| Today's Top Stories | | #1 | As Government Talks Regulation, E-Cigarette Ads Expected To Grow in 2014
| | | The Food and Drug Administration as early as January is expected to propose curbs on the battery-powered devices and regulate them like traditional cigarettes, while e-cigarette makers plan to spend well more in 2014 than the $15 million spent on TV ads during the first three quarters of this year, The Wall Street Journal reports. Parent companies of Marlboro and Camel are expected to join in the heavy e-cigarette TV ad spend.
Why This Matters: Media planning and buying agencies have a potentially big financial stake in this growing category but government regulations could put a damper on it.
A Take: WSJ
|
| | #2 | Initial Advertisers Give iTunes Radio Thumbs Up So Far
| | | Initial partners including Pepsi, Nissan, McDonald's and P&G have been pleased with what the streaming music service has delivered since its September launch, Ad Age reports. "The results so far are right on target," said Ben Winkler, chief digital officer at OMD, agency for Pepsi and Nissan.
Why This Matters: Pandora dominates the digital radio category with 72.4 million monthly listeners, but iTunes captured 20 million listeners in its first month and without much promotion. "I'm excited about what happens to the numbers when the service is genuinely promoted from an advertising perspective," Winkler said.
A Take: Ad Age
|
| | #3 | Consultant Says Key To Agencies Winning Pitches Is Higher Web Visibility
| | | Converse Digital founder Tom Martin says agencies need to conduct more webinars and create more online content, post whitepapers and blogs to get recognition and to build up a list of followers that can be tracked. Writing in Ad Age, Martin also says agencies need to not just try to gain new clients from prospects already on their radar and in their database. And unsolicited calls and emails can annoy prospective clients.
Why This Matters: Martin says traditional methods of contacting prospective clients still might work and shouldn't be totally abandoned, but new business can be recruited with less time, effort and money if his suggestions are adopted.
A Take: Ad Age
|
|
#4 Guitar Center Luring Customers With Podcasts (USA Today)
#5 Online Holiday Sales Via Desktop Rose 10%—And Short Of Expectations (MediaPost)
#6 Some Agencies Get Scrooged By End-Of-Year RFPs (Ad Age)
#7 New SafeAuto Insurance Campaign Wants Clients To Nickname Their Cars (NYT)
#8 Narrative CEO Touts Power Of Music In Brands' Digital Marketing Campaigns (eMarketer)
#9 Asian Agencies Expanding Globally With Help From Westerners (Ad Age)
#10 More Fraud Charges Against Execs In KSL Bankruptcy Case (MediaPost)
|
|  | • 29
Percentage of total online holiday sales produced via mobile, up 40% over 2012, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark data.
– Reported by MediaPost
|
| | MBPT Spotlight | 'Most Wonderful Time of The Year' for NFL: January—With standout quarterbacks and marquee franchises, pro football's postseason slate should translate into another ratings touchdown for networks
By Tim Baysinger
Between a full day of NBA action on Dec. 25 and two weeks of college bowl games, the Holiday season truly does offer the gift that keeps on giving for sports fans. But once the mistletoe is put away and Times Square drops the ball like a beleaguered quarterback, it's the NFL playoffs that bring viewers much-needed respite from the winter doldrums—while bringing advertisers reasons to be cheerful.
For the league's TV partners, January's playoffs represent the last hurrah under the current rights deal, which expires after the NFL champion is crowned in New Jersey in Super Bowl XLVIII. Next year, NBC trades one of its wild card Saturday doubleheader games for a Saturday spot during the divisional round, which will alternate with CBS and Fox.
Last year's playoffs were down across the board: wild card weekend fell 2%; divisional weekend was off by 7% and championship Sunday dipped 16%. The Super Bowl even fell for the first time since 2005, though it still drew a mighty robust 108 million viewers.
Among the reasons to expect those trends may shift upward: There could be as many as six new teams in this year's playoff field, including representatives from top markets such as Philadelphia, Dallas and Chicago. Also, evolving star Cam Newton could make his playoff debut as his Carolina Panthers are poised to punch their postseason ticket; recent champs the New Orleans Saints are on the cusp as well, which would put star quarterback (and former Super Bowl MVP) Drew Brees back in the playoffs after missing playoff action last season.
What other on-field reasons are making the networks confident of a good ratings showing in this season's NFL playoffs? And what are the big behind-the-mic changes for the broadcasters?
For more, click HERE (sub required)
|
| | Fates & Fortunes | • JOHN MILLER has officially announced that he will be leaving his post as a senior CBS news correspondent to take a still-undetermined role under incoming New York City police commissioner Bill Bratton. Miller began as a TV journalist at WNEW Channel 5 in New York City, and in 1985 joined WNBC. He left in 1994 to become deputy commissioner of public information for the NYC police department under Bratton, during his first stint in that role. He returned to TV news as a correspondent for ABC News in 1995, where he was also coanchor of 20/20. In 2003, he left to join Bratton again, this time with the Los Angeles Police Department where he headed the department's counter-terrorism and intelligence units. In 2005, he left to take a post with the FBI with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In 2011, he came back to TV news, this time with CBS News.
|
|
| | What They're Watching | BROADCAST RATINGS
'Big Bang' Lifts CBS on Rerun-Heavy Night
CBS was Thursday night's top broadcast network, relying on a lineup of comedy reruns. The network's replay of The Big Bang Theory was the highest rated show of the evening. ABC aired the night's only original program—the 20/20 special Mysteries of the Castle: Beyond Downton Abbey, which followed a rerun of Shark Tank. The network tied with NBC's lineup of reruns for second place. Fox finished fourth with reruns. The CW rounded out the evening.
For more, click HERE
CABLE RATINGS
'24 Hours of A Christmas Story' Tops Wednesday
TBS' 10 a.m. and noon offerings of its 24 Hours of A Christmas Story beat the cable lineup Wednesday. The 10 a.m. airing garnered a 2.1 adults 18-49 rating and 4.9 million viewers while the noon show earned a 1.7 in the demo and 4.2 million watchers. TBS' 10 p.m. episode of The Big Bang Theory rounded out the top three with a 1.4 demo rating and 3.8 million viewers.
For more, click HERE
|
| Overnight Ratings: Thursday, December 26
| | 8 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | CBS
| THE BIG BANG THEORY (R) (8:00)
THE MILLERS (R) (8:30)
| 2.6
1.7
| 11.0
7.4
| ABC
| SHARK TANK (R)
| 1.3
| 5.6
| UNIVISION
| POR SIEMPRE MI AMOR
| 0.9
| 2.8
| NBC
| PARKS AND RECREATION (R) (8:00)
PARKS AND RECREATION (R) (8:30)
|
0.6
0.6
|
2.2
2.0
| FOX
| GLEE (R)
| 0.4
| 1.6
| CW
| THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (R)
| 0.3
| 0.9
|
| | 9 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | NBC
| THE WOMEN OF SNL (R)
| 1.2
| 3.7
| ABC
| 20/20 SPECIAL
| 1.1
| 5.2
| CBS
| THE MILLERS (R) (9:00)
THE MILLERS (R) (9:30)
| 1.1
0.9
| 5.3
4.4
| UNIVISION
| LO QUE LA VIDA ME ROBÓ
| 1.0
| 2.9
| FOX
| GLEE (R)
| 0.3
| 1.4
| CW
| REIGN (R)
| 0.3
| 0.9
|
| | 10 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | NBC
| THE WOMEN OF SNL (R)
| 1.4
| 4.3
| UNIVISION
| LO QUE LA VIDA ME ROBÓ
| 1.1
| 2.9
| CBS
| ELEMENTARY (R)
| 0.9
| 5.3
| ABC
| 20/20 SPECIAL
| 0.8
| 4.4
|
|
|
|
|
| | THIS WEEKEND'S BIG RATINGS STORIES TODAY | • 'Nikita' Says Good-Bye To The Division For Good on The CW
The drama series starring Maggie Q as a woman who escapes from—and then tries to bring down—a secret government-funded organization known as the Division that recruits young people to become spies and assassins, airs its final episode on Friday night at 9. Nikita in its first season four years ago was The CW's most-watched scripted show. Now it's the least-watched. The network brought the series back for a six-episode fourth and final season on Nov. 22. Nikita averaged 2 million viewers in its first season, but this season has averaged only about 750,000 viewers, similar to last season. The upshot: For some reason after the show's successful first season, CW entertainment brass decided to doom it to Friday nights when the network's millennial viewers are generally not watching TV. Nikita lost 600,000 viewers per night in its second season and its median age rose 5 years to 48 and the downward spiral began. Whatever loyal fans the series has left will say good-bye on Friday night.
|
| • WWE Again Salutes the Troops on NBC, But Who Will Be Watching?
The Peacock network will televise the annual WWE Tribute to the Troops event as a one-hour special on Saturday at 8 p.m., hosted by Access Hollywood's Michelle Beadle with performances by musical guest Daughtry and comedian Jeff Dunham. The special will also feature highlights of the WWE's goodwill trip to visit troops overseas, and celebrity "shout-outs" to the troops by Will Ferrell, Bruce Willis, Ryan Seacrest, Christina Applegate and Stephen Colbert. This year's special was taped in front of a military audience at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State. The upshot: Saturday night is broadcast TV's lowest viewing night and last year's telecast on NBC drew only 1.3 million viewers and a 0.1 18-49 demo rating, the least watched show in broadcast primetime. Doesn't seem like this year's audience can be much lower.
|
| • Can Eagles-Cowboys Break 'SNF' Record?
For the third consecutive season, the final telecast of the season on NBC's Sunday Night Football will be a game that decides the winner of the NFC East with the winner going to the playoffs. Last season, the Washington Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys to win the division. This Sunday night, the 9-6 Philadelphia Eagles will visit the 8-7 Cowboys with the winner gaining a playoff berth. If Cowboys win, both teams would be 9-7 but Dallas would have beaten the Eagles in both head-to-head matchups, which is the first tiebreaker. The Cowboys will be at an enormous disadvantage, however, with quarterback Tony Romo out of action after season-ending back surgery on Friday. Dallas is 6-7 without Romo as their starting quarterback since he won the job in 2006. The upshot: Last year's season finale between the Cowboys and the Redskins was the most watched SNF game ever, drawing 30.3 million viewers. This Sunday's Cowboys-Eagles game could come close to breaking that with the Cowboys having a strong national following and the Eagles being from a large TV market. That said, having Kyle Orton as Romo's replacement may hurt viewership.
|
|
|
| |  |  |
|
| Media Buyer & Planner Today
Editorial Team
John Consoli, Contributing Editor
Phone: 201-314-0424 | Send Email
Jon Lafayette, Business Editor, Broadcasting & Cable
Phone: 917-281-4735 | Send Email
Brian Moran, Managing Editor, Broadcasting & Cable
Phone: 917-281-4708 | Send Email
|
|
| | | 
|
|
|
| | | | | | |
