A couple of TSN’s popular shows return to the sked
Called both thought-provoking and controversial, TSN The Reporters with Dave Hodge and Off the Record are both returning for the fall season. Dave Hodge’s show, which offers a live 30-minute roundtable on the week’s Canadian sports issues, now airs 52 weeks of the year (Sundays, 10:30 a.m.), while Off the Record, which is celebrating its eighth season, takes it one step further with a 30-minute daily talk show that has host Michael Landsberg delve deep into current global sports issues (weekdays, 6 p.m.)
Prime-time movie shoots in Winnipeg resort community
The prime-time TV movie, Falcon Beach, is shooting Aug. 20 to Sept. 15 in the cottage community of Winnipeg Beach. The TV movie, which will air on Global this winter, will tell the story of a collection of teenagers summering in the fictional resort of Falcon Beach on Lake Winnipeg.
The MOW is actually a pilot and producer Kim Todd, of Original Pictures, says that if the pilot goes to series (Global will make the decision in January), there will be opportunities for product placement and cross-promotion. The pilot itself is using some product placement and hopes to incorporate about 12 musical artists, with cross-promotion planned for both these elements.
Global gets in on TIFF glitz
Global is going behind the scenes of the 29th Toronto International Film Festival to get up close and personal with celebs, experience the hottest galas, and highlight the top films with a one-hour documentary special. As well as capturing all the fashion, glitz, and glamour, 10 Wired Days – The Toronto International Film Festival: Director’s Cut will look at many of the independent films being screened and talk to film critics for their takes on the event and the entries.
The doc airs Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. on Global and Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. on Prime and is sponsored by Volkswagen and Reckitt Benckiser (Zero Dark Laundry Wash.) The festival runs Sept. 9 to 18 and has more than 300 films from 50 countries on its program.
Media Experts promotes two
Media Experts has announced two promotions. In the Toronto office, Richard Ivey becomes VP customer service. Ivey brings 15 years of buying and planning experience to the post. In the Montreal office, Lisa DiMarco has been named SVP customer service. DiMarco has been with the Media Experts for 18 years. Both appointments became effective Sept. 2.
Astral’s Parisien takes on more
Astral Media announced Sept. 2 that Jacques Parisien, president of Astral Media Radio will also become the president of Astral Media Outdoor Advertising. He replaces René Desmarais who is leaving to pursue other interests. Luc Sabbatini EVP of Astral Media Radio Québec takes on the additional position of EVP Astral Media Outdoor.
Market Meter – Out-of-Home
4.5 out of 5
O-O-H inventory has been fast moving and in most cases this fall has sold out much earlier than in previous years, particularly for bigger format posters and superboards. Some inventory may loosen up at the end of October but pre-Christmas avails are also moving quickly so expect sold-out positions again as the fourth quarter is historically the strongest for out-of-home. Packaged goods, automotive, and telecom categories have been the heaviest users this fall.
Vancouver is a perennially tight market and buyers say that now Viacom has landed the Vancouver core transit business, it’s a two-supplier buy to cover the extended market area – Viacom for the centre and Pattison for the outskirts.
Market Meter is compiled from a survey of media buying experts across the country.
Jane Magazine launches techno promo to grab higher ad readership
In an attempt to hook in a higher ad viewership, Jane Magazine launched a promo ‘Jane Talks Back’ that had win-win situation written all over it. It involved readers using their camera phones to snap photos of ads in the magazine and then send them off to Jane in order to win swag.
This Jane promo not only dials in to the cellphone/text message teen rage, but the mag will also be able to give details to advertisers on reader involvement (based on the number of photos taken.) Advertisers participating include Kmart (which gives users $5 gift cards), Calvin Klein jeans (which will give away 25 jean jackets) and Guess (which will give 10 % discounts for snapping their ad).
Finding men in a schedule without HNIC
While targeting male demographics has become increasingly difficult for media planners and buyers over the years, Canadian advertisers have always had one sure bet – Hockey Night in Canada. That could all change this year with a potential NHL player strike on the horizon.
Summer hot for CTV sked
Over the last four years, broadcasters across North America have been abandoning the traditional September-to-May TV season in favor of premiering new programs throughout the year, even during the summer season, long thought to be a ratings wasteland. For some, the new approach has quickly paid dividends, but other broadcasters continue to struggle.
Radio connects with consumers
The Radio Marketing Bureau (RMB) of Toronto has added more ammunition to its fight to prove the effectiveness of radio advertising, this time showing that radio is a more personal way of communicating with consumers than TV or newspapers.
Webcast nets new platform for Net radio measurement
Net Radio Sales, of Providence, R.I., and Denver, Colo.-based Ando Media have launched Webcast Metrics, a new way to measure Internet radio listenership. The system determines a station’s audience size then converts it to standard radio metrics, like average quarter hour and total time spent listening. Net Radio Sales says its goal is to determine the size of Internet radio audiences and provide reliable data to advertisers. The technology also makes real-time reports possible.
Webcast Metrics generates reports from actual user data, not samples. The platform succeeds Arbitron’s MeasureCast tool that was pulled in April due to unprofitability.
http://www.netradiosales.com/
Torstar extends ShopTV territory
Torstar Media Group Television and Cogeco Cable have inked a deal to expand the coverage area for ShopTV from the greater Toronto area to include Oakville, Ont. and Burlington, Ont. ShopTV will be part of Cogeco’s basic service, bringing the number of homes in southern Ontario receiving the 24-hour infomercial channel to 1.5 million. Rogers Cable and Aurora Cable also count ShopTV as part of their basic cable lineups. Recent advertisers include Canada Savings Bonds and Hakim Optical.
On a global scale, the direct response television industry is expected to grow to $2 trillion by the end of this year.
Vision to institute new minority drama initiatives
VisionTV, the Toronto-based multi-faith specialty channel, has been awarded a two-cent increase in its monthly wholesale rate. The caster will use the resulting $1.8 million per year to support new diversity drama programming initiatives, specifically one-hour dramas devoted to the experiences of visible minorities. The programming will air in prime during the 2004/05 season.
The rate increase comes as part of a seven-year license renewal just handed down by the CRTC.
Gaming characters pose nude for Playboy
Here’s a hooter: Some of those sexy butt-kicking babes from video games will be taking it all off for a pictorial in the October issue of Playboy. Pix of familiar characters from such popular games as ‘Bloodrayne,’ ‘Mortal Kombat’ and the ‘Tekken’ series will accompany an article about the changing face of gaming. With the average gamer a 29-year-old guy and the average Playboy reader a 33-year-old guy, it seems like an au natural match. The magazine spread reflects the growing presence of nudity and sexuality in gaming. ‘Singles: Flirt Up Your Life,’ for instance, features full-frontal and encourages players to make the characters have sex. However, some publishers choose not to have their characters appear nude, often because they think it will offend female gamers, a segment the industry is actively trying to court.
The Playboy pictorial is just more evidence that video games have come out of the geeks’ closet into the media limelight. We’ve seen them spawn movies like Lara Croft Tomb Raider, and if characters like these are top-of-mind with a mass audience, it just may be time for planners to take this new medium more seriously.
Rob Magazine gets a facelift
ROB mag’s September issue will feature a new design and some new monthly features, including ‘Corporate Governess,’ an advice column for troubling business problems; and ‘The Good Life,’ a monthly look at the best in travel, wine and golf, among other things.
