Marvel Super Super Heros
Written by Joyce L Chow & William Hoehne March 29 2006
MBN
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MONTEBUBBLISM: I am not a Stepford Wheaten, I am a bitch that likes to have fun.
Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition
The World Pizza Champions Announced:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
SPEEDO® SIGNS AVP BEACH VOLLEYBALL RISING STAR RACHEL WACHOLDER
Stephen Ames Victory at THE PLAYERS Championship
Disney Mobile
Online Music, Music, Music Social Networking on the net
Gordon Fined $10,000
The Brothers Quay to Animate Filmmaking at Academy Event
Impressed with NBC's early strategy Military Contracts
NBC Universal Television Stations group developing a daytime talk Auto Advertising down
NEW CEA RESEARCH FINDS MULTI-ROOM AUDIO SYSTEMS RECEIVE HIGH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OWNERS THE CW ANNOUNCES 30 NEW LONG-TERM AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS
Brian Bedol will serve as the keynote speaker on the opening day of C4-Sports
Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre Goes Wild for 'Spring Break' Engagement of Disney's New Computer-Animated Comedy, 'The Wild' From April 14 - May 11; L.A. Zoo Will Present Exotic Birds Live on Stage Before Each Show
Tvidia Corp Releases Internet Content Rating Product for Mobile Phones
Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition
Spider-Man? The Incredible Hulk? The world premier of Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition runs through September 4, 2006 at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
Enter the Super Hero laboratory. See if you’re a mutant at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. Chill out touching the Ice-Man. See how the Daredevil utilizes his senses for Echolocation. Scream like the Banshee and see what shatters. Suspend yourself mid-air to experience Spider-Man. Lift a Scion xB like the Iron Man (reminiscent of the Six Million Dollar Man at Universal Studios).
Busloads of children filled the California Science Center with McDonald’s appetites, and the fascination of bright eyed wonder. Not that you would need to entice them to take a day off from school for a field trip. It is a dream day for any child. Fun, fun, fun.
For those of you that are parents considering taking your child there, add to the fun by dressing them up as Spider-Man or their other favorite Marvel comic super Hero. They’ll be able to climb like Spider-Man.
While you’re there, take advantage of being at the California Science Center in this science playland with their hands-on exhibits of the Creative World of human innovation, World of Life and Sketch Foundation’s Gallery of air and space craft. Suspend yourself in a high wire bicycle.
Marvel’s Super Hero exhibition is just a couple months prior to the release of X3, formally X-men: The Last Stand, with the release date of May 26, 2006. Spider-Man 3’s movie release date is May 4, 2007.
Following is the press release from the California Science Center...
The California Science Center will host the world premiere of Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition on March 26, 2006. Marvel Super Heroes, which runs through September 4, 2006, will immerse visitors in the electrifying sights, sounds and sensations of the Marvel Universe while they explore how some of the most loved comic book heroes and villains bring science into their world.
Engaging and interactive experiences will encourage visitors to learn about real life science and technology through the mythic powers of Super Heroes. Is there a biological basis to Hulk's transformation? How can knowledge of simple mechanics help us command the strength of Iron Man? Visitors of all ages will enjoy finding the answers to these questions and more as they learn about science and technology while living the fantasy of their favorite Marvel Super Hero.
“Marvel Super Heroes is a wonderful avenue to introduce visitors to the remarkable achievements of current science and technology—achievements that in many ways give us special powers we dream of through the comics, such as Doc Ock's dexterity with prosthetics, Iron Man's physical strength, and Daredevil's sight in the face of blindness,” said Jeffrey N. Rudolph, President of the California Science Center.
In this exhibition, visitors can explore the science and power within Marvel's Super Heroes. Visitors can:
- See if their senses are as sharp as Daredevil’s when they navigate through an alleyway using their sense of touch and hearing clues (“psst over here”)
- Investigate the Incredible Hulk’s brain and learn which areas are responsible for generating human emotions such as rage—the key to Hulk’s super abilities
- Discover what it’s like to have a helping hand or three with Doctor Octopus through the engineering technology of prosthetic limbs
- Examine how lightning is created and calculate the distance of a thunderstorm in the Storm exhibit.
- See how an optical illusion known as motion-induced blindness can make the Invisible Woman disappear.
In one of the highlights of the exhibit, visitors can become a real life Iron Man by stepping onto an exo-skeleton machine to lift a Scion xB, a vehicle weighing nearly 2500 lbs. By experimenting with simple levers and pulleys to lift weights, they will learn what the future holds for increasing human strength.
In another area, visitors will explore the wonders of Spider-Man when they learn about the elasticity and strength of spider webs. Here they will be able to experience the strength of Technora™, a synthetic fiber that mimics the strength of spider webs. It’s one of the strongest materials ever created.
Visitors entering the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning will interact with the X-Men and discover how genetic mutation can evolve. They can learn how matter changes from one state to another and feel the chill of Iceman or explore the magnetic fields that protect Magneto. In Wolverine’s den, guests can learn about artificial parts developed by biomedical engineers to enhance patients’ lives. In the Danger Room, which focuses on Banshee’s sonic superpowers, visitors can discover the physical nature of sound waves and learn about their unique properties.
Other experiences in the exhibition:
- Follow a timeline that covers the history of Marvel comics from the Golden Ages, to Comics in Crisis, to Reinvention. Learn how the story lines of Marvel comics are connected to historical social, political and cultural events, as well as society’s hopes and fears about the future of science.
- Visit the Stan Lee Theater and watch an exclusive interview with the creative mastermind behind some of Marvels most popular characters.
- Become a Super Hero and appear on the cover of a Marvel comic. Have your picture taken and then watch as it is superimposed onto the face of a character from a selection of covers.
The Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition features over 9,000 sq. ft. of interactive experiences developed, designed and fabricated by Yellowbrick?Holman Exhibition Inc. in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre. After its debut in Los Angeles, the Ontario Science Centre will tour Marvel Super Heroes to other science centers and museums in North America.
The Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 4 pm. Admission to Marvel Super Heroes is $9.75 (Adults), $8.75 (Seniors 60+ & Students 13+ with valid student I.D.) and $7.75 (Children 4-12). Member rates are $7.75 (Adults) and $6.75 (Children). Combination ticket prices for the exhibit and any IMAX film are $16.25 (Adults), $13.00 (Seniors/Students) and $11.00 (Children). Tickets are available online at www.californiasciencecenter.org and advanced ticket purchase is encouraged. Due to the possibility of lines, please arrive early. General admission to all other Science Center exhibits is free.
The California Science Center is located in historic Exposition Park at 700 State Drive, Los Angeles. Enter visitor parking at 39th & Figueroa Street. Parking is $6 per car. For general information, call 323.SCIENCE (323.724-3623) or visit our website at www.californiasciencecenter.org. Both the Science Center and IMAX Theater are wheelchair accessible.
The World Pizza Champions Announced:
Tony Gemignani Gets Certified at Scuola Italaina Pizzaioli
Caorle, Italy March 23, 2006 Tony Gemignani 6 Time World Champion and President of the World Pizza Champions traveled to Caorle, Italy to the Scuola Italaina Pizzaioli for a 2 week course.
Classic Italian Pizza
Master di Specializzazione: Pizza In Pala (Pizza by the Meter)
This prestigious school is owned and operated by Enrico Fama of This prestigious school is owned and operated by Enrico Fama of Pizza & Pasta Magazine & Pizza New.The school of Pizza in Caorle was started by Enrico over fifteen years ago and has several prestigious schools throughout Italy
Tony's instructor, Italy's very own Instructor Grazziano Bertuzzo, lead the class that had representatives form France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and the US.
Students learned the fundamentals of classic Italian Pizza, Dough Formulas, Indirect Dough Methods, Wood Fired, Electric Deck, and Conveyor Oven Operations, Sauce Techniques, Peel Applications, Properties of Yeast, Flour Type 0 & 00, Proteins, Soya, Water, PH, with Written Exams with discussion groups every day
Click Here For Photos..." It was great to see so many people from so many different countries wanting to learn about pizza. In class I met a guy who lived in Italy and owned a pizzeria for over 20 years. He and I were very much alike as we never want to stop learning about something we love - PIZZA. I recommend this school to anyone who wants to know the true way of Classic Italian Pizza whether you own a pizzeria or want to implement pizza into your restaurant or work place. The instructors made it easy. It was truly a memorable experience"
If You are Interested in Becoming Certified Click Here ...PIZZA the book by Tony Gemignani
Click Here to Order PIZZA the book...About the World Pizza ChampionsProfessionals of the Pizza Industry
The World Pizza Champions are made up of members Michael Shepherd of Michael Angelo's Pizza in Kenton & Rushsylvania, Ohio; Tony Gemignani & Ken Bryant of Pyzano’s Pizzeria in Castro Valley, CA; Joe Carlucci of Famous Joe's in Danbury,CT; Siler Chapman of Pizza Works in Fort Mills, SC and Sean Brauser of Romeo's Pizza in Medina, OH.
Each member has earned the highest awards in several different categories in the pizza industry. They are considered by many pizza operators worldwide as professionals and pioneers.
Team members have appeared on the Today Show, Tony Danza Show, The Tonight Show, The Ellen Show, ESPN, the Food Network, Good Morning America, BBC Radio, and numerous industry magazine covers.
They have come together to form an affiliation to promote their restaurants and their skills. Individually each of them have performed on shows across the nation, but now they plan to tour the world as a team. The World Pizza Champions perform and/or compete at numerous festivals, fairs, sporting events, and food shows all year long.
America's #1 Pizza Team, The World Pizza Champions, will be in a town or on a TV near you.
Website: http://www.worldpizzachampions.com
The World Pizza Champions are made up of members of
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Robinson, 36, Brandon, Miss., died in Sangain District, Afghanistan on March 25, when his HMMWV came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Robinson was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Jackson, Miss.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Frederick A. Carlson, 25, Bethlehem, Pa., died in Taqqadum, Iraq on March 25, from a non-combat related cause. Carlson was assigned to the Army National Guard's 228th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Division, Bethlehem, Pa. The incident is under investigation
SPEEDO® SIGNS AVP BEACH VOLLEYBALL RISING STAR RACHEL WACHOLDER
Top-selling swimwear brand continues to build beach volleyball stable ahead of Beijing
She joins fellow AVP stars Kerri Walsh, Karch Kiraly, Holly McPeak, Jake Gibb and Stein Metzger on Team Speedo.
LOS ANGELES (March 28, 2006) – SPEEDO®, the top-selling swimwear brand in the world, today announced the signing of beach volleyball rising star Rachel Wacholder to a contract through 2008. Following a breakout 2005 season, Wacholder has established herself as a dominant force in the sport, finishing last season No. 2 overall on the AVP Tour with partner and Olympic bronze medalist Elaine Youngs. The new, 16-stop season begins in Ft. Lauderdale on March 31st.
– , the top-selling swimwear brand in the world, today announced the signing of beach volleyball rising star Rachel Wacholder to a contract through 2008. Following a breakout 2005 season, Wacholder has established herself as a dominant force in the sport, finishing last season No. 2 overall on the AVP Tour with partner and Olympic bronze medalist Elaine Youngs. The new, 16-stop season begins in Ft. Lauderdale on March 31.Wacholder is represented by Carmen Wallace of Athletes First.
“When you strive to be the best, you want to surround yourself with the best,” said Wacholder. “Speedo is not only the world’s top swimwear brand, but it also has long relationships with the world’s best beach volleyball players such as Karch Kiraly, Kerri Walsh, and Holly McPeak.”
“As we continue to build toward Beijing, Rachel is a great addition to Team Speedo,” said Sheree Waterson, president of Speedo North America. “She is the definition of a strong, sexy female athlete.”
Wacholder and Youngs combined to win titles in Cincinnati, Huntington Beach and Boulder last season and continue to be the only team on Tour to challenge and defeat the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor. Wacholder teamed with Walsh in 2004 to win two FIVB Grand Slam international tournaments. She was voted the 2005 AVP Tour Defensive Player of the Year by her peers.
Team Speedo beach volleyball players include AVP Tour 2005 MVP Jake Gibb and 2005 AVP top-ranked player Stein Metzger.
SPEEDO® and the Boomerang Device are registered trademarks of and used under license from SPEEDO International Ltd.
Warnaco Swimwear Inc., a division of The Warnaco Group Inc. (NASDAQ: WRNC), is the authorized licensee of the Speedo trademark in North America and the Caribbean.
About Speedo®
Born on Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia in 1928, SPEEDO® is the world's top-selling swimwear brand. The brand's heritage derives from its leadership in competitive swimming, where more Olympic Gold Medals have been won in Speedo than any other brand. Eight-time Olympic Medalist Michael Phelps is among the elite swimmers who wear SPEEDO® Fastskinä technology. Building on its authentic base, the SPEEDO® product line has dramatically expanded over the years. It now includes women's fashion and fitness swimwear, men's water shorts, kid's swimwear, active wear, footwear, and a comprehensive collection of aquatic and fitness equipment. For more information visit, www.SpeedoUSA.com.
About The Warnaco Group, Inc.
The Warnaco Group, Inc., headquartered in New York, is a leading apparel company engaged in the business of designing, marketing and selling intimate apparel, menswear, jeanswear, swimwear, men's and women's sportswear and accessories under such owned and licensed brands as Warner's®, Olga®, Lejaby®, Body Nancy Ganz(tm), Speedo®, Anne Cole Collection®, Ocean Pacific®, Cole of California® and Catalina® as well as Chaps® sportswear and denim, JLO by Jennifer Lopez® lingerie, Nautica® swimwear, Michael Kors® swimwear and Calvin Klein® men's and women's underwear, men's accessories, men's, women's, junior women's and children's jeans and women's and juniors swimwear.
Stephen Ames Victory at THE PLAYERS Championship
Earns five-year exemption on the PGA TOUR that will take him through the 2011 season. Among others, earns three-year exemption into the Masters Tournament (2006-08) and the British Open (2006-08) and one year each into the U.S. Open (2006) and PGA Championship (2006). Becomes the fifth player over the age of 40 to win THE PLAYERS Championship, joining Fred Funk (2005), Hal Sutton (2000), Calvin Peete (1985) and Lee Trevino (1980). Seventh international winner of THE PLAYERS Championship, and the third in the last five years. First third-round leader since Steve Elkington (69/1997) to post a final round in the 60s and win. Largest margin of victory since Davis Love III won by six in 2003. All-time tournament record is seven strokes by Steve Elkington in 1997. Posted two of the four low rounds on the week (second round - 66, fourth round - 67).
Disney Mobile
Disney Mobile’s primary strategy is to target moms wanting to control cellphone use and access, executives familiar with the situation said. To reach moms, the phones offered by Disney Mobile will include a number of exclusive control features planned for announcement in early April. Those features, one executive said, are designed to “make sure the children use phones responsibly,” possibly including features such as control over the number of minutes used and when they are used. “It will be a better way of connecting people and families,” the executive said.
Disney Mobile’s Web site bills it as “a phone that gives moms what they need and kids what they want.” Other selling points listed on the site include “simple, straightforward controls for ease of use; countless customization options for personalization; usage controls that let you tailor your phones to your family’s needs.”
Disney Mobile phones, from a number of handset providers, will not “have Mickey Mouse ears stuck on it,” said the executive, but will look like an ordinary cellphone with a discreet Disney Mobile logo on it. Collectors’ editions may be available from time to time. Content from the entire Disney content collection will be available on the phone, from princesses to pirates.
The phone will target moms with kids from 8 or 9 on the younger end to about 14, perhaps a little older for girls. According to a July 2005 Harris Interactive study, 12% of 8- to 12-year-olds have cellphones, while 49% of teens age 13 to 15 have cellphones. Of children 13 to 17, 62% are on family plans, while 15% are on prepaid plans and 23% are on standalone monthly plans, according to NPD Group's Mobile Consumer Track.
Already, there are a number of kiddie phones in the marketplace, ranging from those with limited access such as Firefly Mobile and LG’s Migo to Mattel’s MyScene phone, which allows parents to reward children for doing things like chores with extra talk time.
Nevertheless, “by the time kids are 10, they want the phone their parents have,” said Julie Ask, senior analyst, Jupiter Research. Yet, “There are horror stories of parents with huge cellphone bills,” she said.
Disney Mobile is the second virtual phone service from the Walt Disney Co. Late last year, through its ESPN media network, it launched ESPN Mobile, which features sports content. While some of ESPN's service offerings are on the high end with some volume-use plans costing over $200 a month, the Disney Mobile phone is expected to be priced competitively with family offerings. The phones will be sold online and through retailers and Disney.
Online Music, Music, Music
Stephanie Guza, Industry Analyst, summarizing In-Stat's most recent online music report, says that the Internet is now a key distribution channel for legitimate digital music sales, and the mobile phone is also evolving into an important channel for digital music.
Other conclusions, excerpted from her report, include such things as:
Online sales of digital music represented almost 6% of the total worldwide music market in 2005. This figure is up from virtually zero in 2003.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), paid-for digital single downloads reached 420 million in 2005, which is more than double the number of digital singles downloaded in 2004.
Another method is subscription-based services, with the overall subscriber base reaching 2.8 million, up from 1.5 million in 2004.
Online song catalogues doubled to nearly 2 million songs on all major online music services. In addition, the number of legitimate music sites reached 335 worldwide, up from 50 in 2003.
Mobile phones have evolved from basic voice-based handsets to multimedia handsets used for different functions such as voice, data, music, music distribution and video.
Guza says that "...Consumers are clearly opting for legal ways to purchase music, more legitimate music sites are available, and increasing broadband access is enabling online music distribution like never before. Despite this progress, vendors in the market still face significant obstacles. Internet piracy, interoperability concerns, and the unlicensed use of digital streams represent real challenges to the growth of this market."
Social Networking
When Rupert Murdoch swooped in last year to buy MySpace, paying $580 million, Wall Street suddenly perked up to the idea of social networking. It was a bit late, as is so common with things related to the internet.
MySpace may be the largest social networking site, the one getting the headlines, but it's just one in what has become an increasingly fast-growing sector. New players are entering the market, it seems by the day, and a number of sites are experiencing rapid growth. Networking sites are like virtual bars, where users post their profiles and interact with others sharing similar interests.
Just two years old, Facebook.com, a site for high school and college students, is now on the block, and BusinessWeek Online reports that its owners have just nixed a $750 million offer. They're holding out for as much as $2 billion.
If this seems like 1999 all over again, with wild offers flying about, it is not in one key regard. This time they are for ventures that have already proven their worth.
Still, social networking is a pretty recent thing, really only exploding as the internet has matured. That's because the activity pretty much requires a powerful internet connection. To grow, the sites needed people to migrate from dial-up to broadband.
Which explains their huge growth just in the last year. Facebook had 10.5 million unique visitors in the U.S. in February, up from 2.8 million in February 2005, an increase of 271 percent, according to comScore Media Metrix.
MySpace has grown even faster in the U.S., clocking 37.3 million unique visitors in February from just under 9 million in February 2005, a growth of 318 percent, according to comScore Media Metrix.
“That’s a boatload,” says Bob Ivins, managing director at comScore Europe. “It is great to see a site like this just take off because it talks to me about the huge opportunity that still exists on the web.”
Yet not all networking sites are prospering, and that makes it a tricky proposition for investors. What site's in, and which are not, can change in a heartbeat, or better, with the fluidity of the social whims and fashions of teenagers.
One early site, Friendster, has been more or less flat over the past year, with about a million unique visitors in the U.S., while Bebo.com has seen the number of unique visitors in the U.S. fall to 1.2 million in February from 6.1 million the year before, according to comScore.
What drives the growth of successful sites, and the rapid downfall of those on the decline, is what Ivins calls the network effect. People join because their friends join, so the more people who join one site the more reason for others to follow. And vice versa.
“If your friends aren’t on it, there is no value,” says Ivins. “The ones that aren’t growing will probably be left behind, unless they are for a very specific community of people.”
Says Ivins: “I think these types of communities will be around forever.” But whether the current biggies maintain their position is another question
Gordon Fined $10,000
following the race at Bristol Motorspeedway, an action that drew a $10,000 fine from NASCAR on Tuesday. It's the first time in Gordon's 14-year career that he's been penalized for his conduct.
Gordon is ready to shed his image as he attempts to return to championship form. He failed to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup championship last season and wound up 11th in the points -- his lowest finish since his rookie season.
``I think that I kind of heard a lot last year that maybe I wasn't being aggressive enough on the race track and different things,'' he said. ``My team has done an awful lot this year to make our race cars better, to put me in better positions ... and I'm giving them everything I possibly can out there on the race track because they deserve it.
``If that means I've got to be more aggressive, then I'm going to be more aggressive. When you're more aggressive, sometimes it carries over off the race track, as well.''
There are some who argue that Gordon has never lacked on-track aggression, particularly Jeff Burton, who was angry about getting caught up in an incident Sunday between Gordon and Martin Truex Jr.
``We have drivers who think it's OK for them to do something, but it's not OK for somebody to do it to them,'' Burton said Monday at Bristol. ``Jeff Gordon's a perfect example.''
But Gordon said he didn't intentionally wreck Truex.
``Martin completely checked up in front of me,'' he said. ``The problem is I was an inch off his rear bumper when it happened. He did not have any time for error. Jeff Burton is mad because he got caught up in the wreck.''
Gordon now heads to Martinsville Speedway, where he swept both races last year. It's a short track like Bristol and tempers have been known to erupt. Don't be surprised if Gordon is one of them now that he isn't shying away from controversy.
``Now that I've established myself, I'm older and I understand life a little more, really the way to enjoy life and enjoy racing more is to be me,'' he said. ``I guess that's maybe the Jeff Gordon that has evolved over the years. In the past I've reserved a lot of my emotions. I'm not afraid to show them these days. I'm just being me.''
The Brothers Quay to Animate Filmmaking at Academy Event
Beverly Hills, CA — In celebration of the 10th Marc Davis Lecture on Animation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the Brothers Quay in their first speaking engagement in the United States on Friday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The evening will feature a discussion with Stephen and Timothy Quay accompanied by screenings of several of their animated short films, including the “Street of Crocodiles” (1986) and “The Comb” (1990).
The stop-motion and puppetry animation created by the Brothers Quay combines the magic of a child’s optical toy, the expressionist sets of German silent films, the nightmarish fantasy of a Victorian attic with possessed broken dolls and a surrealistic approach to the camera as a third character.
Identical twins born near Philadelphia, the Quays were heavily influenced by the Eastern European immigrant culture of the area and eventually moved to London, where they produce their films.
Over the past two decades the brothers have produced numerous animated and live-action short films, television commercials and music videos. In 1995, they released their only feature-length film to date, “Institute Benjamenta.”
Tickets to the event named in honor of legendary Disney animator Marc Davis are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Free parking is provided in the garages located at 8920 and 9025 Wilshire Boulevard. For more information, call 310-247-3000 ext 111.
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©A.M.P.A.S.®
Impressed with NBC's early strategy
Prominent media buyers say they are impressed with NBC's early strategy for the fall TV season, following a lavish development presentation the network staged last week on the set of its hit drama "Las Vegas." Particularly noteworthy, media buyers say, are NBC's plans to give new shows a presence on new-media venues of increasing interest to advertisers: the Web, cellphones and other digital devices.
Madison Avenue deemed promising several NBC dramas planned for the fall, including "The Black Donnellys," about four brothers involved in organized crime. The series was created by Paul Haggis, the writer of Oscar winners "Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash." Highlighting NBC's digital focus, the new drama will have mini episodes available exclusively online and on cellphones, and the show's writers will have a blog.
"NBC restored our confidence," says Shari Anne Brill, director of programming at Aegis Group's Carat USA.
The development presentation, part of a blitz of similar meetings at rival networks, was designed to pique the interest of media buyers as they begin a three-month process of placing $9 billion of ads for the 2006-07 television season. The process, known as the "upfront," culminates in intense negotiations in May.
Presentations concluded yesterday with CBS. In contrast with the positive reaction accorded NBC, media buyers gave ABC, CBS, Fox and the newly formed CW network mixed reviews.
NBC needed to do something dramatic. Last year after it dropped to fourth from first in the important viewer demographic of adults ages 18 to 49, the network's "upfront" ad revenue fell $800 million to $2.1 billion. This year bombs such as "Inconceivable" and "E-Ring" have worsened NBC's ratings position.
It is too early to say whether NBC's full-court press will translate into more ad dollars. But media buyers say the network, which is owned by General Electric, is positioning itself well. "We're not going to go crazy and reinvest, but we're definitely not going to cut spending back any more either," says Jason Kanefsky, an account manager at ad-buying firm MPG.
In hopes of bouncing back, NBC boosted spending on new shows by 20% and started filming pilot episodes much earlier than normal. As a result, the network had more to show media buyers at its development meeting than rival networks.
ABC, for example, didn't offer media buyers much guidance about its fall plans. Network executives said they didn't want to hype shows that haven't even started filming pilots.
CBS is in the best shape going into fall because a large number of its new shows have worked this season and older series continue to perform. Media buyers say strong fall entries include "Smith," a new crime drama starring Ray Liotta; and "The Class," a comedy from the co-creator of "Friends" about a group of twentysomethings who were in the same third-grade class.
At Fox, an important strategy is to develop shows that will attract a male audience to mesh with the network's airing of Major League Baseball playoff games, says Laura Caraccioli-Davis, a senior vice president at ad buyer Starcom Entertainment
Military Contracts
NAVY
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $73,250,000 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for the fiscal year 2006 full rate production (LOT II) of four complete AN/ALQ-218 Tactical Jamming System Receivers (TJSRs), a component of the EA-6B aircraft. In addition, this contract provides for the procurement of one partial AN/ALQ-218 system and spares. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Md. (57 percent), and Bethpage, N.Y. (30 percent); Nashua, N.H. (8 percent), and San Diego, Calif. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $2,916,001 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-06-D-0014).
Lockheed Martin Systems, Owego, N.Y., is being awarded a not to exceed $41,018,276 for delivery order (5045) under previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00383-01-G-004N) to purchase spares for the multi-mode radar system for the H-60R helicopter. Work will be performed in Owego, N.Y. (20 percent), and Farmington, N.Y. (80 percent), and work is expected to be completed by December 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not awarded competitively. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.
Dick Pacific Construction Co. Ltd., Barrigada, Guam, is being awarded $37,572,452 for modification P00001 under a previously awarded firm-fixed price contract (N62742-05-C-1308) for construction of the new Cdr. William C. McCool Elementary/Middle School at Naval Forces Marianas Support Activity, Guam. Work will be performed in Guam and is expected to be complete by May 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 22 proposals solicited and three offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity
Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc., Aiea, Hawaii, was awarded on March 24, 2006, $10,977,450 for firm-fixed price Task Order 0011 under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract for the repair of Supply Wharf K3 and Supply Wharf K5, FISC, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed October 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured with 11 proposass solicited, seven offers received and award made on June 10, 2004._ The total contract amount for each contractor is not to exceed $250,000,000 (base period and four option years) bringing the cumulative total for all three contracts to $750,000,000. The multiple contractors (three in number) may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the existing contract. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, Resident Officer in Charge of Construction IPT Blue, is the contracting activity (N62742-04-D-1300).
BAE Systems Applied Technologies, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $9,268,863 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract (N00421-01-C-0169) to exercise an option for engineering and technical services for life cycle support of communication-electronic equipment/systems and subsystems supporting the Special Communications Requirements Division at the Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md. The estimated level of effort for this option is 143,442 man-hours. Work will be performed in California, Md. (62 percent); Fayetteville, N.C. (12 percent); Chesapeake, Va. (8 percent); San Diego, Calif. (7 percent); Ft. Bliss, Texas (4 percent); Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. (2 percent); Homestead, Fla. (2 percent); Panzer Kaserne, Germany (2 percent); and Tampa, Fla. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $9,010,738 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-5344) to exercise an option for engineering and technical services to support the STANDARD missile-6 (SM-6) program. Engineering & technical services include initial performance studies, conceptual design studies, functional design, preliminary design, detailed design and development and round integration studies for potential future improvements. The Contractor shall also provide design assessments as necessary for current improvements. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (80 percent); Camden, Ark. (15 percent); and Andover, Mass. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity
Alliant Integrated Defense Co., LLC, Clearwater, Fla., is being awarded an $8,740,457 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-98-C-0006) to incorporate into the existing production line the AAR-47A(V)2 dynamic blanking sensor engineering change proposal and to retrofit existing sensors for the Navy and Air Force. Modification provides for sensor production cut-in of 751 Navy sensor units; sensor retrofit of 1,173 Navy sensor units; sensor production cut-in of 328 Air Force sensor units; and sensor retrofit of 275 Air Force sensor units. Work will be performed in Clearwater, Fla., and is expected to be completed in October 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $467,291 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded an $8,150,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee order against a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00019-03-G-0003) for the development effort to complete the installation of pre-planned product improvement upgrades into the MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters in support of Class I engineering change proposals. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed in March 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
Surface Technologies Corp., Neptune Beach, Fla., is being awarded an estimated $6,842,800 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity for the removal, repair, and installation of interior decks onboard Navy vessels at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. Work will be performed in Mayport, Fla., and is expected to be completed March 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities with three offers received. The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Mayport Naval Station, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N40027-06-D-0002).
AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a $65,000,000 cost plus fixed fee, fixed price contract modification to provide for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (AGM-158) weapons data link development. No funds have been obligated at this time. The scheduled completion date is September 2009. Headquarters Air Armament Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8682-04-D-0306-P00006).
Integral Systems, Inc., Lanham, Md., is being awarded a $21,458,122 cost plus award fee, firm fixed price contract modification to modify the Command and Control System-Consolidated effort to support the Advanced Extremely High Frequency program. This action will consolidate all CCS-C effort for AEHF Satellite Vehicles 1, and 2, and 3 as a cost saving measure. The CCS-C program provides an upgraded capability to command and control the Air Force's communication satellites, including the Defense Satellite Communication System, Milstar, Advanced Extremely High Frequency, and Wideband Gapfiller Satellites. At this time, $3,885,702 has been obligated. The scheduled completion date is June 2010. Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0012-P00088).
Aerojet-General Corp., Sacramento, Calif., is being awarded a $11,400,037 cost plus fixed fee contract modification to exercise option 1, Phase II baseline program, research and development to evaluate, develop, and demonstrate innovative post boost propulsion concepts and component technologies to support the Minuteman weapon system. At this time, $3,497,423 has been obligated. The scheduled completion date is June 2008. Headquarters 526th ICBM Systems Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8402-05-C-0036-P00002).
_ARMY Hi-Way Paving Inc.*, Hilliard, Ohio, was awarded on March 21, 2006, a $15,480,015 firm-fixed-price contract for full depth concrete repair and reconstruction. Work will be performed at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 20, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 16 bids solicited on Jan. 9, 2006, and two bids were received. The Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-06-C-0039).
Luhr Brothers Inc., Columbia, Ill., was awarded on March 17, 2006, a delivery order amount of $9,730,000 as part of a $9,730,000 firm-fixed-price contract for stone berm construction at Algiers Point. Work will be performed in New Orleans, La., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 12, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were five bids solicited on Feb. 10, 2006, and two bids were received. The Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-06-D-0009).
Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunition Co. L.L.C., Independence, Mo., was awarded on March 23, 2006, a delivery order amount of $9,217,029 as part of a $313,009,463 firm-fixed-price contract for 5.56mm small caliber ammunition items. Work will be performed in Independence, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on Oct. 5, 2005. The Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (DAAA09-99-D-0016).
International Military and Government L.L.C., Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on March 23, 2006, a delivery order amount of $7,781,043 as part of a $9,304,937 firm-fixed-price contract for wreckers for the Iraqi Supplemental Acquisition Military Program. Work will be performed in Ooltewah, Tenn., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were six bids solicited on Feb. 6, 2006, and five bids were received. The Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-06-D-D051).
Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel Co., Pine Bluff, Ark., was awarded on March 17, 2006, a delivery order amount of $7,692,500 as part of a $7,692,500 firm-fixed-price contract for Burrwood Bayou closure repairs. Work will be performed in New Orleans, La., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 12, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were five bids solicited on Feb. 9, 2006, and two bids were received. The Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-06-D-0011).
NBC Universal Television Stations group developing a daytime talk
The NBC Universal Television Stations group is developing a daytime talk show for its stations that could be a candidate to follow the third hour of Today.
A group spokesperson confirms that the show is in development, saying, "It is a project we are excited about" but declining to discuss details.
Though in the early stages of development, the show is designed to take place live in front of a studio audience. No decisions have been made on talent, but a pilot shot last year at Universal Studios Theme Park in Orlando, Fla., was hosted by Access Hollywood weekend co-anchor Tony Potts.
A source with knowledge of the project says the show may have a two-host format and could be ready around the end of this year or early next. It is expected to have a local component as well; the station group is said to have been considering taking one of its local programming formats national.
The group's strongest models are WCAU Philadelphia's 10! and WTVJ Miami-Ft. Lauderdale's South Florida Today, weekday talk shows with topics including recipes, fashion and homemaking tips.
The new show would also have an interactive component.
The 10 a.m. time slot could be a good target for the show. KNBC Los Angeles has Recipe TV and a second run of Access Hollywood, WCAU and WTVJ have local talk/entertainment shows, and several other major-market stations, including KNTV San Francisco and WRC Washington, air 10 a.m. newscasts. Current 10 a.m. obstacles include The Ellen DeGeneres Show on WNBC New York and Martha on WMAQ Chicago.
Localizing the show would seem to mirror the opinion outlined by the group's President Jay Ireland last week at a Kagan Research conference. Stations, he said, need to play up their localism and rely less on syndicators. "We need to focus on local-content creation," he said. "Stations have at least 50% of their broadcast time where they schedule their own programming. We need to create, not buy, programming."
Ireland said local programming is crucial to differentiate a station. "When you air a locally oriented program, you compete only with TV stations in your market. If you use syndicated programming which isn't local, you are no longer differentiated, and you are suddenly competing with the 100-plus channels your viewers receive through cable or satellite."
Auto Advertising down
Auto advertising in magazines suffered a meltdown in 2005, with publishers losing almost $100 million in revenue. Worse news for publishers: The new year in print ads for cars has dawned a lot like last year ended -- dead.
That the automakers’ pain and the Internet’s gain would punish magazines has been clear for some time, and publishers are hoping for a 2006 revival -- hopes based on a long list of second-half launches and increasing array of their own online offerings -- but for now, at least, times in Detroit are as tough as mag reps remember.
“This year has been soft,” said MaryAnn Bekkedahl, Rodale’s exec VP-group publisher. “How’s that for the understatement of the year?”
Publishers are reacting by cutting employees and battening down the hatches. Meredith Corp. and Newsweek trimmed Motor City ad-sales staff in the past few weeks. Time Inc. -- which has historically snagged almost a third of domestic auto spending in magazines but saw that revenue shrink 14% last year -- made even sharper cuts back in October.
Even companies adding sales reps in Detroit, as Ms. Bekkedahl’s Rodale did in December, are struggling. The publisher, which actually increased auto ad pages 6% in 2005 despite flat activity from the Big Three carmakers, saw category ad pages sink 7.5% in January and February compared with those months a year earlier. And that includes imports; for January and February, Detroit chopped its Rodale page buys by 33%.
Poor comparisons to 2005 are a serious indicator of the extent of publishers’ pain, given the scope of last year’s disaster. TNS Media Intelligence blames the automotive meltdown for $98 million in lost revenue to magazines; the Publishers Information Bureau puts the damage at $80.2 million.
Although carmakers increased spending in four of the first six months of 2005, the back half of the year was a nightmare, with a consecutive string of six down months. That concluded in January this year, when spending fell a whopping 22.7%.
In February there were signs of life again and magazines collected 4.1% more car-ad revenue than in February ’05. But there is no return to the days of old, with legions of media-agency executives meeting with legions of ad reps to argue pricing over pages.
“In the last nine to 12 months we’ve seen a real openness, receptivity and almost an aggressive shift toward new and next, in terms of both advanced media opportunities and larger, more integrated program ideas,” said one publishing executive. “There’s still a fair amount of effort on decentralized selling -- car plate by car plate, sales rep by sales rep -- but there’s a growing appetite for broader, more strategic programs that cut across media companies’ assets to both help these automakers save time and punch through in bigger ways.”
While the TNS data suggest print still gets a lot more automotive money than the Internet, there is no doubt the money is flowing from print and into the Web. Ford Motor Co.’s allotment to magazines fell to 21% last year from 23.5%; DaimlerChrysler’s fell to 18.6% last year from 19.1%; and General Motors Corp.’s fell to 15.8% from 17.1%. Ford’s Web allocation, on the other hand, grew to 3.5% from 3% and GM’s rose to 3.5% from 2.4%. DaimlerChrysler bucked the group, cutting its Web budget share to 2% from 2.2%. (TV is not immune, by the way. DaimlerChrysler and GM lowered their allotments to TV, though Ford’s TV allocation edged up slightly.)
The Detroit carmakers’ total ad budgets are flat at best and generally moving to narrower “affinity” titles, according to four area magazine reps. GM and Ford are struggling to return to profitability in North America and Chrysler Group is readying cost-cutting actions dictated from Germany.
Cost-conscious car companies are also enamored of precision marketing. “As we’ve been working to increase the differentiation of our brands, we’ve been reducing the overlap of how they reach out to the consumer,” a GM spokeswoman said. “We believe in the power of magazines, and are being smarter about how we use them.” Accordingly, mass-reach titles are “sucking wind,” but some smaller titles are doing better, one Detroit magazine rep said.
And then there is the new-media landscape. “Like all companies, automotive is evaluating the allocation of dollars and what media they go to,” said Nick Matarazzo, exec VP-group publishing director, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. “The print guys, the ones who are going to leverage their brands across platforms, those sales people are going to have to be able to talk the talk. The ones who can’t are the one who’ll be changed. You won’t see a drop in headcount; you’ll have to reallocate assets.”
The Net just isn't going to fit into one of those neat little silos marketing is so fond of. To quote Kokich: "The Internet is not just an advertising medium. It's a sales channel and CRM tool. The best online marketers have learned to optimize everything from the first impression via a third-party publisher, through the Web site experience and on to online customer care and retention email."
Search and display must integrate: You've seen the Pontiac ads that end with the Google screen, right? You've heard -- ad infinitum if you've been reading these pages -- about Google's offline ad brokering. So you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, Yahoo has a forest of studies you ought to read. Your display advertising -- online and offline -- has to take into account and drive your search marketing. As Coleman said, "Search and display will be measured holistically and this will require the media world, agencies and client to think through organizational issues and measurement." Aka: If search reports in to a different person to display, it's time to change that.
Convergence demands new creative: How many millions of people have to watch the NCAA or Winter Olympics on their computers before we know the false dawns are over and convergence is upon us? If you want further evidence, look at the increasing array of TV programming spawned by the Web -- Cartoon Network is just about to pick up AOL Red's Princess Natasha, for example. As Barrett said: "You're not just thinking 2-feet away on a 17-inch screen, but also about 15-feet view on a 60-inch screen." What does great Internet video creative look like? Kokich: "Thirty-second commercials aren't enough in a world of consumer control. We've been given a new canvas, we all need to start over to learn how to paint."
Google is a fund manager: The search giant is already working with 88 of the marketers in the Ad Age 100. And, interestingly, Armstrong talks about them as investors, not advertisers, people whose brand and product "assets" need to be taken into the digital realm and managed and optimized for ROI.
All they need is scale, inventory and talent: The TV giants are trying to grab digital dollars to keep growing their market. But that doesn't phase the likes of Yahoo and MSN. They know the world is moving their way and that their share of dollars will eventually match their share of consumer's media usage. But, as Bradford outlined, players like MSN are still turning away hundreds of millions of dollars because they don't have the operational scale to take advertiser's money. Yahoo, MSN and AOL still need more pages, more people and an IAB that can create some effective ad standards.
NEW CEA RESEARCH FINDS MULTI-ROOM AUDIO SYSTEMS RECEIVE HIGH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OWNERS
Non-Owners Have High Interest in Multi-Room Audio Systems
Owners with state-of-the-art multi-room audio systems are more satisfied and likely to recommend the systems to others than those with less superior systems, according to a study recently released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®). The new "Multi-Room Audio Systems: A Detailed Look at Owners and Prospects" study also found that 72 percent of multi-room audio system owners would recommend them to their family and friends and that 81 percent of owners would re-purchase them if they moved.
The study was conducted among 480 owners of multi-room audio systems and 530 non-owners who are likely to purchase a multi-room audio system in the next 12 months. For this study, a multi-room audio system was defined as a system that allows home occupants to play and control audio from a central source with output in at least three rooms in the home.
The study found that the vast majority of owners use CDs and broadcast radio with their audio systems and more than half will transmit their television and DVD sound through their audio systems. Most users' systems reside in family rooms, master bedrooms or kitchens. The study showed that almost half the owners use their systems daily, but many do not utilize the full functionality of the multi-room audio system.
"The functionality of multi-room audio systems is very expansive - you can access them remotely, play different content in different rooms, play different content from multiple sources or simply download new content from the Internet," said Joe Bates, director of CEA Research. "But we discovered during this study that while satisfaction is very high, few people are taking advantage of all the exciting options available with these systems because they aren't able to attach as many devices as they would like to their system. This highlights the need for more versatile systems, and an opportunity for upgrades among current owners."
Of the 530 non-owners surveyed, a strong majority had heard of multi-room audio systems, while a third was familiar with them. The prospects, as well as current owners, stated that family members, friends, the Internet and electronics retailers were among the most influential sources of information. Just under half of the prospects surveyed said they would purchase a multi-room audio system for their current home if it is reasonably priced and around 60 percent would purchase a system for a new home.
" Multi-Room Audio Systems: A Detailed Look at Owners and Prospects " was conducted in mid-October 2005. It was designed and formulated by CEA Market Research, the most comprehensive source of sales data, forecasts, consumer research and historical trends for the consumer electronics industry. The complete study is available free to CEA member companies. Non-members may purchase the study for $499 at www.ce.org/CEAStore.
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,100 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $125 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.
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NEW CEA RESEARCH FINDS MULTI-ROOM AUDIO SYSTEMS
THE CW ANNOUNCES 30 NEW LONG-TERM AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS
America's Fifth Broadcast Network Increases National Coverage
To More Than 74% Of The Country
Greenville-Spartanburg, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Roanoke, Syracuse,
Colorado Springs, Davenport, Charleston (SC), Greenville (NC), Peoria, Boise,
La Crosse, Chico, Amarillo, Rockford, Wausau, Columbia-Jefferson City, Sioux City, Salisbury, Bluefield-Beckley, Rochester-Mason City, Panama City, Odessa,
Idaho Falls, Quincy, Bowling Green, Meridian, Lima, Grand Junction and Helena
Are the Latest Markets To Be Served By The CW
The CW announced today that it has signed exclusive, long-term affiliation agreements with stations in Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Roanoke-Lynchburg, Syracuse, Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Davenport-Rock Island-Moline, Charleston (SC), Greenville-New Bern-Washington (NC), Peoria-Bloomington, Boise, La Crosse-Eau Claire, Chico-Redding, Amarillo, Rockford, Wausau-Rhinelander, Columbia-Jefferson City, Sioux City, Salisbury, Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill (WV), Rochester-Mason City-Austin, Panama City, Odessa-Midland, Idaho Falls-Pocatello, Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk, Bowling Green, Meridian, Lima, Grand Junction-Montrose and Helena.
The addition of the stations in these 30 markets -- which represent 6.55% of total U.S. TV households -- increases The CW's national coverage to more than 74% of the country, including 19 of the Top 20 markets and 26 of the Top 30.
The newly signed affiliates are:
* WASV Greenville-Spartanburg, SC-Asheville, NC-Anderson, SC, owned by Media
General, Inc. (DMA rank #35)
* KBEJ San Antonio, TX, owned by Corridor Television, LLP and operated by Belo Corp.
under a Local Marketing Agreement. (DMA rank #37)
* WJWB Jacksonville, FL, owned by Media General, Inc. (DMA rank #52)
* WBVA Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA, owned by Grant Communications, Inc. (DMA rank #68)
* WSTQ Syracuse, NY, owned by Raycom Media, Inc. (DMA rank #76)
* KXTU, Colorado Springs-Pueblo, CO, owned by Raycom Media, Inc. (DMA rank #93)
* KGWB Davenport-Rock Island-Moline, IL, owned by Grant Communications, Inc. (DMA
rank #95)
* WCBD Charleston, SC, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by Media General.
(DMA rank #101)
* WNCT Greenville-New Bern-Washington, NC, the digital station of the CBS affiliate owned by
Media General. (DMA rank #105)
* WHOI, Peoria-Bloomington, IL, the digital station of the ABC affiliate owned by Barrington
Broadcasting. (DMA rank #117)
* KNIN Boise, ID, owned by Banks Broadcasting, Inc. (DMA rank #119)
* WXOW & WQOW La Crosse, WI, the digital stations of the ABC affiliate owned by Quincy
Newspapers, Inc. (DMA rank #123)
* KHSL Chico-Redding, CA, the digital station of the CBS affiliate owned by Catamount
Holdings, LLC. (DMA rank #130)
* KVII Amarillo, TX, the digital station of the ABC affiliate owned by Barrington Broadcasting. (DMA rank #131)
* WREX Rockford, IL, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by Quincy Newspapers,
Inc. (DMA rank #133)
* WAOW & WYOW Wausau-Rhinelander, WI, the digital stations of the ABC affiliate owned
by Quincy Newspapers, Inc. (DMA rank 134)
* KOMU Columbia-Jefferson City, MO, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by the
University of Missouri. (DMA rank #138)
* KTIV Sioux City, IA, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by Quincy Newspapers, Inc.
(DMA rank #143)
* WMDT Salisbury, MD, the digital station of the ABC affiliate owned by Delmarva Broadcast
Service General Partnership. (DMA rank #148)
* WVVA Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill, WV, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by
Quincy Newspapers, Inc. (DMA rank #149)
* KTTC Rochester, MN-Mason City, IA-Austin, MN, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned
by Quincy Newspapers, Inc. (DMA rank #152)
* WJHG Panama City, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television, Inc.
(DMA rank #157)
* KWWT Odessa-Midland, TX, owned by Camino Real Communications, LLC. (DMA rank #159)
* KPIF Idaho Falls-Pocatello, ID, owned by KM Communications, Inc. (DMA rank #163)
* WGEM Quincy, IL-Hannibal, MO-Keokuk, IA, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by
Quincy Newspapers, Inc. (DMA rank #169)
* WBKO Bowling Green, OH, the digital station of the ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television, Inc.
(DMA rank #183)
* WTOK Meridian, MS, the digital station of the ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television, Inc.
(DMA rank #184)
* WLIO Lima, OH, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by Block Communications, Inc.
(DMA rank # 185)
* KKCO Grand Junction-Montrose, CO, the digital station of the NBC affiliate owned by Gray
Television, Inc. (DMA rank #187)
* KMTF Helena, MT, owned by Rocky Mountain Broadcasting Company. (DMA rank #206)
WASV, KBEJ, WSTQ, KXTU and KNIN are currently affiliates of UPN. WJWB, WBVA, KGWB, WMDT-DT, KWWT, KPIF, WBKO-DT, WLIO-DT and KMTF are currently affiliates of The WB.
"We're very pleased to sign our first long-term multi-station affiliation agreements with Media General and Raycom Media, two of broadcasting's largest station owners, as well as with Grant Communications and Quincy Newspapers, companies whose strong entrepreneurial spirit is grounded in local station ownership," said John Maatta, Chief Operating Officer, The CW. "We're also adding to the number of Banks, Barrington, Belo, Block Communications and Gray stations in The CW fold, as well as sealing new deals with a number of other companies with whom we've previously partnered for The WB. All of these companies share our excitement and enthusiasm for the unique and exceptional programming and promotion opportunities that The CW creates for them."
Jim Zimmerman, President of the Broadcast Division, Media General, commented: "The success of any network is rooted in its programming and that's where The CW has a huge advantage. Its top management -- Leslie Moonves, Barry Meyer, Bruce Rosenblum, Nancy Tellem, Dawn Ostroff and John Maatta -- have all excelled at developing hit shows, nurturing them and giving them the support they need to grow. Knowing that their combined talents -- and those of their colleagues -- are working for our CW stations in Greenville-Spartanburg, Jacksonville, Charleston and Greenville gives added impetus and value to our multi-year affiliation agreements."
Milt Grant, President, Grant Communications, said: "What makes The CW such an attractive proposition for our company is that it's a classic win-win-win situation. We partner with a full-service network whose owners have an innate knowledge of all aspects of national and local broadcasting, our viewers will have just one destination point to find their favorite returning WB and UPN shows, and that program familiarity and one-stop shopping advantage is also going to play very well with our advertisers."
Thomas Oakley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Quincy Newspapers, Inc., noted: "The CW's programming, with its inherent appeal to young adult viewers, will lend itself well to our ongoing efforts to create convergence across our media properties in television, radio, newspapers and over the Internet. We appreciate this rare opportunity to affiliate with America's fifth broadcast network and to enhance the service we provide our viewers and our clients."
On January 24, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment announced their intent to form a new 5th network, The CW, to be launched in the fall of 2006. The new broadcasting network will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, with each company owning 50%.
In an important strategic move that secures major market distribution for The CW, it was also announced on January 24th that Tribune Broadcasting and the CBS Corporation's UPN affiliates have agreed separately to sign 10-year affiliation agreements with the new network. The combination of Tribune's 16 major market stations (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Houston, Miami, Denver, St. Louis, Portland, Indianapolis, San Diego, Hartford, New Orleans and Albany) and the 11 CBS-owned UPN major market affiliates (Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit, Tampa, Seattle, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, West Palm Beach, Norfolk and Providence) cover the top 13 television markets, 20 of the top 25 television markets and have a total coverage area of more than 47% of the country.
The CW will incorporate The WB's current scheduling model, which consists of a 6 night-13 hour primetime lineup including Monday through Friday nights from 8-10 (EST/PST); Sundays from 7-10 (EST/PST); Sunday from 5-7 (EST/PST) outside of primetime as well as a Monday thru Friday afternoon block from 3-5 (EST/PST) and a 5-hour Saturday morning animation block. Together, the network will program 30 hours a week over seven days for its affiliated stations.
CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and UPN), cable television (Showtime and CSTV Networks), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Paramount Television and King World), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), theme parks (Paramount Parks), digital media (CBS Digital Media Group and CSTV Networks) and consumer products (CBS Consumer Products). In Fall 2006, UPN will cease operations and The CW, a new fifth broadcast television network, will launch as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation. For more information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, a fully-integrated, broad-based entertainment company, is a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. Warner Bros. Entertainment, a Time Warner Company, stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry, from feature films to television, home video/DVD, animation, comic books, interactive entertainment and games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.
Brian Bedol will serve as the keynote speaker on the opening day of C4-Sports
Brian Bedol, president and CEO of CBS Corporation's College Sports Television (CSTV), the nation's leading digital sports media company, will serve as the keynote speaker on the opening day of C4-Sports, the first electronic media trade show dedicated wholly to sports technology and scheduled for July 17-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
"We are at the cusp of advancements in technology that will allow viewers, fans, and alumni to be closer than ever to sports," Bedol said. "Looking into the future, it is how organizations leverage this technology that will dictate their ability to increase fan participation, which will transcend into a more appealing product for advertisers, subscribers, and other investors in sports. C4-Sports will provide me with an opportunity to address these converging technologies and their impact on sports."
"C4-Sports is very excited that Mr. Bedol will be participating in our first electronic media show, and we know that his extensive industry experience will prove beneficial to everyone," said Gene Sanders, general manager of C4-Events, host of C4-Sports. "With the lineup of speakers and the variety of media technology tools to be featured at our show, we are confident that attendees are going to be introduced to innovative solutions that will help them reach their sports-related electronic media goals."
Prior to co-founding CSTV, now part of the CBS Corporation, Bedol was the creator, co-founder, and chief executive officer of Classic Sports Network, known today as ESPN Classic and considered one of the cable industry's greatest against-the-odds success stories. Before creating Classic Sports Network, Bedol served as senior vice president of Time Warner Enterprises and was involved in the launch and supervision of several of Time Warner's entrepreneurial business units, including Quincy Jones Entertainment, Court TV, and Six Flags Theme Parks. During his tenure there, Six Flags set all-time attendance, revenue, and profit records.
For more information about the first C4-Sports Electronic Media and Technology show or to register online, please visit http://www.c4-sports.com/.
About C4-Sports
The opportunity to distribute and receive content has never been greater, and C4-Sports will display the most valuable technology tools for every athletic and multimedia budget. Whether on a field, court, mountain, or under water, technology is used to analyze performances in real-time, after the contest, and in preparation for future events. C4-Sports will serve as a dynamic showcase for how electronic media technology can improve the presentation of sports content for all audiences . whether they are watching in the stands, at the computer, in front of the TV, or on mobile devices. It will also serve to demonstrate the ways athletes, teams, and organizations can make better use of media technology in training and in competition. More information about C4-Sports is available online at http://www.c4-sports.com/.
About CSTV Networks
CSTV Networks, Inc., now part of the CBS Corporation, is the leading digital and cable programming company dedicated to college sports. Connecting more fans to more college sports than any other company, its many platforms for programming distribution include CSTV: College Sports TV, televising regular-season and championship events for 35 men's and women's college sports; CSTV.com and its network of nearly 250 official athletic sites; CSTV All Access, broadband services providing live audio and video of more than 7,000 events annually; as well as satellite television and radio, in-flight entertainment, wireless networks and more. Further information is available at http://www.cstv.com/.
Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre Goes Wild for 'Spring Break' Engagement of Disney's New Computer-Animated Comedy, 'The Wild' From April 14 - May 11; L.A. Zoo Will Present Exotic Birds Live on Stage Before Each Show
Hollywood's legendary El Capitan Theatre will present the wildest show in town from April 14th through May 11th as part of its special "Spring Break" engagement of Walt Disney Pictures' hilarious new computer-animated feature, "The Wild," it was announced today (3/28) by Lylle Breier, senior vice president of worldwide special events for Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. In addition to the film, live on stage before each show, moviegoers will have a chance to meet a colorful cast of exotic birds from around the world accompanied by their keepers from the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. "The Wild" follows an odd assortment of animals from the New York Zoo, who discover what a jungle the city can be when they hit the streets on a mission to save one of their own. An impressive vocal ensemble featuring Keifer Sutherland, Jim Belushi, Janeane Garofalo, Greg Cipes, William Shatner and Eddie Izzard, and Richard Kind lend their talents to the film's animal characters. Advance tickets for all shows can be purchased at the El Capitan Box Office, online at www.elcapitantickets.com or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6. Group rate tickets are also available for groups of 20 or more.
As an added treat, Disney's Soda Fountain & Studio Store (located adjacent to the El Capitan Theatre) will be offering a special movie-themed delight called "The Wild Sundae." The sundae features crisp animal crackers grazing on a mountain of scrumptious vanilla fudge ice cream topped with homemade caramel sauce, freshly sliced bananas, and whipped cream, served in a colorful commemorative bowl.
Commenting on the announcement, Breier said, "Moviegoers are in for a wildly entertaining time at the El Capitan with this special engagement of 'The Wild.' We always like to give our guests something extra, and a live stage show starring birds from the L.A. Zoo is the perfect complement to a film about exotic animated characters. Families and audiences of all ages are going to have lots of fun at the El Capitan, and 'The Wild' delivers many laughs and surprises. This the perfect spring break entertainment."
"The Wild" is directed by Steve "Spaz" Williams, an Oscar(R)-nominated visual effects veteran ("The Mask"), who helped to pioneer CG character animation through his work at ILM on such films as "The Abyss," "Jurassic Park," and "Terminator 2: Judgement Day." He also directed the popular series of Blockbuster commercials featuring the computer-animated characters Carl the rabbit and Ray the guinea pig. "The Wild" was produced by Clint Goldman, the animation and visual effects producer on "The Mask," and a producer on the 1997 feature, "Spawn," as well as the Blockbuster commercials, and industry veteran Beau Flynn.
Adding to the film's fun and entertainment is a spectacular score by multi-Oscar(R)-nominated composer Alan Silvestri ("Back to the Future," "Polar Express"), and a soundtrack filled with new and familiar tunes by such popular recording artists as Coldplay, Everlife, Lifehouse, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Former "Monty Python" member Eric Idle and fellow songwriter John Du Prez, the team responsible for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, "Spamalot," wrote and performed the song, "Really Nice Day" for the film.
Tvidia Corp Releases Internet Content Rating Product for Mobile Phones
OTTAWA, ON, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Tvidia Corp, a company developing specialty products and systems for the mobile entertainment sector, today announced the release of Tvidia Secure(TM), the first content rating solution, which classifies online digital content and its suitability by age, similar to that of the movie industry.
The product is targeted at cellular phone network operators, mobile virtual network operators and content aggregators.
With Tvidia Secure(TM), all online digital content can be categorized into age appropriate content which can then be controlled and downloaded to cell phones and other mobile computing devices by consumers based on their age.
All online content today is classified into one homogeneous grouping with very ineffective measures to control accessibility of adult rated content, be it games with violence, music with coarse language, videos or images. Tvidia anticipates that mobile network operators, mobile virtual network operators and content aggregators want to expand their digital entertainment offerings but will also want to manage the access to this content based on the subscriber's age. Tvidia Secure supports the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and other current and emerging classification standard(s) and/or proposals generally accepted by the industry.
With Secure, all content can be rated and tagged for its suitability by age similar to that employed in the mainstream movie industry, for example G, PG, PG13 and so on. Once content is tagged, the delivery of the content to the subscriber can be managed with finer granularity. In addition, Secure also protects the interest of original artists in two ways, one selectively encrypting the content prior to download, and two, inhibiting the copying of content between consumer devices.
Secure allows content publishers and content aggregators to deliver digital content in a responsible manner and to take responsibility for classifying their content.
North America remains an untapped market in the mobile entertainment segment according to industry observers who are predicting that with proper control and delivery mechanisms of mobile content, carriers will dramatically expand their online content offerings to their subscriber base.
"Consumer demand for rich mobile entertainment blended with their personal communications devices is on the rise; and to repeat the errors of the internet delivery of online content with ineffective controls for protecting young consumers in the mobile domain would be irresponsible", said Ricci Brach VP Sales & Marketing with Tvidia, "With Tvidia Secure, and the previously announced age verification solution, carriers are empowered and can take control of who-sees-what!"
About Tvidia
Tvidia brings to market a turnkey, secure, age verification solutions that enable media developers and mobile operators to rapidly enter the explosive and lucrative mobile entertainment market. A Market predicted to grow to $5.4B by 2009. Tvidia's mobile entertainment solution is an end-to-end delivery infrastructure empowered by Tvidia Verify(TM), a unique age verification application. The deployment of the complete solution furnishes carriers, content providers and users with the ultimate ability to control hosting, billing, downloading and viewing of multimedia content within content rating schemes. www.tvidia.com
Source: TVIDIA CORP.
