Le Blog
What the fauna??!?!?!
Every now and then I am stopped dead in my insomniac tracks by something truly shocking that catches my eyes when scanning for media news. These days, it’s anything that breaks a 1.0 rating in adults 18-49. WHEN NATURE CALLS was far and away the most-watched television program on broadcast television last Thursday night, delivering
Unmasking the truth?
Disclaimer: I am fully vaccinated and own nearly 50 masks, none I wear prouder than my color-coordinated New York Mets triple-layer with deodorized filter resting on cap attachments that allow it to be worn without pulling on my ears. Reality: I currently live in Los Angeles, where masks have recently been reinstated for all adults
Seeing Double? Ask Jim and Pam
In the wake of the Allen and Company meetings in Sun Valley, Idaho last week reports began to surface this week that the media ownership landscape is about to change even more dramatically. Among the juicier ones was the revelation that two of the key mega-competitors, Comcast and ViacomCBS, are exploring ways to combine resources.
I Need A Hero
I’ve already said on social media that my dad was my first hero. I’ve been blessed with being able to learn professionally from several prominent mentors who were my subsequent heroes–Barry Diller, Ted Turner, Haim Saban, Rupert Murdoch, Peter Liguori, Steve Mosko. You may have heard of a few of them. My current hero is
I Stream, You Stream?
This week the 2021 Emmy Award nominations were announced, and if anybody had any questions that broadcast television–indeed, linear television, had crossed the threshold into irrelevance one only look at the breakdown of which networks–er, platforms–led the way. Of the 530 major nominations announced the other morning, more than 80% of them were from series running on services uniquely
Lies, Damn Lies and Rebounds
The NBA Finals are here, traditionally a signpost of where TV sports popularity stands. Depending upon where the spin is coming from, this year’s numbers so far are either encouraging, devastating or inconclusive. From the positive side, viewership through the first two games was up approximately +18% vs. last year’s finals. From the negative side,
My Second Mother
My mother died again. Let me explain. I lost my own mother far too prematurely, 30 years ago this June. Look no further than her psyche for the cause of death. My mother was well-intentioned but self-loathing, addicted to food, high-tar cigarettes and a codependent relationship with my equally well-intentioned but otherwise flawed father. She
HULU: Who Knew?
HULU: WHO KNEW? As the streaming service war of attrition begins to ramp up with the recent moves surrounding the now-Warner Discovery brands (HBO Max and Discovery Plus) and Amazon (MGM)’s arms race for content, there is increasing ambiguity and uncertainty among one of the more mature players in the space, Hulu. At first blush
Tales of Nielsen and Blutarsky
One of the most laugh-out loud scenes of Animal House is when Dean Wormer hands out grades to students and Bluto Blutarsky proudly revels in his “zero point zero” GPA. On more than a few occasions last year many shows on the CW and on dozens of cable networks got the exact same overnight rating