Image Source: Wikipedia

I read this morning that CBS, ABC, and Fox affiliates are “seeking some regulatory conditions as a condition of approval of the deal between Comcast and NBC Universal so that they are not put in a competitive disadvantage.” (CableSpots 4/1/10)

 They are worried that the new Comcast/NBC Universal conglomerate will have an unfair competitive advantage when it comes to negotiating retransmission rates and that the Comcast branch might favor the NBCU networks with lower fees.

 Comcast is the largest cable provider in the country and consumer groups are concerned that the deal will result in less competition and higher fees for service.

 These are valid fears.  Competition from satellite and overbuilding cable companies, I think, will continue to keep rates as low as possible.  This is also the reason why each January networks have threatened to pull their content from cable providers like Time Warner.

 While this is national news and may not seem to relate to TV advertising in Kansas City, it is important.  The broadcast networks continue to struggle against their cable competition that has more content to offer and is more efficient because of the ability to geo-target commercials so that a business can get more commercials in the areas where they are most likely to draw customers.  I wrote before that the network audience is aging too.  This isn’t helping local affiliates gain any share in local revenues.  NBC Universal’s Chairman Jeff Gaspin said previously, “‘You can’t dismiss the fact that cable is just much more profitable than broadcast television. I don’t see that changing. Cable is a much superior business model.’”

 The advertising trends are leaning toward the fact that cable TV has the audience because of quality programming and niche channels.  If you are an old school marketer who isn’t taking advantage of the efficiency of cable advertising, then you should seriously reconsider and pay attention to the migration of viewers that is happening.  That head in the sand media buyer or agent is often the same person who is still using the newspaper and doesn’t see the value of the “series of tubes” known as the Internet. 

 Speaking of online advertising…cable media sales departments all over the country are selling that too and have a geo-targeted product that’s better than any radio or TV station because it’s viewers are going to www.roadrunner.com for example, to log in to their e-mail accounts.  If you would like to know more about it or other online marketing tools, get in touch with me.

Image Source: Wikipedia

This is a guest post by former Time Warner Media Local Sales Manager, Phil Brouillette, published in their monthly newsletter in October 2009.

A recent study by Magna Global finds the big three broadcasters are graying, experiencing the oldest prime time audiences the nets have seen in their history!

At the same time broadcasters are aging, cable’s major networks are seeing a decrease in audience ages, says former Magna Global EVP Steve Sternberg.  He has been producing median age reports for more than 15 years, and these recent findings were reported in a Variety interview in September ‘09.  Highlights of the study:

• The median age of the five broadcast nets’ audience for live (not DVR) viewing is 51.  DVR skews younger.
• That’s a big jump from 10 years ago when their median age was 43.
• For the last season, CBS was the oldest network by audience age hitting 55 (DVR median age is 54).  This is the first time it has traveled out of the A25-54 range for live viewing.
• ABC was next at 51 (DVR was 50).
• NBC followed with 49 (47 with DVR).  The addition of Jay Leno in prime time should put them over 50.
• Fox median age was 46 (44 with DVR) and CW was 34 (or 33 DVR).
• In contrast, TBS sports a median age of 35, down from 38 two years ago.
• TNT’s median age has slipped from 46 to 44.
• USA’s median age has held steady for years at 46; FX held steady at 37.

The reason for broadcasts’ age increase, says Sternberg, is that they began to age themselves a decade ago as they mostly got out of the kids and teens business.  Procedural-type dramas such as CSI and Law & Order tend to attract older viewers, and comedy has somewhat collapsed at the same time.  The addition of older skewing reality shows (Dancing With the Stars) and game shows like (Deal or No Deal) haven’t helped to attract younger viewers.  Not good news when media’s coveted demographic is A18-49!

Phil Brouillette is currently the founder of PB Marketing Strategies & Tactics and can be reached via e-mail at pbmarketingstrategies@gmail.com.

Sources: Variety, 8/28/2009; Cable FYI Kansas City Oct. 2009

These were the most watched programs or events during the week of 12/7-12/13 on local cable networks in Kansas City:

1. ESPN – MNF: Baltimore @ Green Bay, Monday, December 7th
2. ESPN – College Basketball: Kansas @ La Salle, Saturday, December 12th
3. TNT – The Closer, Monday, December 7th
4. USA – WWE Entertainment, Monday, December 7th
5. ESPN – Heisman Trophy, Saturday, December 12th 7-8p
6. USA – WWE Entertainment, Monday, December 7th 8p-9p
7. ESPN – College Football: Appalachian State vs. Montana, Saturday, December 12th
8. BRAVO – Top Chef, Wednesday, December 9th 9-10p

Since sporting events and specials are so popular, these are some of the things that will be coming up that viewers will be watching:

· Big 12 Basketball (Current-Mar)
· SAG Awards (Jan. 23rd)
· NBA All-Star Weekend (Feb. 12th-14th)
· Winter Olympics (Feb. 12th-28th)
· NASCAR (Feb-Nov)
· LFRC Academy Awards (Mar. 7th)
· Royals (Mar-Sept)
· Kid’s Choice Awards (Mar) – 1-sheet coming soon

Other program news of note:
· Season 2 of Leverage continues January 13th on TNT.
· Southland premieres on TNT January 12th.
· The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards air simultaneously on TBS and TNT January 23rd.
· TBS’s Lopez Tonight will air new episodes beginning January 11th.
· Season 3 of Bravo’s hit series Millionaire Matchmaker premieres January 19th.
· USA’s new drama White Collar has been picked up for a 2nd season. Season one continues Jan. 20th.

Source: Wikipedia

Is tomorrow Thanksgiving already?  This month has flown by!  I hope you’ve found yourself and your business as busy as I have.  Before I go for the holiday weekend, I wanted to share with you some of the most popular rated programs from earlier in the month.  Nielsen puts out these reports for us each week, but they now delay the information to include DVR viewing.  If a viewer watches a program within 7 days of the original airing, it counts towards the ratings.

The most watched advertising supported cable programs in Kansas City from November 9-15th were:

1. ESPN – MNF: Pittsburgh @ Denver, Monday, November 9^th 7:30p-10:45p – 13.3
2. USA – Monk, Friday, November 13^th 8p-9p – 7.0
3. COMEDY – The Daily Show, Wednesday, November 11^th 10p-10:30p – 5.8
4. LIFE – Project Runway, Thursday, November 12^th 9p-10p – 5.7
5. COMEDY – The Daily Show, Thursday, November 12^th 10p-10:30p – 5.5
6. COMEDY – The Daily Show, Tuesday, November 10^th 10p-10:30p – 4.9
7. USA – White Collar, Friday, November 13^th 9p-10p – 4.8

These top rated programs rate as high as many popular shows seen on regular broadcast channels, but are often a fraction of the price!  The ratings are based on the percentage of household viewers and are not based on any specific demographic.  Are you taking advantage of some of these great shows to invite the viewers to do business with you?

I’m looking forward to spending time with my family this weekend and enjoying all of the great food!  Have a great holiday weekend!

NPR had a great story following the latest Emmy awards and I wanted to direct your attention to it.  You can read it, or click their audio link here. 

Mad Men won again for Outstanding Drama Series for the second year in a row!  The premise of the article is about how there is more and more competition when it comes to video content either online or on TV, but for now, cable networks seem to be winning the battle and they’re doing it by creating the best content.  The author recommends that the broadcast networks go back to the basics and start running better shows.

Read or listen and give me your take.

ESPN released the match ups for this year’s Monday Night Football. All 12 playoff teams will appear in a Monday Night game. Sadly the 2-14 Kansas City Chiefs did not make the cut this year although they are making major changes in the team from the front office to the coaches and position players.

Preseason
8/13/09 Arizona @ Pittsburgh
8/17/09 Carolina @ NY Giants
8/24/09 NY Jets @ Baltimore
8/31/09 Minnesota @ Houston

Regular Season
9/14/09 Buffalo @ New England
9/14/09 San Diego @ Oakland
9/21/09 Indianapolis @ Miami
9/28/09 Carolina @ Dallas
10/5/09 Green Bay @ Minnesota
10/12/09 NY Jets @ Miami
10/19/09 Denver @ San Diego
10/26/09 Philadelphia @ Washington
11/2/09 Atlanta @ New Orleans
11/9/09 Pittsburgh @ Denver
11/16/09 Baltimore @ Cleveland
11/23/09 Tennessee @ Houston
11/30/09 New England @ New Orleans
12/7/09 Baltimore @ Green Bay
12/14/09 Arizona @ San Francisco
12/21/09 NY Giants @ Washington
12/28/09 Minnesota @ Chicago

We have packaged these games at the most aggressive pricing I have ever seen and supplement them with great Chiefs coverage on Metro Sports as well as popular NFL coverage on ESPN like Sunday Countdown. These games will sell out, so the earlier committment to the season, the better.

What other programming do you find successful for big reach and a captive audience?

Want to know what great programming to watch or advertise in this year? This is a list of last year’s top cable TV programs based on their average household rating.

1. The Closer (TNT)
2. Monday Night Football (ESPN)
3. Project Runway (Bravo)
4. Monk (USA)
5. Saving Grace (TNT)
6. Burn Notice (USA)
7. Top Chef (Bravo)
8. Design Star (HGTV)
9. In Plain Sight (USA)
10. Big 12 College Football (ESPN, ESPN2, FSMW)
11. Army Wives (Lifetime)
12. Psych (USA)
13. Top Design (Bravo)
14. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA)
15. Raising the Bar (TNT)
16. Shear Genius (Bravo)
17. Deadliest Catch (Discovery)
18. WWE Raw (USA)
19. Ice Road Truckers (History)
20. College Football Bowl Games (ESPN, ESPN2, FSMW)
21. Nip/Tuck (FX)
22. NASCAR (Sprint Cup Series)
23. Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)
24. Keeping Up With The Kardashians (E!)
25. Royals Baseball (FSMW)
26. Damages (FX)
27. My Boys (TBS)
28. Stargate Atlantis (Sci Fi)
29. The Bill Engvall Show (TBS)
30. MLB Playoffs (TBS)
31. House (USA)
32. Real Housewives of New York (Bravo)
33. Rescue Me (FX)
34. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
35. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
36. Testees (FX)
37. The Rachel Zoe Project (Bravo)
38. The Office (TBS)
39. The Starter Wife (USA)
40. My Name is Earl (TBS)
41. Mad Men (AMC)
42. American Chopper (TLC)
43. Make Me A Supermodel (Bravo)
44. Step It Up and Dance (Bravo)
45. The Shield (FX)
46. Breaking Bad (AMC)
47. The Riches (FX)
48. NASCAR (Nationwide Series)
49. NBA (TNT)
50. Rita Rocks (Lifetime)