Fox scores big with much-hyped 'Joe Millionaire'
Fox’s heavy promotion paid off big for “Joe Millionaire,” Monday’s highest-rated show in the adult 18-49 demographic. The reality show centering on an available bachelor and misinformation about his wealth averaged a 10.1 rating in the demographic.  The show improved in its second half-hour by 20 percent, to an 11 rating, the best performance of any show on primetime by some four points. “Joe” easily beat the competition at 9 p.m., like CBS’s “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and pushed Fox to No. 1 for the night. Fox averaged a 7 adult 18-49 rating, based on Nielsen overnights. CBS had a 5.8 with its sitcom lineup and “CSI: Miami.”  NBC had a 5.3, largely on the strength of “Fear Factor,” which won its 8 p.m. time slot.  ABC had a 2.7 with the movie “Any Given Sunday.” CBS was the top network among households with a 10.8 rating and 16 share.  Fox had an 8.7/13, NBC had an 8/12 and ABC had a 4.5/7.

CNBC documentary skewers AOL-TW merger
As ill-conceived business moves go, Time Warner's decision to merge with America Online makes New Coke look like a misunderstood stroke of genius. CNBC will stick a probing finger into the open wound tonight with a one-hour documentary titled "The Big Heist: How AOL Stole Time Warner." The program, whose airing marks the three-year anniversary of the union, promises to be an orgy of schadenfreude, with commentary from rival media bosses including Sumner Redstone, Rupert Murdoch, Barry Diller, Michael Eisner and John Malone. For some reason, AOL Time Warner chairman Steve Case, vice chairman Ted Turner and former CEO Gerald Levin all chose to sit this one out. Produced by documentarian David Faber -- who recently told the New York Post, "There's little hope of recapturing the promise of the deal" -- "The Big Heist" airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET.

 The new Body, er, face of cable news talk
In what's sure to be hailed as the mother of all desperation ploys, MSNBC is said to have reached a deal with former pro wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura for a one-hour talk show. Although the announcement may not come until next month, several time slot scenarios have already leaked out. Ventura’s show may take the place of the pre-taped “MSNBC Reports” at 10 p.m. or the struggling “Donahue” at 8 p.m. Other rumors have Phil Donahue’s show being pre-empted for a nightly special should the U.S. go to war with Iraq. Ventura, who as governor was famously hostile to the Minnesota press corps, told reporters last week, “As of Monday, you will fear me.” When he threw himself a party after leaving office last week, he said that his new boss would be attending – and MSNBC chief Erik Sorenson showed. MSNBC confirms that it has been talking to Ventura, but says no deal is in place.
Ramseys settle libel suit against NY Post
Two years after the parents of 6-year-old murder victim JonBenet Ramsey filed a libel suit against the New York Post, the suit has been settled. Neither the Post nor the Ramseys have disclosed any of terms. The original lawsuit sought $4 million in damages from the New York Post for suggesting that the Ramseys' 9-year-old son had killed his sister. When the suit was filed, the paper dismissed it as ridiculous, but the recent settlement suggests that some sort of compromise was reached.

SUVs funding terror? New commercials say yes
Which are worse: illegal drugs or sport utility vehicles? A new ad campaign, while taking its cues from commercials that vilify the former, suggest it may actually be the latter. Conceived by political provocateur Arianna Huffington and backed by celebrities including Larry David and Norman Lear, the very serious-sounding spots have been so controversial that some local stations are refusing to air them, according to The New York Times. Inspired by anti-drug commercials that track money from illegal drugs back to terrorists, the 30-second spots say that some of the money spent on gas by SUV owners goes to terrorists. "This is George," says the woman who narrates the commercial. "This is the gas that George bought for his SUV These are the countries where the executives bought the oil that made the gas that George bought for his SUV And these are the terrorists who get money from those countries every time George fills up his SUV" This isn't the first time activists have used commercials to attack SUVs. In November a religious group aired commercials across four states asking "What Would Jesus Drive?" The answer: Not an SUV.

 

January 9, 2003© 2003 Media Life


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