Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!tamsun.tamu.edu!mtecv2!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Newsgroups: usa-today.ads,americast.usa-today.ads Subject: ads Wed, Aug 26 1992 Message-ID: Date: 26 Aug 92 08:21:15 GMT Organization: American Cybercasting Lines: 118 Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com 08-26 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update Aug. 26, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network P.M. DAILIES BECOMING HISTORY: One by one, in a steady stream that's become almost a flood in recent years, afternoon newspapers have been dying. Last month, it was The Spokane Chronicle. Next month, it will be Oklahoma's Tulsa Tribune. Changing reading habits brought about by busier lifestyles, altered work schedules and working mothers all have contributed to the demise of some afternoon daily newspapers. (For more, see special Paper package below.) VIEWERS FLOCK TO `MALIBU': CBS found a day in the ratings sun with "2000 Malibu Road" Sunday night, helping the network to another weekly win. Despite dismal reviews, the movie premiere for the new summer series "Malibu" - starring Lisa Hartman, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Beals - was the top-rated show of the week, followed by a rerun of ABC's "Roseanne." FEW WATCH `DRIVING MISS DAISY': CBS' pilot of "Driving Miss Daisy" starring Joan Plowright and Robert Guillaume in a sitcom version of the Oscar-winning movie ranked a not-so-hot No. 69 on Friday. ABC's "World News Tonight" captured its 85th consecutive weekly win in the evening news race, followed by CBS' "Evening News with Dan Rather." DIET COMPANIES PETITION FTC: Five diet and weight-loss companies have asked the Federal Trade Commission to establish industrywide standards for weight-loss advertising and promotion. The companies filed a joint petition with the FTC Monday. They object to the FTC's one-by-one approach to investigating the firms. The FTC has been investigating advertising practices in the industry for more than two years. TBS LOOKS FOR GOODWILL SPONSORS: Turner Broadcasting is making its ad sales pitch for its 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia. Turner, which lost $44 million in Seattle in 1990 after guaranteeing advertisers a 7 cable rating. But this time, the Games will have broadcast exposure on ABC and a more realistic 3.1 TBS ratings guarantee. STEIN QUIET ON NHL TV DEAL: NHL acting president Gil Stein, in St. Petersburg, Fla., for a league meeting Tuesday, won't speak directly about an expected TV deal with ABC-owned ESPN. But he says the deal, likely to bring the league $12 million to $13 million for games on ESPN and ABC, may be in place in a week. Stein suggests SportsChannel, which carried the NHL last year, may be out. CHOICE TO SPONSOR GOLF EVENT: Choice Hotels, which franchises Comfort, Quality, Clarion, Sleep, Rodeway, Econo Lodge and Friendship Inns, will sponsor a senior PGA team in the inaugural Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge. The tournament pits pro golf teams from each tour against each other. It will be played at the New Albany Country Club outside Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 1. It will air on ABC Dec. 26 and 27. ODD INGREDIENTS IN SUPPLEMENTS: There are unusual ingredients - including insect hormones and plant steroids - found in diet supplements advertised in health and muscle magazines, says a survey in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. With the crackdown on steroids, many firms advertise steroid alternatives. Benefits or side effects for more than half of these ingredients aren't known. ABC TO CUT WEEKNIGHT TALK: ABC Radio Networks has dropped its weeknight talk programming, saying it has not been as successful as they had hoped. Deborah Norville, who worked on the show, recently said she would return to television news at CBS. The network plans to continue its weekend talk programming. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON PAPER: TWENTY MOVED TO A.M. LAST YEAR: The Newspaper Association of America estimates that about 20 newspapers switched from afternoon to morning publishing last year, and at least 16 have done so already this year. Others, including papers in San Diego; Richmond, Va.; and Durham, N.C., merged weak afternoon newspapers with morning editions. JOURNAL-NEWS MOVES TO MORNING: The Journal-News of Hamilton, Ohio, moved to a morning edition. Circulation had been stuck at around 27,500 for some time, says Publisher Gary Omernick. For the five months ending July 31, home delivery circulation dropped 1.8%, but newsstand sales rose 6%. If that trend continues, Omernick says, annual circulation will increase from last year's mark. ADVERTISERS ARE HAPPY: Advertisers certainly like the switch at The Journal-News. Ad volume for the March-July period was up 12% compared to the same period last year, Omernick says. Advertisers like the fact that potential customers are apt to see ad messages earlier in the day. MONITOR CIRCULATION JUMPS: The Concord (N.H.) Monitor has had similar good news since it switched to mornings April 27. Circulation has jumped about 4%, to approximately 22,000. The change also is slowing a slide in ad volume. The Monitor's circulation had been growing as an afternoon newspaper, says President George Wilson, but he was convinced that long-term trends in readership favor morning newspapers. (End of package.) Advertising Editor: Ed Kelleher. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM