Discovery Health gets in the know with Dr. Know
Discovery Health is about to debunk some medical myths with new series Dr. Know. The half-hour show stars Dr. Paul Trotman, a New Zealander whose main mission is to debunk, deflate and demystify medical myths. Dr. Know will air as a marathon on Sunday, April 16 from 2-5 p.m. before it settles into its regular spot on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and 12 a.m., beginning the week of April 24.
OLN goes on a road trip in search of Cool Fuel
Aussie Shaun Murphy goes on a 26,000-kilometre journey across the U.S. in vehicles powered by alternative fuels. Who knew cow manure and corn whisky could prove so useful? Celebs Daryl Hannah, Ed Begley Jr, and Jack Johnson get in on the action, too. Cool Fuel Roadtrip, a half-hour, 13-parter premieres Tuesday, April 18 at 8 p.m. on OLN.
YTV unleashes animated Adrenalini
Sunday, May 7 at 12:30 p.m. is the launch date for new animated series The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers, a 26-ep half-hour show. The program follows the adventures of three daredevil brothers on a traveling stunt show. The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers repeats Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 a.m.
One to Watch: Vision TV gets a vision; rebrands as S-VOX to reflect growing umbrella brand
Toronto-based VisionTV group has taken on a new identity as a result of its growth over the last five years. The net’s group of brands — which include digi-channel One: the Body, Mind & Spirit, the two-month-young The Christian Channel, plus new venture VisionTV International (a global sales distribution arm) in addition to VisionTV — will now operate under S-VOX. Suzanna Mandryk, VP, communications and marketing says the new name means ‘spiritual voice of the people,’ conveying the brand’s commitment to spirituality. To further drive growth and to tap into other demo groups, the net is also scheduled to launch a podcast (name to be disclosed) in mid-April.
Two new HD channels added to Bell ExpressVu roster
Sunday, March 12 saw the launch of two new HD channels on Bell ExpressVu. Treasure HD showcases ‘cool people and cool stuff,’ says John Panekkar, COO of Toronto-based specialty broadcaster High Fidelity HDTV. The channel, available on channel 809, follows enthusiasts who collect items from the eclectic to the commercial. Programs include Magnificent Obsessions, a half-hour series of folks passionate about eclectic collections – from spheres to slot machines. As well, the hour-long, mystery-themed series, Extreme Treasures seeks to prove the authenticity of various objets d’art. OasisHD (on channel 810) explores the natural beauty of the world via landscape- and nature-based programs. And while OasisHD is commercial free, Panekkar says sponsorship of programs or segments is possible.
He adds: ‘Both channels target males and females 25-54, but will likely skew older. These are upper-income, early adopter types. The response so far has been great.’
Viceland.com goes daily, makes new content
Youth rag Vice‘s Web site at viceland.com now offers new, exclusive content updated daily. A worldwide Vice staff blog, slated to launch in the next week, will be updated daily. The site’s popular ‘Dos and Don’t’s’ feature will also be uploaded with new content each day. This is all part of a strategy to get folks online and interacting with the brand, says Erik Lavoie, associate publisher. New, exclusive content on the site is a means to extend Vice beyond its print property, while earning viceland.com its own identity. Lavoie says Vice is open to speaking with brands around sponsorship opportunities on the site. ‘As long as the overlay makes sense for the brand,’ he says. Viceland.com‘s Canada page gets 53,000 uniques and 180,000 page views per month according to the company’s stats.
They put ads where?: Webshots.com slips Big Love into photo piles
Look again at the pile of photos you just received from San Francisco-based Webshots.com. Sure they’re all yours? The Web photofinishing site is promoting HBO’s new show, Big Love, by slipping in run-of-the-mill shots of the characters (played by Bill Paxton and Chloe Sevigny, among others) among your pile of pics. Folks assume they received someone else’s photos until they notice the promotional flyer for the show at the end of the pile. Big Love, a program about a man with three wives, aired its premiere episode last Sunday on the Movie Network.
Nielsen Media Research Spend Trend: Spring travel
Dailies have travel spend all wrapped up
Daily newspapers overwhelming control this category with ad spending totaling 61.1% to 64.1% over the past four years. TV is a distant second with a high of 22.4% of the pie in 2004 and its four-year low of 20.2% coming last year.
Second season of Til Debt Do Us Part seeks cash-strapped folks and brands for integration
Life Net’s hit Til Debt Do Us Part is looking for folks in fiscal fiascoes for its second season consisting of 26 new eps. The popular show, hosted by finance wiz Gail Vaz-Oxlade, takes a tough love approach to money woes. Interested folks are invited to visit lifenetwork.ca for details. The program is also welcoming brands for integration opportunities, confirms Amy Waters, a spokesperson for the net. Life Net claims the show has consistently ranked in the top 10 for women 25-54 since debuting on its winter schedule.
Discovery Civilization races and explores with two new series
Folks who love their power tools will get a kick out Discovery Civilization’s four-parter Power Tool Racing. Common power tools (drills, skill saws and the like) get the Pimp My Ride treatment as they get souped up for drag races. The hour-long series begins on Monday, April 3 at 8 p.m. The five-part, hour-long Urban Explorers hits TV screens beginning Monday, April 17 at 9 p.m. The series follows an urban historian, a structural engineer and two pro urban climbers as they explore the history, engineering and architecture of cities such as Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee.
Event
April 19
Mediaweek presents TV Upfront Live
Marriott Marquis, NYC
Dana Gerber, dgerber@adweek.com
http://www.tvupfrontlive.com
This one-day seminar will explore the future of the upfront, including the market positioning of broadcasters, cable networks and syndicators, and the increasingly vital role clients are playing in this critical media marketplace. Speakers include Joan Fitzgerald of Arbitron and Pam Zucker of Mediavest USA among others.
PMB Factoid
Accessing the Internet from home versus work; by age
On the MIC with Rishad Tobaccowala, CEO Denuo/CIO Publicis Media Group
There are only two that have thus far earned the handle of ‘media guru’: Carat’s David Verklin is one, and the other is Rishad Tobaccowala. The latter is further qualified as a ‘digital mastermind.’ Tobaccowala currently serves in a dual role as CEO of Denuo and CIO (chief innovation officer) of Publicis Media Group (PMG), the management board that oversees global media networks Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) and ZenithOptimedia. Denuo was launched last month by PMG as a futures practice to anticipate and respond to trends in digital, interactive, and evolving traditional disciplines. Tobaccowala will be in Toronto to speak about innovation and his vision of the future of media on March 28 at the CMDC Conference, Mining Growth: Discovering Potential in Media Mayhem. MIC caught up with him to get a small taste of what to expect from his presentation, Brave New Waves.
OgilvyOne Worldwide launches digital media division
OgilvyOne Worldwide has launched a new global, digital and direct media network in Neo@Ogilvy. The unit, helmed in Canada by Carolyn Convey, director of digital media, will manage digital media investment for Canadian clients such as Research in Motion and globally, for clients including American Express, Cisco, IBM, and Lenovo. Neo@Ogilvy further covers digital advertising, direct mail and e-mail lists, search marketing and blogs. The new digital arm will fall under the leadership of global CEO Nasreen Madhany.
