ViacomCBS is making some changes to its executive ranks for its digital business, promoting Julie McNamara to head of programming at CBS All Access. CBS executives Jeff Grossman, Rob Gelick and Domenic DiMeglio have also been upped to new positions. L-r: McNamara, DiMeglio, Gelick and Grossman.
Frank Lawlis is a longtime adviser and mentor to the King of Daytime TV, but his practices (including a device to treat mental illness) have been deemed potentially dangerous by the scientific community: “It’s predatory on people who are desperate.”
‘Chicago Fire’ Hits 12-Month Viewer High
A crossover between two of NBC’s Chicago shows Wednesday lifted both — with Chicago Fire drawing its biggest same-day viewership in a year. Chicago PD also hit a multi-month high in viewers. CBS’ Survivor topped Fox’s The Masked Singer in total viewers, but the latter kept its title as the night’s top show among adults 18-49.
Peacock will get an infusion of unscripted series from A+E Networks when it launches this spring as part of wide-ranging licensing deal. The upcoming streaming platform from NBCUniversal will get the back catalogs of series from A&E and History, including Cold Case Files, First 48, Storage Wars, American Pickers, Ancient Aliens, Curse of Oak Island, Pawn Stars as well as History’s scripted drama Project Blue Book.
Exclusives
10th Dem Debate Scores More Big Numbers
CBS’s coverage of the face-off between the candidates easily tops the night in viewers, while NBC’s This Is Us and New Amsterdam both improve.
Syndies Win Big With Oscars Coverage
Both talk shows and entertainment magazines benefit from their Academy Awards stories and followups.
Amy Winter, formerly of UPtv, has been tapped as executive vp, head of programming at Lifetime and sibling LMN. In the new role, she will oversee development, creation and execution of all programming, including movies, scripted and unscripted content. Winter is set to begin in March and will report directly to Rob Sharenow, A+E Networks programming president.
‘Criminal Minds,’ ‘Fresh Off The Boat’ End High
CBS won the week with an average of 6.1 million viewers in primetime. NBC had 4.4 million viewers, ABC had 4.2 million, Fox had 3 million, Univision had 1.7 million, Ion Television had 1.4 million, Telemundo had 1 million and the CW had 650,000.
It’s been a brutal few years for broadcast and cable networks. Many are seeing annual double-digit ratings declines as audiences increasingly turn their back on live linear viewing and flock to streaming services. From more events to “urgent” shows, here’s how broadcast and cable channels have shifted linear strategies.
Hulu has promoted Chief Marketing Officer Kelly Campbell to president. This comes a few weeks after Disney announced that Randy Freer would be stepping down as CEO.
Nicholas Pinnock, the star of ABC’s new drama about a prison inmate unjustly incarcerated who becomes a lawyer, thinks the show “is going to change the shape and the way network television is viewed and how it can move forward and compete with the likes of streaming channels like Netflix and Amazon and Apple and really, really challenge the outlook of network television.”
‘The Voice,’ ‘The Bachelor’ Hit Viewer Highs
The Bachelor and The Voice topped Monday’s ratings, with the latter opening its spring cycle with its biggest Monday audience of the season. The Bachelor also hit a season high in viewers and tied its best adults 18-49 rating.
AMC Networks today announced a comprehensive, long-term distribution agreement with Dish Network and Sling TV that includes continued carriage of AMC Networks’ linear channels AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv and BBC World News, as well as the launch in the coming months of AMC Networks’ targeted SVOD services Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and Urban Movie Channel; AMC Networks’ ad-free offering AMC Premiere; and its IFC Films Unlimited streaming service.
Netflix Inc., which has been tight-lipped about the popularity of its shows and movies, is taking another step toward transparency. A new feature on the streaming service will show its top 10 most popular programs and movies, updated daily. Netflix has been testing the approach for about six months in Mexico and the U.K., the company said on Monday.
Veteran marketing executive Rebecca Daugherty is leaving her role as EVP of marketing for ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios. Daugherty tenure at ABC spans 33 years and includes campaigns for such signature series as Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and The Conners.
Dee Dee Myers will exit her post at Warner Bros as executive vp of worldwide corporate communications and public affairs. Myers joined Hollywood from the world of politics, previously serving as the White House press secretary to Bill Clinton. She has been with the studio for five years.
He was found guilty of criminal sex act for assaulting production assistant Mimi Haleyi at his apartment in 2006 and third-degree rape of a woman in 2013. The jury found him not guilty on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault, that could have resulted in a life sentence.
ABC’s The Rookie scored season highs in the same-day ratings Sunday with an assist from American Idol. The two shows helped ABC top the night in adults 18-49.
The glut of shows has created more opportunities, but short seasons and unpredictable schedules have made life tricky.
NFL owners and the NFL Players Association are likely nearing a collective bargaining agreement after owners approved the terms Thursday. Media companies and the NFL have been waiting for the CBA’s approval before negotiating new broadcast rights for NFL games, which are locked up until 2022. The results will have a major impact on traditional media as millions of Americans cut the cord on pay-TV each year.
