From the Wires: New Video Cables Will Connect TVs To The Internet

NEW YORK -- Digital video and audio cables, similar to the ones that already connect TVs to DVD players, cable boxes and receivers, will soon come with a new capability: connecting those devices to the Internet.

Manufacturers said Thursday that version 1.4 of the HDMI standard, for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, includes a data networking feature.

That means that a set-top box that connects to the Internet could share its connection with other devices in the entertainment center, for easier access to Web video, e-mail and news, says Steve Venuti, president and CEO of HDMI Licensing.

Devices with HDMI 1.4 ports could show up in small numbers before the holidays, and in larger volumes early next year, the group said. New cables will be needed to take advantage of the networking feature.

Source: The Associated Press

From the Wires: NBC Makes History In The Prime-Time TV Ratings

NEW YORK -- NBC made history last week in the TV ratings -- the kind it would like to forget.

Nielsen Media Research says an average of 4.4 million people were watching NBC during prime time last week. Only one time before has Nielsen recorded a lower number for NBC -- during the dog days of August 2007.

Never before have ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox had such a small audience in a week when the ratings sweeps were on. The 2008-09 TV season officially concluded after Wednesday night last week.

NBC's "Nightly News" had a bigger audience last week than any of the network's prime-time shows.

Source: The Associated Press

WKYC To Air Next "Lake Erie: Beyond the Surface" on June 6th

WKYC Channel 3 continues our series about Northeast Ohio's greatest natural resource - Lake Erie. Join Channel 3 News Today's Mark Nolan for this HD special Saturday June 6th at 7pm on WKYC Channel 3.

Countdown to Conan: The Leno Legacy

Jay Leno is leaving the late night world this week the way he came in: At number one.

Still, Leno did encounter some rough seas shortly after he took over for Johnny Carson. "Many fans and TV critics thought Letterman deserved Carson's chair," notes TV Guide's Stephen Battaglio.

Letterman thought so too and moved to CBS, where he ran neck and neck with Leno for the first couple of years until one show in July of 1995 changed everything. British heartthrob Hugh Grant had been arrested days earlier for soliciting a prostitute, but he still honored his previously scheduled visit with Leno.

The ratings gold spun from that one show turned the late night tide in Leno's favor. "The Tonight Show"'s new viewers saw a new, more intimate set that was a nod to Leno's comedy club roots and made the host feel more at home.

He kept telling jokes, even on weekends, at comedy clubs around the country. "You go to Ohio, you go to Boston, Maine, Oklahoma, if a joke works in all of those places, it'll probably work on The Tonight Show," Leno explained.

Now, Leno takes his comedy to prime-time and passes the Tonight Show torch to his final guest, Conan O'Brien.

O'Brien gets to run with the show starting next Monday, June 1st.

Behind The Scenes: Channel 3 News at 6 PM

AJ Colby had his trusty little camera out and snapped this picture for us right before the 6 pm big broadcast this evening.

Nothing like seeing the studio from a different angle.




Courtesy: AJ Colby

Countdown to Conan: Coming June 1st to Channel 3

Conan O'Brien talks about his final preparations for his new gig as host of the Tonight Show. Mark Barger has the latest.

News: Owner of WVPX/TV 23 Files For Chapter 11

The owner of WVPX/TV23 in Akron, ION Media Networks, Inc., has filed for bankruptcy protection according to published reports.

Although TV23's transmitter is located in Akron, all of its local operations are based at the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center here in Cleveland, where it rents space.

The parent company, formerly known as PAX, owns and operates the largest U.S. broadcast television station group and ION Television, the country's only independent broadcast television network. The Company owns 59 of its 60 full-power broadcast television stations, including stations in each of the top 20 U.S. markets and 39 of the top 50.

Here's the press release from their website:

ION Media Networks, Inc. ("ION"), owner and operator of the ION Television network, announced today [May 20] that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has granted all of the company's first day requests.

Court approval includes continued use of cash on hand, as well as access to an additional $25 million of initial funding from a majority of the company's first lien secured lenders. This funding is part of a proposed financial restructuring that contemplates a significant de-leveraging and additional capital for growth.

"We are pleased with the process thus far and appreciate the support from our senior lenders to reduce our legacy indebtedness and provide cash funding for growth," said Brandon Burgess, ION's Chairman and CEO. "We look forward to working with all of our senior lenders to quickly implement a restructuring that finally provides a clean balance sheet, allowing the company to execute its growth strategy."

The company also confirmed that it is in active discussions for the acquisition of further content for the 2009/10 television season, including both off-network syndicated content as well as opportunistic original productions, which it anticipates announcing in coming weeks.

ION's business model is focused on capturing growth through improved programming and distribution. Ratings for ION Television showed double digit increases in the first quarter, driven by new programming additions, including NCIS, Boston Legal, and popular motion pictures. Additional syndicated shows, such as Criminal Minds and Ghost Whisperer, will join the network line-up in the second half of the year, along with several original show premieres, including the crime drama Durham County, starring Hugh Dillon. The company also continues to enhance its strong nationwide distribution, as seen in recent expanded carriage deals with DirecTV and Dish Network.

ION will continue its operations in the ordinary course through the financial restructuring process and provide uninterrupted service to its viewers and clients. In light of the pre-negotiated restructuring supported by holders representing a majority of its outstanding first lien debt outstanding, ION expects to complete the process on an accelerated basis. Moelis & Company LLC is serving as financial advisor to ION and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel for the restructuring.

NBA Playoffs: Behind The Scenes At The 'Q'

Special to the Director's Cut Blog
By Michael O'Mara

CLEVELAND -- Long before the Cavaliers and Magic take to the court for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, more than 1,000 workers are hard at work to make sure the show gets on the air.

It all starts backstage.

Hours before tip off , the hard work begins.

Workers haul in beer and other refreshments the hungry fans will gobble up.

Tech crew members are busy running huge lines of coaxial cable through a maze of wires to the engineering room while others check and re-check cameras and microphones for the national broadcast.

Tom Sahara, a technical coordinator for TNT, says it takes 22 cameras to bring the Cavaliers and Magic up close in your living room. One of those cameras is devoted solely to every move Lebron James makes.

These workers don't have big paychecks and for the most part go unnoticed. But they take pride in making the Cavs games the best.

"They don't know who's doing all the prep. We are the ones who should be seen because we are the ones doing all the work for our customers," said Beverly Hamilton a Cavs worker.

"When people come down here and say 'it looks great', that means we are doing our job. We don't wait until it looks bad," said Mike Wise of Wise Painting.

Have a look.....

WKYC Analog Shutoff Time Set on June 12th

The Director's Cut Blog has learned WKYC intends to officially terminate its analog, over-the-air broadcasting at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 12th.

This is the new date the FCC is mandating all television stations in the United States that are still broadcasting analog signals to shut them down and go all digital.

Many stations made the switch on the original date of February 17th, while others switched in April.

However, most all the major Cleveland television stations decided to wait until June 12th, some for technical reasons...others for competitive reasons.

At this time, we believe - most, if not all of our local TV stations will make the switch at the same time.

News: WKYC #1 at 6 PM, 7 PM & 11 PM in May Sweeps

Channel 3 News' Romona Robinson has a special message for all of our viewers and Facebook fans.

WKYC sweeps up with a nice win in HH's (households), adults 18+ and adults 25-54 - the key demos at 6 & 11 PM and #1 adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 at 7 PM - a claim no one else in town can make (even though they may try to fool you).

This is on the heels of a win in March at 6 & 11 PM for WKYC.

Good News, We're Not Dead Yet Says Nielsen Report

By Frank Macek

The death of television has been prematurely reported.

Nielsen's latest first quarter report of three screens use: television, Internet and mobile - show all three INCREASING during the first quarter of 2009.

The study shows that television is still the dominant choice for Americans who watch video with a whopping 99% of the video watched still being viewed a traditional TV screen.

In addition, TV usage continues at an all-time high with 153 hours being watched per month by each of us. That's an INCREASE of 1.2% over 2008. Of all demographics, adults age 17 to 24 are the only ones showing signs of using DVRs and online video about the same amount of time. The reports shows they time shifted television about 5 hrs, 47 minutes each month and video on the Internet 5 hrs, 3 minutes.

Also during the first quarter, the growth of online video was driven by both strong brand marketing and large media events including the Presidential inauguration, the Super Bowl and March Madness. About 131 million Americans average three hours of video online each month at home.

Teens aged 13 to 17 continue to be avid viewers of mobile video. They report viewing an average of 6.5 hours of video on their mobile phone each month.

Overall, mobile viewing is up 52% from 2008.

So at least at this time, it doesn't seem traditional television needs to worry much. So, we'll likely be around for a long time to come. It's not time to panic and focus all of our resources on the web, at the expense of television - still our core product.

To download the complete report: CLICK HERE

Source: Nielsen

LED TV: Great Picture, Less Electricity

Special to the Director's Cut
By Jeff Burnside

One of the biggest users of electricity in your home is your TV set.

So if you want to go green, there's now a new kind of TV set that uses a lot less energy.

It's an LED set and the newest model by Samsung just arrived in stores.

Samsung says it uses 40 percent less electricity than other plasma or LCD big screens.

Sinclair Crabb bought one just because of that.

"Where I come from in the Virgin Islands, the electricity bill is very high. And that was part of the reason I bought the TV," said Crabb.

And because LEDs generate light they don't generate heat.

But lets face it, television is all about picture quality.

Those who have seen the Samsung sets up close say the image is nothing short of astounding.

Now the bad news. This high-end version is more than $3,500.

But they'll go down in price and don't forget you save electricity from the moment you plug it in.

NBC Releases Its Fall Schedule

NBC announced today its 2009-2010 schedule featuring more original programming than ever before and a shared time-period strategy around NBC's Olympics platform that, along with "The Jay Leno Show" (Mondays-Fridays 10-11 p.m. ET), allows the network to broadcast all-new content year-round.

In addition, NBC issued renewals to "Law & Order" and "Chuck" as part of its strong slate of new and returning shows announced recently at the network's highly successful Infront.

"NBC has picked up more scripted shows than last season even with 'The Jay Leno Show' at 10 p.m.," said Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "We're incredibly excited about our new and returning series and have more comedy programming than anyone else, as well as two of the most buzzed about new shows, "Community" and "Parenthood." We can't wait for the fall."

"We are extremely proud to introduce these strong new series to NBC's schedule next season in strategic timeslots that position them for success," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios. "They join some of the highest quality returning shows on television, which will serve as a strong foundation to the new schedule. I think viewers are going to be happy to see this lineup of great new shows that will truly fit the NBC legacy of quality, culturally defining shows."

NBC's shared time period strategy will kick off this fall on Mondays with the premiere of "Heroes" (8-9 p.m. ET) continuing with all originals before "Chuck" assumes the time period after the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which will be a powerful launching platform with its broad, female appeal and strong ratings as the most-watched event of the year. Using "NBC Sunday Night Football's" potent promotional platform, the new high-octane drama "Trauma" will debut Mondays (9-10 p.m. ET) with the epic event series "Day One" taking over the time period following the Olympics.

NBC's successful "The Biggest Loser" series continues Tuesdays (8-10 p.m.) and will help launch the new Wednesday lineup this fall, with the new family drama "Parenthood" debuting (8-9 p.m. ET) and the new hospital drama "Mercy" assuming the time period post-Olympics. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" will air 9-10 p.m. ET following "Parenthood."

NBC's Thursday marquee comedy night will begin with the only live comedy between 8-10 p.m. on any network, "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday" (8-8:30 p.m. ET), followed by "Parks and Recreation" (8:30-9 p.m. ET), "The Office" (9-9:30 p.m. ET) and the new comedy "Community" (9:30-10 p.m. ET). After "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday" completes its multi-week run, "Community" will move to 8 p.m. and "30 Rock" will debut at 9:30 p.m., enabling NBC to feature more original comedy than ever before.

On Fridays in the fall, the enduring drama "Law & Order" will return for its record 20th season (tying "Gunsmoke" as the longest running drama series in primetime) and will lead off at 8-9 p.m. (ET) while "Southland" follows at 9-10 p.m. (ET), building a great crime block.

Saturdays will be a showcase for "Dateline NBC" (8-9 p.m. ET) and encore episodes of "Trauma" (9-10 p.m. ET) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (10-11 p.m. ET).

"Football Night in America" (7-8:20 p.m. ET) and "NBC Sunday Night Football" (8:20-11 p.m. ET) - the number one show of the fall -- will return on Sundays in the fall with a fan-pleasing schedule of games to round out the fall season.

Utilizing the compatible demographics provided by the Olympics, NBC will launch the premieres of "The Marriage Ref" from executive producers Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen Rakieten ("Oprah") on Sundays (8-9 p.m. ET) and the third season premiere of "The Celebrity Apprentice" on Sundays with two-hour editions (9-11 p.m. ET). In addition, the new comedy "100 Questions" will debut on Tuesdays (9:30-10 p.m. ET) following a 90-minute edition of "The Biggest Loser" (8-9:30 p.m. ET).

And coming in the summer, NBC will telecast all original episodes of "The Jay Leno Show," "Friday Night Lights," "America's Got Talent," "Breakthrough with Tony Robbins," "Dateline NBC," with additional programs to be announced later.

To catch up on season finales, watch new "Heroes" and "The Office" web series, and more, please log onto NBC.com.

NBC FALL 2009 SCHEDULE
*New programs in UPPER CASE

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Heroes"
9-10 p.m. - "TRAUMA"
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. - "The Biggest Loser" (two-hour edition)
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. - "PARENTHOOD"
9-10 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. - "SNL WEEKEND UPDATE THURSDAY" (multi-episode run)
8:30-9 p.m. - "Parks and Recreation"
9- 9:30 p.m. - "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. - "COMMUNITY" (moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. after multi-episode run "30 Rock" returns)
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m. - "Southland"
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. - "TRAUMA" (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encore broadcast)

SUNDAY
7- 8:20 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8:20-11 p.m. "NBC Sunday Night Football"

NBC MID-SEASON 2010 SCHEDULE
(2010 WINTER OLYMPICS preempt regularly scheduled programming from February 12-28, 2010)

*New programs in UPPER CASE

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Chuck" (season premiere)
9-10 p.m. - "DAY ONE"
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

TUESDAY
8-9:30 p.m. - "The Biggest Loser" (90-minute edition)
9:30-10 p.m. - "100 QUESTIONS"
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. - "MERCY"
9-10 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. - "COMMUNITY"
8:30-9 p.m. - "Parks and Recreation"
9- 9:30 p.m. - "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. - "30 Rock"
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m. - "Southland"
10-11 p.m. - "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. - "Southland" (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encore broadcast)

SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. - "THE MARRIAGE REF"
9-11 p.m. - "The Celebrity Apprentice" (season premiere; two-hour edition)

Channel 3 Promo: "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" Premiere

As Conan O'Brien gets ready to launch his stint as host of Tonight Show on June 1st, he stopped by Cleveland recently to talk about the show. Somehow, they ended up talking about his trademark do. Enjoy!

News: "Law & Order" Renewed For Record-tying 20th Season

NBC is renewing "Law & Order" for a record-tying 20th season.

People familiar with NBC's plans say the network is set to announce its fall schedule Tuesday and the durable crime drama will be on it. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the decision.

"Law & Order" will stand with "Gunsmoke" as TV's longest-running prime-time drama. The Western aired from 1955 to 1975 on CBS.

Source: The Associated Press

News: Conan Announces First Guests on the "Tonight Show"

Will Ferrell will be the first guest on the couch for the debut of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" on June 1. Ferrell, who helped usher O'Brien out of New York on the final "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," will help welcome O'Brien to his new home in Los Angeles. In addition Pearl Jam will be the inaugural band on Conan's "The Tonight Show." Pearl Jam will perform songs from their upcoming studio album.

Conan O'Brien, the dominant late-night host at 12:35 a.m. for the past 14 seasons, will succeed Jay Leno as host of the preeminent series on late-night television, NBC's "The Tonight Show," on June 1, 2009.

"The Tonight Show" continues to be the most dominant late-night institution in television history. Since it first premiered on September 27, 1954 with Steve Allen, "The Tonight Show" has had just four permanent hosts, including Leno. Allen, host of the then titled "Tonight," eventually left late night to start his own primetime variety series on NBC. Jack Paar premiered on July 29, 1957. On October 1, 1962, Johnny Carson stepped on stage for day one of his tenure as host of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Leno, who began guest-hosting "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in September 1987, became host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on May 25, 1992. O'Brien joined NBC as a writer on "Saturday Night Live" in 1988 and premiered as host of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on September 13, 1993.

Spotlight Feature: Advertisers VS. The Networks

By Frank Macek

One of the changes being seen in the current economic climate is where advertisers are willing to spend their money with broadcast networks and local television stations.

Advertisers think they have found a perfect opportunity in the bad economic climate to try and tip the balance of power that has existed between them and TV for decades.

For the first time, the broadcasters are seeing advertisers making demands of networks and stations as they try to better target their audiences with smaller advertising budgets.

Stations and networks have generally forced their clients to buy a schedule of commercials in several shows or day parts. If an advertiser would buy spots in "B" and "C" shows, they usually got the first dibs on the "A" shows with the best ratings - at a premium price, of course.

This year, we are beginning to see a fundamental shift that could be a battleground for years to come according to industry observers.

Advertisers want to buy commercials only in shows they like, or fit best with their brands. Their sentiment is why would they spend money on programs with little chance for return just to please the networks or stations?

This is upsetting broadcasters who are faced with the reality a bad economic climate may mean they swallow their pride and make deals to keep whatever advertisers they can.

On the positive side, this type of advertising may be good for the consumer who may pay more attention to commercials that specifically target their tastes or interests. Would you rather watch a commercial that interests you in your favorite show? Or one that has no connection to the broadcast or your lifestyle? These are the questions being circulated to see if super sizing a particular demographic can really produce better advertising returns for the money.

This may actually force broadcasters to ramp up their efforts for better quality programs that attract larger audiences. Television is still very relative in people's daily lives...and people are willing to watch if you give them a reason too. Think shows like the "Kentucky Derby," "American Idol," or Sunday NFL football games or Super bowls that draw large audiences consistently.

Plus, we must adapt and start thinking more on content across all platforms...on-air, on-line and mobile. And we must think "live" - like in the golden days of television when DVR'ing programs for later watching isn't as appealing as watching them "live."

Perhaps the advertising revolution we are starting to see may just force us to focus a little more on our viewers - and that is a good thing for all involved.

---
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of WKYC or Gannett Broadcasting.

Sneak Peak: "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" New Set

NBC has released a picture of Conan's new "Tonight Show" set...



Watch time lapse of the set construction...



Courtesy: NBC

DTV Help Available This Weekend in Canton

Do you still need help with the DTV transition?

A mobile assistance center will be in Northeast Ohio this weekend to help consumers. The switch to digital television takes place June 12.

The mobile assistance centers will be in Canton this weekend. The staff can demonstrate how to hook up a converter box to an analog TV and to help you apply for a $40 converter box coupon.

Saturday May 16 & Sunday May 17

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
5th Avenue Flea Market
3800 Harmont Ave. NE
Canton, Ohio

For more information about the DTV switch, you can call 1-888-DTV-2009 or CLICK HERE

Video Gem: "Must See TV" Demonstration Ends With One Arrest

Editor's Note: We found this gem on the NBC feeds today. As you'll see, it involved demonstrators starring at blank tv's to get people to notice. It's a head scratcher, but very entertaining. Take a look at the video below the story:

---

It was meant to draw reaction in Downtown Roanoke Thursday afternoon, and it certainly did.

An event called "Must See TV", where dozens of people met at Market Square and sat in front of blank television sets to make people take notice.

The group says the purpose was to make others talk, but they didn't just get the attention of people on the street. One police officer also took notice.

The five minute event ended with one arrest.

Police Spokesperson Aisha Johnson sent out this statement,

"The arrest occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. today. An officer patrolling the downtown area saw a female subject on the Campbell Avenue side of the Market Building, sitting on the steps watching a television. The officer told the lady several times to move because she was impeding foot traffic. The lady eventually moved. The officer continued his patrol. When he later came back to the area he saw a group of approximately 10 people (I don't have an exact count) on the sidewalk watching a television. He told the people several times to move because they were impeding foot traffic. They eventually moved, with the exception of the first lady he encountered. He again told her several times to move because she was impeding foot traffic. She refused and was eventually arrested. Her name is Katherine Ann Gwaltney, age 27. She was charged for impeding foot traffic and with obstruction of justice."

NBC Fall Preview: "Parenthood"

Editor's Note: Every day on the Director's Cut this week, we are giving you a sneak peak at the new fall shows coming to WKYC and NBC.
---

From the executive producers of the box-office hit "Parenthood" Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, and writer/executive producer Jason Katims of "Friday Night Lights" this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family: four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and joy of being parents.

The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos.

When Sarah Braverman, a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, California after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber and Drew, she is greeted by her opinionated father Zeek and mother Camille who are privately dealing with their own marital issues.

As Sarah is reunited with her siblings, sister, Julia and brothers Crosby and Adam, all struggling with issues of their own, it's clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life.

News: "Today" Sets New Record

Last week, NBC News' "Today" reached another unprecedented milestone: 700 weeks as America's number one morning program. No other morning news program has come close to a winning streak like "Today's." Moreover, the win marks the longest current winning streak in all of broadcast television, by any show, in any daypart. The winning streak began December 11, 1995, and season-to-date, "Today" holds its largest advantage over GMA in five years - since 2004.

And, to keep with what's become a morning news tradition, NBC News' "Today" aced the week, attracting 5.6 million viewers for the week of May 4 – a 1.1 million (24 percent) lead over GMA and a 2.7 million (93 percent) lead over CBS' "The Early Show." Season-to-date, "Today's" advantages over GMA have increased across the board versus the same period last season.

For the week, "Today" led with a 4.2 household rating/15 share and 5.6 million viewers. "GMA" was a far second with a 3.4/12 and 4.5 million viewers. "The Early Show" remained in third place with a 2.2/8 and 2.9 million viewers.

In rating A25-54, "Today" led GMA by 33 percent (5 tenths) and beat the "Early Show" by 100 percent (1 full ratings point). In rating A18-49, "Today" outperformed GMA by 36 percent (4 tenths) and Early Show by 114 percent (8 tenths). "Today" widened its advantages over GMA week-to-week in W/A18-49 and W/A25-54.

"Today II" posted a 2.4/10 in homes and 3.2 million viewers "Today II" outperformed CBS Early Show in homes and total viewers and key demos. Versus the prior week, "Today II" posted growth in W18-49 (+10%). "Today II" increased +5% in total viewers compared to the same week last season.

For the week, "Today III" delivered a 1.4/6 in homes and 1.8 million viewers. Week-to-week, "Today III" posted gains in W18-49 (+17%) and also edged up 2% in A18-49 and 1% in A25-54. "Today III" increased in homes (+8%), total viewers (+14% or +221,000), W18-49 (+17%), and W/M/A25-54 (+14%/+33%/+20%) versus the same week last season. Season-to-date, "Today III" has improved 2% in A25-54.

Source: NBC

News: Leno Announces His Last Guest on "The Tonight Show" May 29th

Jay Leno announced today that "Tonight Show" heir Conan O'Brien is scheduled to be the final guest to sit on his famed couch during Leno's last show as host of the franchise on May 29. O'Brien, who has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" 16 times previously, will be taking over the coveted hosting duties beginning on June 1.

In addition, the week leading up to Leno's finale as host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" will feature special guests and friends of the show including:

Monday, May 25: Mel Gibson will make his 21st appearance on the "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in his first sit-down interview since the announcement of his impending divorce.

Tuesday, May 26: Arnold Schwarzenegger made headlines when he made the now famous surprise announcement that he was running for governor of California during an appearance in 2003 and he will take to the couch again for his 25th appearance on the show.

Wednesday, May 27: Comedian Wanda Sykes, hot off her hosting duties at the White House Correspondents dinner, makes her 25th appearance with Leno.

Thursday, May 28: Billy Crystal boasts the title of the first guest ever to take a seat on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" when he appeared on the initial broadcast on May 25, 1992.

The musical guests for the week include Lyle Lovett who will appear on Monday, May 25 while Dwight Yoakam takes the stage on Tuesday, May 26. Both are currently tied for the most appearances made by a musician and both will round out "The Tonight Show" with 25 appearances each. Sarah McLachlan, Prince and James Taylor will wrap up the week.

In addition to the special guests, video packages honoring 17 years of moments, gaffes and laughs on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" will premiere throughout the week.

Leno opened his first monologue as host "The Tonight Show" on May 25, 1992, with a joke about Vice President Dan Quayle's concerns about "Murphy Brown's" title character becoming a single mother. Since then, he's delivered as many as 130,000 jokes in 17-years of hosting the leading late-night franchise.

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has never strayed from its tradition of booking the top celebrities, musicians, politicians and newsmakers keeping its audience on the cutting edge of pop culture and current events and in March 2009 the show made history when it hosted the President of the United States. President Barack Obama's appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" remains the only late-night appearance by a sitting President.

In 1999 "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" becoming the first American nightly talk show to be shot in HD. With its constant commitment to topical humor, guests and the latest trends in broadcast the "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has finished #1 in the late-night race for the last 14 consecutive seasons.

Leno, recently named America's Favorite TV Personality by the 2009 Harris Poll, announced in December of 2008 that while he will be leaving "The Tonight Show" he will remain at NBC and embark on an adventure that marks a new era in television. "The Jay Leno Show" will be the first-ever entertainment program to be stripped across primetime on broadcast network television and will showcase many of the features that have made Leno America's late-night leader for more than a dozen years.

Conan O'Brien, the dominant late-night host at 12:35 a.m. for the past 14 seasons, will succeed Jay Leno as host of the preeminent series on late-night television, NBC's "The Tonight Show" on June 1, 2009. The announcement was made by Leno during a taping of "The Tonight Show" on September 27, 2004.

NBC Fall Preview: "Mercy"

Editor's Note: Every day on the Director's Cut this week, we are giving you a sneak peak at the new fall shows coming to WKYC and NBC.
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"Mercy," a new medical drama with a unique point of view, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best: its nurses.

Nurse Veronica Callahan returns to Mercy from a military tour in Iraq and she knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined.

Together with fellow nurses Sonia Jimenez and Chloe Payne, Callahan navigates through the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world.

The cast also includes: James Tupper as Dr. Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica's life; Diego Klattenhoff as Mike Callahan, Veronica's husband; and Guillermo Diaz as Nurse Angel Lopez.

WKYC & Indians Present First "Weather Education Day" This Year

By Kim Wendel

CLEVELAND -- Thousands of Northern Ohio students came to Progressive Field Wednesday for WKYC-TV's Weather Education Day. Were you there?

Check out our photo galleries on wkyc.com: CLICK HERE

The students learned their weather lessons from WKYC-TV meteorologists Betsy Kling, AJ Colby, Hollie Strano and Bruce Kalinowski.

They also got a chance to watch the Cleveland Indians take on the Chicago White Sox.

More from Channel 3 Weather: Get forecast e-mails, iAlert text messages or e-mails, Find Channel 3 Weather on Facebook or Watch the latest forecast from Channel 3 News

NBC Fall Preview: "Trauma"

Editor's Note: Every day on the Director's Cut this week, we are giving you a sneak peak at the new fall shows coming to WKYC and NBC.
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Peter Berg, executive producer of "Friday Night Lights" delivers "Trauma," the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is.

Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, "Trauma" is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics.

When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time.

From the heights of the city's Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives and give meaning to their own existence in the process.

Notes From the Editor: Things We Are Watching & Waiting

Greetings everyone...

Although we are over the hump of May sweeps and heading for the finish line next Wednesday, we basically have nothing new to report from the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. This is why I haven't posted much new material lately.

We are watching and waiting on the resolution of a few items of interest that should be wrapped up shortly...

1) Who replaces Abby Ham on the morning show

2) How tight May sweeps are at 6 & 11 p.m.

3) The completion of our new broadcast tower. (Now about 2/3rds finished)

4) The signing off of Channel 3 analog on June 12th.

5) How soon the advertising market recovers, especially locally.

So, we are still here with plenty of new stuff to share when the time is right. In the meantime, I'm posting some of the programming stuff I receive from NBC and upstairs about our new fall shows, which of course will be joined by the addition of Jay Leno in prime time at 10 p.m.

Jay's new show both excites and makes NBC affiliates, like WKYC, a little nervous in charting new territory like this. But, of course, television is changing - almost daily - and nothing is outside the realm of possibility now.

News: Emmy Nomination Party June 4th

Our friends at the Lower Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has let us know this year's Emmy Nomination Party is set for June 4th.

This year's gathering will be held locally at Fat Fish Blue in downtown Cleveland, along with simultaneous gatherings at The Rathskeller in Indianapolis and Fat Blue Fish in Toledo (Perrysburg).

You can visit www.nataslgl.org for more information or to register on-line if you plan on attending this year.

NBC Fall Preview: "Community"

Editor's Note: Every day on the Director's Cut this week, we are giving you a sneak peak at the new fall shows coming to WKYC and NBC.
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From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo comes "Community," a smart comedy series about higher education and lower expectations.

The student body at Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active.

Within these not-so-hallowed halls, "Community" focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin' lawyer whose degree has been revoked, who form a study group and end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work.

In addition to McHale, the series also stars: Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie and comedy legend Chevy Chase.

NBC Fall Preview: "100 Questions"

Editor's Note: Every day on the Director's Cut this week, we are giving you a sneak peak at the new fall shows coming to WKYC and NBC.
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Emmy winner James Burrows directs "100 Questions," a new comedy series that provides hilarious answers to 100 questions about love. Charlotte Payne is looking for love and has rejected multiple marriage proposals, but she has yet to meet Mr. Right.

When she joins a popular online dating site, she gets a little help from her dating counselor Ravi, who requires her to take a 100-question compatibility test.

The questions aren't easy for Charlotte to answer, and each one requires her to recount a poignant and humorous time in her life with friends. The test becomes a journey of self-discovery for Charlotte who begins to realize what she truly wants in a relationship.

Preview: "Celebrity Apprentice" Finale This Sunday on WKYC

This season's edition of "Celebrity Apprentice" concludes Sunday with a three hour live finale as billionaire Donald Trump selects his winner. Finales of the series have always been contentious, but this edition's gotten to be extremely personal between the two finalists.

Joan Rivers unloaded on pro poker star Annie Duke, calling her "beyond white trash" after Trump fired the comedienne's daughter, Melissa. The comedian claimed Duke and former Playboy Playmate Brande Roderick
conspired against Melissa.

Now, Duke and Rivers are the final two contestants.

The show's final fundraising task has Rivers and her handpicked teammates in a showdown with Duke and the group she selected.

It'll likely make for the most venomous Apprentice finale yet.

The winnings for the victor of "Celebrity Apprentice" are donated to that person's chosen charity.

News: Nielsen Ratings Melt Down?

By Frank Macek

The May sweeps period is one of the two most important to television stations and networks, along with November. Networks want to see immediately how well their prime-time shows do as they air with overnight tallies so they can make adjustments.

Locally, television stations (like WKYC-TV) set their advertising ratings based on the results.

The problem this week is stations aren't getting the results they paid for. Nielsen, the television ratings company, has been in a meltdown since the weekend when their servers for data collection apparently suffered some problems.

Overnight ratings haven't been provided to stations for third day in a row. The latest numbers that have been issued are Monday's. Today is Thursday.

Stations are fuming and with good reason. Nielsen has a virtual monopoly over television ratings. TiVo is the closest competitive ratings service which has tried, like other start ups, to come up with an alternative to Nielsen through the years.

It makes you really wonder how accurate their ratings are when problems like this occur.

Nielsen spokesman Gary Holmes tells Variety Magazine, "We wanted to make sure the data we were going to put out subsequently was correct, which caused further delay.

Holmes added, "The data itself is accurate. We recognize the inconvenience to our clients, and we're working as hard as we can to get the ratings out as soon as we can."

This meltdown is sure to stir great debate whether Nielsen's system works, especially their newly installed Local People Meters (LPMs) or whether it is time to find other sources of ratings information just in case this situation happens again.

News: NBC Launches New "Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" Website

Thanks to my Channel 3 directing colleague and fellow blogger Matt Babb for finding this one for us.

NBC has launched a brand new "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" web site.

On the site, you can get ticket information, watch exclusive video including a time-lapse of the building of the new Tonight Show set, and keep up with "The Tonight Show Insider", a behind the scenes blog about the brand new version of the show.

You can also follow the Tonight Show on Twitter at twitter.com/conantonight

Conan debuts June 1st right here on WKYC following Channel 3 News at 11 p.m.

To check out the new "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" site... CLICK HERE

News: Best Watched Kentucky Derby in 20 Years

NBC Sports' coverage of Saturday's Kentucky Derby was the most viewed Kentucky Derby in 20 years according to data provided by Nielsen Media Research. The race (6:09-6:57 p.m. ET) averaged 16.3 million viewers, two million more than last year's 14.2 million (up 15 percent) and the most since 1989 when Sunday Silence won the Derby (18.5 million).

NBC Sports coverage of the Kentucky Derby now reaches seven million more viewers than the last Kentucky Derby broadcast by ABC in 2000 (16.3 million vs.9.1 million, up 51 percent).

"In this time of a fragmented television landscape amassing this large audience is a real accomplishment, a testament to the common vision we share with Bob Evans and his team at Churchill Downs and a shared strategic approach between partners to execute that vision," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman NBC Universal Sports and Olympics.

Saturday's race coverage notched a 9.8 national rating and a 23 share, the highest rating in 17 years (1992 won by Lil E Tee, 10.3/30) and an 11 percent increase over last year's race (8.8/21) that was fueled by the hype of "Super Horse" Big Brown.

Source: NBC

News: This Is ONLY Another Test

By Frank Macek

The FCC wants to hold a national digital tv test before the June switch - and this one is appears to be mandatory.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today the FCC is preparing to issue a directive to television stations still broadcasting analog signals for a series of tests on Thursday, May 21st.

This would be the first national test the FCC has required. Stations have previously done voluntary tests on a state by state or region by region basis - including those in Ohio that were conducted at the end of 2008 and early 2009.

The FCC would expect stations to suspend regular programming and air a public service ad dealing with the transition.

The ads would be broadcast on May 21st at 7:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Stations who have already switched to all digital would be exempt.

As we reported earlier this week, Nielsen estimates about 3.5 million househoulds are still totally unprepared for the transition date on June 12th.

News: Senator Debates His Proposed Ban On Airing 9-1-1 Calls Monday at 7 PM

Update: This story finally airs today - Monday, May 4th at 7 PM. Watch the interview below.

Ohio Senator Thomas Patton (R-Strongsville) is working on a bill in the General Assembly in the State of Ohio to ban broadcasters (including radio, television and Internet) from airing 9-1-1 calls.

The bill would allow for the transcriptions of 9-1-1 calls to be read by broadcasters, but the audio portion would not be allowed to be aired under Patton's proposal.

Broadcasters would be fined $10,000 for a violation.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Patton argues people may not call 9-1-1 to report a crime if they fear their identities could be revealed or identified by their voice.

Patton doesn't feel 9-1-1 calls should be confidential, just not aired.

Of course, Ohio broadcasters fiercely opposed a previous attempt at the legislation and will again, says Christine Merritt, executive vice president of the Ohio Association of Broadcasters tells the Dispatch.

Coming up Monday at 7 pm on Channel 3 News, Senator Patton will join us live in the studio for our "Focus" segment to debate with Channel 3 Anchor Eric Mansfield.

We'll have reaction and post the interview on Monday following its airing here on the Director's Cut Blog.

News: NBC Gives A Sneak Peak At What's Coming This Fall

NBC unveiled today a strong lineup of broad and diverse quality programming for the 2009-2010 television season announcing the pickups of six new series featuring four new dramas including "Trauma," "Parenthood," "Mercy" and the event series "Day One," as well as two new comedies including "Community" and "100 Questions."

Four returning series pickups were also announced today including "Heroes," "Southland," "Parks and Recreation" and the addition of six new episodes of "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday" skewering today's top stories in live half-hour primetime shows.

The new and returning series will launch next season and the epic event series "Day One" is slated to premiere out of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

"The Jay Leno Show" will be broadcast Monday-Fridays, 10-11 p.m. ET beginning in the fall. Previously announced series pickups include "The Office," "30 Rock," "The Biggest Loser," "The Celebrity Apprentice," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Friday Night Lights," and new alternative series "The Marriage Ref," "Breakthrough With Tony Robbins" and "Who Do You Think You Are?"

Additional series pickups will be announced May 19, when NBC announces its 2009-2010 schedule.

"We are thrilled to be announcing such an awesome slate of new series that build on our existing quality brand and deliver emotional, human stories," said Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "NBC will strive to make viewers feel and our shows represent the full range of human emotion from laughter to tears. We can't wait to share these concepts with our audience and our advertising partners."

"These new series will showcase fresh talent and bold, original concepts that are extremely well executed," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios. "We are grateful to the producers, casts and crews -- and our team -- who have delivered incredibly compelling and entertaining new series."

2009-2010 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

New Dramas

PARENTHOOD
From the executive producers of the box-office hit "Parenthood" -- Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (Oscar winners for "A Beautiful Mind"), and writer/executive producer Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights") -- this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family -- four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos. When Sarah Braverman (Tierney, "ER"), a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif. after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber (Mae Whitman, "In Treatment") and Drew (Miles Heizer, "ER"), she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek (Nelson, "Family Stone," "Coach"), and strong mother, Camille (Bedelia, "Heart Like a Wheel"), who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings -- sister, Julia (Christensen, "Traffic"), and brothers Crosby (Shepard, "Baby Mama") and Adam (Krause, "Six Feet Under") -- all struggling with issues of their own, it's clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life. "Parenthood" is a production from Imagine Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. Emmy winner Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") directs the pilot.

TRAUMA
Executive producer Peter Berg (NBC's "Friday Night Lights") delivers "Trauma," the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, "Trauma" is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city's Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives -- and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring in "Trauma" are Derek Luke ("Notorious"), Cliff Curtis ("10,000 B.C"), Anastasia Griffith ("Damages"), Aimee Garcia ("George Lopez"), Kevin Rankin ("Friday Night Lights") and Jamey Sheridan ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent"). "Trauma" is a production of Universal Media Studios and Film 44. Berg, Sarah Aubrey ("Bad Santa," "Friday Night Lights"), Dario Scardapane and Jeffrey Reiner ("Friday Night Lights") serve as executive producers. The pilot was written by Scardapane and directed by Reiner.

MERCY
"Mercy," a new medical drama with a unique point of view, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best -- its nurses. Nurse Veronica Callahan (Taylor Schilling, "Dark Matter") returns to Mercy from a military tour in Iraq -- and she knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined. Together with fellow nurses Sonia Jimenez (Jamie Lee Kirchner, "Rescue Me") and Chloe Payne (Michelle Trachtenberg, "Gossip Girl"), Callahan navigates through the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world. The cast also includes: James Tupper ("Men in Trees") as Dr. Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica's life; Diego Klattenhoff ("Supernatural") as Mike Callahan, Veronica's husband; and Guillermo Diaz ("Weeds") as Nurse Angel Lopez. "Mercy" is a production from Universal Media Studios and Berman Braun. Joining writer/executive producers Liz Heldens (NBC's "Friday Night Lights") and Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts ("Pushing Daisies," "Pepper Dennis") are executive producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein (NBC's "30 Rock," "Rescue Me") is the director.

DAY ONE
From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander ("Heroes," "Lost," "Alias") and director Alex Graves ("Fringe," "Journeyman"), "Day One" tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world's infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors -- played by Adam Campbell ("Date Movie"), Catherine Dent ("The Shield"), Julie Gonzalo ("Eli Stone"), David Lyons ("ER"), Derek Mio ("Greek"), Carly Pope ("24"), Thekla Reuten ("Sleeper Cell") and Addison Timlin ("Cashmere Mafia") -- strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories -- and heroes are born every day. "Day One" is a Universal Media Studios production.

New Comedies

100 QUESTIONS (fka "100 Questions for Charlotte Payne")
Emmy winner James Burrows ("Will & Grace," "Friends") directs "100 Questions," a new comedy series written and executive-produced by Christopher Moynihan ("For Your Consideration") that provides hilarious answers to 100 questions about love. Charlotte Payne (Sophie Winkleman, "Peep Show") is looking for love and has rejected multiple marriage proposals -- but she has yet to meet Mr. Right. When she joins a popular online dating site, she gets a little help from her dating counselor Ravi (Amir Talai, "The Ex List") - who requires her to take a 100-question compatibility test. The questions aren't easy for Charlotte to answer, and each one requires her to recount a poignant and humorous time in her life with friends Leslie (Elizabeth Ho, "Women's Murder Club"), Jill (Joy Suprano, NBC's "Law & Order"), Mike (Christopher Moynihan "For Your Consideration") and Wayne (David Walton "Quarterlife"). The test becomes a journey of self-discovery for Charlotte who begins to realize what she truly wants in a relationship. Ron West ("Psych"), Kelly Kulchak ("Psych") and Michelle Nader ("King of Queens") join Moynihan as executive producers. The series is produced by Universal Media Studios and Tagline.

COMMUNITY
From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") comes "Community," a smart comedy series about higher education -- and lower expectations. The student body at Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active. Within these not-so-hallowed halls, "Community" focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin' lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, "The Soup"), who form a study group and end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work. In addition to McHale, the series also stars: Gillian Jacobs ("The Book of Daniel"); Yvette Nicole Brown ("Rules of Engagement"); Danny Pudi ("Greek"); Alison Brie ("Mad Men"); and comedy legend Chevy Chase ("Saturday Night Live"). "Community" is a Krasnoff Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap and Russo Brothers production in association with Sony Pictures Television and Universal Media Studios. Russ Krasnoff ("The Soloist"), Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program"), Joe Russo ("Arrested Development"), Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") and Gary Foster ("The Soloist") serve as executive producers. Joe and Anthony Russo directed the pilot that was written by Dan Harmon.

Update: 3.5 Million TV Households STILL Completely Unready for DTV

By Frank Macek

The latest numbers from the end of April continue to show people unprepared for the switch to digital television on June 12th.

With seven weeks to go, 3.5 million or 3.1% of U.S. households remain completely unready. That means that when analog stations sign off, they will be without any over the air reception.

The good news is this number has decreased by 100,000 households according to Nielsen.

• Hispanic households improved four-tenths of a percentage point.
• African American households were unchanged.
• Households with younger adults saw a two-tenths of percentage point improvement.

Of the 56 local metered markets surveyed, Albuquerque-Sante Fe is the most unprepared market with 8.77% completely unready.

The only totally DTV ready market continues to be Providence-New Bedford, with Hartford & New Haven next best.

The Cleveland/Akron/Canton Market is the 9th WORST prepared market with 4.62% of households unprepared. That is up from 10th WORST just two weeks ago.

Source: Nielsen

News: New Flipcam Ultra HD Cam Hits The Market

As you probably have seen, one of the coolest new toys in the newsroom has been the "flipcams" which allow use to shoot web view whenever and wherever we wish.

The just released Flip Ultra HD camcorder is perhaps the best version yet of this popular and inexpensive line of shirt pocket cameras, offering a high definition recording, a two inch wide screen, easy navigation, and a whopping 120 minutes of video record time.

The USB connector flips right out of the side of the Flip and plugs into your computer, whether a PC or a Mac.

The Flipshare software automatically installs and allows you to string your clips into a movie, send as email, burn to a DVD, or upload to a video sharing site like YouTube or Vimeo.

The quality has to be seen to be believed. With an optional cable you can show your videos on a big screen high-def TV. The battery is rechargeable or can be swapped out and run on two AA's.

The new Flip Ultra HD sells for $199.

It's super simple to operate and really does capture audio and video in amazing quality.

Spotlight Article: Thou Shall NOT Cut-In to the Kentucky Derby!

For our longtime readers, you'll remember this story from last year (and the year before). If you are a new reader to the "Director's Cut" blog, I invite you to share a story that will forever haunt me about the Kentucky Derby ---

Originally posted: 5/2/07

This Saturday is the big Kentucky Derby...a day that brings back some wonderful memories of how NOT to do a breaking news cut-in.

As a cloud of black smoke drifted over downtown, we thought we were onto a big story. Could it be a major fire... an explosion... something crashed or blew up? We were convinced we were onto something big. Really big. The smoke was getting thicker and the adrenaline began to flow.

The producer alerted me and the crew to stand by to do a breaking news cut-in.. The control room crew all raced into position. We were ready to go. The only problem was that the Kentucky Derby was still on and we didn't dare to cut-in.

So the decision was made to wait until the winner crossed the finish line...then we'd go.

We waited and waited...and finally - down the stretch they came... and over the line.

The producer says go - so we went...

To my horror, two very bad things happened... one was the reporter on the scene came on the air and told us that a junkyard was on fire... a "tire fire" as it became known. Who cared...

The best part of the story was that after the horses crossed the finish line, there was a controversy that ensued and we missed showing it to the viewers because we weren't really listening to the show, just watching the video at the time before we did the cut-in.

The phone lines rang non-stop for HOURS...every manager's voice mail was filled...there were plenty of meetings the next day...and let's just say, some folks moved on in their careers.

It's a fun directing story that I think about every year about this time.

NEVER....NEVER cut in to the Kentucky Derby.

Enjoy the Kentucky Derby this Saturday. For more info: www.kentuckyderby.com