According to AdWeek, AMC pulls ahead of the pack and was voted Cable’s hottest TV network for this year 2011.  The competition wasrough in the three genres: Drama, Comedy, Sports, Family Entertainment, Late Night, Reality, Primetime, General Interest and Lifestyle. 

In drama, it was a three way race with many votes going to FX and a revitalized HBO.  However, what pulled AMC ahead was the fact that it thrived on the strength of its dead.  AMC’s show, The Walking Dead, is a huge hit, and in fact the most-watched series in cable history among the 18-49 demographics.  It represents the apotheosis of AMC’s antihero stance- the literal evocation of spiritual rot.  It has been one of the only times that a network has so faithfully and relentlessly captured the moral compromise of an age, with exception to HBO’s aired new installments of The Sopranos and The Wire.

FX won the comedy genre.  Although the cable network thrives on its dark dramas like The Sons of Anarchy, the network has pulled through with its comedy shows like Louie, Archer, The Leage  and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Rivals had been poaching FX’s wares.  Comedy Central even scooped up the off-net rights to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for $400,000 an episode… FX is definitely on the right track with humor.

We all knew it was going to happen, ESPN was voted best for Sports.  ESPN was the fitst NFL partne to re-up its V contract with the league, signing an eight year, $15.5 billion eal in September.  This deal would keep Monday Night Football in the ABC Sports family through 2021.  Votes were unanimous, especially when ESPN stands to bring in $1.7 billion in ad sales.. 

ABC Family was voted best Cable TV network for Family entertainment.  With shows like The Secret Life of an American Teenager and Pretty Little Liars, this channel is not going after only the younger audiences, but in fact has become a must-buy for clients targeting women in the 18-49 demographic.  ”25 Days of Christmas” though remains its biggest franchise that offers original movies, theatricals and Ranking/Bass specials.

Comedy Central won best for Late Night.  With shows as humorous and entertaining as The Daily SHow with John Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s The Colbert Report, everyone will be drawn to Comedy Central.  These two shows alone are the dream ticket for Cable’s Late Night TV.  

MTV is still hot in the Reality department of the Cable industry.  Jersey Shore is in fact one of the main reasons why MTV has won reality this year.  In 2011 alone for its fourth season, the reality show reeled in an average 7.3 million viewers and episode, capping an unbelievable summer.  the network and its siblings earned nearly $745 million in ad sales revenue form Jersey Shore  alone.   

Everyone lovesthe HIstory Network. For Prime Time Cable TV, the History Channel was the hottest TV network.  WIth original series like Pawn Stars, American Pickers, and Swamp people, HIstory finished second in Q3 in the cable race for adults 18-49.  Its ad sales this year is on track and plan to eclipse the $350 million mark. 

USA was voted top Cable TV Network for General Interest.  It has made a five year winning streak in the cable ratings and thus has already established a great reputation for itself in this genre.  UsA’s clear vision however is an industry model.  Homegrown series like Burn Notice and ROyal Pains, and WWE Raw get a rise from viewers.  

And last but not least, the Food Network is number one for lifestyle in the cable industry  This channel has a read on how ‘real’ American s eat and appeals to everyone’s taste!  Advertisers tend to bet big on Guy Fieri.  Last year, the food Network had taken in $277 million in sponsor dollars!!!  The network is a huge success.  

As reported in AdWeek, while online video companies like Hulu, Netflix and YouTube are continuing to compete against each other and try to obtain that competitive edge, Vimeo has a different approach… It is going to stick to its original roots.  

Believe it or not, Vimeo was developed a few months before YouTube in 2004 and had the potential to become viral and as successful as YouTube.  However, as the originally started out hosting online video content, it was to the go-to website for talented independent video producers.  Vimeo has become the hit online video content website among indie bands and short film producers all over the country.  I has an impressive audience of 55 million world wide users.  In comparison to YouTube, it has receded into obscurity. “Vimeo is a site that has always focused on the people who [make] video” CEO Dae Mellencamp informed AdWeek.  ”We are not redistributing mass media content.  We are not trying to be a network or TV.  We think we provide people who want to share [user-generated videos] one of the absolute best experiences in which to do that.”  

Recent news tells us that as companies like Youtube, Netlfix and Hulu embark on big-dollar expansions, Vimeo will stick to its original playbook, but simultaneously it has also unveiled a host of features designed to help broaden its appeal and strengthen the videos on the site. In October this year, Vimeo unveiled ‘Vimeo Perks,’ a discount programing available to paying members of the site.  It gives video producers rebates on equipment and software from a variety of retailers.  Vimeo is also aggressively pushing itself into the mobile world.  It has an iPhone app that allows users to upload content to th site, and the company is said to soon release an Android version app as well very soon.  Vimeo’s CEO Mellencamp continues to insist that Vimeo does not need to create high-profile partnerships with major content companies to keep their heads abopve the surface.  ”We Beileve the quality of whate the average person can do is extraordinary,” she said.  

However, there will always be doubts from others.  Research manager from IDC, Christopher Chute, stated that Vimeo is in a precarious position. The Online video industry is headed in a path towards user generated content and paid professional content.  Chute believes that if the company is to grow int he future, some partnerships will have to be made with brands or studios.  To succeed, it doesn’t have to match YouTube, but it has to conform to what most online video websites are doing- partnering up!

Is this true?  or can Vimeo stick to its original playbook and be fine.  Mellencamp seems to thinks so. Only time will tell.  

If Saturday’s agreement goes through and is finalized, the NBA’s lockout-shortened season will come to a stop, and finally be televised- on Christmas Day!!! according to Broadcasting & Cable.  “We’ve reached a tentative understanding that is subject to a variety of approvals and very complex machinations but we are optimistic that will all come to pass and the NBA season will begin December 25th, Christmas Day, with a triple-header,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern.

By the NBA returning, Disney’s ESPN and ABC, and Time Warner’s Turner Broadcasting will finally be able to generate more ad revenue, especially during the basketball league’s playoffs.  Not only will the networks be benefiting, but also regional cable sports networks that have local deals with the NBA teams too.  

The plan for this season, although shortened, will be 66 games long with an All Star Game.  Three games had been scheduled on Christmas before the start of the season was delayed by the labor negotiations was a rematch of last season’s finals pitting LeBron James and the Miami Heat against Dirk Nowitzki and the champion Dallas Mavericks.  

Christmas this year will be on Sunday, but fortunately for the NBA, the NFL games will be playing on Saturday instead that week, with exception to Monday Night Football.  

Katie Couric’s new daytime show has begun to be pitched to ad agencies and clients according to AdWeek.com, by Katie Couric, Jeff Zucker, and [syndication company] Disney ABC Domestic TV.  

Her show, primarily to be filmed in New York, will feature a combination between personal stories and news.  Apparently, Katie is trying to ‘fill the void’ left by Oprah’s departure from her daytime show to Oprah Winfrey Network.  This allegation could be supported by Couric’s intended ad prices for TV spots during her show.  

Her team expects great things from her show and have even set a $50,000 price for a 30-second spot.  Although Couric’s show is ahead of Live with Regis and Kelly and Ellen, each of whom request a $35,000 to $40,000 a spot, Couric’s prices are nowhere near The Oprah Winfrey Show’s prices.  Oprah’s Show priced TV spots at $100,000 a spot by the end of her 25-year run.  

Despite the strong faith in her show, there are some Television ad executives that maintain doubts about Couric pulling in $50,000 a spot.  ”Katie Couric was fine on the Today SHow, but she didn’t exactly set the world on fire at the CBS Evening News,” claimed Head of TV buying at Target Cast, Gary Carr, whilst comparing Couric to Jane Pauley, the Today show host whose daytime show flopped in 2004. 

Tony Stewart’s live in-car camera is going to be streamed by NASCAR.COM and ESPN for NASCAR’s season finale- the Ford 400 race November 20 which airs on ESPN according to Broadcasating & Cable. This in-car live stream on Facebook, will not only complement ESPN’s coverage of the final race for the NASCAR Spring Cup, but it will also mark the ver first live streamed championship racing event on the social media platform!

This feature will provide NASCAR fans and Facebook users the chance to watch the live show along with being interactive with friends and other racing fans through Facebook chat for example.  The event’s publicity could increase even further with the constant internet interaction between fans/users.  

“Offering a live in-car camera stream from NASCAR.COM on Facebook provides NASCAR fans another ubiquitous platform where they can enjoy the exciting conclusion of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship,” said Matthew Hong, senior VP and GM of sports operations for Turner Sports, who manages NASCAR.COM, in a statement. “Throughout the season we’ve provided multiple online offerings to engage hard-core and casual racing enthusiasts alike, and we’re excited to conclude this championship with this unique social media experience.”

To event further the excitement for die hard NASCAR fans, NASCAR.COM live stream on FB will also be promoting different viewing options, including 10 interactive viewing angles at Racebuddy (NASCAR.COM), and so will the race’s telecast on ESPN< Watch ESPN app, and Watch ESPN.com

As the Hollywood Reporter indicates, on Monday, ABC and Warner Bros Television Goup announced that they have finalized an agreement that allows digitial distribution of TV series produced by WBTV for the network of the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. The Middle, Suburgatory and upcoming comedy Work It will be available as a result.   

As part of the agreement, ABC will have the ability to distribute any of WBTV shows from this season and the next online through its official website, along with ABC.com and HULU.   The five most recently televised episodes of each show will be made available the day after they air on ABC.

Warner Bros television Group has been a tremendous partner with ABC, and this new agreement between the two companies demonstrate how the two companies are working together to find innovative solutions that will allow them to offer ABC viewers access to their favorite series.  Both companies are looking to find ways to experiment, and to build and strengthen their businesses.  

Craig Hunegs, exevutive vice president of Warner Bros. Television Group claims that “Our new agreement with our ABC network partners is a win all around. It makes it easier than ever for viewers to watch their favorite shows, it helps expand the ABC platform and ultimately it makes our series more valuable.”  

In addition, the linear feed in all media that is currently being developed by the network will be simulcasted, as allowed by the agreement.  

ABC’s new fairytale drama Once Upon a Time is rising in the ratings with a 3.8 ratings, up a tenth from last week in the 18-49 demographic according to Broadcasting and Cable.  Although Pan Am hasn’t had the best ratings since its kick off at the beginning of the fall season, and this week held steady with another 1.8 rating at 10 p.m.  Desperate Housewives is up 7% to a 3.0.  The ABC network finished with an overall 2.6rating/6 share to place third.  

This passed weekend, NBC broadcasted the New England Patriots victory over the NY Jets which put the network first place again with 6.o/14.  The game drew a fast-affiliate rating of 7.3- a rating that is down 8% from last week’s preliminaries.  NBC’s sports program Football Night in America had a 5.4 rating, down 11% from last week.  

FOX finished second this week with a 3.8/9 rating.  The Simpsons  and Allen Gregory both dropped, 5% to a 3.5 and to a 2.0 rating respectively.  Family Guy remained steady with a 3.1 rating, but American Dad is down a tenth with a 2.4 rating.  

Finally, CBS was in fourth place this week with regards to ratings.  It took fourth with a 2.3/5 rating.  The Amazing Race was up a tenth to a 2.7 rating.  The Good Wife dropped a tenth to a 2.0 and CSI MIAMI held steady at 2.1.  

Each of the networks experienced some ups and downs, but as each week goes by, rankings fluctuate.  

On November 8, 2011,the Center of Communication presented a seminar at The New School.  The seminar featured the co-authors of «Be Your Own Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Get Hired, and Get Rewarded at Work.»  The co-authors: Jessica Kleinman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper, reveal the secrets to developing a plan for sucess by integrating the skills and techniques that helped them get to where they are today.  Jessica Kleinman is currently the Vice-President of Public Relations at Hearst Magazines, and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper is the co-founder and principal of Allen/Cooper Enterprises, a marketing, exhbitions and events company with focus on art and lifestyle brands.  In their book, Jessica and Meryl teach their readers why it is important to develop a distinct brand to help us land a job, to succeed as freelancers, and to also supercharge our skills to highlight our individuality and uniqueness.  During their presentation, Jessica and Meryl first introduced their book by defining public relations.

Public Relations is all about reputation; It is about what you do, say and what people say about you.  «Advertising you pay for, Public Relations you pray for» is a saying that the co-authors told their audience.  PR is unpredicatble; One can try to be in control of the process as much as they can by updating clients with more precise information on events for example.  But the responsibilities of PR do not just rely within the workplace; What one does outside of work is just as important in defining who someone is.  They advised us that it is very important to differentiate ourselves from others.  Just like a regular product being advertised, one needs to sell themselves and make them appear as a unique and desirable ‘brand.’  PR is all about presenation and reputation; Jessica and Meryl discussed five ways in which we could begin to accomplish becoming our own best publicists.

One, «Message is key.»  When starting a new project, one must determine what the key to the project is:  what message are you trying to communicate to the rest of the world?  Why are you unique?  How are you different?  Why should you be the one the company hires?  Your message is your pitch, and to win that job, or sell your brand, you have to identify the key. 

Two, «It is all about who you know.»  Your network is your net worth.  It has been reported that 80% of senior positions are filled by those who have personal connections within the business.  This is why it is very important to stay in touch with people, whether it be through facebook, email or twitter.  You must acknowledge them and be friendly- that way, if an opportunity is to arise where a position is open in their business, they may recommend you. 

Three, «Toot your own horn, but not too loudly.»  The best publicist is one who understands what it means to promote themselves, and finds a balance between underselling or overselling themselves to potential future employers.  Kleinman and Weinsaft advised in their book that a way to indirectly make a good impression of yourself is to help others and acknowledge co-workers successes. This is like a third party endorsement: you will get people on your side and people who will like you because you acknowledge others for their hard work, or help others if they are in need.  You are not being selfish by trying to chase all the glory- and this is a quality that employers do in fact admire. 

Four, «Anything you say/post can be used against you.»  Your digital profile is your lasting legacy.  These digital profiles; including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn; are all ways in which people can view you and achieve an understanding of your personality.  They can also, however, use your profiles against you or against other candidates if you are portrayed in a negative light on these profile pages.  Even if your facebook friends are the ones posting inappropriate material, you could be guilty by association.  Google is your first resume. One may think that the best solution is to delete his or her profile; however, this is not a wise decision. In today’s society, everyone needs a digital footprint- everyone needs a social profile.  It is about keeping up with today’s trends along with being able to establish a respected reputation.

Five, «Every crisis is an opportunity.»  Kleinman and Weinsaft implicated that this statement applies to every and any situation that comes across your way.  If something goes wrong, you have to stay calm and not panic.  You will find a solution and turn it around.  One of the best ways to do so is to own up to your mistake and apologize.  No one is perfect.  A perfect example of this is when a Housekeeping magazine wrote an article stating that Conan O’Brien supposedly had a special St. Patrick’s Day stew. The magazine provided the recipe and all other necessary details.  However, Conan O’Brien  had absolutely no idea about this stew, and he was never interviewed about it at all.  The article was a lie.  However, a solution to the problem was discovered. In the end, the writer or publisher of the HouseKeeping magazine appeared on the Conan O’Brien show, addressed the issue, and the mistake was taken light-heartedly.  In fact, the magazine actually received a lot of press because of the mistake.  Many other magazines envied the press that HouseKeeping magazine was receiving, and probably wished that they had been the ones to make the mistake.  What a way to make lemonade out of lemons.

Jessica Kleinman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper presented an excellent book that can be useful to people in all kinds of ways- whether you are trying to obtain a job position, sell a product, or promote your company.  These tips are the perfect guidelines to help one establish themselves and develop public relations skills and techniques that could only benefit them in the future.  «Be Your Own Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Get Hired, and Get Rewarded at Work» is an excellent text that all should read if they want to succeed.   

Entertainment Studios, an independent producer and distributor, has launched SmartTV.com this passed Wednesday according to Broadcasting and Cable.  SmartTV.com is the company’s global television subscription service platform.  SmartTV.com will allow subscribers to watch televisoin live and Videos on demand on mobile devices, including Apple and Android devises.  Subscriptions begin at $1.99 per month.  

Byron Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Entertainment studios believes that this platform will be a global game changer, as well as consumer-friendly.  I will allow subscribers to select only the channels they want to watch.  ”The marketplace research has demonstrated for eyars that consumers have less than 20 channels that they actually watch.”  SmartTV.com will satisfy consumer demands of having the ability to access a fully personalized, portable service which saves the consumer a great deal of money each month.  To top it all off, there would be no installation fees and no long-term commitments.

At least one linear channel in every major programming category will be provided by SmartTV within the coming year.  It has already offered the service with 6 of Entertainment Studios’ linear HD networks.  These includeL Cars.TV, Comedy.TV, ES.TV, MyDestination.TV, Pets.TV and Recipe.TV.  Allen added that SmartTV is going to expand their channel options for subscribers over the next 24 months by launching over 100 networks.   

DirecTV’s pricey NFL promotion has more than paid off according to AdWeek.com. Analysts’ expectations and ‘bucked’ industry trends were outshone by this satellite TV provider.  The promotional tactic?  DirecTV offered new subscribers a free year of NFL Sunday Ticket football package with their 2-year contracts.  This saved customers more than $300 for the season.  Although it may have been a risky deal, the company’s latest earnings reported that the bet was worth it.  It may have been a risky deal because the company pays NFL about $1billion a  year for the exclusive rights to show out-of-market games on Sunday afternoons.  If they wouldn’t successful, they could have faced serious financial issues.

DirecTV added 327,000 US subscribers in the third quarter this year, which far surpassed many analysts’ predictions of an additioanl 158,000 new customers.  This 4.3% subscriber boost allowed DirecTV to establish a total US custumer base at 19.76 million.  It is slowly closing in on Comcast’s 23 million customers.  

In the last quarter DirecTV’s four cable competitors had lost a combined 375,000 customers due to the poor economy- it is very impressive that DirecTV is actually experiencing huge subscriber increase! 

However, everything comes with a price.  The expense to installing these new customers that DirecTV obtained in combination with the augmentation of programming costs has actually hurt the satellite company’s profits.  The satellite company reporter that its profit was up 8% to $516 million (70 cents a share)- but it fell just short of analysts’ predictions of 72 cents a share, while revenue was up 14% to $6.84 billion.