Here & there
Nielsen expands LA and NYC samples
By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Jul 1, 2009 - 1:02:17 AM

Nielsen expands LPM samples in NYC and LA
Nielsen is expanding its local people meter sample in the country’s two biggest TV markets. Sample sizes will go from 800 to 1,000 households in the cities over the next 13 months. The New York market should be at 1,000 households by July 29, 2010, while the LA expansion will wrap up on Aug. 26, 2010, according to a note sent to clients by Nielsen. “The larger samples will improve the statistical reliability of the ratings data in these two very diverse and complex markets,” the note says. New York and LA represent 11 percent of all U.S. TV households, and 20 percent of U.S. spot advertising dollars go to those markets, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Ratings roundup: Big numbers for 'Hung'
“Hung” had an, ahem, huge premiere. The new HBO comedy, about a well-endowed man who turns to prostitution to earn some extra bucks, averaged 2.8 million total viewers in its debut Sunday at 10 p.m., the network’s most-watched premiere in two years, since “John From Cincinnati” aired behind the series finale of “The Sopranos.” “Hung” was undoubtedly helped by “True Blood,” which gave the show a big lead-in of 3.7 million viewers at 10 p.m. Meanwhile, in other ratings, Oxygen’s premiere of “Dance Your Ass Off,” the hybrid dance competition-weight loss reality show that premiered Monday at 10 p.m., became the most-watched debut in network history among total viewers and adults 18-49. It averaged 1.3 million total viewers and 614,000 18-49s. It also set a record among women 18-49, drawing 432,000.

The word: Gannett layoffs could hit 4,500
There are rumors flying that Gannett will lay off as many as 4,500 employees and a minimum of 1,000 sometime in the next week. Word first broke on Gannett Blog, the soon-to-be-defunct chronicle of the company’s every corporate move, which has provided reliable layoff information in the past. Gannett would not confirm the 4,500 number, however, leading mainstream news operations to sniff out the answer on their own. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal claim the number of layoffs will be closer to 1,000. Gannett laid off some 2,000 employees last fall and was the first major newspaper company to institute furloughs this year. In all, the company has eliminated some 10,000 jobs since 2007, and it currently has 41,500 employees. The USA Today publisher’s ad revenue was off 34 percent during first quarter.

Rainbow Media wed to idea of a new channel
Does WE standing for Wedding Channel?. The Rainbow Media will launch a spinoff channel of WE tv focused exclusively on brides, while likely shifting WE’s focus to parenting, according to Broadcasting & Cable. The new network reportedly will launch in August and be carried by parent company Cablevision. WE has made wedding shows its signature over the past few years, with series including “Bridezillas,” “Platinum Weddings” and “Amazing Wedding Cakes.” Launching a new channel with those established shows would probably be easier than spinning off a parenting channel with less-established shows, though the network has a growing stable of parent-focused programs, like the two recent premieres “The Mom Show” and “Raising Sextuplets.” Right now most of WE’s wedding programming runs in a Sunday night block.



© 2010 Media Life