With 1 day left in the 2015 February Sweeps, FOX finished #1 on Wednesday in the U.S. BBC One finished #1 in the UK. Seven again finished #1 in Australia.
Today, traditional TV still accounts for the lion’s share of video viewing, but online and mobile are where the growth is. When managed together, TV/digital/mobile hold the potential to drive real impact for advertisers—enabling them to maximize the customers they reach and/or reinforce key messaging across screens. After all, ‘It’s all about screens’.
The Home Of #dailydiaryofscreens
For Wednesday, February 25, 2015 (Posted on February 26, 2015)
FOX was #1 on Wednesday as ‘Empire’ was the top program of the evening.
FOX
The Animal Network of Broadcast won the evening in prime time on Wednesday with some old and some new. At 8P, ‘American Idol’, in its first episode of elimination, came from MoTown ‘Live’ and got off the evening with some superb singing as the men presented their voices to a big, live and enthustiastic Detroit audience. It delivered an average of 10.80 million viewers and a 7.1/11, just as it did last year on this same date. Then at 9P, ‘Empire’ continued its journey with an average of 13.75 million viewers and a 9.2/14 to once again be the #1 program on all of television on Wednesday. All-in-all, it was a great night for Murdoch’s Minions as ‘Empire’ continues to grow. How high can it reach?
CBS
The Tiffany Network failed to deliver on Wednesday in a newly revamped lineup which included both of the vintage reality programs back-to-back on the same evening. At 8P, the season premiere of the never ending ‘Survivor-World’s Apart’ was not completely up to the task of competing with ‘American Idol’ but it did deliver an average of 9.88 million viewers and a 5.6/9. But at 930P, the tired ‘Amazing Race’ may see its future coming to an end as it finished its season premiere with an average of only 6.06 million viewers and a 3.8/6 and was completely overwhelmed by ‘Empire’. This was down by 28% from the year-ago season-premiere as it drew 5.3/8 on Sunday 2/23/14. While this was a February Sweeps ratings stunt as it will move to its 8P position on Friday’s next week, Paley’s Pals have to go back to the drawing board if they want to be competitive on Wednesdays in this time slot.
NBC
The Peacock Network finished third on Wednesday. Beginning at 8P with ‘The Mysteries of Lauria’, featuring a guest appearance by Debra Messing’s former ‘Will & Grace’ co-star Eric McCormack, rose to its best household overnights since Dec. 10, 2014. It produced an average audience of 7.65 million viewers and a 5.2/8. At 9P, ‘Law & Order: SVU’ came in with an average of 7.69 million viewers and a 5.4/8, tops for the night at 30 Rock. Then at 10P, the powerful, ‘Chicago PD’, with an exceptional episode, provided an average of 7.35 million viewers and a 4.8/8, as one of their team went undercover in a powerful storyline as our favorite couple on the show decided it is not good for fellow cops to date one another. This is a Must See TV ON DEMAND episode. It finished 28% ahead of ‘Amazing Race’ to stay #1 in its time slot on Wednesdays. This is superb news for Sarnoff’s Staff as it is a boost to the local NBC affiliates leading into their late news. Note: NBC’s primetime lineup was shown on a delay in the Portland market due to NBA Basketball.
ABC
The Alphabet Network is in free fall. On Wednesday at 8P, ‘The Middle’ drew an average of 7.39 million viewers and a 5.2/8. Then at 830P, ‘The Goldbergs’ drew an average of 7.46 million viewers and a 4.8/7. At 9P, in an exceptional experimental episode where the entire show was shot on an iPhone, iPad and a MacBook Pro, ‘Modern Family’, once the top program on the night, delivered an average of 9.30 million viewers and a 6.1/9. Then the bottom fell out of Disneyville. At 930P, ‘Black-ish’ pulled in an average of 6.72 million viewers and a 4.5/7. At 9P, ‘Nashville’ doomed Disneyville with an average of 4.88 million viewers and a 3.3/6.
The CW
The Little Network That Couldn’t didn’t. At 8P, ‘Arrow’ pulled in an average of 2.90 million viewers and a 2.0/3. At 9P, ‘The 100’ drew an average of 1.79 million viewers and a 1.1/2, finishing well below The Mendoza Line. Hey! It’s baseball season.
Late Night
What does a strong 10P prime time program do for late night? At 1035P, ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ drew a #1 leading 3.0/8. #2 in the time slot on Wednesday was ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ with a 2.3/6. CBS’ ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ drew 1.9/5. At 1235A, ABC’s ‘Nightline’ tied with NBC’s ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’, both finishing with a 1.4/5. CBS’ ‘The Late Late Show’ finished with 1.0/4. At 135A, NBC’s ‘Last Call with Carson Daly’ averaged a 0.9/4.
For The Record
FOX finished #1 on Wednesday with an average of 11.966 million viewers and an 8.1/13. CBS finished #2 with an average of 7.973 million viewers and a 4.7/8. NBC finished #3 with an average of 7.562 million viewers and a 5.2/8. ABC finished with an average of 6.772 million viewers and a 4.6/7. Univision finished with an average of 2.900 million viewers and a 1.5/2. The CW finished with an average of 2.326 million viewers and a 1.5/2. Telemundo finished with 0/8/1.
Today In TV History
On this date in 1956, the Winter Olympic Games are first televised over the Eurovision link from Cortina in Italy.
Digital/Mobile News
FCC Approves New Rules of the Road for Internet Service…Net Neutrality
Per an article written by Ted Johnson, Senior Editor, Variety, ‘The FCC approved robust rules of the road for the Internet on Thursday, a move that supporters believe will prevent conglomerates from consolidating control over the flow of online content, but that critics characterize as a huge regulatory overreach. The FCC’s approach is one favored by many public interest groups, Hollywood content creators and a large number of web companies including Netflix and Twitter: It is reclassifying Internet service as a Title II telecommunications service, a regulatory designation akin to that of a utility.
The FCC’s move was intended to give it solid authority to impose rules over Internet service. They prohibit ISPs from blocking or throttling content, as well as from collecting payments from content providers for speedier access to their subscribers. The latter has been commonly referred to as the idea that ISPs would eventually create Internet “fast lanes.”
The sharply divided 3-2 vote on Thursday may not spell the end of a decade-long debate over net neutrality but a new period of contentiousness. The FCC’s approach is strongly opposed by cable and telecom companies which provide wired and wireless Internet service, along with congressional Republicans who have already launched hearings and inquiries into the FCC’s rulemaking. They say that the reclassification of the Internet will burden the industry with unnecessary regulation.
In unveiling his proposal earlier this month, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler even called them “the strongest open Internet protections ever proposed by the FCC.” At the meeting, Wheeler said that the Internet was “simply too important to be left with out rules and a referee on the field…It is simply too important to allow broadband providers to be the ones making the rules.” He said that the plan was no more a “secret plan to regulate the Internet,” as some critics have charged, than the First Amendment was an effort to regulate free speech. “Today is a red letter day for Internet freedom,” he said.
The FCC also adopted a “general conduct rule” that will allow the agency to monitor future developments of the Internet.
Although the very term net neutrality is abstract, its biggest supporters, such as the Writers Guild of America, say that the rules were necessary to prevent major media companies from exploiting broadband to their own advantage, like paying huge sums to establish “fast lanes” on the web to give their TV shows and movies an advantage over smaller sites or independent creators. At the meeting, Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy, testified in favor of the rules, along with Veena Sud, executive producer of “The Killing.” Sud talked of new opportunities for content and for female showrunners with increasing competition from online video, noting how Netflix picked up the series after it was dropped by AMC. “What you do today is secure the future of the open Internet and make sure all our voices are heard,” she said, warning that major Internet providers were already starting to exert their role as a “gatekeeper” to the flow of content online.
The FCC also played a video from Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, endorsing the FCC’s approach. The FCC’s move has tremendous implications for the future of online video. One of the most vocal of all major companies in favor of net neutrality was Netflix, which urged the FCC to impose strong rules but also to extend them to another part of the Internet ecosystem — the connection point where it delivers its streaming content to an ISP for delivery to the consumer.
Netflix had complained that Comcast and Verizon last year forced it to make payments for “interconnection,” refusing to upgrade their systems so that their signal wasn’t degraded when it arrived on a subscriber’s screen. Comcast and other ISPs, however, contend that Netflix has mischaracterized the issue. Wheeler’s proposal covered those “interconnection” points, allowing companies to file complaints to the agency for review over whether an ISP has engaged in unreasonable practices. But there was last-minute negotiation between other commissioners over the exact language of the rules, with such connection points governed by a provision covering “Internet access services.” Wheeler has billed his proposal as a “21st century” approach to Title II regulation, as it also restricts the FCC from imposing rate regulation, tariffs or limits on bundling. Wheeler has pointed to other industries, like wireless phone service, where Title II regulation has worked when applied to new technology, even as Commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O’Rielly were skeptical that it won’t lead to some future price regulation. Both voted against the FCC’s action.
In his dissent, Pai accused the FCC of ceding to President Obama’s support for reclassifying the Internet. “We shouldn’t be a rubber stamp to political decisions made by the White House,” he said. Pai said that the action “marks a monumental shift toward government control of the Internet” and predicted it would lead to higher prices for Internet service, slower speeds, less innovations and less choice. O’Rielly called it a “monumental and unlawful power grab.” ISPs have hinted at litigation, and in Congress, Republicans introduced their own net neutrality bill last month. That legislation would also ban ISPs from blocking, throttling and so-called paid prioritization, a turnabout from many GOP lawmakers’ previous positions that such rules were unnecessary. But prospects for the legislation are uncertain as Democrats balk at provisions that also would limit the FCC’s authority, such as in adapting rules to changing technology.
Nevertheless, net neutrality advocates note that ISPs largely brought the new regulations on themselves. The FCC passed a set of open Internet regulations in 2010 that were weaker — for instance, wireless firms were excluded from an anti-discrimination rule. Although major Internet providers like Comcast and AT&T were lukewarm to the rules, they didn’t challenge them. But Verizon did, filing a court challenge to the FCC’s authority. A federal appeals court sided with Verizon, leaving the onus on the FCC to come up with a new set of guidelines. Wheeler’s initial proposal would have governed an ISP’s treatment of Internet traffic based on whether it was “just and reasonable” — a standard that net neutrality advocates pounced on as being too weak.
After ongoing protests in front of the FCC’s Washington headquarters, as well as a segment on John Oliver’s HBO series “Last Week Tonight,” the wonkish issue broke through D.C. policymaking circles. The FCC was inundated with more than 4 million comments, a record, most of them in favor of the agency imposing strong protections. But the turning point came in November when President Obama announced his support for reclassification. By January, it was clear that Wheeler was changing his direction and pursuing the same approach. Hollywood studios largely stayed out of this debate — with the MPAA filing just one brief with the FCC urging the agency not to impose its rules on content, which it did not. Other than the Writers Guild of America, Hollywood unions also stayed out of the debate.
Yet the Internet Assn., which represents Google, Twitter, Yahoo and other major Internet companies, say that the new rules will prove important for content creators. “Small and independent content creators stand to benefit from net neutrality, because the success of a project is dependent on the quality and merit of an idea and not from a paid relationship with broadband gatekeepers,” said spokesman Noah Theran. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who has been among the most prominent lawmakers on Capitol Hill pushing for tough rules, suggested in a statement earlier this week that the FCC’s action is to keep the Internet as open as it is. “For decades now, we’ve seen the Internet be an engine for innovation and economic growth,” he said. “And that hasn’t just happened while net neutrality was in place; it’s happened because of net neutrality.” Commissioner Michael Copps, long an advocate of reclassification of the Internet, said that the FCC “enshrined real Open Internet protection for all broadband consumers, including mobile. “The FCC has never done a better job of serving the public interest,” he said in a statement released after the vote. Copps attended the hearing along with figures from the tech community and public interest groups, including Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple.
John Sununu and Harold Ford Jr., honorary co-chairs of the group Broadband for America, said in a statement that the FCC’s action was “one giant step backwards for America’s broadband networks and everyone else who depends on them. These ‘Title II’ rules go far beyond protecting the Open Internet, launching a costly and destructive era of government micromanagement that will discourage private investment in new networks and slow down the breakneck innovation that is the soul of the Internet today.”
Welcome to new viewers in all 50 States of the U.S., all of the Provinces in Canada, all of the States in Mexico, the UK, Iceland, Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Poland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Gibraltar, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia the former Yugoslave Republic, Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, State of Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Mauritius, United Republic of Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Egypt, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Mozambique, Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvadore, Belize, Aruba, St. Lucia, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Martinique, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Bahamas and Puerto Rico (139). We are thankful to all of you with more than 21,500 views.
For The World Who Needs A Little
Think Sunshine. #thinksunshine
Across The Pond
BBC One was full of laughs to bring the top program to the audience on Wednesday and finished #1 in the UK. AT 8P, ‘The Great Comic Relief Bake Off’ remained Wednesday’s most popular show with 5.97 million viewers (26.8%). Then at 9P, ‘People’s Strictly’ launched with 3.59 million viewers (15.7%).
ITV had a very special evening last night as ‘The Brit Awards 2015’ were up from last year, according to overnight figures for Wednesday (February 25). At 8P, The annual ceremony averaged 5.25 million viewers (24.1%). A further 422,000 viewers (2.3%) tune3d in on +1.
BBC Two at 7P had ‘Wanted in Paradise’ and it gathered 920,000 viewers (4.6%). At 8P, ‘Suffragettes Forever’ interested a few less with only 810,000 viewers (3.6%). At 9P, ‘Wolf Hall’s’ finale brought in a high for the network on the evening with an average of 2.33 million viewers (10.2%). At 10P, ‘Up The Women’ continued with 460,000 viewers (2.4%).
Channel 4 presented at 8P, ‘The Restoration Man’ but only 620,000 watched (2.8%). At 9P, ’24 Hours in A&E’ boosted the audience to a respectable 1.58 million viewers (6.9%). At 10P, ‘Junk Food Kids: Who’s to Blame?’ came crashing down with only 700,000 viewers (4.2%).
Channel 5 had at 8P, ‘GPs: Behind Closed Doors’ averaged 1.07 million viewers (4.8%). AT 9P, ‘Jack the Ripper’ attracted 736,000 viewers (3.2%). At 10P, ‘Autopsy’ could only draw 511,000 viewers at 10pm.
Down Under
Seven won again, this time with a 34.8% share of the available audience on Wednesday. And again the #1 program was ‘My Kitchen Rules’ with 1.501 million viewers. #4 was ‘Seven News/Today Tonight’ with 932,000 viewers. #5, ‘Seven news’ drew 929,000 viewers. #6 was ‘Home and Away’ with 872,000 viewers. Finally, #10, ‘Winter’ drew 731,000 viewers.
Network Nine finished second with 25.5% share. #2 and the top newscast in the nation was ‘Nine News’ with 1,056,000 viewers. #3, ‘Nine News 6:30’ drew 1,003,000 viewers. At #7, ‘A Current Affair’ drew 769,000 viewers. And finally, #9, ‘The Block Triple Threat’ drew 753,000 viewers.
Ten finished #3 with 17.8% share.
ABC finished fourth with 16.5% share. #9 was ‘ABC Evening News’ with 748,000 viewers.
SBS finished #5 with 5.9% share of the available audience.
Thursday Australian TV Overnight Ratings
Seven won again on Thursday with a whopping 35.5% share of the available audience. #1 again was ‘My Kitchen Rules’ which drew 1,498,000 viewers. #4 was ‘Seven News’ with 848,000 viewers. #5, ‘Home and Away’ pulled 813,000 viewers. #6 was ‘Seven News/Today Tonight’ with 811,000 viewers.
Network Nine finished #2 with a 26.5% share. #2 was ‘Nine News’ as it was once again the nation’s #1 newscast, as it drew 951,000 viewers on Thursday. #3 was ‘Nine News 6:30’ with 932,000 viewers. #8 was ‘A Current Affair’ with 766,000 viewers. And #10 was ‘Open House’ with 562,000 viewers.
Ten came in third with a 17.6% share.
ABC finished #4 with a 16.2% share. #7 was ‘ABC Evening News’ with 791,000 viewers. #9, ‘7.30’ drew 706,000 viewers.
SBS finished #5 with 5.0% share of the available audience.
As you can see, no matter where you live, people are…
Switching Channels!
Sydney Hosted the Australian Premiere of the International Press Associations Satellite Award Winning film, ‘Return To Zero’ on Thursday at the Roseville Cinema. The film, starring Minnie Driver, Paul Adelstein, Alfred Molina, Connie Nielsen, Andrea Anders, Kathy Baker, and Sarah Jones. All profits benefit two amazing organizations: Heartfelt and Stillbirth Foundation Australia. The award winning film will be shown for the first time in Melbourne on Sunday. Purchase your tickets at: http://heartfelt.org.au/events. The Writers Guild of America nominee, director Sean Hanish and his wife, Kiley, will be in attendance for a Q&A following the screening.
For updates throughout the day, FOLLOW us on Twitter @overtheshoulde2 and LIKE us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/overtheshouldermedia and on Google+ http://bit.ly/19JVk76. Thank you for allowing us to surpass 44,600+ views at Google+ Sophis1234.
Catch up with the latest edition of Media Notes Canonical at: http://bit.ly/cnasophisRetailPositive
This week: ‘Increase Brick & Mortar Traffic Without Increasing Your Budget’.
Media Notes Briefs, ‘Wealthy Americans, especially The Upper Tier, Prefer Digital Over Retail’. http://bit.ly/1CTS9H5
New This Week: Connected Consumers Equal Business Success – http://eepurl.com/XT6m5
Weekly Retail Media Notes. This week: ‘How Smartphone-Owning Millennials Expect Brands To Use Technology’ Generational Differences in Consumers’ Screen Preferences – http://eepurl.com/bdQToL
Why Don’t You Use Mobile Now? http://goo.gl/wlnJ8o
Today’s featured ‘Music to read overtheshouldermedia by’ down at the bottom of the page:
Sergio Mendez Live @ Jazz Vienne, France
OVERTHESHOULDERMEDIA 