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Olympics Draw High Percentage of Women Viewers, and Ads Intended for Them (NYT)
The large female viewership for the Olympics and the spate of spots intended for women are anomalies in TV sports. Most coverage of athletics is watched by men, which means that most commercials during sports programs like football, baseball, basketball, and hockey are aimed at male viewers.
GE's Immelt: 'We're Not Done Doing Cable Deals' (TVNewser)
"I like doing partnerships," says CEO Jeff Immelt. "If you are in the cable business or news business, the Weather Channel is one of the premier assets. Our ability to get it in a great deal the way we did I think is great. I think every now and again when an industry goes through transition, I like partnering with a private equity guy because it helps you understand what's the right price for the Weather Channel?"
Title, Print Run on Woodward Book Announced (AP)
The suspense didn't quite compare to the identity of "Deep Throat," but we now know the name of Bob Woodward's fourth investigative work on the Bush administration, just three weeks before the book's release. The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008 will be published Sept. 8 by Simon & Schuster with an announced first printing of 900,000 copies.
SI Unveils Phelps Cover (NYDN)
Whenever Sports Illustrated editor Terry McDonell talked about Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps' quest for eight gold medals, he was asked if the mag would do "the picture." On Wednesday, the mag will unveil its exclusive photo on newsstands across the country. On the cover, a grinning and bare-chested Phelps, 23, displays eight medals splayed across his chest. Hollywood Reporter/Live Feed: NBC not as splashy now that Phelps is finished.
The Death of the Celebrity Profile, Part VIIIIIIIXIXIXIIX (New YorkMag/Daily Intel)
Celebrity profiles are, in a way, undead -- strange, hollow-eyed zombies that occasionally leap out at you from the pages of magazines. Yesterday we spotted one by former Vanity Fair writer Kevin Sessums in Parade. In it, a "famished" Julianne Moore orders a pair of fried eggs -- eggs which go on to reveal a formidable amount of her personality.
Did WSJ Copy Boston Globe's Photo Blog? (Media Nation)
Dan Kennedy: After Alan Taylor launched "The Big Picture" on the Boston Globe's Boston.com site earlier this year, he told an interviewer, "I know it's totally copy-able." No kidding. Last week, the Wall Street Journal -- not exactly known for its photojournalism -- started a photo blog that was, well, identical to what Boston.com has been doing: a blog featuring huge photos of stories in the news and off the news.
Journos of Color Hit Disproportionately in Tribune Layoffs (Journal-isms)
The Chicago Tribune laid off more than 40 newsroom employees on Friday, including a disproportionate number of journalists of color, according to newsroom employees there. 14-year Tribune veteran Ray Quintanilla, 46, said "The Tribune is where minority reporters can go to die. They get lost in the bureaucracy and they're ignored."
NYT Raises Cover Price, Nobody Notices (Gawker)
Last month The New York Times announced it would be raising its cover price from $1.25 to $1.50, and there were several alarmed articles full of ominous grumbling. But the increase didn't actually come into effect until yesterday, and there appears to be not even a peep of outrage online from readers who are short a quarter.
Rupert Murdoch: Big Man On Campus (Forbes)
Heading back to college this fall? Rupert Murdoch will be waiting. In May, his Fox News subsidiary bought a minority stake in a Web video-based college news network featuring student reporters called Palestra.net. This fall, he'll be ramping up the partnership. It's the latest -- and boldest -- move by a major media company to capitalize on America's some 6.1 million undergrads.
WaPo, Newsweek Team Up for Online Convention Coverage (Variety)
Newsweek.com and Washingtonpost.com, both owned by the Washington Post Co., will offer seven hours a day of live Web coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions. The sites will feature several of the publications' star reporters, editors and analysts in streaming video coverage starting at 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Thursday, of both weeks.
Advertisers, Media Left in the Dark About New 90210 (AdAge)
The CW is taking the unusual step of not screening its buzzed-about remake of Beverly Hills 90210 for advertisers or the media in advance of the program's premiere. "The CW and our studio partner, CBS Paramount Network Television, have made the strategic marketing decision not to screen '90210' for any media in advance of its premiere," the network said in a statement.
ABC to Sponsor Entire Issue of TV Guide (Folio:)
For the first time in its 55-year history, a single advertiser will sponsor an entire issue of TV Guide. The magazine, hitting newsstands August 21, will carry 21 ad pages promoting ABC Television's fall lineup. (Last year's "Fall Sneak Peek" contained 26 ad pages, according to the Publishers Information Bureau.) The issue will also include a DVD promoting ABC's slate of programming.
MSN Debuts New Comedy Series Republicrats (Mediaweek)
Microsoft's MSN today will premiere Republicrats, a new 25 episode comedy series centered around a fictional presidential candidate who will place much of his campaign's strategy in the hands of web viewers. The show, which will unfold over the last few months of the 2008 presidential campaign, has been produced by Generate, the production firm launched by former WB CEO Jordan Levin.
CBS Taps Bresnan to Head Reality Programming (B&C)
CBS named The CW reality programmer Jennifer Bresnan to succeed the departing Ghen Maynard as senior vice president of alternative programming for CBS Entertainment. Bresnan will report to CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler, who announced the move Monday. Bresnan previously served as senior VP of alternative for The CW, CBS' sister network that it co-owns with Warner Bros.
Bye-Bye Nexpo: NAA Launching New Industry Show to Emphasize Digital (E&P)
Nexpo -- the U.S. newspaper industry's largest, but ever-shrinking equipment show -- is no more. The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) will announce today that it is replacing Nexpo and the NAA Marketing Conference with an annual conference to be called NAA mediaXchange. The first mediaXchange, scheduled for March 9 to 11, 2009, in Las Vegas.
The Gray Lady Twitters, John McCain Not So Much (FishbowlNY)
The NYT Co. has a twitter: thus far they've made 13 updates, acquired 31 followers, and are following 71 people. This isn't the first time we've noticed a large company testing the twitter waters (just ours). Apparently the SEC is also in the game, along with CSPAN. Perhaps not surprisingly Barack Obama has as twitter (he has 59,567 followers and is following 62,241). John McCain, however, may want to look into whoever is currently squatting on his space, no pun intended.
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