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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2018.The Daily News of TV Sales Friday, September 27, 2019

ADVERTISERS PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO NEWS Big sporting events like the Super Bowl bring a lot of eyes to television, but a new analysis of viewing data shows sports has a new rival on the viewing field: news. A new VAB report shows news and political content is now attracting viewer numbers that are traditionally in the realm of sports. Most importantly, VAB says advertisers have taken note of the “sport-like” interest and passion exhibited by TV news viewers and are taking action, the trade group says in America’s Newest Pastime. Perhaps no data illustrates the thesis more than viewership of the 2016 Super Bowl and that year’s presidential debates. The numbers show that while both drew 112 million viewers, according to Nielsen, the aggregated time spent viewing the debates was 81 percent higher. And while the average viewer watched 142 minutes of the Patriots-Broncos matchup, they spent 257 minutes tuned to the debates. Things haven’t slowed down in the years since. VAB’s analysis shows the amount of minutes Adults 18+ spent watching national TV news programming rose 7 percent between 2016 and 2018. Television is by far the platform where the most Americans say they’d prefer to get news. Pew says 44 percent like watching on TV, compared to 34 percent who said online, 14 percent who said radio and 7 percent that liked print. “As the No. 1 trusted source for news, multiscreen TV is the people’s preference and now over 40 billion hours of national TV news are being consumed by adults annually, a 34 percent increase since 2014,” according to VAB analysis. In another parallel, a growing number enjoy watching news events on TV with others. The VAB says it’s turning into a social activity like sports, with socializing around televised news events appealing most to upscale, educated, younger professionals. It also means more people are watching news outside the home. In fact, Nielsen data shows more people watched political news outside the home than sports by nearly a 20-point margin (74% vs. 55%). While some of that out-of-home news viewing occurs in bars, restaurants and friends’ homes, news most out-performs sports in at-work, gym, airport and hotel settings. “When people watch it out-of-home, they’re typically viewing with a tight circle of family or friends,” the reports says. The data shows when people watch news outside the home, most prefer to do so with family (60%) and friends (51%) compared to coworkers. “With so many viewers reliant on, and engaged with, TV news as their No. 1 trusted source for information, advertisers have taken notice,” the VAB report says. “And because of that, annual TV spending in the news genre has increased 30 percent since 2015, with more brands advertising each year.” It calculates marketers spent a record $7.4 billion on national TV news programming in 2018 alone. That’s a 31

(Continued on Page 3)

STUDY FINDS NEWS VIEWING ON PAR WITH SPORTSADVERTISER NEWS Best Buy is bullish on its future, Chain Store Age reports. The consumer electronics company is targeting revenue of $50 billion by fiscal 2025, the company said in a release. Best Buy also said it plans $1 billion of additional cost reductions and efficiencies during the next five years. Best Buy is still targeting revenue of $43.1 billion to $43.6 billion for fiscal 2020... Lululemon will shutter its last seven Ivivva

kids stores in the U.S. and Canada by mid-2020 as it focuses on expanding its menswear line and growing globally, the workout wear retailer said. Lululemon announced plans two years ago to close almost 50 Ivivva locations and concentrate on the brand’s e-commerce

presence... Amazon is adding its voice assistant to new products including eyeglasses, wireless earbuds and a ring to wear on your finger. It’s a “new line of wearables that will push Alexa into every corner of your life,” The Washington Post reports... Mattel, the maker of Barbie, “is diversifying its doll lineup once again, this time with a gender-inclusive product,” Ad Age reports. Kids themselves customize the doll’s appearance, adding long or short hair and clothing... The FTC has sued online-dating service Match Group for allegedly using fake love-interest advertisements to trick hundreds of thousands of users into buying subscriptions on Match.com, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company allegedly offered certain guarantees but failed to provide promised services to consumers who were later unable to cancel their subscriptions and unsuccessfully disputed their charges, the FTC said in its complaint. Match, which also operates the online-dating platforms Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and other dating sites, said it plans to challenge the FTC’s claims... Sam’s Club is testing four bundles of discounted healthcare services with fees ranging from $50 for individuals to $240 for families up to six members, The Associated Press reports. The pilot, which is open to Sam’s members in Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, offers discounts on a wide variety of healthcare services, including lab screenings, dental, acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy and more... Lowe’s will retrofit its e-commerce platform with software designed to provide a more customized online shopping experience for DIYers and contractors alike. The Wall Street Journal says the move is part of the home-improvement retailer’s plan to invest $500 million per year in tech through 2021... McDonald’s is using voice assistant technology in an unprecedented way, Chain Store Age reports. The fast-food giant is rolling out “McDonald’s Apply Thru,” the world’s first voice-initiated job application process, as part of the recently launched Made at McDonald’s global hiring campaign. The new process works with devices enabled with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice assistant technology. Prospective employees can start the job application process by saying “Alexa, help me get a job at McDonald’s,” using the Alexa McDonald’s Apply Thru skill.

PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

AVAILS WOOD TV, WOTV and WXSP in Grand Rapids, Mich., is seeking a Digital Sales Manager to lead an experienced, high-performance sales team in selling our suite of internet-based marketing products. The ideal candidate will be a people person with the ability to multi-task and communicate effectively. Responsibilities include developing large-scale marketing solutions and enhancing digital marketing solutions with our existing accounts. CLICK HERE to apply. No calls, please! Offer of employment contingent upon completion of pre-employment checks. EOE/Minorities/

Females/Vet/Disability. ABC 7 Chicago seeks a motivated self-starter looking to overachieve in the third-largest DMA in the role of Cross Platform Business Development Account Executive for one of the strongest television stations in the country. Applicants should have the business acumen for cultivating strong business relationships direct with clients. Identifying a client’s needs, working with research and marketing to

craft a compelling story, and then sharing it with passion, conviction and integrity to close the deal. Upload a cover letter and resume online at www.disneycareers.com. Requisition ID #703590BR. EOE/F/M/D/V. Multimedia Account Executive: WILM-TV, Wilmington, N.C. We’re searching for an AE to generate and grow existing radio, TV and digital accounts. The ideal candidate is an experienced sales professional with incredible drive, and a thirst to learn. The ideal candidate will have three or more years of outside sales experience. A college degree or equivalent experience preferred. A pre-employment drug screening is required. CLICK HERE for more info or to apply now. EOE M/F. All Capitol Broadcasting Company properties are tobacco free. Capitol Broadcasting Company participates in E-Verify.

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CONSUMER CONFIDENCE FALLS IN SEPTEMBER U.S. consumer confidence slipped in September to 125.1 from 134.2 in August, the Conference Board says. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast the metric would come in at 133.5. This was the biggest drop in nine months, and September’s reading marks the largest shortfall relative to the economists’ expectations since 2010, according to Reuters. The board attributed the decline in part to the escalation in trade tensions between the U.S. and China. “Consumers were less positive in their assessment of current conditions and their expectations regarding the short-term outlook also weakened,” said Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at the Conference Board. “While confidence could continue hovering around current levels for months to come, at some point this continued uncertainty will begin to diminish consumers’ confidence in the expansion.” The confidence index for August was revised down to 134.2 from 135.1.

NETWORK NEWS Jennifer Lopez and Colombian-born Shakira will headline the halftime show at next year’s Super Bowl LIV. The two revealed the news along with the NFL on social media yesterday. The NFL’s annual championship game is set for Feb. 2, 2020 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The game, which airs this year on Fox, drew 98.2 million total viewers to CBS last year, which was down from 2018. Pepsi is the presenting sponsor. Last year, Maroon 5 and Adam Levine did the honors. The last female headliner was Lady Gaga in 2017... Timothy Busfield (The West Wing) is set as a series regular opposite Nicholas Pinnock in ABC’s midseason legal drama series For Life. Written by Hank Steinberg, For Life is a fictional serialized legal and family drama, inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr., about a prisoner who becomes a lawyer, litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit... On the heels of the trio of new syndicated daytime talk shows hosted by Kelly Clarkson, Tamron Hall and Mel Robbins comes word that Nick Cannon will be joining the category. Cannon, who hosts The Masked Singer on Fox and Wild N’ Out on MTV, will host and produce a new nationally syndicated talk show with Lionsgate Debmar-Mercury, launching in 2020... NBC’s America’s Got Talent: The Champions will launch its second winter season with singer Alesha Dixon replacing ex-judge Mel B, the network revealed yesterday. Dixon, arriving from Britain’s Got Talent, will join the returning panel of judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel, along with host Terry Crews. The show’s first season averaged a 2.2 rating in adults 18-49 and 12.4 million viewers overall in Live-plus-7-day Nielsens, making it the season’s No. 1 most-watched alternative series, NBC says... Fox’s The Masked Singer came back in a new time slot and handily won Premiere Wednesday in the adults 18-49 demo (Live+Same Day). The competition drew a 2.5 adults 18-49 rating and 7.9 million viewers for its special two-hour 8-10 PM Season 2 premiere.

FOX STATIONS, NETWORKS GO DARK ON DISH Fox-owned TV stations in 17 markets, as well as FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, Fox Soccer Plus and Fox Deportes, have gone dark on Dish Network in the latest carriage dispute in the pay-TV ecosystem, Deadline reports. The dispute affects Dish’s 12 million satellite households as well as millions more who subscribe to the internet-delivered bundle Sling TV, in 23 markets including Washington, D.C. It comes as the portfolio of formerly Fox-owned RSNs has been dark on Dish for two months due to a dispute over carriage, though those contracts are separate from the station and networks deal. Sinclair Broadcast Group, along with other investors, took control of the RSNs in a $9.6 billion deal. Dish has been locked in several carriage disputes in recent months. It resolved a lengthy battle with Univision, but HBO remains dark on its platforms. The company has been working to pivot from being a pure satellite operator to also being a wireless purveyor, hoarding spectrum and swinging a deal to inherit divested assets in the T-Mobile-Sprint merger.

9/27/2019

Stephen Colbert

Don’t be afraid to make things up. Never fear being exposed as a fraud. Experts make things up all the time.

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The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3

COX AUTO: VOLUME DROP EXPECTED IN SEPT. Cox Automotive is forecasting September U.S. new-vehicle sales volume to finish at 1.25 million, falling nearly 14 percent from last September, or close to 200,000 units. With five fewer selling days, the forecast volume drop is close to 400,000 units compared to August. Although sales volume is certain to decline in September, the selling pace remains steady due to an abnormal seasonality adjustment. The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) is expected to remain relatively stable at 16.9 million, just below last month’s 17 million pace.

The Labor Day holiday is one of the industry’s biggest selling periods. Therefore, the timing of the weekend – falling in August or September – can make or break the monthly sales results. This year, Labor Day weekend was included with August sales, giving the month 28 selling days and the robust holiday weekend. This resulted in August being the year’s highest sales volume month and the third-highest month since the Great Recession. At the same time,

the adjustment on the calendar will also result in September’s volume falling dramatically. There are only 23 selling days this September, the lowest number since November 2015, and this will result in a low monthly sales total. Although Cox sees the worst September since 2014, it says after adjustment the SAAR is likely to finish at 16.9 million, close to August’s 17 million pace.

REPORT: HEALTHCARE COSTS SKYROCKET The annual cost of family healthcare coverage is at a record high of around $20,000, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. While employers often cover much of that cost, workers’ contribution is around $6,000 per year, which doesn’t include deductibles and premiums. Compare that with a decade ago, which saw annual costs top $13,000 and worker contributions of $3,500 per year for family coverage. Health care costs have risen far more quickly than wages in recent years, while deductibles have soared, Bloomberg reports.

9/27/2019

Christopher Reeve

A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt

or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and

overcomes anyway.

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BIA: OTT REVENUES TO GROW 43% IN 2019 Local OTT advertising dollars are quickly growing. BIA Advisory Services projects $857 million will be spent by local advertisers on the digital platform this year, a 43 percent jump compared with a year ago. But growth is forecast to accelerate during the coming years. In data presented at the TVB Forward conference in New York yesterday, BIA estimated local OTT spending will more than double in the next five years. It forecasts local advertisers will allocate $2.13 billion to OTT ads in 2024. “OTT offers a considerable opportunity for broadcasters to grow revenue,” said BIA founder/CEO Tom Buono. “As consumers shift their viewing habits, it’s an opportunity to extend the value of traditional over-the-air content.” BIA defines OTT advertising as locally targeted advertising included on streaming video that is delivered to TV sets via internet connections. It points out that OTT ad inventory can be both competitive and complementary for local TV stations and local cable. How its OTT projection stacks up to the local broadcast and cable revenue outlook will become a lot clearer early next month when BIA releases its annual local ad spending forecast for all media segments. But it’s noteworthy that BIA had added OTT to its forecast, which the firm says is based on the fact it’s a growing revenue opportunity for media companies. BIA chief economist Mark Fratrik said he believes the TV industry is “at the tip of the opportunity” for OTT. “The industry has reached a stage where there are several existing and emerging OTT players that have a high growth potential,” he said. “By partnering with them, broadcasters can drive new revenue by delivering their valuable content and diverse audiences.”

STUDY: NEWS VIEWING ON PAR WITH SPORTS(Continued from Page 1)percent increase compared with the $5.6 billion spent five years earlier. “I believe fundamentally that news has been under-monetized quite some time,” said Mark Penn, CEO of MDC Partners during a panel at this week’s Advertising Week. “If I analyze it, 22 percent of the country are news junkies. They ‘test’ news several times a day. There are equal numbers of sports junkies and entertainment junkies — which have been incredibly monetized and news is not. The large size of the audience is overlooked and under-monetized. If news is better-monetized that will provide more money for newsrooms to improve journalism. That could be a game-changer that’s missing.”

THIS AND THAT Juul Labs says it’s suspending ad purchases in print, broadcast and digital media, pulling $100 million in spending. Entercom Communications has joined other major media outlets in announcing it will no longer run ads for electronic cigarettes... Facebook will undergo another federal antitrust probe, which will be led by the Justice Department and will focuses on different factors than the FTC probe.