Advertisers are not yet completely blind to the distinctions between conventional and specialty, but they’re getting there. Not only do some of the channels up the dial now have the cash to snatch up appointment-worthy programming, they also offer cheaper rates. This is becoming increasingly important as media buyers are expecting another hefty increase in conventional TV rates this fall.
‘If conventional broadcasters continue to increase their rates, I can see the share of ad spend increasing for the specialties again this year, in order to keep overall costs in line,’ says Mary Lampasona, Toronto-based broadcast manager for Cossette Media.
In terms of how much of the total ad spend the specialties are enjoying, Anne Denomme, director of broadcast for Toronto’s Bates Canada, guesses ‘roughly 15% to 20% of a client’s dollars are now spent on specialty TV.’ Lisa Hudson, media director at Toronto’s BrainStorm, estimates even higher. ‘Once it might have been considered risky to put 15% of your buy into the specialties. Now it’s normal to go 30% and beyond. Advertisers don’t have the same hesitancy they once did.’
And it’s not only packaged goods and direct marketers that are buying in. ‘All sectors have now made the move to specialty and that has brought about sell-out positions in some programming and cost increases to some stations,’ says Denomme.
Though many of the buyers had not yet seen all the fall offerings at press time, they agree that the specialties are eating into the audience for conventional TV and even perhaps bringing non-couch potatoes to the tube. Inese Korbs, Toronto-based VP group manager at M2 Universal, calls this the ‘specialty networks’ forté’ citing HGTV and OLN as examples.
But it’s in the area of appointment-viewing programming where the specialties are shining this fall season. Buyers mention the Showcase acquisition of HBO’s Six Feet Under as a perfect example, even though some Canadians have already been watching it on TMN in sync with the U.S. ‘The audience doesn’t care whether it’s a conventional or specialty channel,’ says BrainStorm’s Hudson. ‘If you have what they want to watch, they’ll go there.’
On the other hand, it’s too early to be tolling the bell for conventional TV dominance, says Marilyn Sherman, EVP media at Toronto’s Echo Advertising: ‘Until specialties are able to simulcast big programming with U.S. nets, they still won’t be able to catch up.’
Overall, given the money they have to work with, most buyers think the specialties are doing well.
‘Some specialties are making successful programming decisions,’ says Korbs. ‘TSN has continued support of World Junior Hockey coverage which delivered well… higher than many top-rated conventional programs. Sex and the City on Bravo! is appointment viewing. And early audience numbers report that viewers will find CSI on Showcase even at 4 a.m.’
What’s new for the fall
The top 15 English analogues
Channels are ranked by average minute audience, adults 18-plus, during the weeks from October 7, 2002 to May 11, 2003. All audience data is from Nielsen Media Research.
TSN (The Sports Network)
(Bell Globemedia [68.46%])
Average-minute audience: 102,000 (4.2% share of 18-plus Canadian universe)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54
Major advertisers: Nissan, Volkswagen, Tim Hortons, Molson, Smirnoff
New shows:
* About 100 NHL games, including 73 regular season and the first three rounds of the playoffs, as well as a minimum of 30 regional Maple Leafs games.
* IIHF World Junior Hockey coverage from Helsinki.
* Fifty regular NFL games in 2003 including Wendy’s Friday Night Football. TSN will also air 25 NFL regular season games from September to December and has picked up related programming from ESPN – NFL Countdown and NFL Primetime. TSN also has CIS action, including the Vanier Cup.
* TSN has exclusive rights to every Thursday and Friday round for all PGA Tour tournaments. TSN and CTV have exclusive rights to the Bell Canadian Open, AT&T Pebble Beach, The PLAYERS Championship, and all four World Golf Championships. In total, TSN will have more than 600 hours of golf.
* Over 300 hours of curling, including the Scott Tournament of Hearts.
Space
(CHUM Limited)
Average-minute audience: 50,000 (2% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 53, skewed male, early adopters
Major advertisers: Daimler Chrysler, Paramount, Canadian Tire
New shows:
* Stargate SG-1 – the SG-1 team set out to explore the mysteries of the Stargate, taking them into a seemingly boundless universe.
Tekwar – about the world in the year 2045, based on the books of William Shatner.
* V – visitors from another planet invade Earth disguised as humans offering friendship.
* PSI Factor – series about the paranormal, hosted by Dan Ackroyd.
* Hypaspace Weekly – a Space original production, this weekly entertainment news show concentrates on sci-fi and fantasy.
What else is new:
* New episodes of returning shows Enterprise, Angel, Starhunter and Dead Zone.
Rogers Sportsnet National
(Rogers [80%] and Fox [20%])
Average-minute audience: 48,000 (1.9% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54, skewing male
Major advertisers: Nissan, Honda, Ramada, VISA, IBM, Colgate-Palmolive
New Shows:
* Sportsnet East viewers will see NHL games from the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens, as well the NBA, the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and the American Hockey League (AHL).
* The Maple Leafs will be back on Sportsnet Ontario after 15 game broadcasts in 2002/03. Other headliners include the Toronto Raptors from the NBA, the Toronto Rock from the NLL, and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
* The Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames will be front-and-centre on Sportsnet West, as well as matches from the Western Hockey League of the CHL, the NBA and the Calgary Roughnecks of the NLL.
* Vancouver Canucks fans will see more games on Sportsnet Pacific than on any other network. The Vancouver Ravens of the NLL also feature prominently on the live event schedule.
* Nationally, viewers will see live coverage of the Grand Slam of Curling, soccer from the English Premier League, NCAA March Madness and the CHL playoffs.
Showcase
(Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting)
Average-minute audience: 47,000 (1.9% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54, skewing female
Major advertisers: Wendy’s, The Bay, Paramount, Bailey’s, Labatt, Sony
New shows:
* Six Feet Under (Season One) – acclaimed drama from HBO about a dysfunctional family that owns a funeral home in L.A.
* Mind of the Married Man (Season One) – HBO comedy about the challenges of modern-day marriage.
* Red Cap – BBC drama featuring the detective unit of the Royal Military Police as they investigate crime within the armed forces.
* Blood Strangers – two-part British drama about a mother shocked to discover that her teenage daughter was a prostitute.
What else is new:
* The Canadian comedy Twitch City (created by Don McKellar and originally aired on CBC) will get a second window on Showcase.
* Films scheduled for The Showcase Revue include Traffic and Memento.
Discovery
(Bell Globemedia [54.77%])
Average-minute audience: 46,000 (1.9% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54
Major advertisers: DaimlerChrysler, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, General Motors, Toyota, Wrigley, Nestlé, Hyundai, McCain Foods, Buena Vista Home Video
New shows:
* Monster House – inspired by Monster Garage, teams of experts make themed improvements to homes.
* Warrior Women – Lucy Lawless (Xena) hosts a five-parter about history’s most charismatic women.
* Science of Superhuman Strength – a special on the limits of human strength.
* KAPOW! Superhero Science – special about the science behind the powers and gadgetry of comic book heroes.
* American Chopper – a reality series featuring a father and son team who build customized motorcycles.
What else is new:
* Theme weeks are back, including Shark Week 2004, Dinosaur Planet Week and Snake Week.
History Television
(Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting)
Average-minute audience: 44,000 (1.8% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54
Major advertisers: DaimlerChrysler, Honda, HMV, Clairol, Dremel Tools
New shows:
* The History of Mistresses – three-part series on the changing role and influence of mistresses.
* From A Place Called War – four-part series telling stories of WWII via personal letters, anecdotes, and last words.
* History of Burlesque – a romp through the form with those who loved, hated and practiced it.
* Quest for the Sea – follows two families in 1930s Newfoundland.
Kennedy – this mini-series follows the 1,000-day presidency of JFK.
What else is new:
* Top Gun Week will showcase high-flying adventure programming.
* The 100th anniversary of flight will include a week of aviation documentaries, including the Wright Brothers’ historic flight and Canadian aviator pioneer Mabel Bell, wife of Alexander.
Prime
(CanWest Global)
Average-minute audience: 44,000
(1.8% share)
Target demo: Women 25 to 54
Major advertisers: Home Hardware, Primus, Maple Leaf Foods, Honda
New shows:
* House Rules – design experts descend on homes, aiming to increase the property value in just one day.
* Past Lives – follows Canadians as they dig up their family histories.
* MoneyWise Makeover Specials – showing people how to better manage their money.
* Designing Couples – spouses are challenged to create an entire room specifically to suit their better halves.
* Rags to Riches – contestants are given $300 to spend on the cheapest fashions they can locate, and their finds are critiqued by a panel of beauty experts.
What else is new:
* Prime will be partnering with CARP to produce two signature documentaries.
CBC Newsworld
(CBC)
Average-minute audience: 43,000
(1.7% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54, educated and affluent
Major advertisers: McCain’s, DaimlerChrysler, Nabob, CIBC, Clairol
New shows:
* The introduction of a new nightly current affairs program from Calgary, hosted by Kathleen Petty, to become part of CBC News: Canada Now.
* January will see the launch of a new nightly signature interview program featuring provocative subjects from Canada and beyond. The host is TBA.
Bravo!
(CHUM Limited)
Average-minute audience: 41,000
(1.7% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54, affluent and university educated
Major advertisers: Danone, Michelin, Revlon, Canada Post, Sprint, Schick
New shows:
* Strip Search – this reality series watches Canadian men as they vie to become part of a Las Vegas-style dance review.
* Antique Ghost Show – a medium relates the story behind an antique and a team of experts is given 48 hours to verify the claims.
* Madame Butterfly – Andrea Bocelli takes centre stage at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo.
What else is new:
* Bravo!’s most popular series, HBO’s Sex And The City, begins its sixth and final season on Sept. 19.
* CHUM has acquired the entire catalogue of HBO original movies, and Bravo! is creating a designated slot for them on Friday nights.
W Network
(Corus Entertainment)
Average-minute audience: 36,000
(1.5% share)
Target demo: Women 25 to 54
Major advertisers: Almay, Neutrogena, Tylenol, Honda, Kimberley-Clark
New shows:
* Living Romance – series exploring all facets of romance, including how to find it and how to keep it.
* Me, My House and I, With Brigitte Gall – comedian Brigitte Gall invites viewers into her new house as she attempts to transform it into a functioning home.
* Arresting Design – combines home makeover with cop show drama, creating a series sentencing homeowners for design crimes.
* The Ex-Factor – documentary series following people as they embark on an emotional journey to track down old flames.
What else is new:
* W Network is adding another movie night to its schedule, bringing the channel up to four movie nights a week this fall. W intends to air movies-of-the-week from around the world.
* Bridget Jones’ Diary will have its North American broadcast premiere on W this fall.
HGTV
(Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting)
Average-minute audience: 30,000
(1.2% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54, skewing female
Major advertisers: Kraft, Petro-Canada, Clarica, Danone, Scotiabank
New shows:
* Trash to Treasure – two teams get $400 and 20 hours to buy trash, turn it into treasure, and sell it for as much as possible.
* Designer’s Challenge – three designers tackle real-life interior problems and homeowners select the winning design.
* Buy Me! – the history of specific homes, told from the perspective of the house as it’s readied for sale.
* Debbie Travis’ Facelift – relaunched in a new one-hour format, Travis redecorates rooms for unsuspecting homeowners.
* Room Service Slumber Party and Room Service Country Christmas – two one-hour specials from host Sarah Richardson.
YTV
(Corus Entertainment)
Average-minute audience: 28,000 (1.2% share)
Target demo: Core demo is youth 6 to 11, with a focus on family viewing as well
Major advertisers: Mattel, Milton-Bradley, Kraft (Post Cereals), Effem Foods
New shows:
* Jacob Two-Two – animated series based on the award-winning books of Mordecai Richler.
* Spider-Man – Peter Parker enters his first year of college, juggling his responsibilities while still protecting the world from super-villains.
* Rugrats: All Grown Up – explores the lives of the popular toddler characters as they become teenagers.
* Mental Block – live action about a teenager with four distinct personalities in his head.
* Fries With That – sitcom about teens in the midst of their first job, a struggling burger joint.
* Phunkee Zee – a combination of live-action and game animation, this sci-fi series chronicles an unlikely team of tween heroes.
What else is new:
* YTV will be adding a night to its Three Hairy Thumbs Up movie block, bringing the total to three feature films a week.
CMT
(Corus Entertainment)
Average-minute audience: 25,000 (1% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54
Major advertisers: Wal-Mart, Home Hardware, Unilever, Sheraton Hotels, Clorox
New shows:
* CMT Got Me In With The Band – viewers get to go backstage and into the private world of their favourite country music stars.
* Country Couples (working title) – lifestyle series examining the relationships of famous country music couples.
* Undiscovered Country – celebrated musicians take viewers back to the small-town clubs and bars where they began their careers to find the best undiscovered talent in Canada.
What else is new:
* CMT will air the Academy of Country Music Awards and the CMT Flameworthy Awards.
* CMT has picked up the sitcom Wings and the drama Evening Shade, starring Burt Reynolds and Marilu Henner.
The Weather Network
(Pelmorex Inc.)
Average-minute audience: 25,000 (1% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54
Major advertisers: Glad, Kleenex, Claritin, Infinity, Canadian Tire
New shows:
* A cross-Canada interactive call-in show will allow viewers to ask questions or share insights about the weather.
The Comedy Network
(CTV)
Average-minute audience: 23,000 (0.9% share)
Target demo: Adults 18 to 49, skewing male and slightly younger
Major advertisers: Warner Bros., Pepsico, Wendy’s, Honda, Canadian Tire, Sony Pictures
New shows:
* Comedy Inc. – original 13-episode sketch comedy series starring Roman Danylor, Aurora Browne and Jennifer Goodhue.
* Just for Laughs: The Lost Tapes – new original half-hour series featuring previously unseen footage from the world’s biggest comedy festival.
What else is new:
* Returning original series include Puppets Who Kill, Just For Laughs Gags, Kevin Spencer, Odd Job Jack.
* Returning acquired series include The Simpsons, King of the Hill, South Park, Absolutely Fabulous, Primetime Glick, Crank Yankers and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
What’s new for the fall
The top 5 French analogues
Channels are ranked by average-minute audience, adults 18-plus, during the weeks from Oct. 7, 2002 to May 11, 2003. All audience data is from Nielsen Media Research.
Canal D
(Astral Media)
Average-minute audience: 39,000 (1.6% share of 18-plus Canadian universe)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54
Major advertisers: Chrysler, GM, Pepsico, Bell, VISA, Ford, Gouvernement du Quebec
New shows:
* Mayday! – factual series about airline catastrophes.
* Rank – an interactive celebrity ranking series from E!
* Friends comes to weekends; NYPD Blue will be weeknights at 10.
* Protect and Serve – cops capture bad guys on hidden camera.
* I, Detective – viewers try to solve real life cases.
* SexStar – the naked truth about porn stars.
* The Most Extreme – amazing traits in the animal kingdom.
What else is new:
* Sunday doc slot (7-9 p.m.) called Docu-D will feature topics as diverse as David Bowie and the origins of classic American foods.
RDS
(Bell Globemedia)
Average-minute audience: 38,000 (1.6% share)
Target demo: Adults 18 to 49, mainly male, affluent
Major advertisers: Molson, DaimlerChrysler, Honda, Rona
New shows:
* RDS will have over 100 Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens games, both regular season and playoffs.
* Formula One racing is prominent in the schedule, as well as CHAMP CART coverage within Quebec.
* 18 Montreal Alouettes games, as well the CFL Playoffs and the Grey Cup. More NFL features the playoffs and Super Bowl.
* 300 hours of golf, including Masters, and U.S. and British Opens
* All four Grand Slam pro tennis events plus Tennis Masters Series.
Reseau de l’Info
(Societé Radio-Canada)
Average-minute audience: 36,000 (1.5% share)
Target demo: Adults 25 to 54
Major advertisers: Automotive, Financial, Health Products
New shows:
* Not yet announced.
Series+
(Astral [50%], Alliance Atlantis [50%])
Average-minute audience: 32,000 (1.3% share)
Target demo: Women 25 to 54
Major advertisers: Sears, Proctor & Gamble, DaimlerChrysler
New shows:
* Adventure Inc. – follows a treasure hunting explorer.
* Queen of Swords – 19th century aristocrat fights crime.
* Doc – country singer Billy Ray Cyrus as a doctor in rural Montana.
* Pacific Blue – young cops on bikes fight crime in California.
* Thinking of Africa – romantic drama series features a widowed doctor who travels with her daughter to Africa to start a new life.
LCN
(TVA [Quebecor Media])
Average-minute audience: 21,000 (0.8% share)
Target demo: Adults 18 to 49, skewing slightly male, affluent and educated
Major advertisers: Not available
New shows:
The 24-hour headline news service has not yet announced any new programming initiatives for Fall 2003.
