Other shorts: Indian group: We're offended by Glenn Beck too
By Louisa Ada Seltzer Dec 17, 2009
Nielsen: We'll continue live local ratings, for now
Spot buyers have gotten their way, or at least staved off the seemingly inevitable. After agencies raised a huge stink over Nielsen's plan to phase out live local ratings in favor of live-plus-same-day-DVR-playback data by year's end, the company yesterday reversed itself, promising to include live viewing data in the monthly total viewing sources file through at least the end of March. Overnights will be L+SD. Buyers had been angered by an estimated 13 percent jump in ratings for stations incorporating the DVR data, which would have raised ad prices for their clients. They appealed to Nielsen to keep the live data streams instead of withdrawing them altogether next month. In a letter sent to clients yesterday, Nielsen explained its reasoning for the decision while appealing to agencies and stations to come together on a metric that everyone can embrace. In addressing the controversy, Nielsen sounded a bit like an impatient parent. In the letter, Sabrina Crow, Nielsen's senior vice president and managing director of local media client services, warned: "Neglecting playback affects both reach and frequency of advertising schedules. Using Live Only ratings data can potentially lead to flaws in planning and buying and distortion of TV performance, impacting consumer behavior – leading one to pick the wrong mix of programs and weight for advertising schedules."
Indian group: We're offended by Glenn Beck too
Never mind who Glenn Beck has offended -- is there anyone he hasn't at this point? Add Indians to the list after Beck dissed the Asian country's lifestyle and medical care on a recent Fox News Channel show, according to the U.S.-India Political Action Committee, which has condemned his comments. During an interview with a woman who had hip surgery in India, Beck "went on to needlessly insult India's religious heritage, disparaging the River Ganges, holy to a billion Hindus worldwide," according to a USINPAC statement. The group has filed a complaint against Beck with the Federal Communications Commission. Indians certainly aren't the first group to take action against Beck. Earlier this year, ColorofChange began an advertiser boycott against him that has grown to roughly three-dozen companies, organized after Beck labeled President Barack Obama a racist. Other groups that have complained about Beck, who nonetheless has one of the top-rated shows on FNC, include Arab Americans, ACORN and the Anti-Defamation League.
Hitwise: Facebook top search term of 2009
Call 2009 the year of Facebook. “Facebook” was the top-searched term online from January to November this year, according to internet tracking firm Hitwise, up from No. 10 last year and accounting for 0.67 percent of all searches. Coming in at No. 2 this year was most searched-for term the previous three years, “MySpace,” followed by “Craigslist,” “YouTube” and “Yahoo mail.” For the second straight year Google.com was the most-visited web site, accounting for 6.7 percent of all U.S. internet visits between January and November. Yahoo Mail (4.44 percent), Facebook (4.26 percent), Yahoo (3.36 percent) and MySpace (3 percent) rounded out the year’s top five most-visited sites. When common properties such as Yahoo and Yahoo Mail are combined, Yahoo came out on top with 10.6 percent of U.S. visits in 2009. Google was second at 9.93 percent and Facebook third at 4.26 percent. Overall the top 50 web sites brought in 39 percent of all U.S. visits throughout the year.
YouTube's biggest video star: Susan Boyle
When “Britain’s Got Talent” runner up Susan Boyle is referred to as a YouTube sensation, it’s not just a trumped-up figure of speech. The video of Boyle performing “I Dreamed A Dream” has been watched by more than 120 million viewers worldwide in 2009, easily making it the most-watched video on the web site this year. In fact, Boyle’s performance was watched more times than the next three most-watched videos combined. Coming in at No. 2 was a clip called “David After Dentist,” in which a drugged-up 7-year-old boy tells his dad he feels funny and asks, “Is this real life?” shortly after having dental surgery. That video was watched more than 37 million times this year, followed at No. 3 by “JK Wedding Entrance Dance” with more 33 million views. In that video a wedding party dances down the aisle to a Chris Brown song before a couple is married. Rounding out the top five of 2009 were the “New Moon” movie trailer (more than 31 million views) and “Evian Roller Babies” (more than 27 million views), an Evian ad that features computer-enhanced roller-skating infants.
Programming notes: 'Big Love' returns in January
Polygamy is making a comeback on HBO on Jan. 10. That’s when the cable network will roll out the fourth season of “Big Love,” which stars Bill Paxton as a modern-day polygamist. The new season will consist of nine episodes. Also at HBO, the network will launch the second season of the animated comedy “The Life and Times of Tim” on Feb. 18, following the new “Ricky Gervais Show.” Meanwhile, in other programming, Nickelodeon has ordered 26 more episodes of the animated hit “SpongeBob SquarePants,” bringing the 10-year total to 178. On April 26 Golf Channel will premiere “Donald J. Trump's Fabulous World of Golf,” a six-episode reality competition featuring musicians, politicians, pro athletes and golfers. The guests will compete in challenges for charity. Lifetime on Jan. 14 will premiere the seventh season of “Project Runway,” with the new season moving back to New York from Los Angeles. “Runway” will air at 10 p.m., with a second season of “Models of the Runway” premiering at 11 p.m. And on broadcast, original episodes of “House” will return to Fox on Jan. 11, two weeks before its originally planned Jan. 25 return date in an apparent move to blunt the return of NBC’s “Chuck” in the Monday 8 p.m. timeslot.
Louisa Ada Seltzer is a staff writer for Media Life.
