Researcher: Turner's TV Ratings Include Online Viewers

A top research executive hinted that someone over at Turner Broadcasting is clearly ahead of the cable TV curve. According to Gregg Liebman, CNN senior VP of ad-sales research, Turner's cable nets are benefiting from tens of thousands of incremental viewers in their TV ratings from people who are watching shows online.

How, you ask? Speaking at an ad conference in NYC, Liebman says Turner is (currently) the only company subscribing to the new "Extended Screen" data service from Nielsen which measures how people watch TV shows available online. The new data, enablinging networks to add online viewing to national TV ratings, is obviously a boon to those negotiating contracts with advertisers and agencies...

Liebman's research has witnessed more than 50 individual telecasts profiting from the expansive number-crunching -- sometimes as many as 10,000 viewers. The exec says Turner's programming and its advertiser's ads are available online in nearly 70 million U.S. households.

Turner's chief research officer Jack Wakshlag says initially the numbers may not be significant enough for other nets to jump on board. But over time, he says, the company's long-term vision will justify the additional costs and be seen as innovative in an dynamic marketplace. "I don't understand why other people aren't doing this," Wakshlag said. "It seems like a no-brainer."

Cable Show 2011 Highlights

Following a kind of tepid, promotional "Adventures of Jerry & David," The Cable Show got off to a strong start with a welcome from "Ari's Brother" (Mayor Rahm Emanuel) touting the new Comcast program to help "close the digital divide" in Chicago. Then new NCTA President and CEO Michael Powell stressed the "optimism that drives so much innovation" that has resulted in a litany of cable breakthroughs from the '50s on. While these times bring "ambiguity and anxiety," Powell stressed the next steps of "powerful, personal and portable" services.

Fox Business News' Liz Claman, refusing to accept "politically correct" answers, tried to get a roadmap for the future from Neil Smit, Pat Esser, Phillipe Dauman, Chase Carey, Glenn Britt and Jeff Bewkes. We got an earful about how soft (putting it nicely) the opening session was because nobody wanted to get the least bit controversial. Nevertheless, the "economy" trumped cord-cutting as the reality of lost subs. Besides, as Pat Esser noted when asked about the millions of choices instead of just 500 channels, "We created this chaos." And, he and the others intoned, we can make these "consumer-driven business models" work.

For his part, Bewkes almost shouted, "The whole thing is going great ... it's morning in the cable industry ... cheer up!" All six touted the need - and the reality - of being able for content and conduit to work together. As Carey pointed out, when pushed by Ms. Claman, as business models (for broadcasters) change, more "friction" is inevitable. "And, besides, only one instance" resulted in the temporarily dark World Series channel.

The main takeaway from the panel, though, should excite every consumer-driven software dreamer: the need for a universal, easy-to-use and truly customer friendly interface. As Bewkes said, "What we need to do is get the interface with our viewers to be able to have better engagement and control ... the interface is really the key ... and make it universal!"

And the whole controversy thing? This is about it: panelist favorite channels (...that they didn't own). Bewkes: PBS. Britt (who doesn't own any): NBC. Carey: ESPN. Dauman: Fox Business News (pleasing Ms. Claman). Esser: History Channel. Smit: C-SPAN. (C-SPAN? Really?)

ETC: Ergen Lands Terrestar? - Canadian XM/Sirius Deal - Apple's First-Ever Milestone

SkyREPORT: Citing sources with "direct knowledge of the situation," a Reuters report says bankrupt Terrestar Networks is nearing a minimum bid agreement of approximately $1.3 billion with DISH Chair Charlie Ergen. Today is Terrestar's deadline for bids. Company spokespeople
declined to comment.

M&A: XM Canada and Sirius Canada said the final regulatory and government approvals related to their proposed merger have been received. The deal is currently scheduled to close June 21. --- Ericsson reached an agreement with Providence Equity Partners and Warburg Pincus to acquire communications software developer Telcordia for $1.15B.

Research: A recent Adweek/Harris Interactive survey found that 77% of Americans have watched a TV show on the internet rather than on a traditional TV. The poll says 30% say they are not interested in giving up cable-as-TV service, but more than half of those cable subs would cut their cord if certain stipulations were met. --- CableLabs released an updated report of requirements for the Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP), a converged access network architecture device. (http://cablelabs.com/cablemodem/specifications/ccap.html)

Mobile: For the first time ever, Apple started selling unlocked iPhones in the U.S. for hundreds more than the usual subsidized price that AT&T and Verizon customers pay. Last year the company began selling the iPhone 3GS at unsubsidized prices and without a contract, but still tied those phones to AT&T, at the time the exclusive U.S. carrier.

Advertising: Digital circulation and advertising will create a new source of revenue for consumer mags, but overall spending will remain smaller than pre-recession figures. That's the word from PricewaterhouseCoopers' new report, "Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2011-2015." Ad spending on digital media (including internet, mobile and tablet devices) will reach $2.8B during the next four years while digital subscriptions will generate an estimated $611M for publishers by '15 from almost nothing in 2010.

Distribution: Outdoor Channel will be added to Comcast's digital preferred tier in the greater Chicago market beginning in August. The net's HD channel now reaches more than 10 million homes across the U.S., a 34% YOY increase.

Programming: ESPN 3D will air the State Farm Home Run Derby, an increased number of college football games and 17 games of the Little League World Series in August as well as two World Football Challenge games in mid-July.

Up, Over & Under There: Sky Go, a free multiscreen service for 10M BSkyB subs will launch July 6 in the UK. It's already available from Sky Deutschland in Germany. --- BBC Worldwide honcho Jana Bennett says the international version of the BBC iPlayer will be a "very different proposition." --- Germany tops the list for online video viewing, according to comScore, with 45
million unique viewers watching an average of 187 videos for 19.6 hours per viewer in April.

Education: The 2012 SCTE-Tuck Executive Leadership program will be April 30 through May 5.