two days minimum.

There was no telling how much crap they would be taping to my TVs this time around.

So I told them to take all their stuff, because I was through.

And ever since, just as many shows I watch have been canceled, so it seems I didn’t really count anyway."

Jericho: Who's Watching The Fort ?

Yes, New Year is past but Terocious did such an outstanding blog post that I want to share it.

"Happy New Year Jericho Fans

I have to admit that I was already a little tipsy when I got to Jeritopia at about quarter till twelve on New Years Eve. My intent was to remain fairly quiet and enjoy the company but I got a phone call from an old friend so I had to settle for glancing occasionally at the screen and watching the names and comments of my Jericho cohorts scrolling along. For months now we have watched each other come and go. We drop hints about “real life” as we attend to our daily business of living but we have all been elsewhere and wondered: “What is going on right now? Who is watching the fort? What will I find when I get back?” Sound serious? I think you could say that many of us would never have believed just how serious our fandom could become."




" A few weeks ago, HD Net ran an 8 episode “Jericho” marathon and this time I did set my DVR to record it. After watching the pilot episode, my wife and I were hooked. We wound up running through all 8 episodes fairly quickly and then waited for HD Net to run some more. When we didn’t see any on the horizon, we went out and bought the Season 1 DVD the other night and have now made it through another 6 episodes.

After being cancelled at the end of Season 1, a massive fan effort revived the show and a shortened second season will begin on February 12. This time, my DVR is ready. Yours should be, too. “Jericho” is one of the smartest written, best acted shows on TV. Plus with the writers strike continuing, new episodes of quality shows will be few and far between."

Have It Your Way

"The digital out-of-home marketplace has seen rapid growth this year, from the formation of the Out-Of-Home Video Advertising Bureau in January to key players tripling their spending in a span of months. Double-digit growth means it's time for organized metrics -- no easy feat for a market that includes everything from elevators to urinals.

PQ Media expects out-of-home-video spending to increase to $1.28 billion by the end of 2007 (up from $1.1 billion in 2006), with an additional $365 million for digital billboards and displays."



"Part of the reason for the increased proliferation of advertising is part Internet (with Facebook leading the charge) and part consumer behavior toward network television. The American Advertising Federation is currently running a smart poll that asks its readers if they use their DVRs to fast-forward commercials. So far, more than 85 percent say they do (and AAF SmartBrief readers are predominantly advertising people)."



"The writers strike has media buyers growing cautious about the efficacy of TV advertising in the weeks ahead and in the first quarter of 2008 -- and mulling strategies for possible reallocation of marketers' ad spending. The fourth quarter is an especially fraught time for marketers to not be able to count on TV as a reach vehicle, as many are pushing products for the holidays."



"United Hollywood, one of the best sites for strike coverage, has taken a page out of the
"Jericho" fans playbook (remember when they sent truckloads of nuts to CBS to protest the show's cancellation and it worked?) and decided to become creative in sending a message to the studios. With the Pencils2MediaMoguls campaign, for only one dollar you can send a box of pencils to a mogul as part of a petition to demand that the media moguls bargain in good faith and create a fair deal with the Writers Guild of America. You can even send the pencils in honor of your favorite TV show. ( I sent several boxes in honor of "House.")."

Jericho, Nielsen, and You- Part IV

Television today a form of information and entertainment that connects multiple platforms and reaches audiences at every possible level. Digital technologies are providing new and more targeted means to reach audiences, and consumers are using these systems and devices to decide for themselves when, where and how they watch television.

Nielsen Media Research has undertaken several major initiatives to modernize media measurement, including:

* Launching the Active/Passive Meter, which provides the digital platform for capturing what is viewed on the screen and serves as the basis for measuring all time-shifted and place-shifted viewing
* Constructing a state-of-the art worldwide technology center in Oldsmar, Florida
* Introducing electronic Local People Meters into the top 10 local markets
* Measuring Digital Video Recorder (DVR) viewing
* Measuring Video on Demand (VOD) viewing
* Securing a majority stake in Nielsen//NetRatings (Net Ratings, Inc.), the leading Internet measurement company



Soon to be launched:

HeyNielsen is an interactive and fun environment created by The Nielsen Company where you can share opinions on your favorite entertainment, such as TV, Movies, Music, and more.

Tomorrow: Understanding The Ratings