CBC Radio unveils new fall schedule
Mother Corp.’s Radio One and Two have unleashed a slew of new programs coupled with the return of many of the listeners’ favourites. Making a debut on Radio One is The Omnivore, a show about culture, history, science and social relations of food and drink. Summer debut program, Wire Tap and Bill Richardson’s popular Bunny Watson both move to Saturday evenings.
On Radio Two, Eric Friesen’s new show, Studio Sparks, debuts from the new Ottawa digs, which will allow listeners a chance to join Friesen in the studio for music and discussion. And sliding in on weekdays at 9 a.m. is Here’s to You – the newly formatted edition of the hugely popular request portion of Take Five.
Special programming features for the fall include Faint Hope, a docudrama that explores the story of an Ontario prison inmate who died under controversial circumstances in 1988.
Virtual first-down line added to CFL on TSN telecasts
It started years ago with the hockey puck being highlighted in the U.S. and now a similar technology has migrated to Canadian football on TSN. Beginning Friday on TSN’s Friday Night Football featuring Montreal at Ottawa the ‘virtual’ first-down marker will make its debut.
The graphic, which is a broadcast enhancement that lays a yellow line on the football field at the location of the first-down marker, allows viewers to see how far the offence needs to move the ball to achieve the first-down.
CTV’s Corner Gas earns second season
This summer, even in repeats, Corner Gas, drew more than one million viewers per episode. Now viewers get a whole new season of the comedy when it returns with 18 all-new episodes airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m, beginning Oct. 5 on CTV.
Another season for Degrassi on CTV
CTV’s popular Degrassi: The Next Generation series returns to the fall schedule for its fourth season with a special one-hour season premiere on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m.
Pre-empted the following week, the series will air back-to-back episodes (8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) on Sept. 21 and again on Sept. 28 before settling into its regular Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. time-slot beginning Oct. 5.
Correction
In MIC’s Aug. 30th Q & A story (Hits & Misses: Carol Cummings breaks down the fall TV season) it was said that no Canadian broadcaster had picked up the show Medical Investigation, when in fact the series has been picked up by CTV. (Airing begins Sept. 9). CTV recently squeezed three episodes onto the schedule before the Sept. 17 debut of Dr. Vegas in order to keep things fresh and original.
Stevenson named to ROB magazine
Report on Business magazine has named Mark Stevenson deputy editor. Previously, Stevenson held the post of managing editor at The National Post. He resigned last month soon after being made editor of National Post Business magazine. At ROB, he replaces Maryam Sanati, who has moved from the mag to head up The Globe‘s new weekly newspaper section.
*note: We would love to hear about your people moves. Please send them to pbaker@brunico.com. We are especially interested in items from the media planning and buying side.
Ad world experts gather in China
Advertising and media experts will meet to discuss trends in marketing communications at the 39th International Advertising Association’s World Congress in Beijing, China Sept. 7-10. The IAA is the world’s largest partnership of advertisers, agencies, media and research companies and educational institutions.
The focus of the confab this year will be on ROI and measurement. Major speakers will include Leo Burnett Worldwide chair/CEO Linda Wolf and Zenith Media CEO Anne Parsons.
http://www.iaacongress-china.com
Hits & Misses: Carol Cummings breaks down the fall TV season
Media in Canada has asked some of the industry’s top broadcast specialists to give their take on the new programs being offered this fall. We will be revealing their picks and pans in the weeks running up to the launches.
Rogers Media buys Québec Pharmacie
Toronto-based Rogers Publishing has purchased Québec Pharmacie magazine, effective today. The 51-year-old pub provides clinical information and continuing education for Quebec pharmacists. Rogers says the acquisition will help solidify its position in Quebec.
Caroline Bélisle, publisher of Rogers’ L’actualité pharmaceutique will become publisher of Québec Pharmacie.
New shopping mag launches
Les Editions Rogers Media debuted its new shopping magazine, LouLou, yesterday. A French-language version hit the streets on Friday. Apart from the national versions of the book, Toronto and Vancouver editions have also been rolled out.
The magazine is skewed towards females 18 to 35 and will focus on fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Circulation will be 100,000 English-language and 60,000 French-language, with three issues published this year, eight in 2005 and 10 in 2006.
Decima finds digital subscribers up
More people purchased digital TV subscriptions in Q1 this year than in the same period last year, reports Toronto-based Decima Research. The number of Canadian households subscribing to digital TV services showed a slight increase of an estimated 3% or approximately 113,582 in the period from Nov./Dec. 2003 to Feb./March 2004, compared to about 3% or 102,432 during the comparable period ending Feb./March 2003. The total number of subscribers by March 2004 was estimated to be 3.9 million, a 12% increase over last year.
The figures are drawn from the latest instalment of Decima’s quarterly digital TV market overview, The Digital Domain: Tracking the Growth and Development of the Canadian Digital TV Distribution Market.
http://www.decima.com/research/en/index.asp
Advertisers caught in video games’ ‘transitional’ phase
Play is growing more interesting for media buyers in the increasingly complex world of video games. A study by NYC-based Ziff Davis Media shows game usage is eroding use of other traditional media, especially TV. And just as marketers are beginning to view games as a legitimate advertising vehicle, a new wrinkle has emerged. Ziff Davis says console-based games have overtaken PC-based for the first time.
In addition, a white paper from GamePro, a video game trade magazine, shows that console-based games are approaching a ‘transitional’ phase between older and new generations of play systems. This means that consumers will likely postpone purchases of new software until the new gaming platforms have been established. The rapidly evolving situation has prompted some big agencies to create video game specialty units, such as Starcom MediaVest Group’s Play division, based in Chicago, but most are still wondering how and if they should take advertising and branding in games to the next level.
http://www.ziffdavis.com/about/contact
http://www.idgentertainment.com/mediakit/whitepaper.shtml
http://www.smgplay.com/how_c.htm
Navigauge will measure radio usage in cars
An upstart radio measurement company is taking on dominant ratings provider Arbitron. Three-year-old Navigauge, of Atlanta, Ga., announced last week that it will use global positioning technology and continuous tracking of the radio dial to measure radio listening in cars. The new system is unlikely to overtake Arbitron but the move may heighten controversy over rating methods for radio. Arbitron currently depends on paper diaries, although it has been testing people meters.
Navigauge began with a 500-vehicle test run in Atlanta and hopes to be up and running in the 10 largest U.S. markets by early 2006. The company plans to include Toronto, and possibly Vancouver, in its second-tier rollout to the top 20 markets in North America later that year, says Navigauge spokesman Bruce Layman.
http://www.navigauge.com/
The Donald now has a board game?
It’s not enough he’s sitting flush with money, success and beautiful women – now Donald Trump’s got a board game – Trump the Game.
Hasbro Games is introducing it as a high-stakes board game, where the winner can make millions of dollars – just like ‘The Donald’ seemingly does on a regular basis. Piggybacking on the rolling out of the game at retail outlets will be displays embedded with a motion-activated voice chip that calls out ‘You’re fired’ in a Donald-like way when someone passes by. TV ads will follow next month.
Now it’s time to make over Mom, Dad and the siblings
Riding on the heels of the successful reno/makeover shows comes the new series Renovate My Family hosted by Jay McGraw (author and son of Dr. Phil), which will start airing Sept. 1 on Global.
The one-hour series will take one family each week and give them a complete life improvement overhaul – everything from dealing with weight issues to physical disabilities or a rundown home. Armed with a panel of experts – a stylist, interior designer, construction crew and pet and car experts – Renovate My Family helps these selected families get back on track.
The series airs at 8 p.m. on Global Ontario, Quebec and B.C. on Sept. 1 and moves to 9 p.m. on CH Hamilton/Vancouver Island/Montreal on Sept. 6.
