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 Fri, Nov 6 1992 Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 05:29:35 EST Message-ID: 11-06 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update Nov. 6-8, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network TV RESTRICTIONS SET ASIDE: TV networks, hit by falling profits and declining viewership, may have struck gold Thursday when a court set aside restrictions on their ownership of TV shows. Among other restrictions, Federal Communications Commission rules now prevent the networks from owning financial interest in more than 40% of the shows they air. The court will decide in 30 days whether networks can own shows. RULING ALLOWS NETWORK OWNERSHIP: A ruling to set aside restrictions on network ownership of shows is "absolutely devastating" for TV production companies and "a grand slam" for ABC, CBS and NBC, says Mickey Gardner, a lawyer for a coalition of Hollywood studios and independent producers. If networks can own TV shows, they can cut programming costs and make millions selling the shows for reruns. MACY WILL CUT BACK ADS: R.H. Macy & Co. plans to slash ad spending and revamp the way it buys merchandise as part of its five-year plan to return to financial health. The decision to spend less on advertising is a blow to media in New York and other cities where Macy has been a big advertiser. Macy says cost cuts and higher revenue from its revamped merchandising system should boost earnings. HELOISE ENDORSES HEINZ VINEGAR: The normally non-committal Heloise has cast her vote for H.J. Heinz' new All Natural Cleaning Vinegar. It's the first endorsement for the queen of clean and syndicated newspaper columnist, known for "Hints from Heloise." She is convinced the product, which arrived in supermarkets last month, will win big with consumers. VINEGAR CARRIES RED SYMBOL: Heinz' All Natural Cleaning Vinegar is the ketchup maker's first non-food item. The product's label carries a red symbol with the words "Heloise's Most Helpful Hint." The syndicated columnist has long preached the values of vinegar as a rust remover, deodorizer, window cleaner, ant deterrent, weed killer, defroster and food additive. Heloise says she won't push the Heinz brands in columns. TIME WARNER TO FIGHT CABLE LAW: Time Warner filed a lawsuit Thursday to overturn most of the Cable Act of 1992. The act sets standards for cable TV rates and service. The law is expected to go into effect next year. Also, the Justice Department said a provision that requires cable operators to carry signals of some TV stations is unconstitutional. It said it will refuse to defend the provision against lawsuits. NETWORKS LOSE ELECTION VIEWERS: Cable networks like CNN and C-SPAN have taken viewers away from the broadcast networks on election night, according to Nielsen Media Research. In 1968, the percentage of television households tuned to ABC, CBS and NBC was 58.5%. That percentage had decreased to 46.4% by 1980 and reached a low of 25.9% in 1988. In 1992, network coverage rebounded, garnering 35.3% of TV households. NEW STADIUM NAMED AFTER AIRLINE: United Airlines has signed a 20-year agreement to name the new Chicago Stadium the United Center. The $175 million complex, set to open in August 1994, is owned by the owners of the Chicago Bulls basketball and Chicago Blackhawks hockey teams. United's link with the stadium includes automated airline ticket machines in the lobby and direct telephone lines to United ticket agents. NETWORKS SHIFT WEEKENDS: Weekends won't be the same on TV. Not that many will notice as little-watched Fridays on NBC and Saturdays on ABC undergo schedule changes. Effective Friday, NBC's "I'll Fly Away" moves to 8 p.m. ET:PT, followed by "Perry Mason" movies. Starting Saturday, ABC replaces "Covington Cross" and "Crossroads" (both on hiatus) with "Columbo" movies at 8 p.m. ET:PT. FASHION HITS QVC: Diane Von Furstenberg, whose wrap dress earned her the cover of Newsweek in 1976, is back with a new '90s line: Silk Assets, a collection of 100% silk crepe de chine designs. And shoppers can get them on cable. Von furstenberg will be selling the line on QVC shopping channel Saturday at 9 a.m. ET. Von Furstenberg will make ongoing appearances on QVC, but no schedule has been set. ADS AIMED AT CLINTON'S FRIENDS: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is trying to interest big real-estate firms in the Washington area to advertise in a Nov. 16 special edition marking Bill Clinton's election. The paper will also solicit ads from job-recruiting firms. It figures Clinton supporters who join the new administration may have spouses who will need help landing jobs. VETO SIDETRACKS TAX PROTECTION: The U.S. Olympic movement's battle for protection from unrelated business income tax was sidetracked by a veto of a congressional tax bill by President Bush. While the USOC itself is tax-exempt, member federations governing individual sports are vulnerable. Of concern is how the Internal Revenue Service views revenue derived by Olympic federations through corporate sponsorship. TNT KICKS OFF NBA COVERAGE: Friday is opening night Ernie Johnson and Dick Versace. Their half-hour NBA preview show on TNT airs at 7:30 p.m. ET, just before the Chicago Bulls-Cleveland Cavaliers game. Once again, TNT will carry 51 regular-season games, mainly on Tuesdays and Fridays, and more than 25 playoff games. NBC televises the NBA Finals. NBC opens its 25-game NBA schedule with a Christmas Day doubleheader. COMPANY BUYS GAVIN REPORT: Morgan-Grampian plc, a United Newspapers company, has purchased The Gavin Report, the San Francisco-based weekly magazine covering radio and music. The Gavin Report will join Morgan-Grampian's Spotlight Publications division. The magazine is positioned at the junction of the radio and record industries, with an editorial focus on airplay chart information and analysis for professionals. 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