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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2018.The Daily News of TV Sales Thursday, September 5, 2019

INDUSTRY SHARPENING FOCUS ON AUTOMATION TIP Initiative, an industry work group promoting open interfaces to streamline advertising transactions for local TV broadcasters and their media agency partners, has released a new white paper highlighting results from the Local Broadcast TV Automation Survey. The survey, TVNewsCheck reports, identified a consistent set of priorities and expected benefits for automating local TV advertising transactions that focus on modernizing workflows, achieving operational efficiencies and improving campaign delivery performance. TIP (Television Interface Practices) commissioned Frontrow Advisory to survey buying teams at large holding companies and independent national media and marketing agencies about perceptions related to automation. Media agency and broadcasting executives remain aligned in transitioning the market toward increased automation. The priority goals identified by agencies in the survey and supported by broadcasters include providing the ability for an agency to launch campaigns in three days or less; removing inefficiencies in the make good offer and approval process; and continuing work to reduce mismatches between pre-invoice activity and invoice delivery. Most of the agencies surveyed see a path toward increasing spending on local broadcast TV advertising if a step-change in automation and accuracy is introduced. “We applaud the growing industry focus on automation to bring increased operational efficiency to the local investment process for Initiative and UM. By working with our local trading partners, we are able to execute with greater speed and accuracy, and this increases the attractiveness of local television media for our clients,” said Kathy Doyle, EVP, local investment, Magna. The industry’s primary challenge is implementing several requisite work-process and systems changes on both the buyer and seller side in a manner that avoids disrupting day-to-day business operations. Media agencies that participated in the Local Broadcast TV Automation Survey identified some elements as “critical” to their ability to effectively manage the transition to increasing levels of automation. They include refining a set of common goals to allow coordinated planning across sellers, buyers and providers. establishing open communications and sharing information about automation plans and updates; and reinforcing the benefits of automation and educating the industry about the progress being made through case studies. “It takes time and effort to change the way an industry has operated for decades, but the tangible benefits to broadcasters and our trading partners are real and meaningful,” said Perry Sook, chairman, president and CEO of Nexstar Media

(Continued on Page 3)

TIP SURVEY EYES FAST-ACTION CAMPAIGNS, EFFICIENCY ADVERTISER NEWS A federal judge has ordered Anheuser-Busch InBev to remove “no corn syrup” from its Bud Light packaging, handing MillerCoors another victory in its ongoing legal battle with its larger competitor, AdAge reports. The ruling follows a preliminary injunction issued in May ordering Bud Light to stop running ads suggesting that corn syrup is in MillerCoors’ final products, rather than simply used during

the brewing process. The latest ruling now extends that preliminary injunction to packaging. The judge allowed Bud Light to continue using the packaging it had on hand as of June 6, or sell the packs until March 2, 2020, whichever comes first...Luxury fashion resale site Poshmark is postponing a planned initial public stock offering until next year, sources tell Bloomberg.

The company will focus on growing sales and improving performance before going public, according to reports... More retailers are partnering with third parties to improve online grocery fulfillment, or they’re investing in faster store-based methods, according to Edge by Ascential. Supermarket News reports the global edible grocery sector is expected to see an online compound annual growth rate of 13 percent through 2024 to reach $162 billion in total online sales... Macy’s will invest in upgrades at 100 stores, after remodeling 50 locations last year, The Dallas Morning News says. Improvements will include new paint and carpets, upgraded dressing rooms and restrooms and, in some stores, the addition of off-price Macy’s Backstage shops... Teen fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters will debut a new beauty business before the holiday shopping season, CEO Jay Schottenstein says. CNBC reports the retailer is keeping the name of the new division under wraps, and it didn’t specify whether it’s acquiring an existing brand or creating a new one in-house... Amazon is reportedly testing scanners that recognize shoppers by their hands, with an eye on creating a new digital payment option at Whole Foods Market stores, according to the New York Post, which cited unnamed sources... Apple reportedly plans to pursue customers in emerging markets with the release of a lower-cost iPhone in early 2020, though no pricing details have emerged. The phone is seen as the latest generation of the SE and is expected to be similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 released in 2017... Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is ending production of the Fiat 500 and electric 500e in North America. FCA says it will wind down production of the models at its plant in Toluca, Mexico, and sell off the remainder of the inventory. Sales of the 500X crossover, 500L wagon and 124 Spider roadster will continue. Fiat returned to the U.S. market in 2011 with a flashy ad campaign, but sales have underperformed. FCA’s goal of 50,000 sales a year never materialized, especially as consumers opted for sport-utility vehicles over traditional cars and low gas prices prompted them to buy bigger vehicles than the tiny 500 models.

PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

AVAILS ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, Tampa, Fla. — FOX O&O, WTVT: This opening at the top-rated station in Tampa requires the servicing of existing transactional accounts along with the development of new broadcast and digital business. Candidate must be highly motivated and possess strong presentation and prospecting skills. Position requires prior broadcast sales experience, preferably in an LPM market. Excel and Power Point are a must, and a working knowledge of WideOrbit, PRIME Lingo and Kantar Media a plus. College degree is preferred. CLICK HERE

for more info or to apply now. EOE. WEAR-TV in beautiful Pensacola, Fla., is seeking a Digital Sales Manager. The DSM will ensure that all digital objectives, including internet and mobile, maintain or exceed company revenue growth goals. Candidates must have the ability to lead, train and direct professionals successfully, and have working knowledge of new media, digital interactive initiatives, social media and content. Five years’

management experience, preferable in a TV sales environment, and strong communication skills required. TV background or digital management experience a plus. CLICK HERE for more info or to apply now. Hearst Television’s WCVB-TV, Boston, has an opening for a Digital Client Services Coordinator. The Digital Client Services Coordinator will play a vital role in the planning, execution and delivery of digital marketing campaigns. They are responsible for planning and implementing strategic marketing programs using WCVB’s digital products while developing their knowledge and skill set of digital and technology marketing. Click HERE to apply. EOE M/F/D/V. WAFF-TV, the NBC affiliate in Huntsville, Ala., has an immediate opening for a Digital Sales Coordinator to join our team of integrated marketing/advertising professionals. The Digital Media Coordinator must be extremely organized, possess excellent communication skills, and have the ability to multi-task in an ever-changing, fast-paced environment. A background with a basic understanding of digital marketing operations and graphic design experience is essential in this role. Qualified applicants can APPLY HERE. Pre-employment drug screen and clean MVR required. No phone calls, please. EOE M/F/D/V. WMC-TV in Memphis, Tenn., seeks a Director of Sales to lead all aspects of its cross-platform sales efforts. The qualified candidate will have a strategic vision for the WMC sales department, marked by specific, measurable goals. Minimum 5 years’ experience in a broadcast, digital sales or marketing role. Must love sales, developing and empowering teams, and collaborating with peers to deliver above and beyond expectations. CLICK HERE for more info or to apply. EOE/M/F/D/V.

See your ad here tomorrow! CLICK HERE for details.

NETWORK NEWS Deadline reports NBC has put in development Brain Trust, a drama that asks: What would you do if you could project your mind into another person’s body? What if you could experience the life of anyone you wanted? Brain Trust centers on a group of young grad students who have developed cutting-edge technology to do just that, but they soon will learn that everything has consequences — some darker than they could have ever imagined... Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard will be the first guest on Gray Television’s new nationally syndicated weekend political show, Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren. The new series, starring Van Susteren, will debut Sunday and is cleared in more than 76 percent of the U.S., including in all of Gray’s 93 markets and in such major markets as New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. The debut episode also includes an interview with former NFL head coach Tony Dungy, now an analyst with NBC’s Football Night in America. Dungy has met with five U.S. presidents, including President Donald Trump, and will share his views on electoral politics with Van Susteren. Van Susteren is a veteran broadcast journalist who has anchored shows on Fox News, CNN and NBC... The FCC has denied a retransmission consent complaint against Nexstar filed by cable operator HolstonConnect in March, saying it was a disagreement over price. Denying the complaint could help clear the way for the FCC’s decision on the Nexstar-Tribune merger, which the Justice Department has already accepted, conditioned on station spinoffs. HolstonConnect had alleged that Nexstar had failed to negotiate in good faith, which the FCC is empowered to enforce, for the carriage of Nexstar’s ABC affiliate WATE Knoxville and WJHL-TV Tri-Cities (Bristol, Va., and Johnson City and Kingsport, both Tennessee)... Danielle Moné Truitt (Snowfall) is set as a series regular on the upcoming Fox series Deputy, starring Stephen Dorff. In Deputy, when the Los Angeles County Sheriff dies, an arcane rule forged back in the Wild West thrusts the most unlikely man into the job: a fifth-generation lawman (Dorff) who’s more comfortable taking down bad guys than navigating a sea of politics... Kearran Giovanni (Major Crimes), Geoffrey Cantor (Marvel’s Daredevil, The Punisher), Michael Paul Chan (Major Crimes) and Insatiable’s Erinn Westbrook are set for recurring roles on the upcoming third season of Fox’s hit medical drama series The Resident... NBC and Focus Features are teaming on Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event, a one-hour special set to air Thursday, Sept. 19, a day before the Downton Abbey movie hits theaters. The special takes an inside look at the feature film and will be hosted by Dancing With The Stars vet Derek Hough... NBC has put in development an untitled cryonics drama from writer David Slack. The untitled project centers around an enigmatic billionaire who has gathered more than 250 people who have attempted to cheat death by having their bodies frozen, hoping a future breakthrough would someday allow them to be brought back to life. But as these people from different moments in time wake up, they soon realize you can’t cheat death without paying a price.

9/5/2019

Jerry Seinfeld

Sometimes the road less traveled is less

traveled for a reason.

The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3

GROUPM WARNS ON ‘FRAGILE’ GLOBAL ECONOMY Characterizing the world’s economy as “fragile” and showing “mild fractures,” WPP’s GroupM Business Intelligence unit issued an update to its periodic tracking of economic indicators warning advertisers to be prepared for a “downturn,” Television News Daily reports. “Concerns have risen around the health of the global economy since we published the mid-year update to our global advertising forecasts at the beginning of June,” Global President-Business Intelligence Brian Wieser writes in the warning, noting that most of the world’s major economies

have since published economic growth estimates for Q2 suggesting they’re either flat or declining. Wieser’s analysis includes macro data such as GDP as well as PCE (personal consumption expenditures), retail sales and industrial production, the latter two which he says “correlate more highly with advertising” growth. “Key economic variables so far in 2019 are generally negative,” Wieser concludes, emphasizing, “retail sales

and industrial production appear more unambiguously negative versus last year’s levels. Again, these variables tend to be more tightly correlated with advertising because marketers spend on advertising in alignment with the pace at which they make things or sell things.” The effect likely signals that ad spending will be “neutral to negative versus last year,” Wieser wrote.

TIP SURVEY EYES FAST-ACTION CAMPAIGNS (Continued from Page 1)Group and founding member of the TIP Initiative. “We now see our industry providers increasingly leaning into automation, and I am encouraged by the progress we are making in 2019 to modernize transaction workflows for improved efficiency and campaign delivery performance.” To continue the momentum toward automation, representatives from participating TIP broadcasters and leading media agencies have formed the TIP Trading Partner Forum, which is focused on maintaining open communications and educating the industry on the benefits of automated buys and processes.

9/5/2019

Malcolm Gladwell

The older I get, the more I understand that the

only way to say valuable things is to lose your fear of being correct.

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LIGHT TRUCKS DRIVE GAINS IN AUG. AUTO SALES The biggest Asian automakers in the U.S. posted double-digit sales gains last month in the latest sign that the market is picking up strength as the summer advances, Automotive News reports. American Honda led the way with an 18 percent increase over year-earlier figures. Nissan advanced 13 percent, followed by Hyundai (12%) and Toyota (11%). It was the first time in four years that each of the four big Asian companies were up more than 10 percent in a given month. All of them were aided by strong demand for light trucks. U.S. light-vehicle sales were forecast to rise for the second straight month in August, helped by five sales weekends that included the key Labor Day holiday. Without the Detroit 3 and Tesla, industry volume rose about 12.2 percent. At American Honda, deliveries jumped to a monthly record of 173,993, with volume up 20 percent at the Honda division — reflecting record light-truck shipments and strong car demand — and 0.8 percent at Acura. New and redesigned crossovers, along with strong retail growth, drove Hyundai to another gain, with volume increasing 12 percent for the second consecutive month. Strong crossover demand also helped Kia to a 13 percent gain. Subaru sales rose 9.3 percent with August volume — 70,039 cars and light trucks — setting a monthly record and extending the brand’s year-over-year increases to 93 straight months. At Volkswagen, sales jumped 10 percent. Mazda also advanced, snapping a 13-month losing streak with a 6.5 percent increase.

KBB: AVERAGE NEW-CAR PRICES UP 2% YOY Kelley Blue Book says the estimated average transaction price for a light vehicle in the U.S. was $37,401 in August. New-vehicle prices increased $723 (up 2%) from August 2018, while decreasing $54 (down 0.1%) from last month. “Although new-vehicle pricing growth has been strong this year, we’ve also seen greater incentives to offset rising monthly payments and move slower selling new-car inventories,” said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “The ratio of incentives to average transaction prices has been above 10 percent this summer after being under that mark for the previous eight months, and August looks to be no different with numerous Labor Day incentive programs being run by manufacturers. If sales do not respond accordingly, we could see this trend continue for the remainder of the year.”

THIS AND THAT TV and radio stations are facing challenges covering the destruction Hurricane Dorian has caused in the Bahamas, as well as the storm’s progress toward Florida, Inside Radio reports. Broadcasters have struggled to determine where to deploy news crews and keep residents in the storm’s potential path from becoming complacent... The UAW has selected General Motors as its initial target for a new contract as labor pacts with the Detroit 3 automakers are set to expire Sept. 14. GM’s selection means contracts with Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler would likely be patterned around what the union can negotiate with Detroit’s largest automaker.