Social Networking Sites and Privacy Concerns

Google is the latest monster internet company to come under attack, this time for alleged violation of consumers' rights to privacy. The complaint to federal regulators involves a Gmail addition of "Google Buzz" just last week, which creates circles of friends for users based on the people they frequently contact through their Gmail account.

Since the concerns were expressed, Google has changed the software to "suggest" friends instead of being created automatically - which is another hangup. You are able to "disable" the service, but the fact it is generated without one's approval in the first place is problematic.

Secondly, I've read the disclaimers about the Facebook app that allows one to "see who is spying on their facebook account." My understanding is this app does not provide page view information, only assembling an account of which people interact the most with one's status updates, etc. Has anyone experienced information to the contrary?

Super Bowl May Have Set Super Mark

Early Nielsen ratings show Sunday's Super Bowl may have eclipsed viewership for the most-watched television show of all time, the series finale of M*A*S*H, in 1983.

Overnight numbers estimate 106.5 million people tuned in for the New Orleans Saints win over the Indianapolis Colts, compared to the 105.97 million that watched M*A*S*H leave the airwaves. There is a margin of error with Nielsen estimates, but to be this close to the M*A*S*H precedent says a lot for the NFL broadcast. The share of households watching the game was still below the M*A*S*H number (77% to 68%).

Advertisers purchased more commercial minutes in this Super Bowl than any other super Sunday game, which should be a boom for next season.

Roanoke-Lynchburg Radio Ratings

The Fall 2009 Arbitron numbers are in, and 94.9 Star Country still holds the number one spot with listeners 12+. Narrowing the gap from Spring 2009 is Q99. K92, Jammin JJS, and ROV/Vibe 100 (tied) round out the top 5 in the market.

The biggest movers from Spring to Fall were Q99 and WSFF (Steve FM), while WROV, WFIR, and WZZI took the biggest tumbles in the area.

Arbitron ratings are used by stations to help set ad rates, so the better position you are in your demographic, the more flexibility you have in setting advertising fees. 12+ numbers are based on AQH, or the average number of listeners tuned in to a specific station during an average 15 minutes.

For full numbers you can visit www.arbitron.com .

Favorite Crime TV Show Of All Time

The last twenty years has seen a resurgence of the Crime series on television. Everyone has their favorite show or series. In the 80's, Magnum, PI was it for me. Maybe more a comedy than drama, it presented a great balance of storyline and one-liners, along with the running battle between characters Magnum and Higgins.

Over the years we've embraced Dragnet, Hill City Blues, NYPD Blue, the CSI series, Monk, a little series entitled Law & Order, and countless others. What is it that keeps us coming back for more? The characters themselves, the bad guys "getting theirs" in the end, the story, or something else? What is your favorite?

TV Coverage Of Tragedies

Many of you heard about the tragic shooting of eight people in Appomattox this past week. Some of you may have also heard about the media coverage that was present, and the usual critical comments that follow such a scene.

At least one poster to the local ABC affiliate website lamented that they were scooped by the affil in Richmond - a further distance to Appomattox than Lynchburg to Appomattox. I don't know if that was true or not, but shouldn't the number one priority of any reporting be to get the facts correct? Too often with past events the competition of local stations leads to "being first" as the main reason for coverage, instead of "being right."

As a viewer, I would rather a station present accurate facts the first time, instead of retracting over and over because they rushed to present the story "first." Also, is it necessary to hold news conferences about a tragedy hours apart, if the only "update" is to say you have no new information? Just some thoughts...

What TV Show Can't You Live Without?

You know the day of the week, the time, the network, and all the characters by name. You try to convince your friends it's THE best show on tv, and update them the following morning on what happened. It's the tv show you can't live without.

For me, it's half the weekly schedule. Chuck, American Idol, Psych, Burn Notice, 24, 24!, The Mentalist, Shark Tank - if these shows are on, I'm at home. They run our lives, dictate our daily schedules, decide if we make dinner or pick up something on the way home.

So, what is your can't-live-without-show, and why does it drive you insanely crazy if you miss it?

What Should Replace Jay Leno?

NBC has finally owned up to the fact America was not ready for Jay Leno in primetime. The question is, what IS America ready for now that the Peacock Network has failed on their promise to give Leno at least a year?

While the experiment was an attempt to cut operating costs in primetime, as well as giving Leno exposure in a comfy slot, NBC will need to fill five weeknights after the Olympics with an hour of programming each evening. Should the network re-work their original shows from those time slots BACK into their own evenings, or would you like to see something completely different? OR, for many, it doesn't matter what NBC does, you are not watching.

Are 7pm Newscasts Useful?

With 24-hour news channels, streaming newscasts, and instantly-updated websites, do local channels still have a stake in delivering news to residents? Two of our local affiliates have 7pm newscasts, with one focusing more on viewer feedback from previously run stories. Despite the economy, shrinking newsrooms, and less and less time for content, should newsrooms really be "expanding" their broadcasts?

In my hometown the experiment has been tried and tried again. In the Roanoke-Lynchburg area the ABC and NBC affils go with 7pm newscasts, while the CBS hits the traditional Wheel of Fortune-Jeopardy lineup. I'm not sure I'm sold on expanding the morning news to begin at 5am or 530am, AND adding a 7pm. Just opinion, but I would like to see research that shows these programs are viable adds.

Subtle Changes On Evening Newscasts

The times, they are a changing. Did anyone else notice Monday's CBS Evening News, or more specifically the intro? Gone is Walter Cronkite's stoic and timeless voiceover, replaced with that of Morgan Freeman's pipes. CBS says it was time for the inevitable in replacing the gone but never forgotten Cronkite, and the use of Freeman's voice will give the network more flexibility when cutting other promos and lead-ins.

When Diane Sawyer took over World News December 21st, gone was the tradition Charles Gibson continued as a homage to Peter Jennings. Each time Gibson welcomed viewers, it was with "Welcome to World News. Tonight..." Jennings anchored "World News Tonight" from 1983 until stepping down April 1, 2005 due to illness. An era has passed us by; please don't forget.

Are TV "bugs" Bugging You?

When they first appeared on air they served one purpose - to remind viewers what station they were watching. Television ID's, or "bugs," now display the time, promote upcoming shows, and sometimes use animation to grab your attention.

CNN was the first station to use a bug, mainly to prevent other news organizations from using their video footage, but companies have used the public's insatiable need for information to their advantage when creating these annoyances, which sometimes make a mockery of the "rule of thirds" on your screen. If you recall USA's month-long promotion of the Monk series finale, you know to what I'm referring.

So, do these ID's serve a viable purpose, or do you think networks and cable outlets have gone too far?

2010 TV Season Debuts

With many staple reality shows on hiatus for the first month of 2010, other series will roll out the start of their new season with debut episodes. A sampling of those launching in January are:

The Bachelor, January 4 - ABC
The Biggest Loser - Couples, January 5 - NBC
Chuck, January 10 - NBC
American Idol, Jan. 12 & !3 - FOX
24, January 17 - FOX
White Collar, January 19 - USA
Burn Notice, January 21 - USA
Psych, January 27 - USA

For more, please visit http://insidetv.aol.com/2009/12/26/january-2010-tv-premiere-dates-and-finales/

Arbitron And Your Radio Station

As a former radio disc-jockey, this time of year was always circled on the calendar. The Winter survey period for radio stations begins January 7th, so be on the lookout for a radio diary in your mailbox. Not everyone receives one of these, but they go a long way in determining your favorite station's rating, and eventually assists in a station setting their ad rates for advertisers.

Since the Fall '09 numbers aren't due to ship until late January, here are the top 5 stations from Spring '09, as reported on www.arbitron.com

Ranking as to AQH Share for Persons 12+, Mon-Sun 6AM-Mid*

1. WSLC - 94.9 FM Star Country
2. WSLQ - Q99
3. WKLK - K92
4. WROV - 96.3 WROV
5. WJJS - Jammin' JJS

In My Opinion...

Kudos to NBC for doing the right thing. In the midst of declining cable ratings, NBC aired for the third consecutive year the NHL's Winter Classic. What makes this event so captivating is the fact it's not in a hockey rink, but outside in a venerable baseball stadium. Boston's Fenway Park was this year's host, and as luck would have it the home team beat Philadelphia. Even baseball purists had to be proud.

Not only did the game go to overtime, and the 2010 U.S. Olympic Hockey team was announced, but the NHL donated $10,000 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Boston. Truly a feel-good story to start the new year. Now if only ESPN could buy back the broadcasting rights to NHL games.