Fewer Models, More Electrics

Spots N Dots
The Daily News Of TV Sales
June 21, 2016

VOLKSWAGEN CHANGING GLOBAL STRATEGY

FEWER MODELS, MORE ELECTRICS

As it deals with the U.S. diesel emissions cheating scandal that is costing as-yet-undetermined billions of dollars, Volkswagen AG is figuring out how to change course and remain competitive in a changing automotive landscape. A report by the German newspaper Handelsblatt, citing company sources, says one move will be to trim down the number of different models produced around the globe.

Volkswagen AG currently makes some 340 car models under various nameplates. In addition to VW, it sells Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti in the United States—plus Ducati motorcycles. But it also has brands most Americans have never heard of: SEAT, ŠKODA, Scania and MAN.Handelsblatt says some 40 of the models being produced under those various brands will be eliminated as part of the new strategy. A company spokesman, however, said no decision had yet been made on which models would be phased out—or even how many.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen AG plans to invest big in three areas: electric vehicles; ride-hailing; and automated driving. We reported last month that VW had invested $300 million in Israeli startup Gett, a challenger to Uber and Lyft operating in about 60 cities so far. The German carmaker plans to become a world leader in “green” transport by 2025.

But the diesel scandal is far from over. In the latest development, a German prosecutor is investigating former CEO Martin Winterkorn for alleged market manipulation. He and another former board member are accused of withholding information from investors about VW's emissions scandal.Winterkorn resigned last September following revelations that the firm cheated on U.S. emissions tests of its diesel cars. Noting the latest legal action, a statement from Volkswagen AG said the prosecutors have offered "no new facts or information."

ADVERTISER NEWS

Despite what appears to be upcoming approval of the merger between Walgreens and Rite Aid, federal regulators have been tough on many proposed mergers in recent years, and a big one in the health care business now appears to be in jeopardy. The Wall Street Journal reports the $48 billion deal for Anthem to take over Cigna is in trouble with the companies due to meet with Justice Department officials this week. A decision had originally been expected early in July, but that now appears unlikely……Manheim says about 3.1 million off-lease vehicles are expected to return to the market this year, a half-million more than in 2015. And with “sales” (including leasing) having been strong the last two years, 3.6 million more are due back in 2017 and almost 4 million in 2018……Although Panasonic pulled out of the U.S. television market, having sold off the last of its inventory earlier this year, This Week In Consumer Electronics says the company is already studying a comeback. Its final effort last year was a “value” line of 4K TVs that had been on sale through the Super Bowl……News Corp’s New York Post reports NeimanMarcus is looking for a buyer or investor, and its CEO is reported to have traveled to China to meet with potential buyers. The company is reported to have about $5 billion in debt which scares off U.S. private equity firms or other retailers, and sales have been falling, partially because of a high store concentration in Texas which has been hurt by falling oil prices……Here’s an interesting sales possibility: With interest rates expected to stay low and real estate values rising in many markets, refinancing mortgages could again become a hot item for banks and mortgage brokers. Wells Fargo, the biggest mortgage lender in the country based on volume, expects overall industry mortgages to be 20-25% higher than it originally anticipated for the year. And the Mortgage Bankers Association has increased its projection for the year to $1.608 trillion, up from an estimate of $1.308 trillion at the start of the year, with refinancing to be nearly 40% of that activity……Replacement windows are always one of the key projects for homeowners, and retailers and installers of those windows advertise in many markets. The annual J.D. Power study of customer satisfaction in that industry finds Window World leading with an 841 score on a 1,000-point scale. Renewal by Anderson was runner-up (832), followed by American Craftsman (825), and Infinityfrom Marvin (817). Delivery accuracy and timeliness were seen as most important by survey respondents.

NETWORK NEWS

The CW Network, Tribune Studios and Irwin Entertainment announced a partnership to premiere The Robert Irvine Show, a one-hour conflict resolution talker, which will air on The CW weekdays at 3:00 pm (ET) beginning in September. Irvine, a celebrity chef with over a decade of television under his belt, is also a fitness guru and advocate for veterans, active duty military and military families. The series will showcase him providing help to families with his signature "tough love" approach to therapeutic work……For the first time in the history of Spanish-language television, Telemundo will premiere three original primetime productions on the same evening of July 19. In a play on the Spanish words for “Tuesday” and “three,” MarTres will feature three hours, three stories and three premieres. The night begins with Silvana Sin Lanaat 8:00 pm (ET), followed by Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso at 9:00 pm (ET), and concludes with Señora Acero 3, La Coyote at 10:00 pm (ET)……Seven-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-platinum recording artistCarrie Underwoodhas recorded a new opening theme song for NBC’sSunday Night Football, primetime television’s #1 program for five consecutive years. Entitled“Oh, Sunday Night,”the newSNF opening song is a mix of country, rock, and pop. It will debut Sunday, September 11, as the New England Patriots meet the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, AZ……With ABC running back-to-back 30-minute episodes on Tuesdays since its premiere June 14, the summer sitcom Uncle Buck is set to wrap up on July 5 after filing the 9:00 pm (ET) hour. There’s no word on whether the show will be back for a second season……

Grammy Award-winning country group Little Big Town will perform on the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, a two-hour entertainment special, to be broadcast live Monday, July 4, at 9:00 pm (ET) on CBS. Little Big Town joins previously announced artists Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas……Por Siempre…Joan Sebastian, El Poeta del Pueblo (Forever…Joan Sebastian, the People’s Poet), is the first ever primetime mini-series for Univision, premiering Monday, June 27,at 10:00 pm (ET). This mini-series follows the life and career of legendary Mexican singer/songwriter Joan Sebastian honoring his accomplishments just a year after his untimely death. Jose Manuel andJulian Figueroa,Joan Sebastian’s sons, will play Joan at different stages of his life.Livia Britowill play the role of Maribel Guardia, one of Joan’s true loves.

SUNDAY RATINGS

Enjoying the maximum seven-game run of the NBA Finals,ABC dominated Sunday primetime viewing, winning every hour from Jimmy Kimmel Live! Game Night through the NBA Trophy Presentation following Game 7. According to the Nielsen Fast Nationals, ABC had a primetime average 8.0 rating in Adults 18-49 and 11.3 in Households, with an average audience of 21.860 million viewers. FOX claimed second place as the U.S. Open Golf Championship led into a The Simpsons rerun, producing a 1.1 in 18-49, 2.6 HH and 4.442 million. NBC, rerunning the movie Despicable Me 2, 0.7 18-49, 1.4 HH and 2.475 million: CBS, with 60 Minutes and reruns, 0.4 18-49, 2.6 HH and 3.871 million; Telemundo, with La Voz Kids, 0.4 18-49, 0.6 HH and 1.155 million; and Univision, with the special Los Tigres Del Norte, 0.3 18-49, 0.6 HH and 1.054 million.

COMPETITIVE INFO

Radio giant iHeartMedia announced the launch of the first programmatic private marketplace for digital radio in the U.S. The private marketplace will allow select programmatic buyers to access iHeartMedia’s premium radio inventory across its digital properties on iHeartRadio, the company's digital music and streaming service. Agencies and brands will be able to programmatically target iHeartRadio’s audience using a combination of first and third party data segments.

The company says it reaches more than a quarter billion U.S. listeners each month. It offers free digital listening to its 858 live radio stations from across the country through iHeartRadio. The all-in-one digital audio service, which features live and custom stations, has surpassed 85 million registered users and more than a billion downloads. With the launch of iHeartMedia's private marketplace for programmatic buying of its digital audio inventory, select advertisers will be able to deliver automated and targeted campaigns to iHeartRadio's listeners.

iHeartMedia's private marketplace is powered by the AdsWizz programmatic platform and will offer programmatic guaranteed, private marketplace, and open auction opportunities to its advertising partners. With AdsWizz’s technology, iHeartMedia says it will take full advantage of its first-party and partner data to create a rich advertising experience that leverages the effectiveness of programmatic buying.

“Bringing data and programmatic capabilities to the broadcast and digital radio space, iHeartMedia becomes a highly valued partner that is uniquely positioned to help companies drive optimal business outcomes,” said Seth Goren, senior vice president, media strategy and analytics, Discovery Communications.

NBA FINALS SET RECORDS FOR ABC

Sunday’s NBA Finals Game 7 was the highest-rated NBA game ever on ABC, drawing an 18.9 overnight rating, according to Nielsen. The telecast, in which the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in an all-time classic—peaked with a 25.5 overnight rating from 10:30-10:45 p.m. ET.

Game 7 drew 30.8 million viewers and stands as TV’s most-watched telecast since the Academy Awards on ABC February 28. It is the top-rated show in the 18-49 demo since the Super Bowl on CBS February 7.

The 18.9 overnight rating for Game 7 is the highest-rated sports telecast on ABCor ESPN in a decade (since 2006). Additionally, Game 7 was up 7% from the most recent NBA Finals Game 7—Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs in 2013—which drew a 17.7 overnight rating.

The previous highest rated NBA game ever on ABC was Game 7 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics in 2010, which drew an 18.2 overnight rating.

This year’s Game 7 also became the most-watched NBA game ever on WatchESPN across all metrics. It generated 96,276,000 total minutes streamed, 1,760,000 unique viewers and an average minute audience of 598,000 viewers, which is the most for a non-World Cup event ever on WatchESPN.

NBA Finals Game 7 delivered a 46.3 on Scripps’ WEWS in the Cleveland market, making it the second-highest rated NBA game ever in the market. In San Francisco, on ABC O&O KGO, the game generated a 39.4 rating, which also ranks second all-time for an NBA Game.

COPA AMERICA HUGE FOR UNIVISION

Univision Deportes says the quarter final stage of Copa América Centenario, which included four matches, averaged 3.9 million Total Viewers 2+ and 2.2 million Adults 18-49 per match, making it the most-viewed Copa América quarterfinal round in history, on any network regardless of language. Through 28 matches, Copa América Centenario tournament is averaging 2.9 million Total Viewers 2+ and 1.6 million Adults 18-49 per match.

The Copa America Centenario tournament advances to the semifinals beginning today with U.S.A. versus Argentina at 9:00 pm (ET) on the Univision Network with a simulcast on UDN.

DISH, NBCU IN UNIVERSAL SETTLEMENT

Dish Network and NBCUniversal won’t be going to binding arbitration over retransmission consent after all. Instead, they’ve reached a new retrans/carriage agreement and settled the lawsuit NBCU filed in 2012 over Dish’s commercial-skipping Hopper DVR. All of the Big Four broadcast networks had sued over Hopper and NBC is the last to settle.

Comcast-owned NBCU says the terms of the agreement will allow Dish subscribers to ad-skip a week after a show has initially aired. CBS and FOX also agreed to seven-day delays, while Disney-ABC agreed to only a three-day delay.

Along with the lawsuit settlement, Dish and NBCU agreed on new retrans and carriage terms covering the NBC and Telemundo O&Os and the extensive NBCU cable network portfolio. That includes USA, Bravo, Oxygen, Syfy, E!, CNBC, MSNBC and others.

CLINTON SPOTS GALORE

There are supposedly two presumptive nominees for President, but the latest report from Media Monitors of the period July 10-19 finds only one doing any television advertising in the 60 top DMAs. The only spots that were run by active candidates were those by the Hillary Clinton campaign—1,771 spots.

Meanwhile, the Super PAC Priorities USA Action aired 3,128 spots against Donald Trump. The Super PAC is a supporter of Hillary Clinton. So, 100% of the TV spots which aired during the period were backing Clinton.

TWITTER GETS A PONY

Twitter announced that it has bought Magic Pony Technology, a London-based machine-learning company. What does that mean? Magic Pony’s technology allows for better-quality video compression, so Twitter hopes to improve its live and streaming video content.
AVAILS

WTAJ-TV in the Johnstown/Altoona/State College, PA market is seeking a General Sales Manager. Candidates should have a proven sales management background with a broad understanding of both national, local and digital sales, as well as a minimum of 5 years of TV sales management experience. Strong leadership, people skills and ability to grow revenue are must haves. If you exhibit positive leadership skills and are a cohesive team-builder who can generate revenue share growth, CLICK HERE to apply. WTAJ-TV is a Nexstar Broadcasting station. EOE.

KTVU/KTVU+ (SF Bay Area) seeks an Account Executive to maintain & improve existing client list & generate new business on our FOX stations/websites.Involves local travel to call on regular and prospective clients.Bachelors’ Degree plus 4 years major market experience in transactional & online advertising is required. Must have a valid CA driver’s license with a good driving record. Qualified candidates should submit their resume and cover letter via the on-line process at EOE/M/F/Disabled/Veteran

WXIX in Cincinnati is seeking a Local Automotive Specialist to manage and oversee sales and delivery operations within the automotive sector. The ideal candidate will possess and demonstrate a deep understanding of the automotive digital landscape including but not limited to; SEM, SEO, inventory aggregators (Autotrader, Cars.com, CarGurus), CRM Systems, email marketing, web providers, third party lead sources, and a thorough understanding of fixed operations/service drive solutions. CLICK HERE for more info or to apply now.No calls please.EOE-M/F/D/V

Account Executive: WPBF 25, Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida is seeking a dynamic individual to be a part of our already successful team.Candidate must have Broadcast TV Sales experience and the ability to thrive in a fast paced, competitive, multi-media environment.We will encourage your creativity and enthusiasm to generate new business revenue and cross platform sales.Please submit your resume ONLINE.EOE M/F/D/V

According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular baby names in 2016 are Noah and Emma. Least popular baby names? Donald and Hillary.
--Jimmy Fallon

The FDA has approved a device for weight loss that sucks the food out of your stomach through an abdominal incision. Or, you could just try a salad some time.

--Conan O’Brien

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SPOTS N DOTS
The Daily News Of TV Sales
June 21, 2016

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