Archive for September, 2008
Presidential Debate Viewership – Memphis Ratings Winner
The Presidential Debate on Friday, 9/26/08 between Barack Obama and John McCain at the University of Mississippi drew about 57 million viewers according to Nielsen’s preliminary estimates. McCain and Obama did not break records but it was considered a healthy turnout. Media Life Magazine’s detailed story reports that the biggest tune-in was in St. Louis with 82% of those watching TV tuned in to the debate. They also noted that nationally, ABC led the big 4 networks.
In Memphis, the story is a little bit different. Ole Miss in Oxford, MS is located in the Memphis DMA, so there was local interest on several levels. The big 4 networks in Memphis competed not only for viewership, but also for advertising dollars during the debate and the pre/post debate programming. The Memphis viewership winner for the Obama/McCain debate was WMC. For the hour and a half debate from 8-9:30pm, the Memphis station’s preliminary household overnight ratings and shares are:
Station HH RTG / Share
WMC (NBC) 14.06 / 19.29
WREG (CBS) 9.49 / 13.02
WHBQ (FOX) 4.67 / 6.40
WPTY (ABC) 4.59 / 6.30
And not to exclude WLMT (CW) , Smackdown ran from 7-9pm 6.04 / 8.62.
The chart below lists the top ten televised presidential debates ranked by audience size. These are national audience numbers. The Obama/McCain debate on 9/26/08 did not make the top ten with their 57 million viewers.
| Presidential Debate Audience Rankings (millions) | |||||
| Rank | Year | Network | Date | Candidates | Viewers (Millions) |
| 1 |
1980 |
ABC, CBS, NBC |
Oct. 28 |
Carter – Reagan |
80.6 |
| 2 |
1992 |
ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN |
Oct. 15 |
Bush – Clinton – Perot |
69.9 |
| 3 |
1976 |
ABC, CBS, NBC |
Sept. 23 |
Ford – Carter |
69.7 |
| 4 |
1988 |
ABC, CBS, NBC |
Oct. 13 |
Bush – Dukakis |
67.3 |
| 5 |
1984 |
ABC, CBS, NBC |
Oct. 21 |
Reagan – Mondale |
67.3 |
| 6 |
1992 |
ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN |
Oct. 19 |
Bush – Clinton – Perot |
66.9 |
| 7 |
1988 |
ABC, CBS, NBC |
Sept. 25 |
Bush – Dukakis |
65.1 |
| 8 |
1984 |
ABC, CBS, NBC |
Oct. 7 |
Reagan – Mondale |
65.1 |
| 9 |
1976 |
ABC, CBS, NBC |
Oct. 6 |
Ford – Carter |
63.9 |
| 10 |
1976 |
ABC, CBS, NBC |
Oct. 22 |
Ford – Carter |
62.7 |
| Source: Nielsen Media Research, September 2008 (There were no televised Presidential debates for the years 1972, 1968, and 1964.) | |||||
Tags: audience, Debate, McCain, Memphis, Obama, Ratings, viewership, WHBQ, WMC-TV, WPTY, WREG
Microsoft Commercial part 2: I’m a PC … Ben Ferguson?
This video titled “I’m a PC – Windows not Walls” is the next phase of the Microsoft TV advertising campaign. Bill Gates is in the TV spot, but Jerry Seinfeld is missing.
About 23 seconds into the spot, you see a radio talk show host that looks just like WREC’s Ben Ferguson from Memphis. Am I right? I bet that is Memphis’ own Ben Ferguson who’s local radio talk show airs weekdays 8-10:45am on WREC-AM 600. If so, that’s terrific!
As an added note: I just read a great post with additional info about Ferguson appearing in the Microsoft ad on Mediaverse Memphis. Check it out!
Tags: advertising, Ben Ferguson, Bill Gates, Memphis, Microsoft, radio, WREC
2008 Primetime Emmy Winners
From the New York Times, a list of 2008 Primetime Emmy Award Winners. Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners!
Published: September 21, 2008
“30 Rock” (NBC)DRAMA SERIES
“Mad Men” (AMC)MINI-SERIES
“John Adams” (HBO)TELEVISION MOVIE
“Recount” (HBO)VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central)REALITY COMPETITION
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOVIE
Paul Giamatti, “John Adams” (HBO)ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, “Damages” (FX)ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE
Laura Linney, “John Adams” (HBO)SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jeremy Piven, “Entourage” (HBO)SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Zeljko Ivanek, “Damages” (FX)SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE
Tom Wilkinson, “John Adams” (HBO)SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jean Smart, “Samantha Who?” (ABC)SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment” (HBO)SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Eileen Atkins, “Cranford” (PBS)INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM
Don Rickles, “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project” (HBO)REALITY HOST
Jeff Probst, “Survivor” (CBS)DIRECTING, COMEDY SERIES
Barry Sonnenfeld, “Pushing Daisies” (ABC)DIRECTING, DRAMA SERIES
Greg Yaitanes, “House” (Fox)DIRECTING, MINI-SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL
Jay Roach, “Recount” (HBO)DIRECTING, VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
Louis J. Horvitz, “80th Annual Academy Awards” (ABC)WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Matthew Weiner, “Mad Men” (AMC)WRITING FOR A MINI-SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Kirk Ellis, “John Adams” (HBO)WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
Tom Purcell, Stephen Colbert, Allison Silverman, Richard Dahm, Michael Brumm, Rob Dubbin, Eric Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft, Frank Lesser, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Bryan Adams, Barry Julien, Meredith Scardino, “The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)Tags: Emmy Awards, prime, Television, TV
Esquire’s 75th Anniversary Issue with E Ink Electronic Cover
Ad Age Video of the E Ink technology used in the 75th Anniversary Issue of Esquire.
The October 2008 issue of Esquire is breaking new ground in publishing with an electronic cover. E Ink, an electronic paper display technologies firm was tapped to develop the cover technology. The video goes into detail about Esquire’s 75th Anniversary issue which is themed “The 21st Century Begins Now.”
The advertisers in this limited run edition will receive a bonus with an extra long shelf life because it will be a collector’s item. There are about 20 listed on ebay right now.
Tags: Ad Age, e ink, Esquire, magazine
SNL: Phelps Host Season Opener & Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
9/13/08 – SNL video of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton
The 34th season of Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC, 9/13/08 with Michael Phelps as the host. Phelps recent success at the 2008 Summer Olympics proved to be a huge draw by the number of viewers that tuned in.
But the show stealer was the opening skit with Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton discussing sexism in the presidential campaign.
According to a Media Life Magazine article, SNL had one of their largest audiences in history with a 7.4 metered market rating and 18 share. (This number may be adjusted due to Houston’s bout with Hurricane Ike.) SNL’s highest rating ever, a 7.6, was the first show after 9/11 which was hosted by Reese Witherspoon and included an appearance by New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani on 9/29/01.
In Memphis on WMC-TV, SNL scored big with a 8.01 HH rating and 13.19 share winning the time period. As a comparison to the Memphis Nov. 2007 Nielsen, SNL averaged 4 HH rating.
Tags: Michael Phelps, NBC, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Tina Fey, wmc
News Audiences are Shifting News Sources
The world of news becomes more competitive as online users increase. Traditional news sources, Newspaper, Radio and Network TV audiences have declined while Cable TV and Online have grown. Pew Research Center has published their research on the news audience segments in the changing news environment. Click here to see the entire article.
The Pew Research chart below shows the trends of various news sources.
| News Source Participation (% of survey participants) | ||||||||
| 1993 | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | |
| Listened/Read yesterday | ||||||||
| Newspaper |
58% |
59 |
48 |
47 |
41 |
42 |
40 |
34 |
| Radio news |
47 |
44 |
49 |
43 |
41 |
40 |
36 |
35 |
| Regularly watch | ||||||||
| Cable TV news |
- |
- |
- |
- |
33 |
38 |
34 |
39 |
| Local TV news |
77 |
65 |
64 |
56 |
57 |
59 |
54 |
52 |
| Nightly network news |
60 |
42 |
38 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
28 |
29 |
| Network morning news |
- |
- |
23 |
20 |
22 |
22 |
23 |
22 |
| Online | ||||||||
| Three of more days a week |
- |
2 |
13 |
23 |
25 |
29 |
31 |
37 |
| Source: PEW Research Center, August 2008 | ||||||||
Tags: advertising, media, news
9/11 Remembrances, Ceremonies & Memorials in 2008
What were you doing when you heard about the terrorist’s attacks on 9/11/01? It was a day we’ll all remember. The television and cable networks gave us minute by minute coverage as the events unfolded and replayed them for days. The images of the World Trade Center burning and collapsing in New York City, the damaged Pentagon from a hijacked plane and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. We remember the horrors and sympathy we felt for the passengers of the hijacked planes. And the Americans on the ground in the WTC and Pentagon who lost their lives. And now 7 years later, Americans everywhere will remember at ceremonies and memorials across the United States. The Families of September 11 have compiled a detail list of these activities. The New York Times has published the schedule of events at the Ground Zero Ceremony. We remember, and we’ll never forget 9/11/01.
Tags: 9/11
2008 Mid-South Fair TV Commercial
The 2008 Mid-South Fair advertising is popping up all over the Mid-South. Tomorrow, this TV commercial will debut promoting the 152nd Mid-South Fair. The Mid-South Fair television spot was created by Combustion in Memphis.
The media strategy which I developed, planned and bought includes television, cable, outdoor, radio, print and internet. Combustion concepted and produced creative materials for the entire campaign. ABO Marketing expertly handled all public relations duties.
Tags: Combustion, media, Memphis, Mid-South Fair, Television
Microsoft TV Commercial with Bill Gates & Jerry Seinfeld
The highly anticipated Microsoft TV commercial with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates & Comedian Jerry Seinfeld debuted Thursday night during the NFL broadcast. An Adweek story says, “This is the tech giant’s first work from MDC’s Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami, and it marks the kickoff to a wide-ranging $300 million campaign designed to alert consumers to innovations made possible through Microsoft’s Windows operating system.” The initial opinions on the Microsoft commercial are mixed. Some think it’s an excellent springboard for future Microsoft commercials and others think it completely missed the mark. What do you think? Should we hold off judging until the next Microsoft TV ad airs? More later.
Tags: Bill Gates, Microsoft, Seinfeld
House Fire on Cowden in Memphis
Photo by Ben Couvillion
This morning, flames shot from a window on Cowden just east of South Cooper in Memphis. Within minutes, the Memphis Fire Department was on the scene. Four firetrucks and numerous other emergency vehicles lined the streets. The Memphis Police diverted traffic for several hours.
Here’s an update:
There is yellow police tape around the house. A neighbor tells me that this fire was determined to be arson to cover up a burglary. Customers at Otherlands saw a person go in and out of the house and once the fire started, they left in a hurry. After the fire was extinguished, the residents noticed missing electronics.
Tags: Memphis