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SexTV handles touchy subject
Leave it to Citytv to produce stimulating programming. This time it’s SexTV celebrating National Masturbation Month with the show ‘SexTV’s Most Memorable Moments In Masturbation History.’ The one-off will air Saturday May 28 at 11:30 p.m. ET on Citytv Toronto and 11:00 p.m. PT on Citytv Vancouver.
Highlights of the ep will include the invention of the vibrator, Cyndi Lauper’s runaway hit ‘She-Bop’ and of course, the infamous episode of Seinfeld, ‘The Contest.’ City’s demo for SexTV as a whole is 25-54 male skewed. The caster says there are still ad opps available.
Viacom Outdoor beefs up research dept
There are two new additions to the research team at Viacom Outdoor Canada. Michele Erskine, who will be based in Toronto, comes to Viacom with a blend of both agency and client-side expertise. She has contributed to a number of industry committees, including the PMB research committee and the BBM radio technical committee. Erksine had spoken at many industry conferences including strategy magazine’s ‘What Women Want’ and ‘Understanding Youth.’
Nicole Gervais, who will be working out of the Montreal office, has more than 17 years of experience in advertising at shops such as Cossette, PALM Publicité and most recently, OMD. She has worked on campaigns for Air Canada, Volkswagen, Allegra and Loto-Québec. Both will hold research manager titles at Viacom.
Cieslok promoted at Titan
Jörg Cieslok is the new SVP/national sales director at Mississauga, Ont.-based Titan Outdoor Canada. He was previously VP. In addition, the company has hired two new employees. Karen McDonald signs on as sales co-ordinator. She comes to Titan from M2 Universal. And Karen Geller will be joining as a sales account executive at the end of the month when she finishes her stint at Echo Advertising.
Titan Outdoor Canada was created last year when its NYC-based parent co Titan Outdoor LLC purchased and merged Cieslok Media and Skye Media.
CanWest Media Works appoints new senior exec producer
Zev Shalev has been appointed senior executive producer in charge of entertainment and info program development at CanWest MediaWorks. He will be responsible for building CanWest’s entertainment franchise in his new role. Formerly executive producer at Toronto 1, Shalev helmed that company’s current affairs programming including entertainment show The A-List. He will report to SVP of programming and production Barbara Williams and Steve Wyatt, SVP of news and information.
Event
June 6-7
Online Media, Marketing and Advertising Conference and Expo WEST
Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco
http://www.mediapost.com/omma/westindex.cfm?ip=Overview
Designed by and for the online marketing community, the Online Media, Marketing and Advertising Conference and Expo WEST speaks to interactive media planners, buyers, marketers, sellers and suppliers. Presented by MediaPost, keynotes include Rishad Tobaccowala, chief innovation officer, Publicis Groupe Media and president, SMG Next. The conference is divided into media, marketing, advertising and online publishing streams. Topics in the media stream include ‘How Consumer Control Affects Media Consumption, and How to Plan Media in the Era of Consumer Control’ and ‘Is Micromedia in the Wikipedia? (or ‘Harnessing Blogs, Podcasting and other Massive Bundles of Tiny Fragments of Media’).’
The better way rolls out smart ads
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) approved the rollout of LCD screens in subways stations across Toronto on May 12, opening the door to new digital smart ads that offer very localized messaging opps. The screens will provide news, sports and weather updates to the TTC’s 1.1 million daily commuters. Advertisers already on board include Shoppers Drug Mart, Pfizer, Ford, Bally’s, Pizza Hut and KFC.
‘This is a brand new medium that we’re building from scratch,’ says Glenn Davies, president of sales and marketing at Toronto-based private digital network operator ONESTOP Media Group. ‘We had 13 national advertisers out of 15 in the pilot program and we generated more than $1 million in ad revenue.’ He goes on to add that digital advertising is affordable for all advertisers because of the low production cost. ‘By having a digital template, it’s very easy,’ he says.
Antiques Roadshow makes pit stop at Sears stores
Toronto-based Sears Canada has partnered with CBC Television and CBC Newsworld to bring the Antiques Roadshow to 15 Sears locations across the country. Events featuring free antiques appraisals are scheduled in Ontario, B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Sears stores from now until mid-June. The events are also coupled with an in-store contest, courtesy of CBC Television, with a grand prize consisting of a trip for two to the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow in the U.K. this fall. Other prizing includes a trip for two to the Antiques Roadshow in L.A. and Pulaski Collection reproduction antique furniture, inspired by the TV program. The contest and in-store events have a primarily female, 25-54 skew. The deal was brokered by global communications agency mediaedge:cia. Contest details can be found at http://www.cbc.ca/contests.
Podcasting: a Star where you least expect it
Believe it or not a newspaper has just joined the race to podcast. No audio, you say? Think Web. The Toronto Star announced yesterday that its Web site www.thestar.com has launched its first podcast, in the form of an audio version of writer John Sakamoto’s ‘Anti-Hit List.’ The feature is a weekly critical look at music outside of the mainstream. Also currently available is a feature by VE Day vets, in their own words.
Cece Scott, Internet sales manager at thestar.com, says that since the venture is so new the team has been focused on getting it up and running and hasn’t had a chance yet to iron out advertising details. She says superbanners are available on the podcast download page and that’s the extent right now, but that they are going to be looking at ad opportunities within the podcasts themselves. The site has also started blogging, most notably with media columnist Antonia Zerbisias. Scott says there will be opportunities for advertisers to tie into the blog pages.
http://www.thestar.com/podcasts
http://www.thestar.com/blogs
Sponsorships that horrify
Horror fans are in for a delight as the second annual Rue Morgue Festival of Fear Canadian National Horror Expo arrives in Toronto Aug. 26-28 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The festival (presented jointly by horror magazine Rue Morgue, and Hobby Star Marketing, a sports and marketing agency, both based in Toronto) will host parties, intimate and interactive sessions with guests, dealer tables and horror film screenings. This year’s lineup includes guest of honour author/filmmaker Clive Barker (Candyman, Hellraiser); Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; The Exorcist‘s Linda Blair and Elijah Wood of Lord of the Rings fame among many others. Margot Kidder, billed Canada’s scream queen (Amityville Horror) will also appear. The event is expected to draw more than 25,000 genre fans with a primary target age range of 18-35. Tiered corporate packages range from $1,450 for a bronze package to $8,350 for platinum. Already on board are Lions Gate Films, Warner Home Video and Alliance Motion Picture Distribution to name a few. An area for horror-genre retailers will also be available.
http://www.rue-morgue.com/festival.php
Rogers Digital celebrates Italian National Day with RAI offering
Beginning June 2 and just in time for Festa della Republica (Italian National Day), Rogers Cable will be offering RAI International to its digital cable customers. RAI International is a 24-hour international programming service of Italy’s public broadcaster, aimed at Italian-speaking communities. The channel offers feature films, news and entertainment and is currently available in 238 countries. Pricing details will be available closer to launch.
Kid study: have phone, will travel
Want to reach youth? Think mobile. Two in five eight- to 11-year-olds will have mobile phones by 2008. Three in five tweens will have cells and the 15-29 penetration will exceed 80%. This according to a forecast by Toronto-based Solutions Research Group. Key factors driving mobile phone growth in the 8-11 and 12-14 groups are cool factor, parental safety/security concerns, ‘kidfluence,’ (a.k.a. peer pressure) and availability of affordable family plans and mobile units, says the study.
SRG’s forecasts are based on the recent InFocus Sessions with teens on technology and entertainment, part of the Fast Forward Trend Research Series.
Graph
Software extends surveying capabilities
Inquisite, an Austin, Tex. provider of feedback and survey technology, is rolling out Inquisite 7.0, the next version of a system that lets companies extend their surveying capabilities and use the feedback from customers, employees, partners and stakeholders to evaluate business processes. The company says that since the surveys are online the resulting feedback is current and actionable. It can be integrated with current data and analytical tools, and can increase response rates because it makes real-world, time-to-completion reminders possible.
http://www.inquisite.com
BBM Media Snapshot: Canadians who attend sportsman or outdoor shows
* 1.5 million (6%) Canadians attended a sportsman/outdoor show one or more times during the past year.
* The majority of the sportsman/outdoor show attendees are male (63%).
* Sportsman/outdoor show attendees are evenly spread across Canada.
* 58% of sportsman/outdoor show attendees are 25-54.
* Sportsman/outdoor show attendees participate in camping (71%), fishing (69%), gardening (66%), and swimming (65%) as leisure activities.
* Around 33% of sportsman/outdoor show attendees have bought equipment related to camping or fishing within the past two years. Attendees are two times more likely to have bought camping equipment compared to average Canadians and 3.2 times more likely to have bought fishing equipment.
* 23% of sportsman/outdoor show attendees drive a sedan, while 20% drive pickup trucks.
* The top three media for yesterday exposure for sportsman/outdoor show attendees are television (92%), radio (87%), and daily newspaper (56%).
* News/talk (17%), adult contemporary (15%) and classic/mainstream rock (14%) are the top three radio formats preferred by sportsman/outdoor show attendees (weekly reach).
* The three most popular TV program genres among sportsman/outdoor show attendees by weekly average viewing are movies (80%), news/current affairs (67%), and hockey (when in season) (55%).
Source: BBM RTS Canada Fall ’03 / Spring ’04
The preceding information is from BBM RTS, a syndicated consumer-media survey of over 55,000 Canadians, conducted twice a year by BBM Canada. For more information contact Craig Dorning of BBM Canada: cdorning@bbm.ca.
Newsnet gets politics, CTV gets comedy
CTV Newsnet is re-inventing a program concept that first saw the light of day as part of last year’s election coverage. COUNTDOWN: With Mike Duffy is a live, one-hour show airing weeknights at 8 p.m., repeating at 11 p.m. It began yesterday. A veteran journalist and political specialist, Duffy will feature controversial guests, behind-the-scenes stories and hot topics. Newsnet wants the show to act as a national forum for discussing key issues affecting Canadians and, as such, is seeking a broad demo, but mainly 25-54, targeting heavy news viewers and political junkies.
In other CTV news, homegrown series Comedy Inc. has been scoring big time south of the border, nabbing a slot on Spike TV in April and winning the prestigious Gold Medal award for ‘Best TV Variety Program’ at the New York Festivals in January. Now it’s set to mark its return to CTV and The Comedy Network for an all-new summer season.
Season two of the 13-part, 30-minute series will air Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m., premiering May 31 on CTV and Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m., starting June 29, on Comedy. Featuring edgy send-ups of current events and pop culture, the sketch comedy/parody series, geared to men 25-34 and 35-49, is currently in pre-production in Toronto for its third season, to be taped this summer. Comedy Inc. is produced by NTM II Productions.
http://www.ctv.ca/announce
