ABC, Affils Continue Talks On TV Everwhere

Disney/ABC’s concept of letting affiliates live stream their signals as part of a new TV everywhere service got additional scrutiny during the ABC affiliate board meeting in Las Vegas on Monday.

But the network, which pitched the Watch ABC concept to affiliates in a closed-circuit webcast on Jan. 25, and the affiliates are still very much in the discussion stage over the idea, said Dave Boylan, VP-GM of Post-Newsweek Stations’ WPLG Miami-Fort Lauderdale and chairman of the ABC affiliate board.

“It would be wrong to say we put a plan into place,” Boylan told TVNewsCheck after the affiliate board session. Among the ABC reps in attendance at the gathering was Disney/ABC President Anne Sweeney, Boylan said. Sweeney has invited affiliates to work out a deal over the Watch ABC concept over the next year or so.

“There are many points to be worked between the network and each affiliate regarding Watch ABC,” Boylan continued. “But what I think is encouraging is that the networks and the stations are both looking for ways for this powerful over-the-air partnership to continue on new platforms.”

Under the basic concept that Disney/ABC is considering, sources say, affiliates would pay the network a fee to stream ABC programming through the cable and satellite operators serving their markets, and the affiliates  could then seek retransmission consent payments from the operators.

“It’s a long way to get there in terms of how it works technically and what the business model is,” Boylan said.

Also during the session, Steve Lanzano, president-CEO of TVB, presented research suggesting that primetime viewing measurements should include time-shifted programming viewed on the same day, Boylan said.

“Live-only ratings are fairly accurate with regard to local news, because most people watch local news live,” Boylan said. “But when it comes to primetime, it’s a far more accurate measurement of programming and commercial ratings to include information about the large percentage of people who time-shift and then watch it the same day.”

Boylan also said the affiliate board members expressed their approval of ABC’s decision to move Jimmy Kimmel Live to 11:35 p.m. ET.

“We understand that latenight is certainly changing in the landscape of the competition,” Boylan said. “But one thing we’re happy about is that Kimmel has moved to 11:35, and it’s working.”