Monday, March 10, 2008

Monday, March 10, 2008

Now:

What's number one on your computer ???

Nielsen has just announced the results of a study that found that one in four Internet users is watching television shows without turning on a TV. Yep, they're watching it on their computers. The season premiere of "The Office" in September attracted a TV audience of 9.7 million. The same show was streamed from the Web 2.7 million times in one week. I'm guessing that most computer users were not watching "The Office" in their offices but they weren't watching it on TV either. This is a situation that cries out for a widely recognized version of the Nielsen (or someone else's) TV ratings for the Internet which does not exist yet. This is also true for Radio. We should know how many people are streaming our favorite radio stations by quarter-hours and cume too...

The most popular TV shows are also the most popularly viewed shows online. More than 26 million streamings of "Grey's Anatomy" episodes on ABC.com have occurred in the last 6 months. That is the equivalent of 2 full ratings points to each telecast. Both TV and radio will have to come up with the weekly equivalent of music charts that measure ringtones and song downloads which already exist...

I don't know about you but I have yet to watch a TV show on my computer. I do watch lots of YouTube music videos doing my MPR prep and I may be wrong but I believe that most computer users reading this post are not watching it on TV or listening to it on radio...

Then:

10 Timeline Memories:
  1. 1876] Can you hear me now?: The first successful voice transmission over Alexander Graham Bell's telephone takes place in Boston when his assistant hears, "Mr. Watson, come here. I want you." Mr. Watson replies, "how exactly do you mean that?"...
  2. 1949] Guilty as charged: Nazi wartime broadcaster Mildred E. Gillars a.k.a. "Axis Sally" is convicted of treason and will serve 12 years in prison: this is the actual voice of Germany's answer to "Tokyo Rose": http://youtube.com/watch?v=49FV-njfp5s ...1969] James Earl Ray pleads 'guilty' to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. but will later repudiate his plea and maintain his innocence until his death in 1998...2004] Teenage Washington (D.C.) sniper Lee Boyd Malvo is sentenced to life in prison in Virginia...
  3. 1965] The Odd Couple: The play opens on Broadway with Walter Matthau and Art Carney as Oscar and Felix. Jack Klugman will replace Matthau and Tony Randall replaces Carney when the TV series starts...
  4. 1966] 'Happy Trails': Five-time 'Horse of the Year', the mighty Kelso retires. The gelding lives a long life, passing away in October, 1983...1980] Scarsdale Diet guru, Dr. Hyman Tarnower is murdered by his lover, Jean Harris who will be pardoned in 1992 by Governor Mario Cuomo after serving time in a penitentiary...1988] Andy Gibb dies suddenly of heart inflammation at the age of 30. Here's the late Gibb brother with his biggest hit: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4rAHUsLlAvE ...
  5. 1971] Vote for me: The Senate lowers the voting age to 18...
  6. 1980] Debuted on this date: Willard Scott debuts as weather man on "The Today Show". Willard gets caught in a tongue-twister: http://youtube.com/watch?v=c0n9469TOq8 ...
  7. 1983] Going to Hall: Walter Alston who began his career as manager of the Dodgers in Brooklyn is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame...
  8. 1993] Gunned down: Dr. David Gunn is shot to death outside a Pensacola (FL) abortion clinic...
  9. 2002] Yasser pinned: Israeli helicopters destroy Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's office in Gaza City, hours after 11 Israelis are killed in a suicide bombing in a cafe across the street from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's residence in Jerusalem...
  10. 2005] Wacko Jacko: Wearing pajamas and twirling an umbrella, Michael Jackson shows up one hour late to his trial. A back injury is given as MJ's excuse, however there's no excuse offered for his bizarre behavior...

Music Memories:

Commentary:

Happy Trails to John E. Callaghan, 81, a veteran of Boston TV & Radio, who passed away on March 5. John's resonant tones were heard for many years at Channel 7 and earlier on WNAC Radio. Sorry to hear of John's passing...Although I mildly put down the current state of Radio news last week, it should be noted that a Harris Poll listed Radio as the number one medium of trust for those asked the following question, "For each of the following institutions, please tell us if you tend to trust or not trust it." The results were: Radio 44%, Internet 41%, TV 36% and The Press 30%...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Carrie Underwood (25), Edie Brickell (42), Jasmine Guy (44), Rick Rubin (45), Sharon Stone (50), Tom Scholz (61), Dean Torrance (68) and Chuck Norris (68)...

Timeline Countdown: 10 days until the first day of spring, 13 days until Easter Sunday, 15 days until opening day and 40 days until Passover...