Weird Loners – Blog Post 3

Casting galore! Reports state that Becki Newton may also guest-star on the show’s sixth episode. Newton — known for The Goodwin Games, Ugly Betty and How I Met Your Mother — may make a meaningful addition to what may turn into a hit show.

beckinewton__140221201029


Something tells me FOX is shaking in their boots. All these “guest” appearances seem to be their primary publicity ploy. I can only imagine what are they trying to compensate for…

Why bother launching a show you think will tank? Time will tell!

For more information about Becki Newton and Weird Loners, click here. 

Distribution

By Ali Zaslav

          What’s Changed in TV Distribution?

In the television business, distribution is the key component in making content accessible and viewable by consumers on traditional and new platforms. Distribution is not only the way programming reaches audiences, but is a large component of programmers and distributors business models.

laptop_ipad_iphoneTraditionally TV distribution used to be much simpler; it was primarily through TV and consumed on the TV set. In this old media structure there were barriers to reaching consumers, (you would have to own a network or have a program carried by one). Today broadband allows for video content to be carried and viewed on the web. Countless individuals and companies can now reach viewers in new ways with all types of video content.

promo-tv-everywhereTelevision is still the primary way people consume video but new devices and new content are beginning to change consumers viewing behavior.  Viewers can watch traditional TV or now have the option to aggregate their favorite videos through many new options like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, or TV Everywhere and watch them on their TV, or a tablet, phone or computer. The rise of new platforms to distribute TV content through DVR and VOD plus online viewership has resulted in a number of exciting developments for programmers and distributors, as well as real threats and challenges.

cableRight now television content distribution can be broken down into three categories: traditional distributors, new challenging distributors, and programmers that try to take advantage of all avenues of distribution.  Programmers now distribute through the traditional multi-channel operators (Time Warner), phone companies (Verizon & AT&T) and satellite distributors (like Dish and DirectTV) and new avenues like apps, TV Everywhere through a cable operator or digital offerings like Netflix.

Traditional Distributors in the TV Market

MSO’s, satellite, and phone companies are actively trying to delve into the growing market of cross platform viewing and video streaming. A recent development is TV Everywhere.

xfinity_logoComcast successfully released Xfinity on demand and struck deals with cable networks, broadcasters, and pay TV to stream their content online for Comcast subscribers. Applications like TV Everywhere are being released by a multitude of distributors, allowing consumers to stream their carried programming on any tablet, phone or computer. Time Warner now has TWC TV and Cablevision has TVtoGO.  Phone companies also provide online streaming; Verizon streams FiOS TV and AT&T streams U-verse.

directv everywhere

In February, DirectTV joined the online game and released DirectTV Everywhere. For traditional distributors, “TV Everywhere” has become an important part of their distribution model. But their applications have a lot of competition coming from Netflix, HuluPlus and Amazon which offer library’s of content and more recently original or exclusive programming.

Rising Challengers to Traditional Distributors

17200v1-max-450x4501

The development of broadband as a vehicle for video has spurred huge entrepreneurial investment in companies like Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Hulu, YouTube as well as user-generated content. Traditional distributors are being challenged by new online distribution channels like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Apple TV, and Google (YouTube). These distributors are offering very appealing services to consumers and at low costs (Netflix & HuluPlus: both $8 a month and Amazon Prime $79/ yearly), or in the case of the web, Google or YouTube for free (you only need to have broadband). In addition, there is easy access through many devices like the computer, Xbox, iPad, etc with a wide range of content. We know this is appealing to consumers since Netflix recently grew to almost 28 million subscribers[1].house-of-cards-poster

For the past few years Netflix, Amazon and HuluPlus have provided old shows, almost like a library service. This year Netflix shook up its programming strategy when it released original content “House of Cards”. They did what no distributor or programmer has done before: presenting an entire television series “House of Cards” to subscribers upfront.  The viewer can than choose to watch the show all at once or at their own pace instead of once a week. In some ways, this strategy makes Netflix a competitor to HBO and cable channels. It also has blurred the lines as to what kind of company Netflix is: a distributor or original programmer? Further following a similar lead, Amazon is now promoting that they have exclusive content that you can only find and watch on Amazon[2].

apple_tv_boxApple’s release of the Apple TV has further blurred the lines of traditional distribution; offering the perks of online streaming and TV together. Further Hulu Plus and other services are offered on the Apple TV [3]. These advancements have changed how the media works and how television content is distributed to consumers. Netflix offering original content, the Apple TV, Hulu Plus and Amazon’s exclusive content offerings shows how fast things are transforming in the distribution and video content business
  TV Programming Distribution Strategies
Broadcast and cable networks, to stay competitive, have been dabbing into online streaming, tablet apps, and phone applications. Most cable networks do their best to offer applications that distribute some recent episodes, behind the scenes clips, best of clips, etc. However cable networks tend to limit the amount of long-form content because the distributors they partner with would not pay them as high of a sub fee for their programming. A critical part of the business model for cable programming services is maintaining a strong sub fee with distributors.

[15]Cable channels like A&E, Discovery, History, Lifetime and many others have iPad applications. Disney offers “Watch” to stream ESPN and Disney Channel to computers and other devices [4]. Recently on the broadcast side, broadcasters have been making more content available on their websites and through services like Hulu.  Since broadcast don’t rely on sub fees they have been much more aggressive in moving their content to other platforms than cable. And just this month ABC and CBS both came out with tablet applications to stream their television series.

Conclusion

Distributors have been and must adapt to new technologies, platforms and consumer demands.  Despite the buzz that cable and broadcast are “dying mediums,” the Neilson graph below shows that while online viewership is increasing, people are still consuming a large percent of content on the TV set[5]eeeee

The real measure of the success of TV distributors will be how well their offerings satisfy consumer interests in viewing content how and when they want too. If the traditional distributors don’t provide it, new companies like Netflix and Apple will meet that demand.


 

 

Programming and Program Development

Programming has traditionally been made up of two dominant genres, the drama and the situational comedy (or sitcom). In a typical week’s prime time schedule, the major five broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, and NBC) air a combined 43 hours of dramas and 18 hours of comedy. Another notable genre in the current schedule is reality and competition shows which currently make up 14 hours of the broadcast schedule. When looking into the broader scope of television, more and more genres begin to emerge. Currently on cable and premium networks, dramas and sitcoms also dominate the schedule but they are accompanied by more diverse programming such as mini-series, more reality, and developing genres such as mock reality. Schedules are constantly changing and adapting as new programs are developed and programs begin to come off the air. The development process is unique for each genre and the current season has already showed some success and failures.

Drama

The beginning of any drama series typically happens in one of three ways. Either a writer-producer meets with the network and a concept emerges which then turns into a script or a writer-producer already has a script and pitches it to the network. The third common way for a show to develop is for a highly regarded star to decide they want to do a television program and a team is assigned to develop something which fits their needs. Once a script is written and the network approves along with a cast and crew, a pilot is produced and shown to the network. How many pilots are commissioned is dependent upon the networks overall tone, for example The CW is unlikely to produce a large amount of comedy pilots since their schedule is dominated by dramas, along with their current needs. If not many dramas survive the season, more are likely to be commissioned for the next season.

In the current pilot season, Vulture magazine has already spotted several programming trends. One of which is franchise programming. Shows such as NCIS, The Vampire Diaries, and Chicago Fire all have related pilots being worked on. Going off of the success of Once Upon a Time, there is also a tendency towards magical or supernatural themed programs. Vulture predicts a rise in “House” type characters as well as many bigger name stars following Kevin Bacon back to the smaller screen. Much of this is based off of the successes of this past season and an effort to keep promising trends rolling.

One of the more successful launches this Spring was Fox’s The Following starring Kevin Bacon. The show has already been picked up for a second season and has been consistently winning it’s time slot.

A significant drama which went off the air this spring was The CW’s Gossip Girl. While not a major player in the ratings, Gossip Girl was still influential in it’s run on the CW as a trend setter for other programming. The network saw an uptick in the amount of programs focusing on the glamorous and elite such as 90210 and this season’s The Carrie Diaries.

Cable networks typically are more adventurous in their programming and have been seeing a lot of success lately.

walking-dead-season-3-castAmong the biggest successes is AMC’s The Walking Dead. It is a slightly nontraditional show that has garnered huge ratings for the cable network. It was a major Sunday night competitor this season despite not being on a major broadcast network.

Another major program this spring was The History Channel’s mini series The Bible. It received a lot of attention for it’s content and created a viewing war with The Walking Dead.

Comedies

Comedies are developed in a very similar way to dramas. Typically more comedy pilots are produced each year because they are shorter and quicker to make. However, more concepts are abandoned and there are different standards for determining what shows get picked up. A comedy will rarely be picked up just because it’s funny. Comedies are evaluated more based on the current schedule and where there are holes. If a current show is going off the air or needs a stronger lead in, then a comedy has a stronger chance of making it to air. There is also a different target demographic for comedies. They are intended to appeal to younger, typically less educated, and lower income than other types of programming.

30983NBC had a much hyped new series in 1600 Penn which was given an early release of the pilot. The show did not hold an audience well and saw continually declining ratings. NBC chose to end the season early by airing multiple episodes in a night. The scheduling change combined with declining ratings led to cancellation rumors.

A more successful show this spring has been ABC’s How to Live With Your Parents For The Rest of Your Life. It had a late premiere date but has still seen favorable ratings. It focuses on a single mom having to move back in with her parents and the struggles that ensue from her eccentric family.

This season will see the end of the long running NBC comedy The Office. The show was a hit for the network for many years and led to similar programs such as Parks and Recreation which is still on air. Show Runner Greg Daniels promises a heartfelt goodbye to match the series all around tone and characters.

Reality

There are four general rules that define reality television. The first is that they do not involve actors, at least in the traditional sense. Second, while they may be planned, they are not written in the way that comedies and dramas are. They are always produced on location, and finally they have some sort of special gimmick. When in development, these programs are judged more on the potential of the idea than the reputations of the writers or performers. Reality television has created a place for itself in the schedule over the past few decades. It is especially prominent on cable networks with networks such as E! and Bravo airing almost exclusively reality in their prime time slots. Bravo recently announced they have 17 new series being planned, nearly all of which are reality.

1357229967_shakira-usher-the-voice-467

On broadcast networks, it is most common to see reality programming in the form of competition. The Voice saw a cast change this spring with Shakira and Usher replacing Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green as judges. The show has been seeing decent numbers with the new judges.

Emerging Trends

Mock Reality

Reality is clearly a genre which is here to stay. Over the years, reality programming has reached to some pretty extreme levels as far as the types of stories and characters that are put on the air. This has led to a new trend of mock realities, shows which are meant to look like reality shows but are scripted or improv and actually make fun of reality programming.

Mock Block Monday

E! has an hour every week titled “Mock Block Monday” which features two of these Mock Reality Shows. The first is Burning Love which is an imitation of dating shows such as The Bachelor. The second is After Lately which is a supposed documentary of the office of Chelsea Lately, another popular program of theirs.

Other networks are picking up on this trend as well. MTV recently announced a new show, appropriately called Reality Stars, which will be about four friends who get involved in reality television. BET has committed to a second season of The Real Husbands of Hollywood. The show follows men of Hollywood in their “natural environment”.

Social Media

twitter-to-dump-third-party-image-hosts-from-apps-report--692a5ff817

Nielsen announced earlier this winter that it plans to begin using Twitter to measure program popularity. This focus on the “second screen” could give more insight into what viewers are responding too and begin to dictate programming decisions. It can help programmers adapt to the growing social engagement of viewers and use social media trends to their advantage.

 

 Sources

1.http://www.fox.com/the-following/
2.http://epguides.com/grid/
3.http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/04/07/bubble-watch-vegas-craps-out-on-friday-go-on-still-on-the-bubble-how-to-live-with-your-parents-and-hannibal/176840/
4. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/04/07/bubble-watch-vegas-craps-out-on-friday-go-on-still-on-the-bubble-how-to-live-with-your-parents-and-hannibal/176840/
5. http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/03/05/the-following-monday-ratings/
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fFq-w5CxN8
7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/the-walking-dead-ratings_n_2993622.html
8. http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/12/18/gossip-girl-finale-ratings/
9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufkXlmtHJnw
10. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/fall-season-brings-shift-in-tv-ratings-race/
11. http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/nielsen-using-twitter-data-to-gauge-tv-programming-popularity/
12. http://www.bibleseries.tv/

13. http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2013/apr/060413-mtv-is-launching-a-new-tv-series-called-reality-stars.htm

14. http://www.bravotv.com/blogs/the-dish/bravo-announces-17-new-18-returning-series?page=0,1

15. http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/03/17/the-office-tease-series-finale/

16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzzerIyOI9s

17. http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/comedy-pilots-2013-everything-you-need-to-know.html

18. http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/pilots-2013-dramas.html

19. The Business of Television, Bleumenthol & Goodenough

 

 

ABC Network, O&Os and Affiliates

by Baindu N. Saidu

via: http://www.geek4tv.com/tv-news/tv-news-abc-update-%E2%80%93-abc-cancels-brothers-and-sisters-v-plus-4-more-picks-up-charlie%E2%80%99s-angels-tim-allen-comedy-good-christian-belles-renews-body-of-proof

The  American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is one of the oldest American broadcasting networks. Originally created in the 1940’s from the NBC Blue rradio network, ABC is  now owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group[1]. The group is composed of Disney’s global entertainment and news television properties, owned television stations group, as well as radio and publishing businesses. This includes ABC Television Network, ABC Owned Television Station Group, ABC Studios, Disney Channels Worldwide, ABC Family, and SOAPnet, as well as Disney/abc Domestic Television and Disney Media Distribution[2].

The parent company, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in media Networks, Parks and Resorts, Studio Entertainment, Consumer Products, and Interactive Media.

image via: http://clipandfollow.com/amazon-various-disney-hardcover-storybooks-for-5-00-reg-15-99/

Key Disney Executives:

John Pepper – Chairman

Robert Iger – President, CEO

James Rasulo – Senior Executive Vice President, CFO

Alan Braverman – Senior Executive Vice President, Secretary, General Counsel

Kevin Mayer – Executive Vice President

Key Disney Financials (in USD as of 09/29/2012):

Revenue:42, 278m

Net income:5,682m

Revenue per share: 23.57 [4]

Graph from Bloomberg.com (http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/DIS:US/chart)

 

Walt Disney Co. News (Fall 2012)

  • October 30, 2012: Disney Buys Lucasfilm for $4 Billion in cash and stock and will debut a new Star Wars movie, Episode VII,in 2015. George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars franchise and CEO of Lucasfilm, owned 100% of the company[5]. Kathleen Kennedy, current co-chair of Lucasfilm, will become its president, reporting to Walt Disney Studios chair Alan Horn. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars features, with Lucas serving as creative consultant [6].
  • November 28, 2012: Walt Disney said  that it would boost its annual dividend to shareholders by 25% to 75¢ a share. It was the latest company to do so on jitters over the looming “fiscal cliff.” The dividend announcement came a day after Disney raised $3 billion in a bond offering, part of which would likely go toward funding the bigger shareholder payout [7].
  • December 4, 2012: Disney signed an unprecedented movie deal with Netflix, allowing  Netflix subscribers to stream films from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation, Marvel and Disneynature, starting in 2016. When the deal kicks in, Netflix will become the exclusive U.S. subscription television service for first-run, live-action and animated feature films from the Walt Disney Studios,  receiving access to the movies after they’re made available for sale and rental. Netflix managers also cut a separate multi-year deal with Disney to bring some older catalog titles to Netflix streaming immediately[8].

ABC Network

ABC Television network provides broadcast programming to more than 220 affiliated stations across the country. the network encompasses ABC News, respoinsible for news programming on television and other digital platforms, ABC Entertainement Group, responsible for the network’s primetime and late-night fair, ABC Daytime,producers of the network’s daytime programming, and ABC Kids, responsible for children’s programming [9].

ABC Daytime

-September 10, 2012: Katie Couric’s new daytime talk show premiered to  an estimated 1.535-million viewers from the top 56 U.S. markets. put Couric comfortably ahead of the freshman talk-show pack. “Katie” outdrew “Steve Harvey” by 87%,  “Jeff Probst” by 150% and “Ricki Lake” by 250%[10]. For entire article.

-November 26, 2012: As sweeps month comes to a close, Good Morning America is poised to beat out Today to  win November sweeps in total viewers and the key adults 25-54 demo, according to Nielsen. It would be GMA‘s first November sweep win in total viewers since 1995, and its first sweeps victory in the key demo in more than 18 years.  [11]. For entire article.

-December 06, 2012: ABC was Daytime’s number 1 network for the 12th consecutive week in Women 18-34 (0.6 rating / 214,000 – tied), and was #1 for the 8th straight week in Women 18-49 (0.9 rating / 569,000 – tied) [12]. For entire press release.

Primetime Programming

ABC Entertainment Group develops and produces compelling programming for broadcast on ABC in addition to other television and digital platforms.  The group includes ABC Entertainment, which is responsible for all network primetime and late-night entertainment programming.  ABC Studios is responsible for the development and production of primetime and late-night entertainment content for ABC, among other platforms. Disney-ABC Domestic Television is responsible for the content distribution within the United States and Canada [13].

New Programs Fall 2012

New ABC Series Premiering in Fall 2012:

-666 Park Avenue

-Last Resort

-Malibu Country

-Nashville

-The Neighbors

For in-depth information about any of ABC’s Fall premiere shows go here.

Fall Ratings

  • October 09, 2012: After two weeks of the 2012-2013 broadcast television season (through Sunday, October 7 2012), NBC is in first place among adults 18-49, with a 2.8 rating average. Runners-up FOX and CBS tied for second, each earning a 2.4 rating average. ABC came in fourth with a 2.1 rating average and Univision  was fifth with a 1.4 18-49 rating. The CW finished last with a 0.3 adults 18-49 rating average [14].
  • November 13, 2012: After seven weeks of the 2012-2013 broadcast television season (through Sunday, November 11, 2012), NBC is in first place among adults 18-49, with a 3.2 rating average, up 23% from last season.  CBS was second, with a 2.8 rating average, down 18% from a year ago. ABC was third with a 2.6,  down 7% from a year ago. FOX was fourth with a 2.5, down 29% from last season.   The CW finished last with a 0.7 adults 18-49 rating average [15].
  • November 27, 2012: ABC Draws its 2nd-Largest Audience Since Season Premiere Week and Claims 4 of the Top 15 Most-Watched TV Shows Overall [16]. For specifics on the individual ratings go here. 
  • December 04, 2012:  After eight weeks of the 2012-2013 broadcast television season (through Sunday, November 25, 2012), NBC is in first place among adults 18-49, with a 3.2 rating average, up 23% from last season.  CBS was second, with a 2.8 rating average, down 18% from the prior season. ABC was third with a 2.6, down 7% from the previous season FOX was fourth with a 2.4, down 31% from last season. The CW finished last with a 0.8 adults 18-49 rating average, down 20% from the previous season. Among  total viewers, CBS is ahead for the season  averaging 11.718 million viewers. ABC is second with 9.168m, followed by NBC with 8.913 m, FOX with 6.853m, and CW with 1.888 million [17].
  • December 04, 2012: During the week of November 26, 2012, ABC qualified as the 2nd-most-watched network to CBS, outdrawing an NFL-fueled NBC (8.03 million vs. 7.97 million). And excluding sports, ABC beat out NBC for the week by 10% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 2.0/6). Season-to-Date C3 Ratings (9/24-11/11/12): ABC is the No. 1 network this season in the sales currency of C3 non-sports Adult 18-49 ratings (Commercial Ratings + 3 Days of Playback), out-delivering CBS by 5%, Fox by 10% and NBC by 10%: ABC = 2.3 rating, CBS = 2.2 rating, Fox = 2.1 rating and NBC = 2.1 rating [18].

Coming up

So far in the season, 3 shows have been cancelled, two of which are new series. Private Practice, 666 Park Avenue and The Last Resort will not be seeing anymore seasons. To check the cancellation/renewal index for ABC shows, go here. For information on midseason premieres go here.

Owned and Operated Stations

The ABC Owned Television Stations Group includes WABC-TV New York, KABC-TV Los Angeles, WLS-TV Chicago, WPVI-TV Philadelphia, KGO-TV San Francisco, KTRK-TV Houston, WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and KFSN-TV Fresno. The eight owned stations reach 23.3% of all U.S. television households. All are strong performers in their local markets, with most ranking #1 sign-on to sign-off in key A.C. Nielsen ratings for adults 18-49 and 25-54 [20 ].

O & O News:

  • September 4, 2012: Owned and operated station, WABC-TV, home to the popular syndicated series “Live! with Regis and Kelly, ” welcomed new co-host Michael Strahan, to thew show, now titled “Live! with Kelly and Michael.” For more on the story click here.
  • For more ABC O&O news check out this website.

Affilate Stations

There are over 220 ABC affiliated stations across the U.S.

  • November, 21, 2012:  KABC remains dominant in L.A. local news. Story here.
  • December 07, 2012:  Sinclair Broadcast Finalizes TV Station Acquisitions, among them ABC Affiliate stations. story here.
  • For information on their activities go here.

 

References

[1] http://broadcasting.wikia.com/wiki/American_Broadcasting_Company

[2] http://www.disneyabctv.com/division/index_facts.shtml

[3] http://www.mergentonline.com/companydetail.php?compnumber=2488&pagetype=synopsis

[4] same as [3]

[5] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-buy-lucasfilm-405-billion-384448 

[6] http://www.businessinsider.com/disney-buys-lucasfilm-for-4-billion-2012-10

[7] http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118062809

[8]  http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57557110-93/netflix-signs-unprecedented-movie-deal-with-disney/?ttag=gpwl

[9] http://www.disneyabctv.com/division/index_facts.shtml

[10] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/tv-column/post/first-week-of-katie-courics-talk-show-gets-big-ratings-early-stats-say/2012/09/17/75449882-0119-11e2-b260-32f4a8db9b7e_blog.html

[11] http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/490529-Morning_Show_Ratings_GMA_Set_to_Win_November_Sweep.php

[12] http://www.disneyabctv.com/division/index_facts.shtml

[13] http://www.disneyabctv.com/division/index_facts.shtml

[14] http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/10/09/2012-2013-season-nbc-leads-among-adults-18-49-while-cbs-is-number-1-with-total-viewers-through-week-2-ending-october-7-2012/152137/

[15] http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/11/13/2012-2013-season-nbc-leads-among-adults-18-49-while-cbs-is-number-1-with-total-viewers-through-week-7-ending-november-11-2012/157091/

[16] http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/11/27/abc-draws-its-2nd-largest-audience-since-season-premiere-week/159310/

[17] http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/12/04/2012-2013-season-nbc-leads-among-adults-18-49-while-cbs-is-number-1-with-total-viewers-through-week-10-ending-december-2-2012/160184/

[18] http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/12/04/abc-surges-over-the-same-week-last-year-in-viewers-and-adults-18-49/160267/

[19]http://www.disneyabctv.com/division/index_facts.shtml

[20] http://www.disneyabctv.com/division/index_stations.shtml