Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.ads From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: ads Wed, Mar 18 1992 Date: Wed, 18 Mar 92 05:44:27 EST Message-ID: 03-18 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update March 18, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network NEWSPAPERS ARE RECOVERING: Newspapers have begun a slow climb out of the biggest downturn in their history, according to analysts and industry executives. New York Times Co. is expected to announce Wednesday that advertising volume at The New York Times rose slightly in February from February 1991 - the newspaper's first such increase since April 1989. (For more, see special Newspaper package below.) TOP 10 DOMINATED BY ABC COMEDIES: ABC's Tuesday night comedy lineup dominated the top-10 in last week's A.C. Neilsen ratings, helping the network to a first place finish. "Full House," "Home Improvement," "Roseanne" and "Coach" all ranked among the 10 most-watched shows on TV. And ABC's "Columbo" movie won the Sunday movie race, beating out CBS' "Taking Back My Life" and "Back to the Future" on NBC. ABC OVERTAKES CBS: ABC beat CBS by less than a full ratings point in last week's A.C. Neilsen ratings. NBC finished third with Fox in fourth. In other ratings news: "60 Minutes" was the top-rated show on TV again last week; Super Tuesday coverage ranked among the lowest rated shows last week; Fox's "Simpsons" at No. 19 beat "The Cosby Show" at No. 28 last Thursday. NBC STAYS WITH COURTROOM DRAMA: NBC, which dumped "Matlock" and "In the Heat of the Night" because they appeal to older viewers, hasn't given up on "Perry Mason," also popular with the older set. The network just ordered three more Mason movies for next season. The next up: "The Case of the Reckless Romeo" with guest star Geraldo Rivera, which goes into production March 18. FOX CONTINUES TO IMPROVE: Fox's "Doing Time on Maple Drive" scored the highest rating and share ever for a Fox made-for-television movie Monday night, drawing 15% of viewers. In other Fox news, network producers are checking out L.A. coffeehouses in search of unknowns to star in Fox's upcoming "Beverly Hills 90210" spinoff, "Melrose Place." MAGAZINE NAMES NEW EDITOR: Lear's named Caroline Miller as its new editor-in-chief Tuesday. The former executive editor of the weekly edition of Variety assumes the post April 20, succeeding Frances Lear, who started the magazine in 1988. Lear's monthly circulation was 463,800 the second half of last year, up 2.3% from a year earlier. Ad pages were down 23% last year, but up 2.3% last month from a year earlier. NBC MAY QUIT COLLEGE HOOPS: MEDIAWEEK reports that sources close to NBC say the network will not televise college basketball next season. NBC aired only six games this season. Officially, NBC says it has not made a decision regarding college basketball, but commentator Al Maguire's jump to CBS to call the NCAA tournament indicates the network has made plans to leave the college arena. GROCERY STORE AD DEAL ANNOUNCED: NBC, along with grocery wholesale giant, Fleming Cos., have announced a joint-venture named On-Site Media, a supermarket-based ad service. The service would put 12 to 15 monitors in each store's aisles. It will be full-motion video with no sound. Programming may include CNBC consumer info or NBC sports, partly satellite-delivered and part of it on monthly optical disks. ABC RETAINS AD RULES: ABC has backed off from a proposal to relax its advertising guidelines. The network is retaining rules against beer drinking, pill popping and doctor-pitchmen in ads. ABC toughened its rules, nixing most 900-line ads, 800-line ads aimed at kids and spots for ad-supported cable networks. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON NEWSPAPERS: AD REVENUES WERE DOWN IN '91: Industrywide, newspaper advertising revenue - typically about 80% of total newspaper revenue - was off about 7% last year, and classified ad revenue fell 8%, says Peter Appert, media analyst at Cyrus J. Lawrence. Retail ad revenue fell 10%, and national ad revenue declined 2%, he says. RETAILERS ARE TO BLAME: Newspaper retail ad volume has fallen sharply as retailers have gone through painful restructurings. Key newspaper advertisers such as auto dealerships and home builders also have been hard hit. "Newspapers can no longer rely on those three or four or five major advertisers to provide the same share of advertising," says Gary Watson, newspaper division president at Gannett. PAPERS EXPECT HIGHER PROFITS: Newspaper profits this year are expected to improve more dramatically than ad revenue because of cost cutting and lower newsprint prices. Knight-Ridder, owner of 28 dailies, expects ad revenue to increase just 1% this year, but "newsprint will be at least 10% cheaper, and that's a big boost," says Tony Ridder, CEO of Knight-Ridder. (End of package.) Advertising Editor: Mickey McLean. (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