111111 MINE Mi MEN 113MBEHL *******************ALLFOR ADC 07099 110711590373P 19930622 edl ep SADC LAURA K JONES, ASSITANT MGR vALDrwinmKg MT PLEASAnY -ON NJ 07885-2120 11111111111111111111111111111 Vol. 8 No. 7 THE NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE MEDIA February 16, 1998 $3.25 MAGAZINES MARKET Money INDICATORS National TV: Slow Cashes Out The networks are dras- ANI tically cutting prices to On Covers sell remaining first- New editor of quarter inventory, but buyer desire isn't Time Inc. monthly there. Second quarter scraps 2 franchise is wide open. special issues Net Cable: Active PAGE 5 First-quarter scatter is tight, particularly at WASHINGTON A&E, ESPN and Com- edy Central. Second Telecom Law quarter is uptrending and a healthy upfront Stirs Trouble is anticipated. CPMs are pacing at low dou- At the FCC ble-digit increases. Furchgott-Roth at Spot TV: Slow odds with Kennard Buyers were holding over biennial Calling all cartoonists: off last week, fearing review of '96 Act Olympics' dominance Broadcast and cable of the ratings. West PAGE 6 Coast is starting to per- colate; packaged 4A's CONFERENCE networks are in a scramble for sophisti- goods and movies are The High lumbering along. cated, edgy animated Price of Radio: Mixed shows to attract young Top 30 markets are expected to be Broadcast adults in prime time. jammed for the next few weeks. Tellecom Mergers PAGE 4 "is going nuts," but Consolidation and UPN's newest hire, Dilbert auto spending is trending lower. LMAs are driving up advertising rates Magazines: Heating Consumer electronics is across the country, starting to heat up, with agency study says network TV ads remain- PAGE 8 Oscar's TV Gold ing hot. Tech and insur- ance also strong. Phar- 0 7 > maceuticals are rela- Big ratings seen for ABC's Academy AwardsPAGE 5 tively weak. I 1 2 Roadblock across Discovery Networks to reach upscale, curious and involved consumers. That's one mega -powered media buy. Coming to the 1998-1999 Upfront. LC *POI telNNEL DWOMPU DFOUell CHANNEL 'DIGITAL NETWORKS L II '1L NETWORKS OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC MEDIAWEEK February 16, 1998 http://www.mediaweek.com PAGE 3 LaJia Jones FEB1 8 1998 AT DEADLINE Partners Redraw Fox Kids Affiliate Pact Clinton-Travolta Scientology Tie, by George Fox Broadcastinc, last Friday hashed out the parameters of a new George magazine reports in its March issue that church and state ownership structure of the Fox Kids Network with its affiliates, but collided last April. Writer Josh Young quotes Scientologist/movie details were not disclosed. Fox Kids is jointly owned by Saban star John Travolta as saying that President Clinton volunteered to Entertainment and the Fox affiliates. A Fox representative would help improve Germany's treatment of the Scientologists when the say only that "while no formal deal was struck, both sides were pro- two met in Washington. Clinton subsequently had national securi- gressing toward a strong mutual agreement." The new deal is ty advisor Sandy Berger brief Travolta on the issue, the story expected to be announced this week. The Fox representative con- reports. At the time, the actor was preparing to play Clinton's tended that the discussions are separate from the network's talks dead ringer in the film adaptation of Joe Klein's Primary Colors. with its affiliates to help fund Fox's recently renewed NFL rights. The upcoming film reportedly portrays Clinton in a much more Fox's affiliates already contribute a reported $30 million per year favorable light than the book. George's March issue hits the stands for football. on Feb. 24. Seinfeld Finale Spots Ready to Go INSIDE New Study on TV Viewing by Race NBC is expected to begin selling the final episode of Black households watch 43 percent more television Seinfeld this week, initially targeting movie compa- than non -black households each week, but the gap nies, media buyers said. Because of potentially strong has closed by 7 percent since 1993, according to a interest by studios, the network is said to have been nationwide study by New York-based TN Media asking them whether they would be willing to forego Inc. Black households currently watch an average of "pod protection"-meaning that two competing 72.4 hours of TV a week, compared to non -black movie companies could end up advertising in the households, which average 50.8 hours per week. same commercial break. Asking price for the May 14 Black households watch more TV in all dayparts; the swan song (9-10 p.m. EDT) remains about$2mil- least differential comes in prime time, where black lion (Mediaweek, Feb. 12). households average 14.9 hours a week compared to 13.4 hours for non -black households. Non -blacks $14 Million for The Saratogan watch more TV across adult demographic groups Last week's sale of The Saratogan in Saratoga Pool warns of rising under 50, but black children and black teens watch Springs, N.Y., by the nonprofit Gannett Foundation local broadcast rates more prime -time TV than their white counterparts. will give its new owner, Journal Register Co. of 8 Trenton, N.J., an opportunity to look at operating January Spending Soars in Mags efficiencies. Insiders said the sale price was $14 mil- TV SPORTS Total ad spending in magazines for January was lion. The acquisition, which complements another 12 up 7.1 percent, to $720.7 million, according to Journal Register property, The Record, in nearby PIB figures released last week. Pages were up 1 Troy, N.Y., creates a new geographic cluster for the LO:AL MEDIA percent, to 13,841. Automotive, which was up 8.3 company. The sale is expected to close April I. 14 percent to $106.8 million, continued as the top category. The most dramatic growth category for Kids Upfront Could Go This Week MAGAZINES the month was toiletries & cosmetics, which The kids upfront marketplace, which has yet to break 18 increased 13.8 percent, to $62.6 million. The aside from a few small deals, could open in earnest drugs & remedies category, a high -growth phe- this week. Last week's Toy Fair ended with no signif- THE MEDIA ELITE nomenon in recent years, edged up only 1.4 per- icant business concluded. All the major kids players 21 cent, to $44.7 million. have made their upfront presentations. But some kids buyers are split on whether business will kick off Corrections:Before joining J. Walter this week or later. Thompson Los Angeles, Lily Katz had worked at Western Inter- national Media in Los Angeles. since 1995. A story in last week's CityVision in Miami Looks at Delay issue gave an incorrect year. In the same issue, a photo of David Silver King Broadcasting will acquire two UHF stations in Atlanta L. Smith, executive vp of entertainment of Frank Magid Associ- and Orlando, Fla., and will delay by two months the rollout of ates, incorrectly ran where a photo of David D. Smith, CEO of CityVision in Miami, chairman Barry Diller announced last week Sinclair Broadcast Group, should have appeared. MEDIAWEEK (ISSN 0155-176X) is published 47 times a year. Regular issues are published weekly except the last week of July and the second and fourthweeks of August and the last two weeks of December by ASM Communications, Inc., a subsidiary of BPI Communications Inc., 1515 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036. Subscriptions are $125 oneyear; $215 two years. Canadian subscriptions $280 per year. All other foreign subscriptions are $280 (using air mail). Registered as a newspaper at the British Post Office.Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y. and additional mailing offices. Subscriber Service (1-800) 722-6658. MEDIAWEEK, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036. Editorial: New York, (212) 536-5336; Los Angeles, (213) 525-2270; Chicago, (312) 464-8525. Sales (212) 536-6528. Classified (1-800-7-ADWEEK). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MEDIAWEEK, P.O. Box 1976, Danbury, CT 06813-1976. Copyright, 1997 ASM Communications, Inc. PAGE 4 http://www.mediaweek.com February 16, 1998 MEDIAWEEK MEDIA WIRE Producer: 'No Unnection' Between CBS News, Nike Drawing in Vi A CBS News investigative reporter has accused the network of letting its Olym- Animation is breaking out around the dialas netwi pian financial ties to Nike influence a decision not to air a negative piece on the TV PROGRAMMING /By Michael Freeman and Jim Cooper shoe manufacturer. CBS reporter Roberta Baskin alleged last week in an internal Television is developing a serious case time would comment. memo to CBS News president Andrew of Toon-itis. Prime -time animated MTV, home to Beavis and Butt -head, Heyward that the net torpedoed her inves- shows are popping up all over the may dabble more in prime -time animation. tigation of Nike because of concerns about broadcast and cable networks, follow- Having just ordered a second season of Daria, the footwear company's sponsorship of ing the current success of edgy adultwhich premieres at 10:30 p.m. tonight, MTV CBS' Olympics broadcasts. Heyward, cartoons such as King of the Hill on is also experimenting with new pilots including according to sources at CBS, was "furi- Fox and South Park on Comedy Central. Hol- Downtown, Cartoon Sushi and Tone Fox (an ous" about Baskin's memo. He wrote back lywood agents, network programmers and '80s "hair band" trying to make it in the '90s), that her actions were "potentially injurious independent producers concur that the hunt is said Abby Terkuhle, the network's president to the reputation of CBS News." on to spice up prime -time schedules with more of animation. Baskin's piece on exploitative working hot animated properties.