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  • Survey: Local NDs Give So-So Marks To National TV News

    In a TVNewsCheck survey, a cross-section of news directors at TV stations around the country were asked to grade ABC News, CBS News, CNN, FNC, NBC News and MSNBC on "overall journalistic quality." None received an A, four earned Bs and, as for Fox News Channel and MSNBC, they may have to stay after class. More | Comments (7)

  • Ex. Session: Record Political Ad Boom Looms, But ...

    TVB’s political ad guru Jack Poor says there’s good news and bad news for TV stations in this election year. The good news is that their four-fifths share of total TV spend will be up 20% to around a record $2.5 billion, and no other medium seems positioned to cut into stations' share. The bad news is that the total take will be suppressed due to the lack of any major gubernatorial contest that swelled the coffers in 2010. More | Add comment

  • Jessell: Disclosure Rule The First Step Toward Quotas

    The FCC's proposed disclosure rules, which would require stations to detail the kinds of programming they air and post the info on their websites, should be fought tooth and nail by broadcasters. What the regulators want are statistics that they can use to hang over stations in the form of a programming quotas at license renewal time. And a quota is nothing but a mandate. It's the federal government telling stations what programming they must air, and that slams right into broadcasters' First Amendment rights. More | Comments (9)

  • Front Office: Cord Cutting Is Gen Y’s Latest Trend

    A growing number of young adults born between 1980 and 1995 — Gen Y — are purchasing over-the-air antennas to watch television programming. Gen Ys are inherently more adept at, and prone to, experimenting with alternative forms of viewing TV content; they are less likely to accept the need to subscribe to subscription-based pay TV once they’re free to make their own decisions about it. More | Comments (11)

  • NAB 2012: Getting The Shot Cheaper, Easier, Faster

    JVC%27s+GY-HM150
    JVC's GY-HM150
    As more and more stations adopt the one-man band approach to newsgathering, the camera manufacturers are turning out new units that are small enough and light enough to be managed easily, and big enough and heavy enough to be balanced for a steady shot. Plus, they’re inexpensive enough that any station's budget can handle them, too. More | Comments (7)

Special Reports

  • 2011—Year In Review: Revisit the year’s top developments in business, programming, journalism, technology, regulation and more.
  • Audience Measurement: The state of ratings is examined in three parts: an interview with the head of the Media Ratings Council; the growing presence of Rentrak; and the search for a better local ratings currency.
  • Traffic Reporting: This four-part TVNewsCheck Special Report focuses on what it takes to stay on top of the growing commuter gridlock across the country.
  • Remembering 9/11: TVNewsCheck looks back 10 years after the attacks with a series of five articles.
  • Severe Weather News: This five-part TVNewsCheck Special Report focuses on the changing technology used to stay ahead of storms.
  • TOP 30 TV STATION GROUPS: TVNewsCheck's exclusive ranking by coverage with a summary of each group's holdings and top executives.

Industry Calendar

March 2012
Tu
Th
13-15
American Cable Association
ACA’s 19th Annual Summit
Washington, D.C., DC
We
We
21-22
Borrell Advertising Associates
The Borrell Local Online Advertising Conference
New York, NY
We
Th
21-23
BIA Kelsey
ILM EAST
Boston, MA
April 2012
Sa
Th
14-19
National Association of Broadcasters
NAB Show
Las Vegas, NV
June 2012
Tu
Th
12-14
PromaxBDA
PromaxBDA: The Conference 2012
Los Angeles, CA

Station Directory

Net Essentials

AP Breaking News

Our Advertisers

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Primetime Spots Up 2%, Fox Leads Nets
MediaPost, Feb 8, 2012, 8:14 AM EST
The price of network primetime commercials inched up 2% in the fourth quarter of 2011 versus the same period a year ago. Media-buying company TargetCast tcm and TV research firm SQAD say the price for a 30-second primetime broadcast network commercial grew 2% over 2010 to $116,122. Fox was tops at $179,514. Link | Add comment
dma 209 (North Platte, NE)
Backstory: KNOP’s Will Ferrell Super Bowl Ad
MediaBistro, Feb 8, 2012, 7:45 AM EST
ABC Sells Out Academy Awards Broadcast
Los Angeles Times, Feb 8, 2012, 6:41 AM EST
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger said Tuesday that the ABC network last week sold the remainder of its available advertising time — several weeks earlier than usual. ABC fetched an average of $1.7 million per 30-second spot for the 84th annual Academy Awards to be broadcast on Feb. 26, a slight uptick from last year's rate. Link | Add comment
Rentrak Signs Interpublic To 'Milestone' Deal
MediaPost, Feb 8, 2012, 6:07 AM EST
Rentrak revealed Tuesday what it described as a “milestone” deal with Interpublic that would use its TV audience measurement data as a “trading currency.” The deal, which was unveiled as part of Rentrak’s quarterly earnings briefing with investors and analysts, includes a new TV audience segmentation system targeting “movie-goers." Link | Add comment
TVB commentary
Super Bowl XLVI — Six Screens To Glory
TVB, Feb 6, 2012, 7:39 PM EST
In 2012 watching the game on your living room HDTV isn’t the only “best” way to watch the game anymore. And by that I don’t mean that I didn’t spring for the full 3D TV experience. It’s bigger than that. Today, you can virtually have an “all-access” pass to the Super Bowl while still being hundreds of miles from the stadium. Link | Add comment
Market Profile — DMA 34
Milwaukee: Flat Rates And Lots Of Inventory
Media Life, Feb 6, 2012, 12:05 PM EST
Milwaukee is a healthy market in the midst of a lowest-unit-rate political window leading into Wisconsin's Feb. 21 state primary. Yet unlike many other markets with upcoming primaries, Milwaukee television is not clogged with political ads. Buyers say they can get their clients on the air without too much difficulty. Link | Add comment
Executive Session
Record Political Ad Boom Looms, But ...
TVNewsCheck, Feb 6, 2012, 8:33 AM EST
TVB’s political ad guru Jack Poor says there’s good news and bad news for TV stations in this election year. The good news is that their four-fifths share of total TV spend will be up 20% to around a record $2.5 billion, and no other medium seems positioned to cut into stations' share. The bad news is that the total take will be suppressed due to the lack of any major gubernatorial contest that swelled the coffers in 2010. Full Story | Add comment
upfronts 2012
At Kid's TV Upfronts, It's Viacom Vs. Surging Disney
New York Times, Feb 6, 2012, 7:30 AM EST
ombudsman
Washington Post Crosses Into TV Territory
Washington Post, Feb 5, 2012, 8:44 AM EST
Video is becoming an increasingly significant, and profitable, part of the digital content offered by the Post and other news sites. You’ll be seeing more of this in 2012 and beyond. No, the Post won’t be a full-service TV station, at least not for now, but a well-equipped video-production suite already sits adjacent to the main Post newsroom, and the department is hiring more video journalists and producers in the coming weeks and months. Link | Add comment
FCC: TV Can Nix Super Bowl Abortion Ad
Politico, Feb 3, 2012, 5:50 PM EST
The FCC ruled Friday that anti-abortion activist Randall Terry can't force a Chicago TV station to air commercials featuring graphic images of aborted fetuses during the Super Bowl. Link | Add comment
news analysis
Candidates Have Much to Fear From Terry Ads
CommLawCenter, Feb 3, 2012, 3:41 PM EST
If you are a television broadcaster, count yourself fortunate if you have not heard from the ad agency for Randall Terry. In a self-proclaimed effort to exploit the laws requiring broadcasters to give federal candidates guaranteed access to airtime as well as their lowest ad rates, Terry has announced he is running for president and wishes to air anti-abortion ads containing graphic footage of aborted fetuses during Super Bowl coverage and elsewhere. Link | Add comment
A Super Bowl Ad To Rile Abortion Politics
Politico, Feb 3, 2012, 7:16 AM EST
Anti-abortion crusader and would-be Democratic candidate for president Randall Terry expects the FCC to decide as soon as today if TV stations must run his graphic ads — featuring aborted fetuses — during Sunday’s Super Bowl. Link | Add comment
Seeing Super Bowl Ads Before The Coin Toss
New York Times, Feb 3, 2012, 6:07 AM EST
Advertisers placed many Super Bowl spots on YouTube or social media well ahead of the game, hoping to start a conversation and generate follow-up interest. Link | Add comment
Dma 102
Rentrak Signs Peak Media’s Johnstown Duo
TVNewsCheck, Feb 2, 2012, 8:03 AM EST
Chicanery Part Of Networks' Ratings Strategy
New York Times, Feb 2, 2012, 6:41 AM EST
Strategies include front-loading national commercials early in a show and extending hit shows a minute or two into the following hour. Link | Add comment
upfront '12
GM Opts Out Of Second Quarter Upfront Buys
Adweek, Feb 2, 2012, 6:11 AM EST
General Motors has thrown the transmission in reverse, exercising options to cancel a substantial portion of its second quarter upfront commitments. According to several sources, GM has pulled out of nearly 50% of its 2Q upfront buys in broadcast and cable, the maximum allowable under the terms of network ad contracts. Link | Add comment
CBS Stations Names Alan Clack Western Sales SVP
TVNewsCheck, Feb 1, 2012, 4:08 PM EST
Pivotal Research Group report
Big 4 To Get 8% Higher CPMs At Upfront
Paid Content, Feb 1, 2012, 3:30 PM EST
Pivotal Research Group today released a report predicting that the cost for a thousand impressions (CPMs) in primetime will increase 8% for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC when they convene with advertisers this spring for their annual upfront selling ritual. Link | Add comment
Super Bowl Advertisers Go After 2nd Screens
Associated Press, Feb 1, 2012, 2:50 PM EST
About two-thirds of smartphone and tablet owners use their gadgets to do things like text or post on Twitter while watching TV, according to Nielsen. So, for Sunday's game, companies from Coke to Chevy are trying to reach fans on all the "second screens" they have. Full Story | Add comment
Hulu Returns To Super Bowl Ad Lineup
New York, Feb 1, 2012, 6:16 AM EST
Five days before Super Bowl XLVI, the lineup of advertisers is being firmed up with the news on Tuesday that the video-streaming site Hulu will be buying commercial time. Link | Add comment
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The Market

Symbol Last Change (%)
Nasdaq 2914.98 +10.90 (+0.38%)
NYSE 8082.98 +13.27 (+0.16%)
S&P 500 1349.51 +2.46 (+0.18%)
Updated 02/08 4:19p ET Quotes delayed at least 20 mins.
Source: Financial Content

Ratings

Overnights, adults 18-49 for February 7, 2012
  • 1.
    3.1/8
  • 2.
    3.0/8
  • 3.
    2.4/6
  • 4.
    2.0/5
  • 5.
    1.6/4
  • 6.
    0.6/1
Source: Nielsen
Reviews
Opinions
Features
  • Neil Genzlinger

    Smash, NBC’s series about backstage Broadway, comes with New York and Hollywood names off screen (Steven Spielberg, Therese Rebeck) and on (Debra Messing and Brian d’Arcy James). Given that pedigree, you’re expecting to be bowled over by the pilot, but it ends up feeling like a collage of devices from the zillions of previous backstage plays, musicals and movies. However, be patient — Smash gets better as it goes along and by Episode 3 it shows signs of becoming an addictive pleasure along the lines of this season’s Revenge.

  • Lori Rackl

    Pop some Dramamine before watching ABC's new horror series, The River, because the shaky camera work is more likely to make you seasick than scared. You can, however, skip the sleeping pill. The River's two-hour premiere should suffice. Billed as a thriller, the show tries hard to be terrifying and eerie in a Paranormal Activity kind of way. It ends up being hokey and, even worse, boring.

  • Robert Lloyd

    Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, veterans of Fox's sketch comedy MADtv, have a new series of their own, Comedy Central's Key & Peele. It is a genial, at times almost genteel, half-hour in which the pair's obvious niceness shines through even their more pugnacious characters. (Key's version of road rage is to shout, "Selfish!") In a roundabout way, that's the point. The sketches are consistently smart and smartly acted and flow easily from ordinary premises to weird conclusions.

  • Hank Stuever

    Discovery's Bering Sea Gold doesn’t seem at first like it has crossed any new reality TV frontier, relying on elements and structure familiar to the form. Enticingly (to the network), it combines the ocean and the gold and the cold and the reactive testosterone among bad-tempered desperados. To which I am surprised to cry: Eureka, they’ve found it! Bering Sea Gold is a testament to how thoroughly absorbing the genre can still be, when it’s done right.

  • Joanne Ostrow

    Kiefer Sutherland displays his softer side in Fox's Touch, a touchy-feely drama merging paranormal, spiritual and sweetly familial elements. shows off his acting chops, long forgotten, in scene after scene. It's heavier lifting than usual for the actor who was often reduced to caricature in 24. Sutherland is all about vulnerability in a show whose goal is nothing short of proving the interconnectedness of human life. We'll see if audiences can tolerate the notion of profound interrelatedness as weekly entertainment.

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