Spots N Dots
The Daily News Of TV Sales
October 26, 2016

SURVEY: BLACK FRIDAY LOSING ITS APPEAL

CONSUMERS EXPECT DEALS EVERY DAY

The second annual JDA Consumer Survey finds that 47% of respondents plan to skip Black Friday or Cyber Monday altogether this year. The survey conducted for JDA Software Group found that nearly three in four of the 1,000+ respondents (73%) say they prefer to do their holiday shopping outside of the holiday season, during e-commerce sales, such as Amazon Prime Day. Additionally, among the respondents who shopped primarily in-store for Black Friday deals in 2015, 34% are changing their behavior; reporting that this year they plan to shop equally online and in-store (20%), or even primarily online (31%).

“Consumers continue to be less influenced by the Black Friday holiday deals and are expecting retailers to provide them with more personalized options throughout the year,” said Jim Prewitt, vice president of retail industry strategy at JDA Software.

But while online shopping is on the rise, JDA notes that recent holiday hiring announcements by major retailers indicate an increased need for staff to support omni-channel fulfillment options, like “Buy online pick-up in store” (BOPIS). This corresponds with the survey results that found almost half of respondents (46%) have used BOPIS options in the last 12 months, a nearly 33% increase from the 2015 survey. The convenience of the service seems to be the primary driver of growing adoption rates, with 39% using it to avoid home delivery charges and 31% wanting the product sooner.

While BOPIS services have become more popular, retailers are still figuring out how to streamline the process and manage mounting customer expectations. 40% of the respondents who have leveraged BOPIS in the last 12 months have experienced a problem.Staff-related issues seem to be most predominant, with 22% of respondents reporting that store associates took a long time or were unable to find their order, and 15 percent reporting a lack of dedicated BOPIS staff to assist with pick-ups.

As more sales associates are needed for omni-channel fulfillment, they are also needed on the store floor for overall customer service assistance. Despite the fact that technology is continuing to influence and change shopping behaviors, nearly 70% of respondents rely on the support of in-store sales associates in some way. While additional staffing will be needed to support additional foot traffic, the holiday shopping season overall seems to have little bearing on shoppers’ reliance on in-store sales associates. 80% of all respondents say they do not rely on sales associates any more than usual during the holiday season.

ADVERTISER NEWS

Reduced ad budgets may be a result if the AT&T/Time Warner merger is approved. Both companies are among the top 10 advertising spenders in the U.S., and AT&T has already said it would look for $1 billion in cost savings over 3 years. Kantar Media is reporting that AT&T’s expenditures on paid media have already been reduced for the first and second quarter, compared to the same period last year. Ad spending figures would likely shrink even more if the deal gets approved….GM is reporting that its third-quarter net income more than doubled to a post-bankruptcy high of $2.77 billion. The automaker also generated record revenue for any quarter since its 2009 bankruptcy, reporting $42.83 billion, up 10% from last year…. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reported a 29% increase in third-quarter adjusted operating profit, and raised its full-year guidance, but noted that recall costs weighed on the company’s results. Earnings before interest and tax for the quarter rose to $1.63 billion and sales were basically flat at $29.1 billion…… Google and Apple are playing catch up to Amazon in the digital home assistant space. Amazon was quick to recognize the potential of Ai-driven and voice interactive home assistants. Despite the head start, Amazon’s leadership in the category is not guaranteed. Reports indicate that other companies like Walmart are looking to enter the digital assistant market too. Strategy Analytics is forecasting that companies like Google and Amazon will ship 3 million digital voice assistant hardware units in 2017 and 15.1 million by 2020.…..The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Office of the Comptroller of theCurrency sent formal letters to large and regional banks seeking information about sales practices and incentive-compensation structures following the Wells Fargo scandal. Letters were sent to J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup as well as other banks under OCC supervision……A combination of increased passenger traffic and low fuel cost were factors in JetBlue Airways reporting higher profits for the third quarter. JetBlue reported profits of $199 million, compared to $198 million a year ago……Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health are in merger talks that would create one of the nation’s largest nonprofit hospital systems. The deal would combine the 39 hospitals owned by Dignity Health with the 103 hospitals owned by Catholic Health Initiatives. Dignity Health operates hospitals in Arizona, California and Nevada, while Catholic Health Initiatives has hospitals in 18 other states.

NETWORK NEWS

Ana Mulvoy-Ten, best known for her role on the Nickelodeon series House of Anubis, has joined the cast of ABC’s American Crime for season 3. Mulvoy-Ten joins many new cast members for the critically acclaimed series, including Janel Moloney, Cherry Jones and Sandra Oh. Returning cast members include Timothy Hutton, Felicity Huffman and ReginaKing. American Crime season 3 will be set in North Carolina, dealing with labor issues……Notorious,ABC’s new ratings challenged crime drama, has been trimmed to 10 episodes. The series initially got a 13-episode order, but has struggled to attract an audience, despite airing between Grey’s Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder. The weak Notorious lead-in has resulted in a ratings dip for How to Get Away with Murder. Another ABC drama, Conviction is struggling in its first season as well, but insiders say that no decision has been made concerning Conviction’s future. Conviction airs Mondays at 10 PM (ET)……The CW has placed an order for a new unscripted series based on the Tough Mudder obstacle course races. The untiled program will premiere in 2017 on the digital platform CW Seed, with the finale airing on The CW broadcast network……Lady Gaga has been booked to perform on the 2016 American Music Awards. She joins show opener Bruno Mars and The American Music Award of Merit recipient, Sting, on the awards broadcast. The American Music Awardswill be broadcast Sunday, November 20th at 8 PM (ET) on ABC……This year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will be filmed in Paris for the first time. The lingerie show merges fashion, fantasy and entertainment and will be broadcast in over 190 countries. The show will air on CBS Monday, December 5th at 10 PM (ET)……NBC announced that it will air The 2016 SNL Election Special on Monday, November 7th at 10 PM (ET), the night before Election Day. The special will feature clips from the recent Saturday Night Live political sketches, certain to include Alec Baldwin’s performance as Republican candidate Donald Trump. The release went on to point out that this season of SNLis the most watched season, at this point, in eight years, averaging 7.322 million viewers in the national (most current) ratings from Nielsen……Wendi McLendon-Covey of The Goldbergs has picked up a script commitment from ABC for a new comedy pilot about her experiences working in “a crappy hotel near Disneyland.” The series is tentatively titled Hospitality and will follow three women as they band together against a terrible new boss in the world of two-star hospitality. McLendon-Covey rose to fame on the Comedy Central series, Reno 911. The McCarthys creator, Brian Gallivan, is also working on the project.

MONDAY RATINGS

The new Matt LeBlanc comedy, Man with A Plan on CBS premiered with a respectable 1.6 18-49 Nielsen rating, while the other CBS freshman comedy, Kevin Can Wait, posted a 1.7 for the demo. As for the remainder of the CBS lineup, 2 Broke Girls posted a 1.4, The OddCouple a 1.1 and Scorpion finished the night with a 1.2 demo rating. The Voice on NBC won the night with a 2.7 rating, but its lead-out, Timeless fell to a 1.3. Dancing with the Stars on ABC finished with a 1.6, while Conviction managed a 0.8 rating in the demo. For FOX,Lucifer got a 1.1 rating and Gotham a 1.0. Supergirl on The CW pulled a 0.8 and Jane the Virgin got a 0.4 demo rating. Timeless,Supergirl and Jane the Virgin were adjusted down after factoring out a pre-emption for Monday Night Football in Houston.

WEEKLY RATINGS

The Big Bang Theory won the top Nielsen 18-49 rating among entertainment programs for the week of October 17th. The long-running CBS comedy posted a 3.5 demo rating in its Monday night 8 PM (ET) time slot. NFL Football was the highest rated programs of the week with NBC’s Sunday Night Football doing a 6.0 for the Seahawks/Cardinals game, while the Bears/Packers on Thursday Night Football posted a 4.5 for CBS.Football Night in America on NBC (3.1) placed 4th, 60 Minutes (3.0) on CBS was fifth. The Monday edition of The Voice on NBC was the sixth highest rated show with a 2.7, while NBC’s new hit This is Us placed seventh with a 2.6 demo rating. The Tuesday Voice delivered a 2.5 rating for eighth place. Among the other new shows. Kevin Can Wait did a 2.1 rating, Lethal Weapon on FOX did a 1.7 as did American Housewife on ABC. Bull on CBS delivered a 1.6 demo rating. FOX’s Empire and ABC’s Designated Survivor were pre-empted for the week by the final presidential debate.

VOLKSWAGEN SETTLEMENT APPROVED

Volkswagen says it will begin buying back U.S. vehicles with its polluting diesel engines in November, following Tuesday’s approval by a federal judge of the automaker’s $14.7 billion settlement. VW agreed to spend over $10 billion on buybacks and compensation to the owners of 475,000 vehicles. It will also pay $4.7 billion to offset excess emissions and boost clean vehicle projects. To date, nearly 340,000 owners have registered to take part in the settlement.

In addition, VW has agreed to make up to $1.21 billion in payments to compensate its U.S. dealers and $600 million to address some claims by state governments. Some other states still have claims or lawsuits pending.

DIRECTV OTT: $35 PER MONTH

With AT&T set to launch DirecTV Now late next month, CEO Randall Stephenson has announced pricing at $35 per month. That’s less than many observers had expected for the 100+ channels OTT service, which will include at least some local channels. Speaking at a Wall Street Journal event with would-be merger partner Time Warner’s CEO Jeff Bewkes, Stephenson said “we’re trying to bring prices down”—that the future will bring lower prices to consumers via OTT and a la carte offerings.

How will the media companies make up the lost subscriber revenues? Advertising. Stephenson expanded on the joint statement we reported Monday promising to focus on addressable advertising and innovate with ad-supported content models. “These content costs are not going to be flat. So how can we develop new ad models that will allow us to keep the price point in check, offsetting the price increases on content?” said Stephenson of the challenge ahead.

THIS AND THAT

Facebook has cut a deal with PayPal to let users easily click on ads to buy products on Facebook using their PayPal account, much as they already can do with debit cards. PayPal customers will now be able to easily link their PayPal and Facebook Messenger accounts, and they’ll also receive payment notifications directly within the Messenger app……Consumer confidence fell this month after two months of improvement.The Conference BoardConsumer Confidence Index now stands at 98.6 (1985=100), down from 103.5 in September.
AVAILS

New Media Digital Project Manager, Raleigh, NC: Capital Broadcasting Company seeks a person to provide digital marketing services such as website design & social media management. This person will guide processes, coordinate digital specialists contributing to campaigns and projects, and directly fulfill certain services. Experience in the field of digital marketing preferred. All candidates must apply online at EOE M/F.All Capitol Broadcasting Company properties are tobacco free.Capitol Broadcasting Company participates in E-Verify.

Bright House Networks, St. Petersburg, FL seeks a Regional Ad Sales Account ExecutiveThis person will generate advertising revenue by organizing, building and managing a customer base of Regional businesses and advertising agencies. The Regional Account Executive will develop high levels of competency to position Bright House Networks media products to successfully meet the needs of customers. Candidates must be self-motivated with a professional attitude. A minimum of two years’ experience in media sales required. CLICK HERE for more details or to apply now.EOE M/F/D/V

Winter is just around the corner!If you would prefer to be selling where summer never ends, WPBF 25, the Hearst owned ABC Affiliate in sunny West Palm Beach has an opportunity for you!WPBF 25seeks a sales superstar to join our team. The ideal candidate must have broadcast TV sales experience and possess the drive and ability to thrive on multiple platforms in a fast paced, highly competitive market.Your passion for developing new business will be encouraged and rewarded! CLICK HERE to apply. EOE

WJAC-TV, Johnstown,PAseeks an enthusiastic, highly motivated Sales Account Executiveto connect with clients in the State College area and help them achieve their business objectives through effective TV and digital advertising. The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication skills, have an enthusiastic and outgoing personality, along with a drive to succeed. Most importantly – we’re looking for hard-working salespeople who want to have FUN at work, make money and help local businesses grow. CLICK HEREfor more info or to apply now.EOE.

Coastal Television in Anchorage, Alaska (Market #148) is looking for an up and coming AE to work as our Local Sales Manager. The ideal candidate will have vast and strong demonstrated experience in broadcast and digital sales. We have multiple stations and products to sell, and Anchorage is a nearly a top 100 market in Ad Revenue! If you’re serious about putting yourself in a situation to make a high profile leadership opportunity happen for you, send resume and a cover letter to . EOE.

Marketing and Business Development Manager:CBS11-DFW, (KTVT/KTXA), the Dallas-Fort Worth CBS owned and operated television station, is in search of someone who is aggressive, creative, highly motivated, and driven by success to help entire sales force develop and execute business development projects. This person will create and execute new ideas/campaigns for TV and digital business development. Minimum of 5 years’ experience as AE/Manager with successful TV & digital track record preferred. Get more details or apply now at EOE.

Do you love a fast paced environment with unlimited income potential? Then, we have the opportunity for you!KOMO/ABC in Seattle seeks a Multimedia Sales Account Executive. This individual will generate local sales revenue and achieve established sales goals by selling television spot advertising and other sales programs. Goals are attached to various platforms, including: KOMO TV, KUNS TV, digital, business development and direct business.Strong understanding of digital, social and content integration.CLICK HEREfor more details or to apply now.EOE/Drug Free.

WTVM, THE local leader in business advertising solutions for Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, has a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Local Sales Manager. Must be a motivational leader with a clear focus on New Business and Digital development, helping insure our expanded sales force exceeds client expectations on any advertising platform. Our new LSM will motivate our Media Sales Consultants and their partner Success Managers to insure sales revenue goals are met and client needs are constantly addressed. Qualified applicants, CLICK HERE and attach resume & cover letter. No calls please. EOE-M/F/D/V

I want the Cubs to break the curse, but I want it to be the Curse of Tutankhamun.

--Conan O’Brien

We decorated the house for Halloween and my buddy said he didn't think it looked scary enough. I said ‘wait'll you see the mortgage.’

--Larry the Cable Guy

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SPOTS N DOTS
The Daily News Of TV Sales
October 26, 2016

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