Official Blog of FYI Television

A Guide to 2016 Christmas Movies and TV Specials

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 17:12:00 +0000

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and keeping with the holly jolly spirit, various TV specials, television programming and festive holiday movies will be airing throughout the entire weekend!

The films, episodes and specials below all feature a Christmas/holiday setting, theme or integral sequence.

All times are EST. Merry Christmas & Happy Chanukah!

Friday, December 23

*8 a.m. “Holly’s Holiday”, Lifetime.

*10 a.m. “Santa Con”, Lifetime.
*10:30 a.m. “Santa Who?”, Bravo.
*12 p.m. “Kristin’s Christmas Past”, Lifetime.
*2 p.m. “A Snow Globe Christmas”, Lifetime.
*2:35 p.m. “Jungle All the Way”, Freeform.
*4 p.m. “All I Want for Christmas”, Lifetime.
*4 p.m. “Once Upon a Holiday”, Hallmark.
*4:35 p.m. “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”, Freeform.
*5:40 p.m. “The Year Without a Santa Claus”, Freeform.
*6 p.m. “All About Christmas Eve”, Lifetime.
*6 p.m. “A Dream of Christmas”, Hallmark.
*6 p.m. “Deck the Halls”, AMC.
*6:45 p.m. “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”, Freeform.
*8 p.m. “Last Chance for Christmas”, Lifetime.
*8 p.m. “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”, AMC.
*8 p.m. “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966), NBC.
*8 p.m. “Taraji's White Hot Holidays”, FOX.
*8 p.m. “Sleigh Bells Ring”, Hallmark.
*8 p.m. “Christmas with the Kranks”, FX.
*8:30 p.m. “How Murray Saved Christmas”, NBC.
*8:50 p.m. “The Santa Clause”, Freeform.
*9 p.m. “Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love”, NBC.
*10 p.m. “Christmas in Homestead”, Hallmark.
*10:02 p.m. “12 Men of Christmas”, Lifetime.
*10:30 p.m. “Four Christmases”, AMC.

Saturday, December 24

*6 a.m. “Prancer”, AMC.

*6 a.m. “Christmas at Cartwright's”, Hallmark.
*8 a.m. “Family for Christmas”, Hallmark.
*8:05 a.m. “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas”, Freeform.
*8:30 a.m. “Santa Claus: The Movie”, AMC.
*9:40 a.m. “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas”, Freeform.
*10 a.m. “Christmas Incorporated”, Hallmark.
*10:30 a.m. “Scrooge”, TCM.
*11 a.m. “A Christmas Carol” (1984), AMC.
*11:15 a.m. “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”, Freeform.
*12 p.m. “A Christmas Melody”, Hallmark.
*12 p.m. “One Strike for Christmas”, Lifetime.
*12:20 p.m. “The Year Without a Santa Claus”, Freeform.
*12:30 p.m. “Giada’s Holiday Handbook” – “Christmas Dinner at Giada’s”, Food Network.
*12:30 p.m. “It Happened on 5^th Avenue”, TCM.
*1:25 p.m. “Arthur Christmas”, Freeform.
*1:30 p.m. “Four Christmases”, AMC.
*1:35 p.m. “Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special”, Comedy Central.
*2 p.m. “A Christmas Wedding Date”, Lifetime.
*2 p.m. “12 Gifts of Christmas”, Hallmark.
*2:30 p.m. “Holiday Affair”, TCM.
*3 p.m. “Cake Wars” – “Christmas: Ultimate Christmas Front Yard”, Food Network.
*3:30 p.m. “Deck the Halls”, AMC.
*3:30 p.m. “The Polar Express”, Freeform.
*4 p.m. “Sleigh Bells Ring”, Hallmark.
*4 p.m. “Christmas on the Bayou”, Lifetime.
*4 p.m. “Christmas Icetastrophe”, SyFy.

*4:15 p.m. “The Shop Around the Corner”, TCM.
*5 p.m. “The Santa Clause 2”, FX.
*5:30 p.m. “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”, AMC.
*5:35 p.m. “The Santa Clause”, Freeform.
*6 p.m. “Dear Secret Santa”, Lifetime.
*6 p.m. “My Christmas Love”, Hallmark.
*6 p.m. “Meet Me in St. Louis”, TCM.
*7 p.m. “Love Actually”, E!.
*7:40 p.m. “Elf”, Freeform.
*8 p.m. “Christmas in Connecticut”, TCM.
*8 p.m. “The Flight Before Christmas”, Lifetime.
*8 p.m. “Every Christmas Has a Story”, Hallmark.
*8 p.m. “A Christmas Story”, TBS. (24-hour marathon through 8 p.m. 12/25)
*9:30 p.m. “A December Bride”, Hallmark.
*9:30 p.m. “Die Hard”, IFC.
*9:45 p.m. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, Freeform.
*10 p.m. “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas”, MTV.
*10:02 p.m. “A Gift Wrapped Christmas”, Lifetime.
*11 p.m. “Christmas List”, Hallmark.
*11:29 p.m. “The Christmas Eve Mass From St. Peter's Basilica in Rome”, NBC.
*11:55 p.m. “Scrooged”, Freeform.

Sunday, December 25

*6:30 a.m. “Christmas in Homestead”, Hallmark.

*7 a.m. “The Search for Santa Paws”, Freeform.
*8 a.m. “Sleigh Bells Ring”, Hallmark.
*8:30 a.m. “Jingle All the Way 2”, Bravo.
*9:10 a.m. “Santa Buddies”, Freeform.
*9:30 a.m. “My Christmas Love”, Hallmark.
*11 a.m. “Looks Like Christmas”, Hallmark.
*11 a.m. “Noel”, Lifetime.
*11:20 a.m. “Arthur Christmas”, Freeform.
*11:30 a.m. “Farmhouse Rules” – “A Farmer’s Family Christmas”, Food Network.
*12:30 p.m. “A Perfect Christmas”, Hallmark.
*1 p.m. “Finding Mrs. Claus”, Lifetime.
*1:25 p.m. “The Polar Express”, Freeform.
*2 p.m. “Christmas Cookies”, Hallmark.
*3 p.m. “The Christmas Gift”, Lifetime.
*3:30 p.m. “The Mistletoe Promise”, Hallmark.
*3:30 p.m. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”, Freeform.
*4:35 p.m. “The Year Without a Santa Claus”, Freeform.
*5 p.m. “My Christmas Dream”, Hallmark.
*5 p.m. “Christmas in the City”, Lifetime.
*5:40 p.m. “Elf”, Freeform.
*6:30 p.m. “A Heavenly Christmas”, Hallmark.
*7 p.m. “Dear Santa”, Lifetime.
*7:45 p.m. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, Freeform.
*9 p.m. “Christmas with the Kranks”, Lifetime.
*9:30 p.m. “Crown for Christmas”, Hallmark.
*9:55 p.m. “Scrooged”, Freeform.
*11:02 p.m. “Christmas with the Kranks”, Lifetime.
*11:30 p.m. “A Christmas Detour”, Hallmark.

Author: Brian Cameron

Follow @FYITV

2016 Thanksgiving TV Programming

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 18:55:00 +0000

It’s the November holiday season once again, and many networks are airing themed shows related to Thanksgiving – culinary tips for traditional cuisine, celebratory parades, festive episodes and more.

Below, find an in-depth schedule for the next three days of television. All times are EST.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 22

*2 p.m. “Chopped” – “Cornuchopia”, Food Network.
*4 p.m. “Chopped” – “Happy Turkey Gizzards Day!”, Food Network.
*5 p.m. “Chopped” – “A Chopped Thanksgiving”, Food Network.
*6 p.m. “Chopped” – “Chopped Family Thanksgiving”, Food Network.
*7 p.m. “Chopped” – “Thanksgiving Soup-Er Stars”, Food Network.

Wednesday, November 23

*10 a.m. “Thanksgiving at Bobby’s”, Food Network.
*10 a.m. “Tori & Dean’s Family Thanksgiving”, Cooking Channel.
*11 a.m. “Barefoot Contessa” – “A Barefoot Thanksgiving”, Food Network.
*11 a.m. “Tia Mowry at Home” – “Tia Mowry Thanksgiving At Home”, Cooking Channel.
*12 p.m. “Rev Run’s Thanksgiving Supper”, Cooking Channel.
*1 p.m. “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” – “Thanksgiving Feast”, Cooking Channel.
*8 p.m. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”, ABC.
*8 p.m. “Macy’s 90^th Thanksgiving Day Parade Special”, NBC.
*9 p.m. “Saturday Night Live” – “SNL Thanksgiving 2016”, NBC.

Thursday, November 24

*9 a.m. “The 90^th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”, NBC.
*9 a.m. “The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS”, CBS.
*9:30 a.m. “The Pioneer Woman” – “Thanksgiving”, Food Network.
*10 a.m. “The Pioneer Woman” – “Frontier Friendsgiving”, Food Network.
*10:30 a.m. “Trisha’s Southern Kitchen” – “A Yearwood Thanksgiving”, Food Network.
*11 a.m. “Valerie’s Home Cooking” – “Thankful for Family”, Food Network.
*11:30 a.m. “Giada’s Holiday Handbook” – “Thanksgiving Brunch”, Food Network.
*12 p.m. “Guy’s Big Bite” – “A Very Fieri Thanksgiving”, Food Network.
*12 p.m. “The National Dog Show”, NBC.
*1 p.m. “The Kitchen” – “Turkey Day Timeline”, Food Network.
*2 p.m. “Beat Bobby Flay” – “Thanks But No Thanksgiving”, Food Network.

Author: Brian Cameron

Follow @FYITV

The Ultimate Halloween Horror Movie TV Schedule for 2016

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 20:49:00 +0000

Halloween weekend approaches, and many networks will be airing scary films and horror movies nonstop in celebration of the holiday. Below, find a comprehensive list of festive programming from Friday, October 28, through Monday, October 31. All times are EST. Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 28

*9 a.m. “Ghoulies II,” AMC.
*9:30 a.m. “Shelter,” AMC.
*11:35 a.m. “Devil,” STARZ.
*12 p.m. “The Grudge,” AMC.
*1 p.m. “The Devil’s Rejects,” Chiller.
*2 p.m. “A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010),” AMC.
*4 p.m. “Freddy vs Jason,” AMC.
*5 p.m. “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,” Chiller.
*6 p.m. “Friday the 13^th,” AMC.
*6 p.m. “Thir13en Ghosts,” Spike.
*7 p.m. “The Blair Witch Project,” Chiller.
*8 p.m. “Friday the 13^th, Part II,” AMC.
*7 p.m. “The Blair Witch Project,” Chiller.
*9 p.m. “Sorority Row,” Chiller.
*9:59 p.m. “Friday the 13^th, Part III,” AMC.
*10 p.m. “Stephen King’s It,” Spike.

Saturday, October 29

*3:04 a.m. “Friday the 13^th, Part IV: The Final Chapter,” AMC.
*5:04 a.m. “Friday the 13^th, Part V: A New Beginning,” AMC.
*6:30 a.m. “Grave Encounters,” Chiller.
*7:04 a.m. “Friday the 13^th, Part VI: Jason Lives,” AMC.
*8:10 a.m. “The Fly (1958),” Encore.
*8:30 a.m. “V/H/S,” Chiller.
*9:03 a.m. “Friday the 13^th, Part VII: The New Blood,” AMC.
*9:45 a.m. “Prom Night,” Encore.
*11 a.m. “Stake Land,” SyFy.
*11 a.m. “The Grudge 2,” Chiller.
*11:02 a.m. “Friday the 13^th, Part VII: Jason Takes Manhattan,” AMC.
*11:15 a.m. “Army of Darkness,” Encore.
*12:40 p.m. “The Prophecy,” Encore.
*1 p.m. “The Grudge 3,” Chiller.
*1 p.m. “Stake Land 2,” SyFy.
*1:02 p.m. “Friday Goes to Hell: The Final Friday,” AMC.
*2:20 p.m. “The Cave,” Encore.
*3 p.m. “Captivity,” Chiller.
*3 p.m. “Jason X,” AMC.
*3 p.m. “Resident Evil: Apocalypse,” SyFy.
*3:15 p.m. “Mimic 2,” IFC.
*4 p.m. “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” Encore.
*5 p.m. “Friday the 13^th (2009),” AMC.
*5 p.m. “All Cheerleaders Die,” Chiller.
*5 p.m. “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” SyFy.
*5:15 p.m. “The Mist,” IFC.
*5:45 p.m. “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” Encore.
*7 p.m. “Halloween (1978),” AMC.
*7 p.m. “Sorority Row,” Chiller.
*7:30 p.m. “Prom Night,” Encore.
*9 p.m. “Halloween II (1981),” AMC.
*9 p.m. “American Mary,” Chiller.
*9 p.m. “The Skeleton Key,” Encore.
*10:50 p.m. “John Carpenter’s Vampires,” Encore.
*11 p.m. “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” AMC.

Sunday, October 30

*1 a.m. “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” AMC.
*2:58 a.m. “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers,” AMC.
*4:58 a.m. “Halloween (2007),” AMC.
*6:30 a.m. “Man-Thing,” Chiller.
*7:28 a.m. “Halloween II (2009),” AMC.
*8:30 a.m. “The Howling,” Chiller.
*9 a.m. “House of Bones,” SyFy.
*9:20 a.m. “The Midnight Meat Train,” Encore.
*9:55 a.m. “Halloween (1978),” AMC.
*10:30 a.m. “Highway to Hell,” Chiller.
*11 a.m. “Children of the Corn,” SyFy.
*11 a.m. “Stephen King’s It,” Spike.
*11:05 a.m. “Pet Sematary,” Encore.
*11:55 a.m. “Halloween II (1981)” AMC.
*12:30 p.m. “Killer Klowns from Outer Space,” Chiller.
*12:50 p.m. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” Encore.
*1 p.m. “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” SyFy.
*1:55 p.m. “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” AMC.
*2:30 p.m. “Christine,” Chiller.
*3 p.m. “30 Days of Night,” Encore.
*3 p.m. “The Night Before Halloween,” SyFy.
*3:15 p.m. “The Hills Have Eyes II,” IFC.
*3:55 p.m. “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” AMC.
*4:55 p.m. “Red State,” Encore.
*5 p.m. “Wrong Turn,” SyFy.
*5:15 p.m. “Orphan,” IFC.
*5:55 p.m. “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers,” AMC.
*6:30 p.m. “The Wicker Man (1973),” Encore.
*7 p.m. “Jeepers Creepers II,” SyFy.
*8 p.m. “Hostel,” IFC.
*9 p.m. “Poltergeist II: The Other Side,” Chiller.
*9 p.m. “The Strangers,” SyFy.
*10 p.m. “Child’s Play,” Encore.
*10 p.m. “Hostel,” IFC.
*10 p.m. “Jennifer’s Body,” MTV.
*11 p.m. “Poltergeist III,” Chiller.
*11 p.m. “Grave Halloween,” SyFy.
*11:30 p.m. “Pet Sematary,” Encore.

Monday, October 31

*6:30 a.m. “Grave Halloween,” SyFy.
*6:55 a.m. “The Children,” Cinemax.
*8:30 a.m. “Stir of Echoes,” Chiller.
*8:30 a.m. “You’re Next,” SyFy.
*8:55 a.m. “Night of the Living Dead,” Encore.
*9 a.m. “Halloween (2007),” AMC.
*10 a.m. “Godsend,” Cinemax.
*10:30 a.m. “The Wicked Within,” Showtime Beyond.
*10:30 a.m. “Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming,” Chiller.
*10:35 a.m. “Candyman,” Encore.
*11 a.m. “Don’t Blink,” TMC.
*11 a.m. “The Silence of the Lambs,” Spike.
*11:30 a.m. “Halloween II (2009),” AMC.
*11:45 a.m. “Scream 3,” Cinemax.
*12 p.m. “Jessabelle,” Showtime Beyond.
*12:35 p.m. “The Roost,” TMC.
*12:15 p.m. “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later,” Encore.
*12:30 p.m. “Pumpkinhead,” Chiller.
*12:30 p.m. “Wrong Turn,” SyFy.
*1:30 p.m. “Seventh Moon,” Showtime Beyond.
*1:45 p.m. “The Visit,” Cinemax.
*1:45 p.m. “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” Encore.
*2 p.m. “Awaken,” TMC.
*2 p.m. “Thir13en Ghosts,” Spike.
*2 p.m. “Halloween (1978),” AMC.
*2:30 p.m. “Carrie (2013),” MTV.
*2:30 p.m. “Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings,” Chiller.
*2:30 p.m. “Sinister,” SyFy.
*3 p.m. “Blood Sand,” Showtime Beyond.
*3:20 p.m. “Sinister 2,” Cinemax.

*3:30 p.m. “The Culling,” TMC.
*3:50 p.m. “Silent Hill,” Encore.
*4 p.m. “Halloween II (1981),” AMC.
*4 p.m. “Scream 4,” Spike.
*4:30 p.m. “The Shining,” IFC.
*4:30 p.m. “Poltergeist II: The Other Side,” Chiller.
*5 p.m. “Compound Fracture,” TMC.
*5 p.m. “The Order,” Cinemax.
*5 p.m. “Jeepers Creepers II,” SyFy.
*6 p.m. “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” AMC.
*6 p.m. “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers,” Encore.
*6:15 p.m. “It Follows,” Showtime Beyond.
*6:30 p.m. “The Atticus Institute,” TMC.
*6:30 p.m. “Poltergeist III,” Chiller.
*6:30 p.m. “The Last House on the Left,” Spike.
*6:45 p.m. “The Pyramid,” Cinemax.
*7 p.m. “The Strangers,” SyFy.
*7:30 p.m. “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later,” Encore.
*7:45 p.m. “The Shining,” IFC.
*8 p.m. “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers,” AMC.
*8 p.m. “Saw,” TMC.
*8 p.m. “The Hills Have Eyes (1977),” Showtime Beyond.
*8:15 p.m. “Resident Evil,” Cinemax.
*9 p.m. “Fright Night,” Encore.
*9 p.m. “The Blair Witch Project,” Chiller.
*9:30 p.m. “Patrick,” Showtime Beyond.
*9:45 p.m. “Saw II,” TMC.
*10 p.m. “Halloween (1978),” AMC.
*10 p.m. “The Last Witch Hunter,” Cinemax.
*10:50 p.m. “The Evil Dead,” Encore.
*11 p.m. “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,” Chiller.
*11:10 p.m. “The Wicked Within,” Showtime Beyond.
*11:30 p.m. “Hostel: Part II,” TMC.
*11:50 p.m. “Krampus,” Cinemax.

Author: Brian Cameron

Follow @FYITV

Execs Talk TV at the SBJ NeuLion Sports Media & Technology Conference

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 18:38:00 +0000

From October 5- 6, 2016, the SportsBusiness Journal NeuLion Sports Media & Technology Conference was held in in Manhattan Beach, California. Industry leaders from networks, professional teams, and online companies gathered to “discuss and debate the latest developments and emerging market trends.”

Shortly before the event, the SBJ released new research which found a strength in live sport sports viewing: “Last year, 93 of TV’s top 100-rated shows were live sports programs. Ten years earlier, in 2005, live sports accounted for only 14 of the top 100.”

On the first day, Los Angeles Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took part in an interview entitled “Insights from a Tech Giant, Team Owner and Philanthropist.”

Ballmer advocated for technological advances in online viewing.

"Taking linear broadcasts online won't change things,” Ballmer said. “Technology will make [the] experience more intriguing and interesting."

He later suggested that a type of television program that showed a basketball game’s perspective from a player on the court could be available in a matter of years, enabling the viewer to see the game “as Chris Paul.”

Steve Bornstein, Chairman for Activision Blizzard, discussed the rise of eSports and predicted “the death of the bundle” in 50 years.

“eSports is bigger than action sports,” Ballmer said. “Call of Duty [has] over 30 million monthly users.”

In video remarks, Ballmer explained his support for the growing genre, which he described as the “only property that can challenge soccer globally.”

“As Wayne Gretzky said, ‘I’m skating to where the puck’s going to be.’ There’s huge consumption, it’s worldwide, and it’s committed,” he said.

#sbjsmt speaker Steve Bornstein on why he's bullish on e-sports: pic.twitter.com/zvLmSeMV7R
— SBJ/SBD (@sbjsbd) October 5, 2016

On day two, Jeff Shell, Chairman of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, said that “the movie business is 10 years behind the sports business” in regards to methods for viewing, during a panel with his brother Dan Shell the Vice President for IMG College.

A session later in the morning called “A Spectator No More: Changing Sports Through Immersive Experiences” involved discussion of how virtual reality could impact sports.

“VR changes the vocabulary for the narrative of sports storytelling,” a participant stated.

eSports came up again, this time at a forum dedicated entirely to it, featuring Dave Rosenberg, Chief Strategic Officer, Client Services, for GMR Marketing.

“Targeting eSports segments is like Clue,” Rosenberg said. “You want to be efficient with your [money] and find Professor Plum with the knife in the parlor."

The media conference appeared to be informative and successful overall. Videos can be seen here.

Author: Brian Cameron

Follow @FYITV

A Review of Q3 2016 in OTT

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 21:06:00 +0000

It’s been a busy third quarter in 2016 in the over-the-top (OTT) space, with several developments occurring in regards to a select group of businesses. Did you miss what happened in Q1 and Q2?

Check out here and here for additional information.

Hulu

At the beginning of August, Time Warner Inc. purchased a 10% stake in Hulu, providing the streaming service with a value of $5.8 billion. After that moment, activity quickly ramped up.

Five days later, Hulu revealed that it would no longer be offering its free TV product.

"For the past couple years, we've been focused on building a subscription service that provides the deepest, most personalized content experience possible to our viewers," said Ben Smith, Hulu senior VP and head of experience. "As we have continued to enhance that offering with new originals, exclusive acquisitions and movies, the free service became very limited and no longer aligned with the Hulu experience or content strategy."

The exact same day as that announcement, Yahoo launched a TV website, Yahoo View, in collaboration with Hulu. It provides free television content, including the most recent five episodes of ABC, NBC and FOX shows.

“Yahoo View is our first step towards creating a powerful community TV-watching experience, but it’s really only the beginning,” said Jess Lee, VP Lifestyles Product at Yahoo.

In September, Variety reported that Hulu is developing two virtual reality-only TV series.

Snapchat

In August, the NFL began hosting a sports channel on Snapchat Discover.

“We’re excited to expand our partnership with Snapchat, delivering compelling NFL content to a platform where millions of our fans around the world interact on a daily basis,” said Blake Stuchin, Director, Digital Media Business Development for the National Football League, in a press release. “The launch of the NFL on Discover will provide a key touch point to follow storylines throughout the week, and the expansion of Live Stories will provide fans with a unique perspective of the excitement in and around our stadiums at every game all season-long.”

NBC provided content and coverage via Snapchat during the Olympics, and in the first week received approximately 50 million viewers.

The peacock network also partnered with Snapchat in a multi-year deal for content and advertising, which will result in Snapchat Discover TV shows.

“By partnering with Snapchat, we can combine the largest, most creative portfolio in television with a technology platform that’s evolving and complementing how we engage with audiences,” said Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising Sales and Client Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “For our advertisers, this means being associated with premium content in a new and compelling format, and creating a connection that lasts long after your snap disappears.”

Other Companies

In other Q3 news, Twitter and news startup Cheddar joined together to develop streaming news and business shows for millennials.

And YouTube set a live-streaming political record with the first presidential debate, attracting 2 million concurrent viewers.

Time Inc. launched the online People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN) in September.

“I think 15 years ago, People and SI and InStyle should have launched cable channels, because that’s when the land grab was,” said Jess Cagle, editorial director of People and Entertainment Weekly. “Now is not the time to launch a cable channel.”

Looking Ahead

Several businesses have made revelations about the OTT services that they’re currently working on.

On October 18, Vimeo will be debuting its Global Television Store in partnership with Lionsgate, which has licensed many of its shows.

“We’re proud to launch Vimeo’s first ever transaction-based global television store with Lionsgate’s acclaimed television series,” Barry Diller said, chairman and senior executive of Vimeo parent company IAC. “Their television slate includes nearly 80 series on 40 different networks, and they are a great partner with whom to kick off a service that will bring premium scripted shows from the U.S. to our hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. They are the first of many top Hollywood studios we expect to attract in the months to come.”

By the end of the year, AT&T is expected to launch its DirecTV Now service, and a few details have come known: it will feature 100+ channels, and multi-device streaming.

“This is exclusively an over-the-top product,” AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said. “This is no set-top box; this is no truck roll; this is a customer pulling down an app, getting a very robust platform.”

Sometime in early 2017, CenturyLink has a 17-channel OTT service prepared for consumers.

And by 2018, Discovery Communication hopes to offer the “Netflix for sports.” The cable company plans to utilize Eurosport, a popular European network.

“We own it all and when we go to the player and charge $8 per subscriber we’re in a whole different game,” said David Zaslav, Discovery CEO. “For us, Eurosport direct-to-consumer fills the full circle of where the world is going.”

That covers it for Q3! Stay tuned for the Q4 roundup at the beginning of 2017.

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

Follow @FYITV

FCC Set-Top Box Vote Delayed Indefinitely

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 21:02:00 +0000

Today was meant to be the day that many have been waiting for all year long. After months of developing a plan that would provide an apps-related alternative to set-top boxes (STBs), the FCC was scheduled to vote on it.

Yesterday, in an effort to gain public support, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) heartily endorsed the FCC’s initiative on his Facebook page.

“The Federal Communications Commission—or FCC—has said that it’s time to “unlock the box” and give consumers a meaningful choice in how they access the content they pay for. Instead of renting one of those dust gatherers, consumers would be able to access the full content of their cable subscription via an app—just like Netflix, Hulu, or HBO GO—at no additional charge. That means you’d use the app with your smartphone, tablet, smart TV, or on a device like the Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, or Amazon Fire Stick. Can you imagine how much easier that would be than the outdated way we’re doing things now?” Franken said.

Then, at the very last moment, the FCC made a surprise announcement this morning.

"The Set-Top Box Order has been removed from the September Open Meeting Agenda. The proposal will go on the Commission’s circulation list and remain under consideration by Commissioners," the FCC said. “We are still working to resolve the remaining technical and legal issues and we are committed to unlocking the set-top box for consumers across this country.”

It is unclear if or when a final vote on the matter will occur at this time.

Several entities came forward with statements on this lack of action.

“We are pleased that the FCC has chosen to delay consideration of its set-top box item, and hope that additional time will lead to meaningful public review and comment on any newly-crafted proposal under consideration. Our industry is committed to a future where viewers have the freedom to watch their favorite shows on a wide variety of tablets, streaming consoles, smartphones and other connected devices. We will continue our efforts to innovate in the marketplace to expand consumer choice, promote market innovation, protect the rights of content holders, and respect consumer privacy,” NCTA said in a statement, cheering the decision.

Meanwhile, Public Knowledge, took an opposing view.

“We are disappointed that the Commission was unable to adopt this item today. While this appears to be a short-term delay, consumers are getting bilked more each day this drags on,” said John Bergmayer, Senior Counsel at Public Knowledge. “This issue has been under consideration at the FCC for two years now, and the benefit of further delay is unclear. Opponents of unlocking the box will continue to shift from one manufactured concern to another in an attempt to keep consumers renting the controlled, locked-down set-top box, costing consumers billions and holding back innovation and video competition. We will continue to push the FCC to act as soon as possible to end the set-top box ripoff.”

Harold Feld, senior vice president at the consumer group Public Knowledge, attributed the delay to FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel.

"Rosenworcel in particular is a very technically oriented commissioner," Feld told the Washington Post. "They clearly want to do something, but it's also clear that in her case she's not going to agree to a general shape of something and give editorial privileges to work out the details later. She is going to want to make sure the details are resolved."

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), also claimed to be let down by the FCC.

“Today’s vote delay is an unequivocal loss for the tens of millions of Americans across the country who are forced to spend their hard-earned money on overpriced set-top box leases that cost them hundreds of dollars a year. I am extremely disappointed that the majority of the FCC Commissioners have not yet come to an agreement to provide relief for consumers for these bloated set-top box rental fees and certainty to companies who wish to innovate with new products. I urge the Commission to complete this rulemaking as soon as possible. Consumers have waited for more than two decades for the promise of a robust set-top box marketplace to be fulfilled; they should not have to wait one more billing cycle,” Markey said.

And in more of a neutral position, tech industry trade group INCOMPAS encouraged a continuation of the discussion.

"Competition is the law, and the FCC has an obligation to continue working toward solutions that bring real choice, innovation and lower prices to consumers," said Chip Pickering, CEO of INCOMPAS. "The members of the commission are smart, well intentioned, and we believe they will find common ground that will open the market and promote innovation. For competition to rise, the set-top box monopoly must fall, and we look forward to working with all members of the FCC toward this shared goal.”

It sounds like Pickering remains hopeful that the FCC will finalize the plan’s language and a vote will be held before the end of 2016.

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Mark Van Scyoc / Shutterstock.com
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Where to Watch & Stream the 2016 Presidential Debates

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 19:26:00 +0000

On Monday, September 26, the first of three presidential debates between Democratic nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee businessman Donald Trump will occur at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

The 90-minute showdown will be available for viewing across numerous television networks and online streaming platforms.

Twitter will be carrying the Bloomberg debate coverage live, which will feature additional programming from Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.

“Twitter is where the 2016 presidential election is happening every single day,” said Anthony Noto, Twitter’s chief financial officer. “Livestreaming the debates with Bloomberg combined with the live commentary and conversation on Twitter will create a one-screen experience at the center of the action unlike any other.”

The Twitter stream can be found at debates.twitter.com and Bloomberg’s @bpolitics.

Facebook Live will be hosting the presidential debates for the first time in a national election courtesy of a partnership with ABC News.

“We’re excited that ABC News will continue to bring people on Facebook the full breadth of what is happening, in real-time on the ground during these important moments in the election cycle,” Andy Mitchell, Director of News and Global Media Partnerships, Facebook, said in a press release. “With their robust Facebook Live coverage plans and deep bench of political journalists, ABC News will help facilitate an open dialogue among voters and create an engaging and immersive experience from each debate.”

Two hours prior to the debate, an original series entitled “Straight Talk” will be streamed, and afterward, “Nightline” co-anchor Dan Harris, Digital Host Amna Nawaz and ABC News contributor LZ Granderson will provide commentary.

ABC will also stream via abcnews.go.com/live, the ABC News mobile app, Apple TV, XBox One and Roku.

In a blog post, YouTube revealed that it will be streaming the debates too.

“Voting also requires you to get educated with the latest and greatest from the candidates. That’s why we’re also excited to announce that we’re live streaming the presidential debates from more news organizations than ever before including PBS, Fox News, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and Telemundo,” wrote YouTube.

Navigate to youtube.com/youtube for its official election site.

On TV, tune in to NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, Bloomberg, Telemundo or Univision at 9 p.m. EST to find the historical event.

With so many options for viewing the debates this year, it will be difficult for viewers to miss out on what the candidates have to say.

Author: Brian Cameron

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Streaming Services Succeed at the 2016 Emmys

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 18:56:00 +0000

Over the weekend, the 2016 Emmy Awards occurred – and OTT companies Netflix and Amazon Instant Video once again received a solid number of awards and nominations.

Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, co-creators of Netflix’s “Master of None” took home the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.

“I think what’s cool about ‘Master of None’ is Netflix is so trusting,” Ansari said in an interview before the ceremony occurred. “I think on another platform in another time, someone might have seen the episode ‘Parents,’ for instance, and been like, “This is too specific, a mainstream audience isn’t gonna get it”—with that just meaning that white people aren’t gonna get it. Netflix really believes in us and trusts us and I think after the first season we’re gonna be able to do that again with the season we’re doing now.”

After receipt of the trophy, Yang also had some kind words for Netflix.

"I think there's great stuff on network, on streaming, on cable," Yang said. "What's great about Netflix, for us, is that they gave us a lot of freedom and trusted us to pursue our personal stories, and that's why they're rewarded with stuff that feels fresh."

Netflix also won awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline”) and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special (Patton Oswalt).

Running off with our brand new #Emmy . Bye! pic.twitter.com/qlsH7UcIuA
— Master of None (@MasterofNone) September 19, 2016

Amazon was awarded two victories during the Primetime Emmys, both for “Transparent.” Jeffrey Tambor won Best Comedy Actor, while Jill Soloway won in the Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series category.

Soloway gave credit to the founder of Amazon in her acceptance speech, and offered some high praise.

“I want to thank you, my sweet Jeff Bezos, because you changed the world, and you invited me to do this thing that these people call television, but I call a revolution,” said Soloway.

Jill Soloway gives a terrific acceptance speech for 'Transparent' #Emmys pic.twitter.com/WQGb6eCWoy
— Mashable News (@MashableNews) September 19, 2016

Which OTT business will get the most nominations next year?

Author: Brian Cameron

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The FCC’s STB Crusade Continues

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 19:27:00 +0000

It’s been an interesting year for the set-top box (STB). In January, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler released the “unlock the box” STB proposal in an effort to encourage marketplace competition. This quickly received a lot of industry attention, which was only further amplified when President Obama weighed in on it.

Then, the FCC took public comment for a few months, and over the summer an alternative “ditch the box” plan was suggested by an alliance of several groups.

Now that we’ve entered the autumn, the FCC has released a new proposal – the “Plan to Increase Choice and Innovation in Video.”

The plan features five key points, among which include: 1) pay-tv providers will be required to offer a free app to viewers for TV content 2) this app should be available on all popular TV platforms and 3) consumers must be able to search all video services for programming.

Seemingly, we are witnessing a compromise of sorts coming together, but it’s likely another plan may emerge before winter.

Despite this, we are seeing many of the same names appear in the for/against column.

Once again, Public Knowledge has endorsed the FCC’s plan.

“With this action, the Commission could save consumers billions of dollars a year. Under the Commission's plan, consumers would be able to access their TV subscriptions on any device, and in many cases on devices they already own. In addition to saving consumers money, this action would allow consumers to access online video right alongside cable TV, in the same familiar interface. This will increase competition and innovation in the video marketplace while making it easier for programmers and creators who aren't carried by cable to get equal billing in viewers' homes … The modified approach the Chairman has described today addresses the legitimate concerns raised by these parties while preserving the benefits to the public, and fulfilling the Congressional directive that requires the FCC to ensure that viewers do not need to rent set-top boxes from their providers,” said John Bergmayer, Senior Counsel at Public Knowledge, in a statement.

And Comcast is denouncing it.

“The Chairman’s new proposal also violates the Communications Act and exceeds the FCC’s authority. It perpetuates many of the concerns that led hundreds of Members of Congress, content creators, diversity and civil rights organizations, labor unions, and over 300,000 individuals to object to his original flawed approach, including problems with privacy, copyright protection, content security, and innovation,” said Comcast.

SAG-AFTRA, the MPAA, and many other entertainment guilds also rejected the new proposal.

“By all reports, the FCC’s revised set-top box proposal fails to address concerns we have repeatedly raised. Instead, the FCC creates an unacceptable and unworkable de facto compulsory licensing regime that requires creators to allow their work to be shared across multiple platforms without compensation and without regard to the creators’ rights to exclusively control their distribution,” the creative community members said.

Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. is investigating too.

"While I commend Chairman Wheeler for working to solve this difficult issue, I’m concerned that this latest proposal will not work, particularly when it comes to licensing," said Frank Pallone (D-N.J.). "Ultimately, I’m skeptical that the revised plan will benefit consumers.”

Today, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing involving the FCC, led by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.).

In his opening remarks, Wheeler stated that he was “heartened” to receive feedback, and that the new rules “would mean consumers will more easily find content that is buried behind guides or not available from a pay-TV provider.”

However, FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly came out against the plan.

“The latest version adds complicated and flawed provisions to [the ‘ditch the box’ plan], effectively threatening and undermining the viability of the entire apps-based approach … it is highly unlikely that it can even be accomplished, given unlimited time and resources, let alone in two years and with the resource demands of a highly competitive industry,” O’Rielly testified.

In exactly two weeks, Sept. 29, a formal vote on Wheeler’s new plan will occur. What will happen next, and how will it affect cable companies and viewers?

Author: Brian Cameron
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TV Critics Analyze the Industry In Reddit AMA

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 19:59:00 +0000

Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz, acclaimed authors and television critics for hitfix.com and vulture.com, recently collaborated together for a new publication, “TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time.”

To promote its release, which occurred just last week on September 6, the pair participated in a Reddit AMA session, where they commented on the state of the TV industry, streaming/OTT and top television shows.

Here, find their intriguing answers to questions from readers that involve these topics.

The Future of TV

Q: “Do you think the (so-called) "Too-Much-TV" bubble will burst? Or has television taken some of the space movies used to occupy for good?”

Matt: Every bubble bursts eventually. I'd argue that the bubble might've burst for mainstream Hollywood studio films, probably sometime in the last five or ten years, and we're only now starting to figure it out. There are outlier hits, still, but much of the cultural excitement has moved to television, deservedly so, as you are more likely to see actual human adults on scripted TV than in most mainstream films.

Q: Do either of you have any particular hopes for where television as a whole might go from here, i.e. what trends and/or standards they might pursue more vigorously or discard entirely?

Matt: I think we're going to see a gradual shift away from long-form, serialized narratives because they don't fit the reality of people's lives anymore. Things are so fragmented now and the number one complaint I hear from a lot of people is that it's harder to concentrate on anything and that there's so much interesting or good stuff on TV that it's physically impossible to follow it all; there just aren't enough hours in a day.

The anthology format where the unit of measure is the season, as opposed to the episode, will benefit tremendously from this shift, I bet.

Q: Which peak TV show will likely get remade/rebooted the fastest?

Alan: At some point ABC will probably try to do a remade/rebooted LOST without Lindelof and Cuse.

Matt: What Alan said. There's too much money to be made for them not to try to do Lost again.

OTT/Streaming

Q: Are you guys subscribed to all the streaming services? What do you think are strong suits of each and what they all could do better?

Alan: I have Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu subscriptions. Netflix has the best interface, and the biggest and most diverse array of original programming. Hulu probably has the best overall library of older shows right now, and I like that they are trying to release their original shows weekly, even if it doesn't always suit the show. (Casual is a much better binge, for instance.) Amazon has library rights to a bunch of my favorite shows that aren't available on the other services, like Americans and Hannibal, and Transparent is probably the best of all the original streaming series.

I talked before about how I think Netflix needs to rediscover the importance of the individual episode, which I also write about for HitFix a while back http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/why-your-tv-show-doesnt-have-to-be-a-novel-in-defense-of-the-episode

Q: How do you feel about streaming shows being treated as 8-13 hour long movies? Because I can't help but feel that's the main negative when I watch a Netflix drama. Even the ones I've enjoyed like Jessica Jones, I wish that they'd been tighter 8-10 episode shows with sub-50 minute running times.

Alan: I think that's a problem, as I've written about elsewhere in this AMA. Shorter seasons, shorter episodes, and more clearly-defined episodes would all help most of their shows.

Q: What can networks learn from the success of Netflix and other streaming services that have started providing their own critically acclaimed content? Subsequently, what can Netflix learn from networks and "the old way" of providing television content?

Alan: On the latter question, I think Netflix is sometimes too quick to rest on its own laurels and say that they're creating this new artform of the 10 or 13-hour movie, when virtually every Netflix series that's designed that way tends to really sag in the middle, and/or have a lot of dumb plot points (the Jessica Jones coffee shop scene), or not be rewatchable in the same way that other binge-able shows with clearly delineated classic episodes like a Breaking Bad might be.

On the former, I think it's become very clear that a lot of viewers want to be able to consume seasons of shows all at once, and we're seeing some traditional TV outfits dip a few toes in that water, like Starz putting all of The Girlfriend Experience online at once, or NBC with Aquarius. It's a tough balance, because that's not how those outfits tend to make their money, but it's what at least some of the audience wants, so they have to figure out how to tweak the business model.

Matt: This is a pet hobby horse of mine, so forgive me if this is repetitious, but: Not every idea needs to be an ongoing series. Not every idea needs to have a 10 or thirteen episode season as opposed to four or six. Netflix, the networks, cable, could all improve tremendously if they would accept this. But they won't because they are too attached to profits.

Author: Brian Cameron

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TV Personalization Provides Industry Pathway

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 22:13:00 +0000

In an editorial published in Streaming Media magazine at the beginning of August, Jason Thibeault wrote the following:

“The ‘future of television’ isn’t really about how video will get delivered (broadcast vs. online) but about what we will do with the content, how we will interact with it, how the very experience of watching video will change from wherever we choose to consume it … The future of television isn’t an either/or situation. It’s not linear broadcast or online video. It’s something in between, where it doesn’t matter how the content is being delivered, or to what device.”

Around the same time, Ramesh Srinivasan, Chief Executive Officer, of Ooyala, participated in an interview with DataQuest, where he made some similar remarks.

“Personalization is the future of online TV,” said Srinivasan, and “an important component of content delivery.”

This topic, television personalization, even came up earlier this summer at the 2016 TV of Tomorrow Show in San Francisco, where an entire panel - "Discovery, Personalization and the TV User Experience" – was dedicated to it.

According to recent Ericsson research, 50% of viewers experience difficulty in locating content to watch.

And at IBC this morning, with an eye towards the future, Ericsson revealed its new TV as a Service concept, geared towards content personalization.

“As the entire media value chain undergoes enormous change, Ericsson’s transformative solutions and services will enable our customers to thrive in this new Internet age of TV,” said Elisabetta Romano, Head of TV & Media Ericsson, in preview remarks a few weeks ago.

#TVaaS: The vision is to deliver content personalized, very immersive to every device at any time. #IBC2016 #IBCShow pic.twitter.com/KWTfzpq4Jp
— Ericsson TV (@EricssonTV) September 8, 2016

"This year at @IBCshow we're launching our vision of TV as a Service." - Thorsten Sauer, Broadcast & Media Services pic.twitter.com/L4bZRN77RE
— Ericsson TV (@EricssonTV) September 8, 2016

Check out more here, and be sure to visit the Ericsson booth at IBC!

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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Exploring The Limited Event TV Series

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 17:21:00 +0000

It’s become a successful TV trend in recent years: the limited event series, in which a television show exists for a set number of episodes, generally somewhere in the 8-13 range, but this number is open to fluctuation.

Broadcast network FOX has demonstrated particular interest in this format, with a 6-episode run of “The X-Files” earlier this year. Next year, a new season of “Prison Break” will air, which is rumored to have 9-10 episodes.

Cable networks and OTT services have been pursuing this darker type of show as well, and it was reported last week that the highest paid actor in the world, Robert Downey Jr., was allegedly considering the “prestige of TV” and working on an HBO limited series.

“Good television has become more interesting than good filmmaking. In general, movies are repeating themselves — a lot of superheroes and a lot of visual effects — and you don’t get a lot of interestingly-structured dramas,” said Jose Padilha, showrunner on Netflix’s “Narcos.”

Writer freedom seems to be a benefit for this programming.

“If you’re coming in to write specific episodes in a big series,” said David Farr, writer for AMC’s “The Night Manager,” which wrapped up in May, “there’s a tendency for a writer to push it, hard, because you want to show what you can do.”

"The Night Manager" features British actor Tom Hiddleston attempting to embed into the crew of an arms dealer.

HBO has been airing “The Night Of” this summer, an 8-episode show revolving around a murder mystery in New York.

In an interview with Broadway World, showrunner Steve Zaillian expressed why he chose this type of TV series.

“Historically, the kinds of stories I'm interested in have been made as films. Now, it's TV. But since I'd had no experience in TV, I could only approach it as a film,” explained Zaillian. “HBO allowed me to make this like a film is made, to cast who I wanted to cast - many are feature actors - and to hire primarily feature film department heads … With a nine-hour film, there's a lot to keep in your head. I thought of nothing else every day for about four years.”

Seemingly, the ability to expand upon the traditional film by enhancing it with additional hours provides the allure for producing a limited series.

The 95-minute series finale for “The Night Of” will appear on HBO this Sunday, August 28, at 9 p.m. EST.

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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Skinny Bundles Activated After Q2 2016 Subscriber Decline

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 14:01:00 +0000

At the beginning of the week, Leichtman Research Group released some striking information: in the second quarter of 2016, the top pay-TV providers had lost around 665,000 subscribers, a new low.

“The reality is that there’s a whole new generation that’s not going to pay-TV at all, so to get a shot at reaching them, you have to go to the skinny bundle and the OTT space,” Peter Csathy, founder of media investment and advisory firm Creatv Media, told Variety.

Starting this month, a few companies are embracing new skinny bundle plans in an attempt to woo consumers who may be jumping ship.

CenturyLink, headquartered in Monroe, Lousiana, just revealed new over-the-top (OTT) products that will offer skinny bundles.

“We think [the addition of broadcast networks] will be a differentiator as we bring those local channels with the over-the-top cable channels,” said Glen Post, president and CEO of CenturyLink, on a quarterly earnings call.

While not much else is known yet, it’s currently being trialed, with an aim for public launch around the end of the year.

In early August, DISH debuted its “Flex Pack skinny bundle,” a $30/month service that features a core package of approximately 50 channels, with the ability to add more “channel packs” for an additional charge.

“Our customers are frustrated with having to pay for hundreds of channels, most of which they never watch,” said Warren Schlichting, DISH executive vice president of Marketing, Programming and Media Sales, in a press release. “Flex Pack provides a level of flexibility and control that brings our customers closer to the ideal of fully tailoring their channel lineup.”

Channels in the Flex Pack include AMC, TNT, USA, HGTV, E!, Cartoon Network, History, A&E, CNN, Discovery, TBS, Food Network, FX and TV Land.

In the upcoming fourth quarter, AT&T has stated that it will be launching smaller OTT services with DirecTV branding.

“We want to have the ability to give [viewers] pay-TV as an app,” said AT&T’s SVP of strategy and business development, Tony Goncalves. “We got to un-tether it from a set-top box.”

By the end of the decade, it seems likely that every pay-TV company will have some at least one skinny bundle option, if not more. How will it impact subscriber rates?

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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Is Your Sports Metadata Inundated with Inaccuracies?

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 19:57:00 +0000

With the current excitement surrounding the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, it’s important to keep in mind that sports metadata is powering EPGs, entertainment platforms and apps, ensuring that viewers are informed about the events, athletes and action.

However, what should be considered is the provider of this sports metadata – many vendors are known for their poor quality and outdated information, as well as errors, issues and flaws.

Whether it’s football, soccer, basketball or baseball, some companies just can’t seem to get it right.

In this example, a metadata service has mistakenly displayed the flags for Sweden and Belgium during the UEFA European Championship, when the match is obviously between Portugal and France.

Love how @verizonfios guide has flag graphics for Sweden v Belgium today. pic.twitter.com/6zb9KDdZNR
— Davicito Diablito (@DavicitoDiablo) July 10, 2016

Here, a vendor has failed to take into account coaching staff changes for the BYU Cougars football team. Bronco Mendenhall left in December 2015; Kalani Sitake is the current head coach.

Setting up the DVR to record @byutv all day tomorrow and methinks the guide is a little confused pic.twitter.com/jCoycEkoFu
— Randi (@ShamoSays) June 30, 2016

A summary writer for this data business is under the impression that the United States men's national soccer team is “led by Kyle Beckerman.” While he is on the roster, the captain is actually Michael Bradley.

The description on @verizon fios channel guide, seems like an interesting show to watch! #USAvARG @ussoccer pic.twitter.com/OoLzOJJWuh
— Todd Beckerman (@BeckermanT) June 22, 2016

Despite the fact that the title indicates that the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing the Boston Celtics, the Atlanta Hawks are mentioned in the game description by this sports data provider.

that's some cruel ish, @Comcast. pic.twitter.com/COxPU8pCGK
— tape (@tape) May 3, 2016

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association called out this metadata company when it incorrectly classified the ‘National Pro Fastpitch Draft,’ a softball event, as baseball – something that could affect content discovery.

Seriously? Baseball? Come on Time Warner guide ... pic.twitter.com/N9resonnXx
— NFCA (@NFCAorg) April 14, 2016

It’s 2016, but this television app has artwork from two years ago for the NCAA basketball tournament.

Wow TV Guide app is really up to date with their #NCAATOURNAMENT picture! #2014 @TVGuide @NCAA @marchmadness pic.twitter.com/96tl5deUA3
— Dalton Carter (@DaltonJCarter) April 2, 2016

And there are multiple errors in this hockey game description. Pittsburgh won the last meeting, 5-3, on March 13; the company here suggests it was the other way around, on a different date!

Not sure if it was @NHLonNBCSports or @verizonfios but someone messed up#SuperEmbarassing. Probably should fix this pic.twitter.com/KpX3ENYipb
— PensSockMonkey (@PensSockMonkey) March 26, 2016

Be sure that your TV platform, on-screen guide or app has the correct sports information and statistics for your viewers by selecting a metadata provider that is up-to-date and accurate.

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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TV Leaders Share Thoughts During Summer 2016 TCA Tour

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 19:52:00 +0000

As the fall season of television approaches, executives and contributors are embarking on the Television Critics Association (TCA) summer press tour to promote new shows and discuss the state of the industry, providing remarks on broadcast and OTT.

Here’s a look at what many of them have been saying.

NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt championed broadcast TV, observing that the peacock network has “defied a lot of the doom-and-gloom, downward trends we've been hearing about network television."

However at the same time, Greenblatt emphasized an expansion of NBC’s streaming plans, and suggested that it was dabbling with a few concepts.

"We’re in a unique position because our sister company is a cable company and the OTT strategy is a competitive take from what the cable business is," said Greenblatt. "Whatever we do in that space, we want to do something that is not an affront to the cable business or distributors. So we’re trying to craft something that is a good thing for them as well. So we’re not there yet, but hopefully in the very near future we’ll have something to talk about. In the meantime, we’re doing a lot of toe in the water approaches.”

“Anywhere from 30 to 60 percent of viewing is done off the linear network,” Greenblatt later told Broadcasting & Cable.

The revelation of streaming TV series is the realization that people always watch them in order, says "Bojack Horseman" creator. #TCA16
— Roger Catlin (@rcatlin) July 27, 2016

Fox Television Group chief Dana Walden also lauded network television.

“Our shows become part of the national conversation, they are hitting a nerve. You can’t have that elsewhere, particularly on OTT,” stated Walden.

Walden recognized that the broadcast TV space has been particularly competitive in recent years.

It “has not been the flavor of the month, and for good reason,” Walden said, considering the rise of “shiny new services that wowed you and cable networks that won your attention with fantastic shows that would never have survived on broadcast.”

Streaming whole seasons of shows means you can go back and tweak early episodes later, say Mitch Hurwitz and Raphael Bob-Waksberg. #TCA16
— Roger Catlin (@rcatlin) July 27, 2016

Writer and executive producer David E. Kelley, known for numerous network dramas, made waves by moving over to Amazon and stating he wouldn’t return to broadcast.

With Amazon television shows, "you're trusting that your audience is going to sit down and maybe watch the whole series in a week. You don’t have to remind them what they saw an hour and a half ago. You can be more efficient in your storytelling and you can just go deeper,” Kelley said.

“We have some pretty deep and dark character arcs within [upcoming show “Goliath”] that really require a lot of patience with the audience, patience that I'm not sure a broadcast regime is going to give you,” Kelley added.

YouTube original content head Susanne Daniels, who previously worked as a programming executive at MTV, touted streaming too.

“We reach over a billion people every single month, including more 18-to-49-year-olds on mobile alone than any broadcast or cable network I’ve ever worked for. This platform has more power to reach an audience and be more influential than traditional television,” Daniels said.

Read it and weep (if you cover TV). The state of #PeakTV from FX’s research dept. #TCA16 pic.twitter.com/FsmgUAeuBZ
— Jason Lynch (@jasonlynch) August 9, 2016

FX Networks CEO John Landgraf revealed research demonstrating a major increase in OTT distribution, and projected the creation and release of approximately 500 original shows across broadcast, premium, basic cable and streaming for 2016.

"This is simply too much television. My sense is that 2015 or 2016 will represent peak TV in America, and that we’ll begin to see declines coming the year after that and beyond,” said Landgraf.

When it comes to broadcast and OTT, this season's TCA seems to indicate that the battle for viewers has never been more intense.

Author: Brian Cameron

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Experiencing the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics with Streaming Technology

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 20:52:00 +0000

This Friday, August 5, the Opening Ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will occur, and the Games will be ongoing until the evening of August 21.

There are many ways to view and engage with the various competitions, as audiences will be utilizing more than just their televisions to tune in.

A study released today by Phunware found that 77% of consumers say they’re likely to access this year’s Olympic events and content on a mobile device.

“Today’s consumers want more control over their media experiences. They expect access to the content and information they want, when they want it, and traditional television and even web viewing just doesn’t align with those expectations,” said Alan S. Knitowski, Chairman and CEO of Phunware, in a press release. “Mobile gives them that level of customization and on-demand accessibility, so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing consumers turn off the TV and turn to mobile to stay connected, especially when it comes to some of the biggest media events of the year like the Summer Olympics.”

NBCUniversal is the official network for the Olympics in the U.S., and it plans to air approximately 6,755 hours of sports programming.

If you’re a pay-TV subscriber, the action can be viewed on the NBC Sports Live Extra App, which itself will stream 4,500 hours of content.

U.S. military members will be able to stream the Olympics for free by selecting the “Exchange” as their provider.

“With 4,500 hours of streaming—1,000 more than London—including nine TV networks and connected TVs for the first time, we certainly anticipate record-setting consumption for Rio,” said Rick Cordella, SVP and General Manager of Digital Media at NBC Sports Group.

NBC is also launching a new app: NBC Olympics: Rio News & Results, which will feature medal tables, video clips, athlete biographies and more.

Microsoft Azure is assisting NBC with the live streaming aspect.

“We always strive to deliver more content in real time to more channels and devices around the world,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of the Cloud and Enterprise Group at Microsoft. “During the Sochi Olympic Games, NBC Olympics had more than 1 million concurrent live viewers watching a collective average of 600,000 hours of coverage per day. We are planning for even greater viewing numbers for Rio, and are excited to power the experience again using Microsoft Azure.”

For the first time ever, NBC will make virtual reality a part of the Olympics via the Samsung Gear. Eighty-five hours of VR content will be available.

“The world’s greatest sporting event is always a showcase for cutting edge technology, and we’re thrilled to partner with Samsung and OBS to bring our viewers even closer to compelling Olympic action with virtual reality,” said Gary Zenkel, president, NBC Olympics. “Olympic fans can be transported to iconic venues such as Maracana Stadium for an unprecedented view of the Opening Ceremony, and Copacabana Beach for an immersive beach volleyball experience in the sport’s ultimate setting.”

In Canada, CBC/Radio-Canada is handling the streaming coverage with its CBC Rio 2016 app for iOS and Android.

According to the CBC website, “there will be up to 23 online channels with over 4,000 live streaming hours.”

And in the UK, the BBC will be offering comprehensive access to the Games, with more than 3,000 hours of sports.

“The BBC’s coverage of London 2012 was the most watched TV event in UK broadcasting history and we are committed to bringing the same high quality, in-depth coverage to Rio 2016. The incredible offering across all our platforms will deliver every moment of the Games through a truly interactive, personalised experience, while at the same time fully immersing audiences in this iconic sporting event just as we were so proud to do four years ago,” said Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport.

As is the case every four years, champions will rise, and records will fall. We can’t wait to see the medal count in the end.

Author: Brian Cameron
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Political Conventions Embrace the Streaming Era

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 16:03:00 +0000

It’s hard to believe just how much has changed since the last U.S. national political conventions in 2012. Nowadays, there are a whole litany of connected device apps and OTT platforms used by Americans to consume their content, and the 2016 campaigns and teams are utilizing everything available to them in an effort to share their messages.

“Less and less people are watching live television,” said Sam Osborne, digital director for the Republican National Convention (RNC). If you’re not using live streams, you “will not get your message out to the people that you need to reach.”

“TV is still really important,” added Teddy Goff, chief digital strategist for the Clinton campaign. “But things are changing really quickly.”

For both the RNC and the Democratic National Convention (DNC), which formally nominate their candidates for president and vice president, broadcast network CBS and Twitter have teamed up to host live streams of the speeches.

“Twitter is the fastest way to find out what’s happening in politics and to have a discussion about it,” said Anthony Noto, Twitter’s chief financial officer.

Facebook Live also partnered with numerous media businesses for streaming.

"This is the most engaged we've been at the convention and it’s highly correlated to the fact we have a lot of tools to offer,” Crystal Patterson, Facebook head of government and politics outreach, told Politico. "Our presence at the convention is different because our role generally in the conversation around elections is different."

Other companies established live streams of the gavel-to-gavel proceedings too.

Twitch, a service for gamers, setup a way to view the RNC and the DNC.

“We see this as a public service,” Twitch wrote in a blog post. “It’s an opportunity for you to engage in the political process, and with each other, during this election year without leaving your native habitat, using the social and communication tools you know and love.”

Bing created a special search query for those interested in learning more on the candidates, and it also allows users to stream conventions directly from the search engine.

And YouTube again took on the task of streaming both conventions, which it did during the last election cycle in 2012.

“We believe that access to more information can help everyone participate in the political process and we look forward to the YouTube community’s lively discussion as we prepare to elect our next president,” YouTube stated.

As there have been so many different methods for streaming these conventions, it’s become a bit challenging calculating the total amount of viewers for each in order to compare the numbers to previous years.

Don't compare TV ratings to 4/8 years ago. Not about Trump or Romney, but American media habits. Traditional TV viewing not what it once was
— Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) July 22, 2016

The RNC and DNC each developed official apps for people at home to engage with their events as well, both featuring live streams and 360-degree cameras.

Dirck Schou, the co-founder of Taqtile, the company that assisted the DNC, was pleased with the app’s functionality.

“It’s meant for the people that are going to the event, but it’s also meant for people who are not in front of their TV or in front of their computers and they want to watch the live videos. It’s a participation tool for people that are either there in person or that are consuming it on their mobile devices,” Schou said.

Audrey Scagnelli, the national press secretary for the RNC, had similar sentiments.

“I think this app is one of the ways we're working to reach people and communicate and share information that I think is really from a digital perspective across many different platforms reaching different audiences and really bringing the convention to anybody who's interested,” Scagnelli said in an interview with Adweek.

Also a new factor for 2016: Snapchat Live Stories.

I don't think I've ever seen convention coverage like on Snapchat stories. It feels like being there in a way TV does not.
— Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) July 27, 2016

“The 2016 Democratic National Convention will use Snapchat to bring the convention experience to the viewer’s fingertips,” convention spokesman Morgan Finkelstein told USA TODAY. "Snapchat will provide a ton of different perspectives — from a delegate on the floor, to what it’s like to be backstage during the big event and everything in-between.”

“There are a lot of moments that people will be able to watch on a lot of different platforms, but I think there’s something really personal about having a Snapchat,” said Scagnelli. “It’s raw, it’s in real time, I think it really brings the convention right to you.”

The only technology that seems to be missing from the festivities is virtual reality. Will 2020 conventions utilize this quickly-evolving format to place viewers directly on the floor?

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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TV’s Presence at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 20:18:00 +0000

Over this past weekend, San Diego Comic-Con thrilled fans of comics, cinema and television with celebrity panels and encounters.

Last year, we reflected upon the prominence of TV at this popular annual event.

This year, approximately 17 new trailers for upcoming television shows and seasons were released at Comic-Con, whetting the appetites of the viewers in attendance.

And during various discussions and interviews, many had interesting remarks on the state of TV today.

“Like, who knew, dude? TV,” director Kevin Smith told Deadline, when asked about his recent involvement in shows like “The Flash.” “Like, if you just last long enough in this business, man, somewhere, someone will figure out a use for you. Lately, that use for me, because I’ve been making all these weird movies that only I like and stuff, so they figured out a more mainstream use for me, and that’s kind of in the egalitarian society of television, man — where suddenly, you can tell a much longer story.”

Smith is hoping for an even deeper foray into television with a series based on his popular 1990s movie “Mallrats.”

At the panel for Netflix’s upcoming Marvel series “Luke Cage,” showrunner Cheo Coker revealed his thoughts on the production process, as well as binge-viewing.

“I wanted the 13 episodes to feel almost like an album,” Coker said. “Binge watching is the only thing [anymore] where you sit down and there’s a rhythm to everything that’s connected.”

The episode titles for “Luke Cage” are references to well-known hip-hop tracks.

Citing the theme of music in the show, Coker mused that in a former era, consumers would purchase a new album and immediately play through every song, which in a way, is how binge-viewing television works today.

“When a Prince record came out, or some big record came out in the old days, we shut down everything and listened to it. The only time we do that now is binge-watching,” said Coker.

Considering the overwhelming part TV has to play at this convention, one can’t help but wonder if this aspect will eventually be spun off into its own gathering.

Author: Brian Cameron

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A Primer on Residual Reporting and Entertainment Rights

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 15:24:00 +0000

In the entertainment industry, the act of receiving a paycheck works a bit differently than in most other fields of business. Unlike normal jobs, where an employee acquires their payment after work is completed, actors, writers, directors and others get a check any time the movie or television show to which they contributed is rebroadcast, purchased on DVD/blu-ray, or used on other occasions.

The term for this specific type of payment is called a residual, or royalty. Often times, entertainers will depend upon this money when they’re in the process of locating their next job.

The system was developed during the dawn of television in the 1950s, where the young industry copied the idea from the radio. In 1960, after a strike, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) successfully negotiated with film producers, and an agreement was formed where residuals would be sent out when movies were aired on TV, in addition to episode re-runs.

The check even inspired the name of a Studio City, California, bar, Re$iduals, which opened in 1986, and accepts residuals checks for less than $1 from customers in exchange for an alcoholic beverage. Employees are required to work in show biz.

According to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) “Residuals Survival Guide,” there are normally two versions of calculations made to determine residual amounts - “revenue-based,” where the credited writer receives a percentage from the company based on receipts, and “fixed,” which relies on various factors, including the product type, length, budget and employment contract.

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) ratified a new contract in February 2014; under the DGA Basic Agreement, members receive 1.2% of distributor’s gross for pay-TV redistribution and rebroadcast.

For actors and members of SAG-AFTRA, the amount of compensation they receive tends to be a percentage of the distributor’s gross as well.

Accurate TV metadata is of the utmost importance when it comes to residuals, as studios analyze and verify the information to determine when a program has aired, what regional market it aired in and who participated in the production.

Many businesses depend on archival and historical data to ensure that checks are disbursed properly.

When a metadata vendor fails to include the proper participant information, or television shows and movies are not correctly listed, that means that someone involved, like a cast or crew member, might not be receiving a paycheck, and perhaps one of the major reasons that accuracy and robustness of entertainment metadata is so important.

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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The Emergence of the “Ditch the Box” STB Plan

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 19:52:00 +0000

After cable giant Comcast and streaming titan Netflix entered an historic alliance earlier this month, the FCC’s “Unlock the Box” set-top box proposal, which had previously been seen to be gaining steam over the past several months, ran into a brick wall.

Several Congressional supporters seem to have backed away.

An industry alternative has appeared, which is being described as “Ditch the Box.” While not all details are available as of yet, allegedly viewers can reach cable TV through apps, but it is unclear if this is restricted to smart televisions only, or if it will include any/all connected or mobile devices.

The plan’s outline calls for “apps, not boxes,” “no monthly box rental fees,” “integrated search,” “concrete deadlines” and more. It’s being promoted by the Future of Television Coalition and the Motion Picture Association.

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said the 1-2 page plan was a mere “press release,” but claimed it was “heartening” that the concept was put forward.

Roku, however, is demonstrating dissent because of the perceived smart TV limitations.

In a meeting with the FCC, Roku said that “Ditch the Box” was “"ill-advised given that consumers have clearly demonstrated their preference for an array of devices with diverse user experiences at various price points, which has spurred competition and innovation in the marketplace."

Public Knowledge also had problems with this new plan.

“The proposal does not allow for many features that consumers want, such as home recording, and it does not allow for true user interface competition. Additionally, core aspects of the proposal are unclear, in particular, the precise mechanism by which MVPDs propose to provide apps for various hardware and software platforms, and whether consumers would need a broadband connection to access video programming instead of leveraging their existing MVPD connections,” Public Knowledge wrote in a blog post.

We are still many months away from a complete solution.

Will the FCC’s original proposal be the final word (especially after the President has endorsed its efforts), or will pay-TV and the FCC reach some sort of compromise?

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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From OTT "Siege” into full-out “Invasion”

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 20:32:00 +0000

Last week, Moody’s released a new report that pay-tv businesses and networks will likely find intriguing. Titled "Pay TV and Television Networks -- US: OTT Invasion: Grand Bargain Required forLong-Term Sector and Credit Stability,” the findings indicate that over-the-top services appear to be the model for TV that is showing the most growth.

“If the masters of big media and distribution were placed in a room and asked to start from scratch, to create a TV business model using the latest technology and providing a product most appealing to consumers and most efficient for advertisers, it would look a lot more like Netflix and Facebook, respectively, than today’s television ecosystem,” said Moody’s senior vice president and analyst Neil Begley. “So, the best option is for the largest companies in content production, aggregation (networks) and distribution (pay-TV providers) to come together and agree on new contractual constructs supporting a new platform supported by the latest available technology that will underlie video distribution and the advertising that subsidizes its cost.”

The report also suggested that television companies should “end the linear distribution model.”

It’s a bit of a shift from a Moody’s report published in April last year, “High Yield Cable's Broadband Still Effective Defense Against Over-the-Top Siege.”

At this time, it was recommended that investors should “stick with cable despite [the] OTT rush.” Seemingly, in a little over a year, the winds have changed.

The results are also in line with Nielsen’s newly released Total Audience Report for Q1 2016, which revealed that SVOD/OTT options and DVRs are now available in 50% of U.S. TV households.

The OTT “invasion” sounds quite permanent. That would make it an occupying force – one that is not likely to be expelled.

Author: Brian Cameron

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OTT in Q2 2016

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 21:09:00 +0000

It’s once again time for our quarterly roundup of the major happenings in the OTT space. Below, find a monthly breakdown of what’s been occurring.

April

In April, cable network Starz launched its $8.99/month standalone streaming service.

“This is the direction technology is taking us, and we’re looking to explore that,” said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht in an interview with CNBC.

Commenting on the overall industry, Albrech stated “I do think that people will be able to, probably, create their own array of television or entertainment choices. Whether they, you know, buy them individual apps or they’re companies that deliver apps, that can be a sort of virtual MPVD service, this certainly is the way of the future.”

Seeking to take on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video became a monthly service, also with a $8.99/month cost.

“Because we have this unusual way to monetize the premium content, we can charge less for the premium content than we would otherwise have to charge, if we didn't have the flywheel spinning to help sell more shoes,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said.

May

In May, CBS’ experimentation with streaming news updates was declared “the future of CBS News” by executive vice president Marc Debevoise.

It was also revealed that YouTube is planning an online TV service for 2017 – “Unplugged” – which would seemingly compete with skinny bundles and SVODs like Dish and PS Vue.

June

Harkening back to April, Lionsgate announced in June that it will be acquiring Starz in a $4.4 billion deal.

“Chris Albrecht and his team have built a world-class platform and programming leader, and we’re proud to marshal our resources in a deal that accelerates our growth and diversification, generates exciting new strategic content opportunities and creates significant value for our shareholders,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.

It will be intriguing to see if/how the movie studio utilizes Starz streaming technology to distribute original film and television content.

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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Fourth of July 2016 TV Specials

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 16:57:00 +0000

This coming Monday is Independence Day, and the celebration of the United States’ 240^th birthday!

As such, live television programming that revolves around this display of patriotism will be airing on multiple networks; additionally, many movies inspired by the founding of the U.S. and other key moments in American history will be appearing.

Please see below for a schedule of the TV events. All times are EST.

Specials

*8 p.m. “A Capitol Fourth,” PBS. Performances from Smokey Robinson, Kenny Loggins, Gavin DeGraw, Cassadee Pope and more.

*8 p.m. “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular,” NBC. Performances from Kenny Chesney, 5 Seconds of Summer, Meghan Trainor, the Radio City Rockettes and others.

*9 p.m. “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular,” CBS. Performances from Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Little Big Town and the Boston Pops Esplande Orchestra are featured.

Movies

*7:30 a.m. “The Howards of Virginia,” TCM. In the mid-1700s, Virginian Matt Howard (Cary Grant) and his family experience the Revolutionary War.

*9:30 a.m. “John Paul Jones,” TCM. The life of Scottish American sailor John Paul Jones (Robert Stack), one of the U.S.’ most well-known naval fighters during the Revolutionary War, is portrayed in this 1959 film.

*11:45 a.m. “The Scarlet Coat,” TCM. U.S. Maj. John Bolton (Cornel Wilde) and British Maj. John Andre (Michael Wildling) engage one another during the Revolutionary War.

*1:30 p.m. “The Devil’s Disciple,” TCM. As the Revolutionary War unfolds, the Rev. Anthony Anderson (Burt Lancaster) and an outcast (Kirk Douglas) must make bold decisions.

*3 p.m. “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” TCM. This 1939 Academy Award-winning political comedy-drama features a naïve man (James Stewart) taking on corruption in the U.S. Senate.

*3:45 p.m. “National Treasure,” HBO. Historian Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicholas Cage) quests for hidden world treasures that were secreted away by American Freemasons.

*8 p.m. “The Music Man,” TCM. Salesman Harold Hill (Robert Preston) travels to various towns, conducting a band-inspired hoax against the residents.

*8 p.m. “Independence Day,” HBO. In this 1996 sci-fi classic, Capt. Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and satellite technician David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) assist President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) in battling an alien threat to Earth.

*10:45 p.m. “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” TCM. James Cagney stars as beloved Broadway musical writer George M. Cohan in this 1942 Academy Award-winning picture.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

Author: Brian Cameron’

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TV Summits Reveal Pressures of OTT Biz

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 20:02:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, two major television-themed events offered intriguing insights as to the experiences Over-the-Top (OTT) executives, participants and industry leaders are having.

At the June 14 “Tune In: The TV Summit 2016,” hosted by Variety at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, actress Mindy Kaling (star of “The Mindy Project”) provided thoughts on binge-viewing and working with OTT company Hulu.

During a discussion with reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister, Kaling described the feeling of serenity that arrives when one is no longer concerned with the TV ratings system.

“I don’t know what the ratings are. They tell me we’re doing great and that’s it,” Kaling told Wagmeister. “I think that’s great. I don’t need the Wednesday morning panicky feeling. The ratings from the [night before] govern your entire morning. I’m so happy not to be part of that anymore.”

"I like it!" @mindykaling says of not having to worry about ratings at @hulu. Can worry about other things instead. #TVSummit
— Michael Schneider (@franklinavenue) June 14, 2016

Kaling also said she enjoys Hulu’s one-episode-a-week release schedule, stating that she “[doesn’t] want to bury our episodes.”

Others talked about the evolution of TV, with one attendee gleaning that “TV screens are now digital devices … 70% of Hulu is seen on a big screen.”

The following day, the Next TV Summit & Expo was held almost 400 miles north at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco.

Roku CMO Matthew Anderson said the industry was “in the midst of a TV renaissance.”

Hulu also had a presence at this gathering, where many OTT platform operators discussed user acquisition and preservation.

“The first 90 seconds is critical,” said Ben Smith, Hulu senior vice president and head of experience, adding that if a viewer cannot locate content to watch, they are “more likely to churn … If they don’t find value, they won’t pay.”

“If you don’t hook them the first time, you may never,” chimed in Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media. “Attracting [viewers] is easy. Retaining them isn’t as simple.”

Intensity certainly appears to be a key theme for companies in the OTT space – as well as the need for viewers to efficiently navigate an interface to locate TV and entertainment content.

Author: Brian Cameron

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How Periscope Prevailed Over Politics and Became TV

noreply@blogger.com (FYI Television) — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 19:04:00 +0000

In January, a large puddle attracted incredible attention on livestreaming app Periscope, with the amount of viewers drawing comparisons to cable networks.

Yesterday, Periscope literally metamorphosed into cable television.

Members of the Democratic Party took over the House to stage a sit-in on the floor; in response Republicans adjourned the session, which meant that C-SPAN cameras were turned off.

However, the elected officials took matters into their own hands and began livestreaming the protest, and it was soon picked up by C-SPAN and others as the only ongoing chronicle of the drama.

“C-SPAN doesn't control the House cameras, which have been switched off since the sit-in began Wednesday at 11:25am ET,” the network communicated to viewers in a blog post. “We are showing you Periscope and Facebook feeds from several members throughout the sit-in, including Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), and Don Beyer (D-VA).”

C-SPAN has no control over the U.S. House TV cameras. Now showing a @periscopeco from @RepScottPeters. pic.twitter.com/L3JeHuSdL5
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 22, 2016

It was unprecedented, as House rules do not allow for independent filming and photography on the floor (nor do they allow for sit-in protests).

“This is a milestone moment,” C-SPAN spokesman Howard Mortman told Politico. “We’ve got a commitment to C-SPAN as a public service, a privately funded public service to connect Americans to Congress to show what's happening in Congress … this certainly rises to the event of something happening in Congress."

"Today is an example of what drives us. Twitter and Periscope take you where other cameras don't — letting you experience breaking news through the eyes of those living it,” Periscope co-founder and CEO Kayvon Beykpour said in a statement to BuzzFeed.

Mortman expanded on the historic nature in interviews with other media outlets.

For the network, this was the “first continuous use of Periscope,” he informed Gizmodo.

“What we’re showing right now is unusual and extraordinary,” Mortman added. “If the House feed is off but members are providing video, our team is going through editorially what makes sense. If this video’s available we’re going to put it on the air.”

While the House session ended in the wee hours of the night, many politicians remained, and as of early this morning, were still broadcasting on Periscope.

Members of Congress still LIVE on #Periscope from the House https://t.co/mazxglvBKJ
— Periscope (@periscopeco) June 23, 2016

Livestreaming has officially shaped the politics of the country – where will it unexpectedly pop up next? Seemingly, nowhere where physical cameras were previously unallowed is safe. Should private donor events be covered in this way as well?

Author: Brian Cameron

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