11111 IIIII/IIIIIIIIIII 11111111i 078 3- IBXBBBHL*******************AUTO20040621 edl ep 2 S3DG 4006171484#9 LAURA JONES,ASSISTANT MGR WALJENBOOKS 124 42 MOUNT PLEASANTAVE WHARTON NJ 07885-2120 E1,11111111111111illiliIiIiiiiia1111111t1111111111iltiiin IIII VOL. 12 NO. 32 THE NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE MEDIA SEPTEMBER 9, 2002 $3.95 MARKET INDICATORS NATIONAL TV: BUSY Nets Eye Early -Season Edge Despite lingering ques- NBC, CBS in stare -down for opening night; competitors jump-start premieres PAGE 4 tions about the econo- my, advertisers are flocking to prime time. WASHINGTON Fourth quarter is tight. Fox has postseason EchoStar Foes baseball avails. NET CABLE: WARM Fire Up Protest Fourth quarter is pacing Opposition intensifies as at a healthy clip, with most holds on upfront Justice Dept. nears ruling inventory going to order. PAGE 5 Busiest categories are movies, beverages and telecommunications. TV STATIONS SPOT TV: STEADY Stations continue to TVB: Spot Flat enjoy healthy back -to - school, political, auto Through 2003 and real estate spend- Missing Olympic, political ing. Telecom is starting to pick up in small to dollars will slow market mid -sized markets. PAGE 6 RADIO: MIXED Despite some softness RESEARCH in retail, which typically runs aggressive back - to -school campaigns, More Study for automotive and enter- tainment are tightening Portable MeterWARREN LI IL up inventory in some Arbitron and Nielsen markets. Overall, rev- ed the Armani enue is pacing up in agree to delay rollout low double -digits PAGE 6 AA*, through October. sident aving- MAGAZINES: ACTIVE Mediaweek Magazine The back -to -school Monitor PAGE 37 fun as prothicer of season has teen titles pulling in healthy ad two new prime -time business from retail shows BY ALAN JAMES F' clothing brands and PAGE 22 telecom gear, includ- 11 ing cell phones. 0 89931 2iii Dear Mike & Mike, I wanted to thank Mike andMike in the Morning for helping make our new "MaxMeans More" campaign a huge success. You guys arethe best! As for OfficeMax's first annual"ESPN Radio Office Party," the way Mike Greenberg wonthe bobbing for paper clips contest was an inspirationto us all. And who knew the other Mike was such amasterful Liquid Papery face painter? We had no idea youcould do that sort of stuff with office supplies. Clearly, yourtalents go much deeper than sports broadcasting. pictures. We're just happy tobe No need to thank us for the .001016ew part of the most entertainingsports radio show on the air. Sincerely, Michael Feuer CEO OfficeMax "We've had great success on network radio and ESPN Radio has been a huge part of that success," Michael Feuer, CEO, OfficeMax. With over 16 million listeners and a lineup of winning results, it's no wonder why advertisers are some of our biggest fans. RADIO TO ADVERTISE, CALL ESPN RADIO TODAY AT (212) 735-1706. TIE ACIPILCVVIDE LaFIDER IN SPOFTS WE'LL MAKE A FAN OUT OF YOU YET! ww-w.esfon rad io.corri LigeId Paw h a registered trademark of The Gillette Company. At Deadline RAIN DAMPENS U.S. OPEN RATINGS BUSINESSWEEKCNET PARTNER ON TECH GUIDE Rain delays throughout the first 11 days of the U.S. Open tennis Business Week, published by McGraw-Hill Cos., and CNET Net- tournament adversely affected ratings for both CBS' and USA works will partner for the first time on the weekly magazine's Network's coverage. CBS' Labor Day weekend Saturday and eighth annual Technology Buyer's Guide, on stands in mid - Sunday coverage recorded a combined 1.6 rating/5 share, down November. CNET's product reviews team will assist with the 30 percent from a 2.3/7 last year, according to Nielsen Media guide, published in Business Week and on both companies' Web Research. Through Sept. 5, USA's Open telecasts averaged an sites. Content will also appear on Business Week Money Talks' overall 1.1, down 26 percent from last year's 1.5. Pete Sam- weekly syndicated television program. The collaborative effort pras' blowout of Andy Roddick last Thursday, which lasted less will also extend to ad sales. than two hours, recorded a 1.9/7 rating in prime time on USA, down 9 percent from the comparable night's match last year HOMELAND SECURITY NETWORK PLANNED between Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt, which recorded a 2.1/6. A consortium of public and private groups is developing plans for the Citizens Homeland Network, a centralized educational NFL KICKOFF A WINNER ON ESPN and information initiative that would connect The Sept. 5 kickoff of the National Football ordinary citizens with government agencies, law League season on ESPN drew a household rat- -NSIDE enforcement and lay groups to exchange tips ing of 9.4, the network's highest rated telecast and information on emergency readiness, secu- since a Sunday night game on Dec. 5. 1999, rity and combatting terrorism. Its media compo- which earned a 10.6. The San Francisco 49ers' nents include a dedicated cable/satellite chan- victory over the New York Giants was also the nel and Web sites with localized content, along eighth most -watched program in cable -TV histo- with PSA-type programming, an awareness cam- ry. The Thursday night rating was 21 percent paign and sponsored events. The project, still in higher than the 7.8 recorded by last season's its early stages, calls for a pilot test to begin in opening game telecast on Sunday, Sept. 9. Tampa, Fla., later this month. Its proponents ESPN had guaranteed advertisers a 9.0 rating. are seeking $3 million in funding from the Department of Justice, an appropriation that 111 ABC RADIO BUYS FORWARD STATION could come as early as this week. ABC Radio has agreed to purchase WEVD-AM in New York from The Forward Association for $78 ADDENDA: Angela Arambulo, most recenty million. Since last September, ABC has been fashion director of Vibe, will join Wenner Media's operating the station as an ESPN Radio affiliate Rolling Stone in the same capacity...Rodale's through a two-year local marketing agreement year -old Organic Style will raise its circulation rate NBC's Mitch Metcalf will with Forward, which included an option to pur- base for the second time to 600,000 with the try a 90 -minute drama in chase the station in another year. The sale of March/April 2003 issue, a 20 percent increase... prime time Page 4 the station marks Forward's exit from broadcast- Craig Robinson, most recently vp of sales for ing. Forward continues to publish The Forward NBC's WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., was named newspaper in English, Russian and Yiddish. Local Media 10 president and general manager of WCMH-TV, NBC's owned -and -operated station in Columbus. TNT CUTSWITCHBLAUE Market Profile 12 Ohio. Robinson succeeds Michael Jack, who is TNT last week canceled its highly rated drama The Blunt Pencil 21 now president/gm of WRC-TV...Court TV's new Witchblade after the show's second season. series I, Detective premiered on Sept. 4 at Witchblade was TNT's only original drama and had Magazines 36 9:30 p.m. with a 1.0 rating and delivered consistently performed for the network, averaging 722,000 households, according to Nielsen a 2.0 rating since launching in the summer of Media Research. 2000 as a two-hour movie. While star Yancy Butler checked her- self into a clinic for the treatment of alcohol abuse in May, TNT IN MEMORIAM representatives said Butler's troubles were not the reason the On the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the show was canceled. "The network feels that the series has staff of Mediaweek would like to honor the memory of all reached a fitting conclusion and did not feel stretching to a third those who lost their lives and to extend our sympathies to all season was in the best interest of the show," said a TNT repre- who lost loved ones on that terrible day. We wish all our read- sentative. ers peace and prosperity in the coming year. MEDIAVVEEK (ISSN 0155-176X, USPS 885-580) is published 46 times a year. Regular issues are published weekly except 7/8, 7/22, 8/5, 8/26, 12/23 and 12/30 byVNU Business Publications USA., 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003. Subscriptions are $149 one year, $249 two years. Canadian subscriptions are $342 per year. All other foreign subscriptions are $319 (using airmail). Registered as a newspaper at the British Pos; Office. Canadian Post Publication Agreement Number 1430238. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Subscriber Service (1-800) 722-6658. 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Reprints (651) 582-3800. www.mediaweek.com September 9, 2002 MEDIAWEEK 3 Nets Jockey for CBS and USA Pledge to Continue Masters Coverage CBS and USA Network say they plan to broadcast the Masters golf tournament New -Season Edge next April despite protests from the National Council of Women's Organiza- NBC, CBS ready for opening -night rumble; competitors to start slates early tions that the Augusta National golf club, host of the major tournament, excludes NETWORK TV By John Consoli women from its membership.