CBS: Viewers' Age and Sex Shouldn't Matter to Marketers (Ad Age)

...The data confirmed what other smaller studies have shown in the past, according to Mr. Poltrack: "There is no link, none, between the age of the specified demographic delivery of the campaign and the sales generated by that campaign." ...

Looking at snack foods, only three among the dozens of TV shows most watched by "heavy snacking households" also appear on the list of top shows among viewers aged 18-49, Mr. Poltrack said during his talk, "yet many of the advertisers in this category buy based on age demographics." ...

Mr. Poltrack added that reliance on the 18 to 49 demographic is hazardous to all media and marketers, partly because it doesn't strongly correlate with purchases and partly because it's declining fast. That group's share of U.S. population declined from 62% to 57% between 2002 and last year, he said, and will drop another two points to 55% by 2016.

It will be interesting to see how this information changes the way television sells advertising and how corporations decide where to buy. And will any of that filter over to the film industry or will it be forever obsessed with young teenage boys. Um, wait - that didn't come out right....

Read the full article here.

Television's Senior Moment (Wall Street Journal)

For decades the TV industry has operated on a currency of youth, creating shows that appeal to 18- to 49-year-olds, the age group advertisers traditionally consider most likely to buy new products, switch brands and spend on everything from cars to soft drinks. But as the nearly 80 million baby boomers continue to age out of the coveted demographic—the oldest boomers are turning 65 this year, the youngest 47—networks want to charge advertisers more to reach them. After all, these viewers still watch a disproportionate amount of TV, and they control half of all U.S. consumer spending. ...

The networks want marketers to ignore age and pay for viewers based on income and other factors—in effect paying more for affluent viewers who are 55-plus. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler says the network has always created shows that appeal to all ages. But "boomers have always been a priority customer for us," she adds.

"Rather than saying a 22-year-old is more valuable than a 58-year-old, we're saying, 'Look, the fact is an affluent 58-year-old is certainly more valuable than a 22-year-old who is just getting by,' " says David Poltrack, chief research officer at CBS Corp., parent of the CBS network.

Makes sense to me - and a step away from the youth obsession in Hollywood is good news for everyone, in my opinion. Changes in TV will lead to changes in film, which could mean fewer movies that are retreads, sequels, or based on "established properties" that don't necessarily mean anything to the Boomers. More original fare all around! Unless someone wants to make "Cocoon 3" - then I'm totally on board. :)

Read the full article here.

Insulting Chuck Lorre, Not Abuse, Gets Charlie Sheen Sidelined (New York Times)

In 2007, Chris Albrecht, then chairman of HBO, which is owned by Time Warner — yes, that Time Warner — was asked to resign after he was arrested and charged with assaulting a woman in a Las Vegas parking lot. Even though Mr. Albrecht had played a large role in developing the paid cable network and hits like “Sex and the City” and “The Sopranos,” his behavior, coupled with past incidents of domestic abuse, was deemed unacceptable.

Is Mr. Sheen excused because he manufactures laughs, not widgets, for a living? For years on the show, Mr. Sheen has been playing to type as a naughty boy in a man’s body: the result was often scabrous and funny and a hit in the ratings. It also fits another depressing pattern. From “Animal House” to Howard Stern, from “Pretty Woman” to “The Hangover,” Hollywood has long had a soft spot for male misbehavior and, in claiming to parody childish misogyny, it seems to provide an excuse to indulge in it further.

Hollywood likes to pretend it has grown up and taken its seat in corporate America. But it hasn’t when it comes to violence toward women. Mr. Sheen may have gone off-script last week. But in his attitudes toward women both on and off screen, he’s right on message.

David Carr makes interesting points about many things - the fact that Sheen has literally threatened to kill at least two of the women in his life, that actors get away with so much more than mere executives and that has everything to do with the bottom line, and that it seems like that only ends when they "attack the golden goose" and rail (often with anti-Semitic rants) against their bosses or the power structure in Hollywood. Bottom line, what's up with that?
Read the full article here.

Fall 2011-12 development: Will remakes of 'Wonder Woman' or 'Prime Suspect' become great hits? Are you ready for a fresh take on Edgar Allan Poe? (Entertainment Weekly)

But fascinating projects continue to pass the first smell test at the broadcast networks. The key is whether the suits take them to the next step and order them to pilot, which the networks then use in late April and early May to decide what should go the distance come fall of 2011. Here’s what they’ve ordered so far.

You can always count on EW to give a simple, concise rundown of all the latest projects when each season (pilot, fall films, award, you name it) comes around. Here's a nice roundup of the networks' Fall 2011 slates. Enjoy!

Read the full article here.

Time Warner and the War Against Free (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

At a trade show that celebrates the wonders of low-cost digital distribution, [Jeff Bewkes is] an emissary from the land of paid content. His message is simple and sharp: The devices may be cool, but anything that costs money to produce must be paid for, and any service or channel that doesn't carry its weight is destined to die.

For Bewkes, 58, the solution is a Time Warner initiative called TV Everywhere, which essentially forces customers to keep paying their $75-plus monthly cable bill to access television and movie content on any Web-enabled device they choose.

...The man who built his career over 23 years at HBO will not make his hit movies or shows available for cut-rate streaming at Amazon. Nor will he offer them for instant viewing at Netflix, where CEO Reed Hastings recently rolled out a $7.99-a-month deal for unlimited streaming of TV shows and movies. And Bewkes certainly won't let his product be given away on Hulu, which distributes most of its advertising-supported programming for free. Netflix has wooed more than 16 million subscribers, usually paying a fraction of what cable and satellite owners pay TV channels to run content. And while about 70 percent of the ad dollars Hulu takes in gets back to the content owner, those online ads don't draw anywhere near the audience or revenues of TV. That's why Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes are potential enemies to Bewkes. He holds the view that companies such as Time Warner can only continue to make high-quality content if they preserve a business model that requires consumers to pay for the whole buffet. Any Web distributor can stream his content, says Bewkes, "if they pay us a billion dollars for a marquee show."

I tend to think the cat's out of the bag on this one. The ability to watch shows and channels on demand (either on the Internet, via iTunes, or from the "On Demand" button on the cable menu) is pretty ingrained in people now, and I'd venture a guess that most of us see that as the future of television.

Then again, I don't have cable, so I don't have a choice but to use alternate viewing options. Perhaps I have no idea what I'm talking about. What do you think?

Read the full article here.

Names You Need to Know In 2011: Comcast’s Steve Burke (Forbes)

...He’s months away from redefining what can – or can’t – be done when you marry the pipes of the country’s largest cable system with the offerings of a content giant behind shows like 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser and The Real Housewives franchise. In his new position, Burke has the opportunity to (re)shape the entertainment landscape, making pivotal decisions on topics ranging from retransmission consent to video-on-demand to the business of online viewing.

Yes, it's yet another list from Forbes. This one is "Names You Need to Know in 2011." But this quick summary of Steve Burke's household-name-worthiness is right on target -- I'm with the author in thinking we'll be hearing his name constantly next year.

Read the full article here.

Turner Classic Movies launches 7-part 'Moguls and Movie Stars' (LA Times / AP)

TCM will broadcast a seven-part documentary series, "Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood," beginning Monday. The series, narrated by Christopher Plummer, will run for seven weeks and cover Hollywood's history from 1890-1970. ...

"The underlying theme of this series is essentially Hollywood power: Who had it, how did they get it, what did they do with it, and how did they lose it."

I'll definitely be checking this out. I'm guessing it'll be good enough to be required viewing for anyone interested in the industry.

Get more info at the "Moguls & Movie Stars" website.

Read the full article here.

Violence, Nudity, Adult Content: The Comeback of Chris Albrecht (GQ)

For years, Chris Albrecht was unstoppable. He was the man who made HBO, the programming genius who brought us The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire and more, revolutionizing the way we watch, and revere, TV. Then, one night in Vegas, he seemed to throw it all away: He roughed up his girlfriend outside the MGM Grand, and his life exploded in a spectacular blaze of shame. Now, more than three years later, he talks for the first time about what happened that night—oh, and how he plans to turn Starz into the next HBO.

Really interesting article about Albrecht. It doesn't shy away from making him sound like an ass, nor like a TV genius. But bottom line, I think we can safely say this guy gets it, and isn't that kind of what it's all about?

Read the full article here.

Obama to Appear on ‘Daily Show’ TONIGHT (The Daily Show)

This is the first time a sitting president has appeared on The Daily Show. If that's not reason enough to tune in, don't forget the goodness that is Jon Stewart.

If you can't tune in tonight, you'll be able to watch the video here tomorrow.

NBC, You've Blown It Again! (The Daily Beast)

NBC needs to start thinking like a first-place network again and, instead of following the pack, look to lead it. The first step is to formalize something resembling a brand. CBS has crime procedurals (CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds); Fox is bombastic (House, Bones, Glee); ABC has soapy dramas (Grey's Anatomy) and family entertainment (Dancing With the Stars, Modern Family). NBC is the odd one out, looking like a patchwork quilt.

I have to agree. My TV is for DVDs only, so all of my television watching is done online, which means I have to make a conscious choice to watch any given episode - and NONE of the shows I'm making time for are on NBC.

But this article is also worth reading because of how the author breaks down ways the network could improve - and could actually be good advice for every channel.

Read the full article here.

The Vanity Fair 100 | The New Establishment 2010 (Vanity Fair)

This year Vanity Fair anoints [Mark Zuckerberg} as our new Caesar. He rules from the imperial capital of Palo Alto, California, the Rome of our nascent millennium. In this, the 16th annual ranking of the 100 most influential people of the Information Age, V.F. has also heaped some new honors on that other prince of Palo Alto, Steve Jobs, now that his Apple is worth even more than those great conquerors Google and Microsoft.

I can't say I'm surprised to see Zuckerberg and Jobs at the top of the list, However, if I had my druthers, their order would be reversed - I love Apple and am just lukewarm on Facebook - but since this isn't my list, who am I to argue? To whet your whistle, here's where just a few of the many industry's folks landed on the list:

# 4 - Rupert Murdoch - News Corp.
#12 - Brad Bird, Pete Docter, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton - Pixar/Disney
#20 - Johnny Depp
#29 - Jon Stewart
#55 - Ryan Murphy
#75 - Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt
#81 - Seth MacFarlane
#92 - Harvey & Bob Weinstein
#93 - Nikki Finke

See the full list here.

‘Modern Family’ creator: Why I took on Hulu (THR)

The iPhone and iPad are very successful, but, with all due respect to the prophetic Steve Jobs, I don't see Apple giving them away. It's very simple. Shows like "30 Rock" and "Lost" and "The Office" are expensive to produce. Plus these "hits" cover the costs of all the misses. If viewers want to continue to see quality content like that, then we have to find a way to keep it profitable. Otherwise, we'll all be watching clips of a sneezing panda -- which, by the way, were adorable.

Levitan opinions make perfect sense on all points. As someone who "cut the cord" and gets all of my television from the Internet, I'm in favor of keeping Hulu and similar sites free. As someone who may have content on these types of sites someday, I'm also in favor of making sure creators are paid and audiences are counted. What's the middle ground?
Read the full article here.

'Sons of Anarchy' star Charlie Hunnam on Jax's rough ride (Chicago Tribune)

These guys that live this, they've got 40 people to rely on. Most of us in our lives, we have one or two people we can call if the going gets really rough. Maybe you call on your family or a couple of dear friends. My friends that live this life, they have 40, 50, 60 guys that they can count on for anything at any time. It's kind of a beautiful thing. It's kind of a nice, dysfunctional community these guys have set up for themselves. ...

Even if some of the behavior is questionable, the founding values that these clubs are set up on are really admirable. And also, it's just sticking a finger up to the man. You have to have freedom. I just think the whole world is getting gentrified and generic. Everyone's living the same kind of existence. I really admire these guys for saying, "Fuck it. I'm going to live the way life makes sense to me." Within that world, it does get a little nasty and people get hurt. But for the most part, you can do whatever the hell you want.

SONS OF ANARCHY returns Sept. 7 and I cannot wait! This is a very good interview with the show's star Charlie Hunnam, and includes links to interviews the author did with numerous other cast members, as well as the show's creator, Kurt Sutter. Definitely worth checking out.
Read the full article here.

The Sofa Wars - In the Living Room, Hooked on Pay TV (NY Times)

It is a fantasy shared by many Americans: dropping cable television and its fat monthly bills and turning instead to the wide-open frontier of Internet video.

Some are finding that the reality is not that simple. ...

Entrepreneurs will “keep storming the castle until somebody figures it out,” Mr. Moffett wrote in a recent note to investors. But he also called cord-cutting “perhaps the most overhyped and overanticipated phenomenon in tech history."

I cut the cord over a year ago and I've never looked back. No, watching on my laptop is not as comfortable as watching on my TV, but for me, it's a small price to pay when compared with shelling out $100/month on cable. Anyone else braving the world without cable?
Read the full article here.
Find links to all articles in "The Sofa Wars" series here.

Emmy Roundtable - Party of Six (Newsweek)

Emmy-nominated actors Matthew Fox, Christina Hendricks, Eric Stonestreet, Bryan Cranston, Connie Britton, and Chris Colfer discuss their worst first gigs, most embarrassing moments, and behind-the-scenes secrets, like how 'Lost' really ended. ...

Cranston: That’s a very common thing that you hear from the civilian population. They think that there’s an actual destination, that every actor going into this business wants and needs to be a star. For me, that was never the case. All I cared about was to be a working actor.

Britton: And even the differentiation between film and television. That was always a thing, and still to some degree is. You know, “Oh, well, you know, it’s really about film,” or whatever. But for me it’s really about doing something that I’m just having the best time doing.

Hendricks: It’s funny, the assumption that’s like, “You’ve reached this amount of success with your television career, so naturally now you want to do movies.”

Fox: I think there’s so much better stuff going on in television than there is in film. They’re taking a lot more chances in television. They don’t have to put so many fannies in the seats, so there are more brave things happening on television, more interesting and new ideas..

I've always loved Newsweek's awards roundtables, and this one is no exception. Especially since they had the good sense to include Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights). Enjoy!
Read the full article here.
Watch a video of the complete conversation here.

This Is Series Business (Texas Monthly)

The Texas Film Commission, together with the Dallas Film Commission, may have succeeded in creating a transitory burst of excitement and jobs, which is no small task in a lousy economy. Yet in terms of nurturing Texas viewers’ imaginations—and serving up entertainment that expands our understanding of the city of Dallas—these shows are proving worthless. ...

If Texas allows itself to become known as a land of cheap hotel rooms, low-cost locations, and tax rebates galore for a gaggle of artless network dramas and comedies, then we’ll never have much hope of refining our own artistic legacy.

An interesting counter-view to the ongoing discussion of incentives, and while it focuses on Texas, it's certainly applicable to other locations - including Los Angeles.
Read the full article here.

Europe Braces for More Product Plugs (Wall Street Journal)

This U.S. style of marketing is set to take off in shows produced in the U.K. and continental Europe as well, thanks to a recent change in the rules governing the mix of advertising and content in home-grown television programs. ... A recent change to European Union law says editorial and advertising can now be mixed, but they must be distinct from one another, and EU members are given room to write their own rules. While keen to allow commercial broadcasters access to a new source of revenue, the EU authorities also want to ensure viewers know when they are being sold to.

I'm sure Europe will soon thank us for another fantastic "import." Put it on the list with McDonald's and Wal-Mart.
Read the full article here.

TONIGHT - Book Soup Event w/ Damon Lindelof (Lost) & Tim Kring (Heroes)

Book Soup presents Damon Lindelof, creator of LOST in conversation with Tim Kring, the creator of Heroes and author of "Shift".

This is bound to be an interesting conversation, so figured I'd throw it up here in case any of you are interested in checking it out. It's TONIGHT at 7 PM at the book store.
Read the details and see the full listing of events here.

The Big Cable Channels Keep Getting Bigger (NY Times)

Chalk it up to an incredibly competitive environment among programmers and an appetite for new shows year-round among viewers. Speaking to TV critics in Los Angeles this month, John Landgraf, the president of FX, said cable had become a “much more crowded marketplace” in the last 10 years. When FX’s groundbreaking series “The Shield” started in 2002, “there were about 40 scripted original series in all of cable,” he said. “And now there are 140.”

Personally, I'm definitely a bigger fan of cable channels vs. the networks. I think it's safe to say that many of the shows that have been hits on cable (The Shield, Army Wives) would have been yanked from a network schedule within a handful of episodes - too edgy or too narrow a focus. Since when were those bad things?

Read the full article here.

Sean Penn (Charlie Rose)

Sean Penn will be on Charlie Rose tonight. He's talking about his work in Haiti, but I'd guess his movie career will come up once or twice.
If you can't catch it tonight, watch it here tomorrow.