FOX LAUNCHES NEW VIDEO STREAMING APP— Fox Springer and Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily with Networks Group on Tuesday launched a new version of Chris Hansen. its Fox Now video app that gives users access to content The race for second place ended in a photo finish from the Fox broadcast network, FX and National with Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly and Warner Bros.’ Geographic Channel. Ellen DeGeneres both posting a 2.4. Live was off 23% The app will add content from Fox Sports in a few from last February, while Ellen dropped 14%. months. Fourth place was also a dead heat between Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st NBCUniversal’s Steve Harvey and Maury. Harvey slid Century Fox, said that the new app was in the works 16% year over year to a 1.6, while Maury eased 11%. while speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams weakened 12% Media & Telecom Conference last month. from last February to a sixth-place 1.5. The app, which features a completely new user NBCU’s two other conflict talkers — Steve Wilkos and interface, is available only for the latest version of Apple Jerry Springer — tied for seventh, with Wilkos sagging TV. 7% and Springer gaining 8%. By making more content available and making it CTD’s Rachael Ray dropped from seventh place last easier for viewers to find what they want, traditional February into a tie for ninth with Sony Pictures media companies like Fox will better be able to Television’s Dr. Oz. Ray was down 19% to a 1.3, while compete with streaming competitors like Netflix. Fox Oz slumped 13%. also owns a piece of Hulu, which is coming out with a NBCU’s newcomer Harry averaged a 1.1 in its first new streaming service featuring live linear network February sweep. Sophomore Crime Watch Daily was programming this spring. one of only three talkers to avoid year-to-year losses, By combining networks, the app will also become a holding steady at a 1.0. more effective advertising vehicle, Murdoch told the Rounding out the field were CTD’s The Doctors and conference. Warner Bros.’ The Real, both of which relinquished 18% “The more data we have on our customers, the to 0.9. better we are at having the capability to monetize All of the court shows were lower, including CTD’s through advertising to those consumers,” he said. leader Judge Judy, which dipped 8% to a 7.3. CTD’s Hot Bench, eased 4% year to year, to a 2.6 and SYNDICATION SCORECARD—Few shows managed to ranked as the third-highest daytime strip for the first show gains in the February 2017 sweep that ran from time in any sweep behind Judy and Phil. Feb. 2 to March 1. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court shrank 15% to a 1.7, CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil was the only talk while its Judge Mathis moved down 13% to a 1.4. show among the top six to out-perform Feb. 2016, Twentieth’s Divorce Court fell 15% to a 1.1. Trifecta’s growing 11% to a 3.9 live plus same day national sweep Judge Faith faded 11% to a 0.8. household average according to Nielsen Media In access, Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud finished 4% Research. higher at a 7.4 to lead all of syndication. CTD’s Wheel of Phil has led the talk shows for 16 major sweeps in a Fortune skidded 6% to a second-place 6.7. CTD’s row and won this one by its widest margin ever. Among Jeopardy! dipped 1% to a 6.6. women 25-54, Phil was again easily best with a 1.8 in Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, with the demo, up 6% from last year at this time. stronger clearances on ABC-owned stations, added 21% At least in part because it was the second-warmest to a 1.7. Debmar-Mercury’s Celebrity Name Game, February on record in the U.S., every other talk and which will end this season, softened 7% to a 1.4. court show was down year to year except NBCU’s Jerry Page 1 of 5 Elsewhere, Disney-ABC’s viral video show In fact, the White House press office was trumpeting RightThisMinute, which also moved to stronger stations the story in an email Tuesday issued by White House this season, picked up 17% to a 1.4. press secretary Sean Spicer. All of the magazines fell from last year. CTD’s leader, In the story—the White House included a link to the Entertainment Tonight, dipped 3% to a 3.4 sweep online version—the Post says: "Aides say that the average, extending its winning streak to 105 president sees a new Washington emerging from the consecutive sweeps. ET also got a 24% boost from the budget process, one that prioritizes the military and prior week to a 4.0 on Feb. 27 for its next-day coverage homeland security while slashing many other areas, of the 89th Academy Awards. including housing, foreign assistance, environmental CTD’s Inside Edition retreated 3% for the sweep to a programs, public broadcasting and research." 3.0. Warner Bros.’ TMZ was off 11% to a 1.6. NBCU’s The President has not been shy about attacking news Access Hollywood eroded 12% to a 1.5, but rose 29% stories he does not like, including in the Post, so the fact from the prior week to a 1.8 on Feb. 27 after the Oscars. that the White House circulated the Post story to other Warner Bros.’ Extra yielded 13% to a 1.3, but jumped reporters with a link suggests the story squares with the 25% to a 1.5 with its Oscar coverage. CTD’s The Insider, Administration's view of their budget-cutting, which will end its run after this season, backed off 8% to Washington restructuring plan. a 1.2, but got an 18% bump from the prior week on Feb. Earlier in the week, the Republican National 27 to a 1.3. Committee and Donald Trump team sent out an online Twentieth’s Dish Nation declined 11% to a 0.8. survey seeking input on whether to fund or defund a Trifecta’s Celebrity Page posted a 0.3 in its first February host of programs, from the UN and sanctuary cities to sweep under that title. veterans affairs and arts projects. All of the top-ten off-net sitcoms were down compared to last February. ACA PUSHES FCC TO ELIMINATE CHARTER OVERBUILD Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory slipped 8% to a CONDITION—The American Cable Association has filed 5.6 in its sixth season in syndication. Twentieth’s a letter with the FCC on behalf of 38 small and mid- Modern Family declined 9% to a 3.1 in year four. sized ISPs asking the FCC to remove the overbuild Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved 7% lower to a condition in the Charter-Time Warner Cable merger. 2.6 in season 10. Twentieth’s Family Guy gave back 5% "[W]e all have plans to invest in improved network to a 2.0 in year 10, tying Twentieth’s freshman Last Man technologies to offer greater performance or to expand Standing in its first February sweep. Warner Bros.’ Mike our networks into unserved areas. Unfortunately, the & Molly dropped 10% to a 1.9 in year three. Warner merger condition requiring Charter to overbuild other Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls plunged 23% to a 1.7 in its providers has undermined those plans to provide sophomore season. Twentieth’s How I Met Your Mother improved services and reach new customers," the ISPs was greeted with a 24% decline to a 1.3 in season 7. told the FCC. "We write to encourage the Commission Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show dropped 29% to a 1.2 to act in the best interests of millions of unserved and in year four, tying Twentieth’s King of the Hill, which underserved customers by eliminating the overbuild descended 8% in year 16, and SPT’s Seinfeld, which condition." deteriorated 37% in season 22. The letter went to all three commissioners, but ACA is definitely preaching to the choir when it comes to FCC SPICER CIRCULATES NEW STORY PREDICTING TRUMP chairman Ajit Pai and likely commissioner Michael BUDGET WILL SLASH NONCOM MEDIA FUNDING— O'Rielly, which would be a majority of the commission The White House was not taking issue with a at the moment. Washington Post story saying the President planned to FCC sources have told B&C that Pai circulated an item slash the funding for public broadcasting in his budget, last month to adjust the Charter-Time Warner Cable expected to be released Thursday. deal buildout condition so that it would no longer Page 2 of 5 require Charter to overbuild where a million homes MOZILLA ADDS TWO CITIES TO GIGABIT COMMUNITY were already getting broadband service. FUND—Mozilla (Firefox) is adding two cities to its The 2 million buildout requirement remains, but Gigabit Community Fund. according to the item that could now all be buildouts to The fund is awarding $300,000 in grants to leverage currently unserved homes, with no overbuilding, though gigabit fiber networks in Eugene, Ore., and Lafayette, Charter could still choose to overbuild those one La., the company said. million. They are just no longer required to do so. The money will go to things like ultra-high definition Charter last year said it intended to focus its overbuild in the classroom and VR field trips, taking a page or two activity on telco broadband providers, not other cable from existing Mozilla gigabit cities Austin, Texas; companies.