Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.ads,americast.usa-today.ads From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: ads Tue, Nov 3 1992 Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 04:59:46 EST Message-ID: 11-03 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update Nov. 3, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CANDIDATES PILE ON LATE ADS: Ross Perot spent about $4 million for a last-minute combination of 15-second promos for his infomercials and for 60-second ads. Monday night, the Texas billionaire plunked down $1.4 million for two hours of prime time. Democrat Bill Clinton also tried the infomercial format Monday night, buying prime-time half-hours on ABC and NBC. President Bush passed on the 30-minute format. REALITY STALKS TV MOVIES: True-life (the tabloid version) is the theme for November sweeps movies and miniseries, with crime tales taken from the headlines, and celebrity bios. The big events: "Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story," Sunday on ABC; "Sinatra," Sunday and Nov. 10 on CBS; "Fatal Memories," Monday on NBC; and "The Jacksons: An American Dream," Nov 15 and 18 on ABC. MOVIES LINK WITH LOCAL NEWS: Network made-for-TV movies ripped from today's headlines abound during November's ratings sweeps. During the sweeps, nine of 20 movie time periods are filled with real-life stories. High ratings mean networks can charge advertisers more for their weekly movie nights. And local news stations can do stories tied to the movies to get an extra ratings bump - allowing an adjustment of ad rates. PUT UP OR SHUT UP FOR LENO: The November sweeps could be Jay Leno's make-or-break time to increase his ratings and keep his hold on "The Tonight Show." Since David Letterman wants an earlier time slot and his contract is up in June, NBC's only avenue to keep him is to oust Leno. Leno's starry lineups this month: Ted Danson, Burt Reynolds and Garry Shandling. GAME SHOW RETURNS TO BIG PRIZES: Stephen J. Cannell, longtime producer of TV action shows, is branching out to game shows with "Caesar's Challenge," a quiz:word jumble game. It's set in Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, with Ahmad Rashad of NBC Sports as host."This is the return of the big-prize game show," says Pat Kenney of Cannell Distribution, which is selling the show to local stations to premiere next September. NBC TRIES TO HELP DAYTIME: NBC executives were unavailable for comment, but word is the network is negotiating to pick up Paramount's new talk show featuring "Entertainment Tonight's" John Tesh and Leeza Gibbons for next fall. Recently, NBC daytime chief John Rohrbeck tried to acquire another new talker, "The Bertice Berry Show," but Fox may get it. NBC is trying to save its third-place daytime lineup. GRANT SINGS FOR TARGET: Christian pop-star Amy Grant has recorded a new song just for Target Stores. Released in October, "Let the Season Take Wing" is being given away as a single to anyone who buys her new Christmas album at a Target store. Grant says the song is an appreciative gesture for the partnership that has developed since 1991 when Target sponsored her 80-city tour. COURT TV SIGNS ANOTHER DEAL: Courtroom Television Network has reached an affiliation agreement with Continental Cablevision Inc., the nation's third largest multiple system operator, controlling over 2.8 million cable subscribers. With this agreement, Court TV now has corporate affiliations with nine of the nation's top 10 largest multiple system operators. MAGIC CAN GO BACK IN BOOTH: When Magic Johnson told NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol that he was going back to the NBA, Ebersol told him "he'd always have a home at NBC." Ebersol said Monday the offer still stands now that Johnson retired again. Johnson served as an analyst for NBC last season. Lakers games on NBC's schedule were reduced from six to four, so the ratings impact of the retirement will be minimized. GOLFERS CHOOSE CBS: A survey of 15,000 readers of Golf Digest heavily favors CBS' style and announcers and places ABC's crew near disqualification from tournament telecasts. Asked who does golf best, 56% picked CBS, 18% ESPN, 12% NBC and a woeful 7% ABC. ABC's Mark Mandel says the magazine's "cliquish writers" have "some kind of a vendetta against (analyst) Brent Musburger." RULING BACKS SUPERSTATIONS: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday to uphold the Chicago Bulls' right to televise an unlimited number of NBA games on superstation WGN. Analysts say this means baseball's threat to limit supersation telecasts is dead. Sports attorney Gary Roberts of Tulane Law School says the teams with superstations are among those with the most powerful baseball owners. COWBOYS BOOST NFL RATINGS: CBS' NFL telecasts Sunday got a boost from the revived Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles drew a whopping 20.6 overnight, highlighting the former "America's Team" value to TV football. Elsewhere over the weekend: The 3.6 overnight for ABC's New York City Marathon slipped 16% from last year and NBC's 3.5 overnight for the Breeders' Cup equaled 1991. Advertising Editor: Martin Baucom. (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