Hot Off The Press: The Latest TV News and Information - Page 12

I can find no info at all on the return of "Rock Star", shuttermaker.

Thursday's fast national over night prime-time ratings - and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman's view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

In Case You Missed the Earlier Reminder:

Tonight (Friday) at 9 PM ET/PT is the finale of Raines on NBC.

The episode was written by the son of frequent Hot Off The Press contributor jandron.

So tune in!

(And if you have any negative comments, let's be supportive and keep them to yourselves.)

I believe that is true, but I can't put my finger on any specific source. It certainly does not appear anywhere that I know of in the CBS summer schedule.

I don't know that it means anything other than Channel4SD is presumably going to be all HD for the Padres from June 19 on.

I am still waiting to see an HD version of Channel4SD on DirecTV's MLB-EI feed.

By the way, has anyone seen a Comcast Philadelphia Phillies game (SD or HD) on DirecTV's version of MLB-EI?

TV Notebook
Regis Return Rates With Viewers
By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 4/27/2007

Regis Philbin's return to Live with Regis and Kelly was a big shot in the arm for the Buena Vista syndicated talker in households and key demos.

According to Nielsen overnight numbers, for Philbin's first day back after open-heart surgery--he has been out for about six weeks--the household rating was up 52% over its prior four-week average to a 4.4 rating/16 share.

The demos spiked even more. Women 25-54 were up 60% from the prior four-week average to a 2.4/18. In New York, where the show originates, the numbers were off the charts, averaging a 6.8 rating/26 share at 9 a.m., the highest rating in the market for any show in daytime, including Oprah (5.1/14).

Live also grabbed the largest share of the audience of any show at any time on Thursday, including prime. Keeping with the medical theme, Philbin's repaired anatomy topped ABC's Grey's Anatomy, which led prime with a 20 share.

Regis' return was marked by a rare daytime appearance by David Letterman, returning an old favor. Regis was Letterman's first guest after the late-night host has his heart surgery in 2000. The entire surgical team also made an appearance.

The show has been rotating guest co-hosts with Kelly Ripa during Regis' absence, with Bryant Gumbel and Donald Trump the most recent fill-ins.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/ind...leID=CA6437493

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
NBC's Thursday night sinks yet again
Stinker '30 Rock' finale pulls a 2.4 rating
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer April 27, 2007

NBC's Thursday night lineup fell to its lowest rating in at least two decades among adults 18-49 last night, the second time it's done so in three weeks. It wasn't helped by the season finale of 30 Rock, which was the night's third-lowest-rated show on the Big Four broadcast networks.

NBC finished third on the night with a 3.2 average rating and 8 share, according to Nielsen overnights. That was its lowest Thursday rating with all-original programming since Nielsen began using people meters in 1987. Its second lowest was two weeks ago, when it averaged a 3.3, and it's also off from its 3.8 season-to-date average.

Rock was even to the previous week with a 2.4 at 9 p.m., tying its lowest Thursday outing of the season. The show has already been picked up for season two, but its ratings will have to improve for the network to continue to stay behind it.

It wasn't the network's lowest-rated show, though. That was lead-out Scrubs, which dipped 21 percent week to week, from a 2.9 to a season-low 2.3.

Meanwhile, My Name is Earl was just 0.1 away from tying a series low with a 3.2 at 8 p.m., and ER did tie a series low for the third straight week with a 3.7, finishing third in the 10 p.m. timeslot it once dominated.

Media people expect changes on Thursdays at the network's upfront presentation next month. ABC and CBS have moved well ahead of NBC on the night, and while Scrubs is the only sitcom that hasn't been renewed for next year, it's doubtful they'll all stay on this night.

NBC wasn't the only one seeing season lows last night. Both ABC's Grey's Anatomy and CBS's CSI dipped to season lows, though they were by far the highest-rated shows of the night.

ABC was first for the night among 18-49s with a 5.2 average rating and a 14 share. CBS was second at 4.8/13, NBC third at 3.2/9, Fox fourth at 2.8/8, Univision fifth at 1.7/5 and CW sixth at 1.4/4.

CBS started the night in the lead with a 4.5 rating at 8 p.m. for Survivor, followed by a 3.6 for NBC for Earl (3.2) and The Office (3.9). Fox was third that hour with a 3.4 for Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader, ABC fourth with a 3.1 for Ugly Betty, Univision fifth with a 1.7 for La Fea Mas Bella and CW sixth with a 1.5 for Smallville.

At 9 p.m. ABC took the lead with an 8.2 for Grey's, with CBS dropping to second with a 5.8 for CSI. NBC was third with a 2.4 average for Rock (2.4) and Scrubs (2.3), Fox fourth with a 2.1 for Trading Spouses, Univision fifth with a 1.8 for Destilando Amor and CW sixth with a 1.4 for Supernatural.

ABC led again at 10 p.m. with a 4.2 for October Road, followed by CBS with a 3.9 for Shark. NBC was third with a 3.7 for ER, and Univision fourth with a 1.6 for Aqui y Ahora.

Among households, CBS led the night with a 9.9 average rating and a 16 share, with ABC second at 8.6/14, Fox third at 4.7/8, NBC fourth at 4.6/8, CW fifth at 2.4/4 and Univision sixth at 2.1/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...icle_11737.asp

The 2007-2008 Season
Programming Executives May Need To Redefine 'Hit'
A media critique by Wayne Friedman at MediaPost.com Friday, April 27, 2007

While unveiling news programs at next month's upfront presentations, broadcast network programmers should include a clear and perhaps frank addendum about those shows: There will be no more hits.

That will set the bar nice and low going into the upfront market, and then when the new David E. Kelly or Mark Burnett show arrives with a big, fat 2.3 rating among 18-49 viewers, networks executives can say "We told you so."

These days it's better to keep promises. Quite simply, underselling is cool.

Sound crazy? Consider this past season and the so-called hits. NBC's "Heroes"? Ratings have been dropping alarmingly. ABC's "Ugly Betty"? Please -- at mid 4 ratings among 18-49 viewers? What about "Shark" on CBS? It's getting a bit better -- but still not up to hit qualifications.

All the more reason why ex-MTV executive Herb Scannell's comments at a media conference in Los Angeles yesterday make sense. "Hits are getting hard in any business," he said. "You are starting to see a change in which what we thought of as being hits are no longer going to happen anymore."

Of course, Scannell knows from what he speaks. There haven't been any real hits at MTV recently -- not of the big cable-rated variety a la USA Network, TNT, or FX. The "Osbournes," "Real World," "Laguna Beach," and "Pimp My Ride," -while notable and buzzworthy, haven't yielded big, broad-based audiences.

But that's not a whack at MTV. It actually has been a harbinger of what's happening in the new digital world -- a world that evens the playing field into thousands of niche-content success stories among thousands of micro-targeted audiences.

Broadcast networks -- as well as any other traditional TV programmers -- are heading in the same direction. "American Idol" is the only true hit these days. By many projections, there won't be many others.

This upfront, network executives should just come clean, touting "average" TV shows that might interest "some" people.

http://blogs.mediapost.com/tv_watch/?p=681

Thanks, no harm done, jim!

I guess NBC hopes for something akin the what happened to "The Office".

And neither of us know what comedies the network has in development. Axing both "Scrubs" and "30 Rock" might be close to impossible.

Good point, xnappo.

I disagree, URFloorMatt, about "Studio 60".

Heightened expectations (and perhaps Sorkin's ego) certainly got in the way, but if NBC had a handle on what was happening they probably could have steered the show away from the preachy tone.

The Business of Television
This year's Upfront dates

There is just a little over two weeks to go until we learn which shows will be back next year and what new programs are being scheduled by the networks. And keeping checking in over the weekend, as leaks about pickups and cancellations are bound to be slipping into the media over the next few days.

Here is the revised upfront schedule of when networks make their 2007-2008 season presentations to the nation's advertisers (and TV critics) in New York City:

NBC Monday May 14
ABC Tuesday May 15
CBS Wednesday May 16
FOX Thursday May 17
CW Thursday May 17

So be sure to check in to the Hot Off The Press thread from now and throughout the Upfront announcements for complete coverage of what we'll be seeing starting in September.

The biggest week in local HD news switchovers ever!
The HD Revolution
45 Stations Providing HD News
By Glen Dickson Broadcasting & Cable

45 local broadcasters are now airing high-definition newscasts after seven stations jumped into the fray (this) week.

The new entries span a wide range of geography, affiliations and market size:
KCBS and KCAL, the CBS owned-and-operated stations in Los Angeles (DMA #2);
KTVK, Belo's independent station in Phoenix (DMA #13);
WSOC, the Cox station and ABC affiliate in Charlotte, N.C (DMA #26).;
KFSN, the ABC O&O in Fresno, Calif. (DMA #55);
Cordillera station and NBC affiliate WLEX Lexington, Ky. (DMA #63).
Cordillera station and NBC affiliate KVOA Tucson (DMA #70);

(WLEX, which launched on April 26, is actually the second station to offer HD news in the Lexington market, following CBS affiliate and Gray Television station WKYT, which launched on April 13.)

"The response has been overwhelming positive," says WLEX general manager Tim Gilbert. He adds that "lots of loyal viewers" have been offering suggestions on how to tweak the station's new HDTV set, such as adjusting camera angles.

"It's a brave new world," says Gilbert.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/ind...leID=CA6437665

I thought ABC had done that already.

Thanks to a reminder from AlanSaysYo, the complete network pilot order list has been updated in post five.

It is here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&#post10367400