Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.ads From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: ads Tue, May 26 1992 Date: Tue, 26 May 92 05:20:39 EDT Message-ID: 05-26 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update May 26, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network N.Y. TIMES MOVES TO TOP SPOT: The New York Times unseated the Los Angeles Times as the metropolitan newspaper with the largest daily circulation, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Its newspaper-circulation report for the six months ended March 31 puts the New York newspaper ahead of the Times Mirror flagship by 37,582 copies -1,164,388 to 1,201,970. (For more, see special Circulation package below.) VANNA WHITE MAY DO INFOMERCIALS: IGI - a maker of vaccines, drugs and grooming aids for animals - is close to signing a deal with Vanna White to push its products, USA TODAY columnist Dan Dorfman reports. The "Wheel of Fortune" hostess would do infomercials for a line of shampoos and grooming aids for cats and dogs. IGI currently sells a line of such products to veterinarians. SPELLING TO GET TWO MORE SERIES: Fox is expected to add two series from the producer of its Thursday teen hit "Beverly Hills, 90210" by next fall. The network announces its fall plans Tuesday. Producer Aaron Spelling's two new series are expected to air on Wednesdays." Melrose Place," a "90210" spinoff, begins July 1. "The Heights," a musical drama about a fledgling band, probably air in the fall. VIEWERS WILL SOLVE MURDERS: Fox's fall lineup is expected to include the new show "Martin on Air," starring Martin Lawrence as a Detroit talk-radio host. Other new shows include: "Likely Suspects," with viewers solving murders; "Great Scott," about a teen's daydreams and fantasies; "Ben Stiller Show," about a young man and his friends in Hollywood; and "Woops," about the survivors of a nuclear attack. CARSON'S FINALE GETS 62% SHARE: Johnny Carson's emotional goodbye Friday earned a 62% audience share in 25-city overnight ratings, with an estimated 55 million people watching. Though Tiny Tim's 1969 marriage to Miss Vicki on "The Tonight Show" remains Carson's biggest ratings getter, there were fewer TV households and less competition from cable then. `HOME FIRES' OFF BACK BURNER: The pilot has available for a year, but Bruce Paltrow's "Home Fires" has finally been given a spot on NBC's schedule. The semi-autobiographical family comedy:drama will air on three straight nights - June 25-27 - and then air weekly for three Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. EDT:PDT starting July 5. NICKELODEON TO MOVE SHOWS: Nickelodeon is moving its children's programming into prime time on Saturdays starting Aug. 15. Nickelodeon will move "Ren & Stimpy" and "Clarissa Explains It All" from their afternoon time slots. The two will be paired with "Roundhouse," a teen variety show, and "Are You Afraid of the Dark," an anthology series. FAMILY SERIES ARE PROFITABLE: While rare in prime time, family information series such as Family Channel's "American Baby" and Lifetime's "Growing Up Together" are a staple of cable's daytime programming. Despite small audiences, the shows are very profitable. Says Lifetime's Doug McCormick, "Advertisers take a sponsorship position in the show because a lot of key buying decisions are being made now." KOOP TO HEAD DENTAL CAMPAIGN: Dr. C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General, has been named honorary chairman of Oral Health 2000, a dental health awareness campaign. In a series of TV public service announcements, Koop will stress the association between oral health and overall health. Oral Health 2000, run by the Chicago-based American Fund for Dental Health, has been endorsed by the American Dental Association. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CIRCULATION: CIRCULATION DOWN AT 34 PAPERS: Of the largest 50 newspapers, 34 lost circulation from the same six months a year earlier, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Many newspapers suffered in the comparison due to increased readership last year during the gulf war. Also hurting circulation was the recession, which has cut into sales as well as forced some newspapers to cut back their circulation areas. DAILY NEWS' NUMBERS STILL DOWN: Circulation was down at all newspapers in the competitive New York market, a year after an October-to-March strike at the Daily News inflated the circulation of competitors. The Daily News - now 781,796 daily, 983,240 Sunday - regained about 500,000 of its readers after the strike but wasn't audited for the six-month period last year. It is about 400,000 below its 1990 circulation. DALLAS NEWS SEES INCREASE: The Dallas Morning News benefited from the Dec. 9 closing of its rival, The Dallas Times Herald. Daily circulation was up 17.1%, and Sunday circulation rose 21.7%. San Diego's Union and Tribune merged Feb. 2 into The San Diego Union-Tribune. The circulation of the merged newspapers is down from the combined individual circulations of about 11,000. MARKET IS MIXED IN FLORIDA: In Florida, home of some of the fastest-growing newspapers, the picture was mixed. The Miami Herald saw a 5.4% daily circulation drop. The Tampa Tribune daily circulation dipped 2%. Continuing to show gains: The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (up 4.3% daily) and The Orlando Sentinel (up 4.1% daily). Circulation at the St. Petersburg Times was flat. (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