Dec 31 2008
Here's who was advertising on TV in 2008 and viewers' favorite commericals, per Nielsen:
Top 10 Advertisers - by U.S. Spending on Traditional Media
Rank Parent Company Ad Dollars Spent
1 Procter & Gamble Co $2,342,319,397
2 General Motors Corp $1,441,747,399
3 AT&T Inc $1,317,893,377
4 Verizon Communications Inc $1,125,700,512
5 Johnson & Johnson $1,059,109,138
6 Time Warner Inc $878,355,332
7 Toyota Motor Corp $819,377,026
8 General Electric Co $807,869,688
9 Ford Motor Co $742,708,529
10 Pepsico Inc $730,503,931
Source: The Nielsen Company; Note: Data from Jan 1-Sept 30, 2008. Based on spending estimates in the following media: Network TV, National Cable TV, Spot TV, Syndicated TV, Spanish-Language TV, Nat'l/Local Magazine, Network/Spot Radio, Outdoor, Coupons (CPGs only), Nat'l/Local Newspapers (display ads only), Nat'l/Local Sunday Supplements.
Top 10 Best-Liked TV Commercials
Rank Brand Ad Description Likeability Index*
1 NFL Ephraim Salaam describes how Chester Pitts became an NFL player (:60) 216
2 Budweiser Dalmatian trains Hank the Clydesdale for hitch team (:60) 208
3 Geico Gecko on subway train with older man (:30) 192
4 AMP Energy Dale Earnhardt Jr. knocks out a gorilla in different places (:30) 191
5 M&M's Pink peanut M&M is attacked by squirrels in park (:15) 186
6 Bridgestone Squirrel and other forest animals scream as car approaches (:30) 185
7 Lowe's Jimmie Johnson fixes things, including school bus, using Kobalt tools (:30) 185
8 Slim Jim Couple at wedding is attacked by man's mini evil twin (:15) 181
9 Bud Light Bud Light is brewed to give you the ability to breath fire (:30) 175
10 Macy's Celebrities read "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" (:30) 170
Source: The Nielsen Company. Note: Data from Jan 1 - Nov 30, 2008, Broadcast Networks Primetime. Only ads launching since Jan 1 are considered. *Among Persons 13+
Dec 30 2008
In PBS's "Independent Lens" (10 tonight, WQED), good intentions lead to unintended consequences when actor/director Liev Schreiber invites 25-year-old Iraqi film student Muthana Mohmed to work on the 2005 flim "Everything is Illuminated" in the Czech Republic.
Schreiber extends the invitation after seeing Muthana on an MTV report, but it turns out to be a disaster when the invitee has no frame of reference for Western culture let alone Western film set culture.
When Muthana is tasked with editing a gag reel for the film's wrap party, he goes out partying with friends instead, much to the consternation of his benefactors and co-workers, including publicist Emma Cooper, who worked on several films in Pittsburgh, including "The Road," "Mysteries of Pittsburgh" and "Smart People."
One "Illuminated" producer compares the invitation to Muthana to America's invasion of Iraq.
"What did you think would happen, you idiot?" he says of the Iraqi invasion. "I'm beginning to think the same thing about this."
Filmmaker Nina Davenport documents the interesting conundrums in Muthana's journey in the film's first hour, but the last 30 minutes devolves into a back-and-forth between Davenport and her subject as he keeps asking for help and money. "Operation Filmmaker" posits a more interesting topic than it successfully executes that idea as the film overstays its welcome by at least 30 minutes. But that first 45 minutes is pretty interesting as we see charity case Muthana interacting with Hollywood stars, including Elijah Wood and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Dec 29 2008
I have heard the name Brody Jenner, so I'm familiar with him in a generic, he's-kinda-famous-but-I-don't-know-why way. If I think hard, I can even remember a short-lived Fox reality series he was on back in 2005, "Princes of Malibu." But I think he's mostly famous for being famous. Or infamous.
In my mind, he's one of those L.A. club-goers who's always hooking up with beautiful women who may also be famous for being famous. Now he's taking a page from the Paris Hilton playbook. She had a MTV show where she sought to find a new best friend. Now Jenner, center right, is looking for a guy to join his posse in "Bromance" (9 tonight, MTV).
MTV didn't make the show available for review, but the two-minute trailer make it look just as lunkheaded as you might expect.
"Seems like me and my friends are popping up everywhere these days," Jenner says, before describing all the parties filled with "chicks."
In "Bromance," Jenner will audition nine prospective new bros, who may also be as useless as he is (some of them cry, which doesn't seem very bro-like). Please note, this series should not be confused with VH1's "Tool Academy," although that show's title would seem to work for the Jenner series, too.
Tonight's there's also the premiere of a spin-off series from MTV's "The Hills." In "The City" (10 p.m., MTV), Whitney Port, left, moves to New York to work in the fashion industry while cameras follow her everywhere in this quasi-reality show.
Again, no review copy, but the trailer makes it look a cross between a "reality" version of "Sex in the City" (with an Aussie hunk subbing for Mr. Big) and "Gossip Girl." It's got that glossy sheen that makes the show look more cinematic than "reality" and it could be just as addictive.
Dec 26 2008
Do the commercials inside TV shows drive you nuts with your obviousness? Here's how Nielsen rated them:
Top 10 Most Effective Product Placements on Brand Opinion
Rank Brand Ad Description Program (Network) Brand Opinion Index*
1 CVS Pharmacy Company pays bills and provides supplies to families Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC, 3/16 - 11/9/08) 299
2 TRESemme Company provides prize to winner; sponsor of hair salon Project Runway (Bravo, 1/2 - 10/20/08) 256
3 El Pollo Loco Jeff and team eat lunch from fast-food restaurant Flipping Out (Bravo, 6/24 - 8/12/08) 254
4 Bluefly.com Winner can sell line through online retailer; sponsor of accessories wall Project Runway (Bravo, 1/2 - 10/20/08) 254
5 Sears Retailer provides tools, appliances and supplies for homes Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC, 1/6 - 11/30/08) 253
6 Glad Company provides prize to winner; products are used during challenges Top Chef (Bravo, 3/12 - 11/28/08) 251
7 Whole Foods Market Contestants shop for ingredients to use in challenges Top Chef (Bravo, 3/12 - 11/28/08) 248
8 Food & Wine Magazine Winner will be featured in magazine and showcase food at festival Top Chef (Bravo, 3/12 - 11/28/08) 245
9 GQ Magazine Winning model will receive a fashion pictorial in men's magazine Make Me a Supermodel (Bravo, 1/10 - 4/3/08) 244
10 Hugo Boss Patti's clients shop with style expert at clothing store The Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo, 2/12 - 4/7/08) 241
Source: The Nielsen Company. Note: Data from Jan 1 - Nov 30, 2008, Broadcast and Cable Networks Primetime (includes A&E, Bravo, Discovery, ESPN, FX, Lifetime, NAN, TBS, TLC, TNT and USA). The placements delivered the greatest percentage of viewers who both recalled and cited an improved opinion of the integrated brand. *Among Persons 13+.
Top 10 Programs with Product Placement Activity, Broadcast Network TV
Total # of
Rank Program Network Occurrences
1 BIGGEST LOSER NBC 6248
2 AMERICAN IDOL FOX 4636
3 EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION ABC 3371
4 AMERICAS TOUGHEST JOBS NBC 2807
5 ONE TREE HILL CW 2575
6 DEAL OR NO DEAL NBC 2292
7 AMERICAS NEXT TOP MODEL CW 2241
8 LAST COMIC STANDING NBC 1993
9 KITCHEN NIGHTMARES FOX 1853
10 HELLS KITCHEN FOX 1807
Source: The Nielsen Company; Note: Data from Jan 1 - Nov 30, 2008
Dec 25 2008
Here's hoping you and your family have a blessed holiday.
You can celebrate by watching "A Christmas Story," which begins airing at 6 a.m. on TBS. The last airing begins at 6 p.m.
Our look at Nielsen data continues tomorrow in Tuned In Journal and we'll have new posts all next week.
Dec 24 2008
As more and more Americans get DVRs -- right now some of the top markets have reached more than a 30 percent penetration rate -- TV shows are being recorded and delayed now more than ever. How come? DVRs are easier to use than VCRs and allow users to more easily skip through commercials.
(Have you noticed how movie studios are fighting back? I first caught this with TV commercials for the movie "Twilight," which had a black strip across the top containing the film's title and release date. That black bar with the title and date stayed on screen throughout the commercial, so even if you were fast-forwarding through the commercials, you still knew what it was an ad for. The studio got at least some of its message through even in a DVR era.)
Here's what viewers were time shifting most in 2008:
Top 10 "Timeshifted" Primetime TV Programs
Rank Programs Network % Increase in Viewership
1 HEROES NBC 35%
2 FRINGE FOX 26%
3 LOST ABC 25%
4 BONES FOX 21%
5 GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM ABC 20%
6 HOUSE FOX 18%
7 SURVIVOR: GABON CBS 18%
8 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 13%
9 MENTALIST, THE CBS 13%
10 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX 12%
Source: The Nielsen Company
Data from Jan 01, 2008- Nov 23, 2008. Percent Increase in viewership is based on absolute difference between Live Household Ratings and Live+7.
Top 10 "Timeshifted" Primetime Programs - Ranked by Increase in Households
Rank Programs Network Absolute Difference in Households (000)
1 American Idol - Tuesday FOX 2153
2 American Idol - Wednesday FOX 1945
3 Heroes NBC 1832
4 Lost ABC 1793
5 Fringe FOX 1602
6 House FOX 1454
7 The Mentalist CBS 1445
8 Survivor: Gabon CBS 1396
9 Grey's Anatomy - Thur 9PM ABC 1358
10 Bones FOX 1331
Source: The Nielsen Company
Note: Data from Jan 01, 2008- Nov 30, 2008. Absolute difference in (000) is based on Live and Live+ 7 Household projections. A program must reach at least a 1.0 live+7 HH rating and have at least 4 telecasts. Excludes telecasts under 5 minutes.
Top 10 "Timeshifted" Primetime Programs - Ranked by Percent Difference
Rank Programs Network % Increase in Rating
1 Battlestar Galactica (Orig) SCIFI 53%
2 Burn Notice USA 37%
3 Heroes NBC 35%
3 90210 CW 35%
3 Sanctuary SCIFI 35%
6 Eureka SCIFI 34%
7 My Boys TBSC 32%
8 Psych USA 29%
9 In Plain Sight USA 28%
10 America's Top Model - 5 CW 27%
10 Fringe FOX 27%
10 The Starter Wife USA 27%
10 The Office NBC 27%
Source: The Nielsen Company
Note: Data from Jan 01, 2008- Nov 30, 2008. Percent increase in rating is based on absolute difference between Live Household Ratings and Live+7. A program must reach at least a 1.0 live+7 HH rating and have at least 4 telecasts. Excludes telecasts under 5 minutes.
Dec 23 2008
We reported last month on the new History Channel series "Extreme Trains," but the show is worth mentioning again because tonight's episode (10 p.m.) might be one worth taping for children to see.
In this episode, host Matt Bown rides the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus train from Baltimore to Washington and gets a glimpse at how the circus juggles transportation for jugglers, horses and clown cars.
From what I've seen, "Extreme Trains" is always a family-friendly show, so the late air time is unfortunate, particularly in this instance. Most kids are in bed by 10, but it seems like this is a program they might like to see. Set your VCR/DVR accordingly.
Dec 22 2008
For the next week or so I'll be occasionally posting some TV stats from 2008, courtesy of Nielsen. Make of them what you will:
Top 10 TV Programs - Regularly Scheduled
Rank Programs Network % of Homes in U.S. (Rating)
1 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 15.5
2 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX 15.3
3 DANCING WITH THE STARS ABC 12.3
4 DANCING W/STARS RESULTS ABC 11.4
5 MENTALIST, THE CBS 10.0
5 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NBC 10.0
7 CSI CBS 8.1
8 NCIS CBS 8.0
9 60 MINUTES CBS 7.6
9 SURVIVOR: GABON CBS 7.6
Source: The Nielsen Company; Note Data from Jan 01, 2008- Dec 7, 2008. Household Ratings include Live and Same Day timeshifted viewing. Excludes telecasts under 5 minutes.
Top 10 TV Programs - Single Telecast
Rank Telecasts Network Date Aired % of Homes in U.S. (Rating)
1 FOX SUPER BOWL XLII FOX 02/03/2008 43.1
2 FOX SUPER BOWL POST GAME FOX 02/03/2008 30.1
3 FOX NFC CHAMPIONSHIP FOX 01/20/2008 29.0
4 SUMMER OLYMPICS TUE PRIME 1 NBC 08/12/2008 20.0
5 FOX NFC PLAYOFF-PST-SUN FOX 01/13/2008 18.8
5 SUMMER OLYMPICS OPEN CEREM NBC 08/08/2008 18.8
7 ACADEMY AWARDS ABC 02/24/2008 18.7
8 SUMMER OLYMPICS SUN PRIME 1 NBC 08/10/2008 18.1
9 AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF CBS 01/12/2008 17.9
9 SUMMER OLYMPICS THU PRIME 1 NBC 08/14/2008 17.9
Note Data from Jan 01, 2008- Dec 7, 2008. Household Ratings include Live and Same Day timeshifted viewing. Excludes telecasts under 5 minutes.
Dec 19 2008
A yesterday's WQED Multimedia board meeting, president George Miles said the problems afflicting all media companies are also having an impact at WQED. The company's board set a "hunker down" budget for its 2009 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, but they're taking steps to reign in expenses further.
WQED is taking the steps because if the station were to extrapolate from November numbers, something Miles acknowledges may not bear out through the year, the station could wind up more than $600,000 in the red.
"This organization will not go over the cliff," Miles vowed.
To that end, WQED general manager Deb Acklin said the station will suspend funding employee pensions for the 2009 fiscal year and is considering asking employees to increase their health care contributions.
In addition, all station spending is being scrutinized with a hiring freeze, salary freeze, travel freeze and no entry in awards contests, including the Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Awards, where WQED traditionally enters heavily and usually wins more than any other Pittsburgh station.
WQED has not hired a new executive to replace Karen Farmer White in the education department, which is now overseen by director of education Annette Waldron. Acklin said the company is assessing the needs of educators seeking a media partner.
In programming, the 40th anniversary of "Black Horizons" will be celebrated in an episode airing Jan. 8. An "On Q" series on the local Indian community will air in early 2009. The long-gestating "Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries," a one-hour documentary about the writer and environmental activist, will premiere at 10 p.m. April 24.
WQED will launch another digital subchannel, WQED: The Create Channel, on Jan. 5 as Channel 13.2. The lifestyle channel will feature cooking, craft, travel and home and garden programming. I'll write more about that in the coming weeks.
Two community members addressed the board. Activist Glenn Walsh of Mt. Lebanon suggested WQED rent out one of WQEX's digital subchannels to WTAE, whose signal doesn't carry into many areas, including Walsh's home. It's not a bad idea except that WTAE is unlikely to pay for carriage since only 7.7 percent of homes in the area get their signals over the air and because WTAE's engineer is working on a plan to add a repeater tower next year that would get the digital signal into locations where it's not currently available.
Carlana Rhoten of East Liberty professed her love of the station and "On Q," in particular, but requested a meeting with "On Q" producers to get more coverage for single-payer healthcare reform. She's a member of several area groups, including PA United for Single Payer Health Care and Western PA Coalition for Single-Payer Healthcare.
Board chairman Dick Stover said after a Post-Gazette column on Miles' work on corporate boards was published, some board members had questions about his involvement but the board took no action.
"We looked at it from a performance perspective and said it does not affect the performance so we chose not to take any direct action at this point in time," Stover said. "I think the proof in the pudding is in the eating. I know the amount of time and effort put in to get us to this point given the economy. No one on the board has questioned whether the work is getting done."
Miles said he spent more time away from WQED when he worked on non-profit community boards than he does on corporate boards.
"The board signed off on every one of these," Mile said. "My deal coming from New York, forget how much of a pay cut it was, what the board said was, 'What you can do is get on boards.' Once we got WQED squared away, then as I get on each board, I always gotta sign off with them. The [WQED] board knows about every single one. They've encouraged me to do it."
***
Ever wonder what became of former KDKA morning anchor Susan Barnett? She's now the "no-drama" 6 and 11 p.m. anchor at KYW-TV in Philadelphia and she was profiled by a newspaper there this week.
Dec 18 2008
Four books relating to TV have been sitting on my living room coffee table since mid-summer awaiting my attention. With last-minute gift-giving in mind, here are some volumes to consider giving as gifts for the TV fan in your life:
"A TV Guide to Life: How I Learned Everything I Needed to Know from Watching Television" by Jeff Alexander ($14, Penguin): One of the writers for TelevisionWithoutPity.com, Alexander uses TV shows to illustrate assorted topics, including school, friendships, relationships, parenting and life at the workplace.
For a book from a TWOP writer, "A TV Guide to Life" plays things surprisingly straight as he walks through assorted topics relating life on TV to real life. It's witty, but not as snarky as TWOP.
On crime and punishment, "Law & Order"-style: "Dick Wolf's genius was to find a way to put a half-hour courtroom drama into an hour of television. If you'd rather be a lawyer than a cop, just tune in to the last half-hour of each of TNT's 38 daily reruns for the next few years and hang up your shingle."
"Mickey Rooney as Archie Bunker and other TV Casting Almosts" by Eila Mell ($29.95, Bear Manor Media): The author recounts, title-by-title, assorted series through the course of TV history and the casting considerations that didn't make it to the screen.
According to Mell, John Goodman was first offered the role as the father in "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter." The creators of "Everybody Loves Raymond" considered Amy Brenneman for the role that ultimately went to Patricia Heaton. The creator of "Family Ties" initially didn't want Michael J. Fox to play Alex, preferring Matthew Broderick.
It's an interesting little book that might be most useful to aspiring actors who so frequently get rejected for roles. They can see what other actors have been turned down for parts and then went on to bigger and better careers. But it's not the kind of book you'd read on a plane or at the beach. It's more of a reference guide or designed for quick reading snacks. It's sort of the ultimate book to be kept for bathroom reading.
"Beyond the Box: Television and the Internet" by Sharon Marie Ross ($29.95, Wiley): "Beyond the Box" is more academic in nature and sometimes reads like a collection of term papers -- one paper seems to make up each chapter -- but once Ross moves beyond explaining how her theories differ from those of other academics in the introduction, the book comes back down to earth and becomes more readable.
Ross examines the role of fandom in TV and Internet culture as well as the interaction between TV show creators and their fans. Chapters look at viewer participation in unscripted shows (voting on "American Idol") and viewer expectations of the extras now provided for some scripted series ("Lost").
"Managing Millennials" looks at series aimed at teen viewers while "No Network is an Island" debates the rising value of interactivity.
"TV Classics: Star Trek" by Ina Rae Hark ($19.95, Palgrave Macmillan): I'm a sucker for a smart, entertaining book about television, and this one fits the bill. A collection of essays, one devoted to each of the five "Star Trek" television series, Hark makes cogent arguments about what worked and what did not for each program.
She's particularly astute in her observations about why "Enterprise" failed to take flight ("Nothing New Under the Stars" is one of the chapter's subheads) and she smartly assesses the challenges that faced "Voyager" and the darkness that engulfed "Deep Space Nine."
Each of these essays offers thought-provoking perspectives on each iteration of "Star Trek." After skimming all these books, this is the one I'm most eager to devour in full.
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