Get ready for another frustrating TV season of cancellations and make-goods. Carat USA is projecting that close to one-third of new U.S. shows will tank before January 2005.
This prediction is part of Carat’s ‘2004-2005 New Season Primetime Programming Report,’ a mammoth 110-page analysis of the fall season network-by-network, night-by-night, as well as a marketplace overview and assessment of historical viewing and program trends, network strategies and schedules.

According to media buyers, the Olympic motto of ‘faster, higher, stronger’ didn’t exactly mirror competition for commercial airtime sales at the CBC, which, media sources say, trimmed its ad rates to accommodate domestic advertisers squeamish about a Summer Games overshadowed by concerns regarding terrorism, incomplete facilities in Athens, and doping scandals.

Big shock – Canadian Idol is Canada’s most-watched television program, averaging more than two million viewers (2.06M for the Wednesday night performance episodes) per episode (Source: BBM).
Idol appears on CTV Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8 p.m. Beginning this week, the Thursday night results show will expand to one hour. At press time, there are six finalists left.

New lifestyle net Fine Living will offer up some unique advertising opportunities when it hits the dial September 3rd for its Canadian debut. The Alliance Atlantis offering is a Scripps Networks channel devoted to better living, which launched in the U.S. in 2002.
It spans five lifestyle programming categories – adventure, transport, favourite things, personal space and every day stuff. The series debuts range from Radical Sabbatical (about people who pursue their passions), to Fantasy Camp (which is about destinations for adult campers who want to hone their spy or racecar driving skills).
Each of the series has a templated info take-away feature related to the programming, supplying onscreen facts on everything from buying the perfect bottle of wine to road trip tips. This ‘essential’ programming offers opportunity for sponsor participation.
‘Essentials are innovative short-form type programming that are typically 60 seconds in length and cover various topics that are very client friendly,’ says Errol Da-re, VP of sales and promotions for Alliance Atlantis. ‘They have value-added information that enhances the viewer’s experience and the reason they work well compared to regular vignettes that you might see on the air in Canada right now is that they are very slick in terms of the programming style – it’s very information savvy.’
The Fine Living demo (based on US viewers) is in the 25 to 54 age range with an even men/women split, and an average income level of $75,000+ (USD).

Global TV and Vancouver’s Paperny Films will begin production on a new series, My Fabulous Gay Wedding on Aug. 21 in Toronto. In each of the six, one-hour episodes, airing on Global in early 2005, the series will follow a different gay or lesbian couple as they prepare to exchange their wedding vows. With only two weeks to plan, the My Fabulous Gay Wedding team will be assisted by a wedding planner in organizing the couple’s nuptials.
Opportunities are plenty for companies throughout the show, says Jennifer Polyzotis, director of product placement. ‘In relation to product companies, we are working with clothing, liquor, food and a variety other companies throughout the show,’ she says. ‘We are also using product for placement in the show, as gifts for our wedding couples and as exclusive sponsors of the series. And although we are unable to use dialogue on the show to refer to media or product companies due to regulations from Global and MTV, we are able to give companies an after-show credit and possibly to feature them in a segment on one of the six shows.’

Utilizing KANGAROO.TV‘s handheld spectator device with a built-in monitor, motorsport fans will be able to follow Alexandre Tagliani’s (Tag) every turn at the Montreal Molson Indy Aug. 27 to 29. The device lets attendees see all of the action on any of its four live broadcast channels, and highlights of the various camera feeds will be broadcast by RDS on Tag’s reality show.

Telelatino Network, the national Italian language channel, kicks off the new season with several new English, Italian and Spanish programs. Along with a new drama, daytime shows, reality series and viewer favourites, TLN has also picked up the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, which will be broadcast in English and Spanish with plans to air Italian-language episodes down the road.