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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2018.The Daily News of TV Sales Tuesday, April 2, 2019

FEB. DROP A SURPRISE; JAN. REVISED HIGHER U.S. retail sales unexpectedly fell in February, the latest sign growth has shifted into low gear as stimulus from $1.5 trillion in tax cuts and increased government spending fades. The weak report from the Commerce Department yesterday joined a raft of other soft data, including housing starts and manufacturing production that have left economists anticipating a sharp slowdown in growth in the first quarter. Retail sales dropped 0.2 percent as households cut back on purchases of furniture, clothing, food and electronics and appliances, as well as building materials and gardening equipment. Data for January was revised higher to show retail sales increasing 0.7 percent instead of gaining 0.2 percent as previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales rising 0.3 percent in February. Retail sales in February advanced 2.2 percent from a year ago. The February retail sales report was delayed by a 35-day partial shutdown of the U.S. government that ended Jan. 25. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales fell 0.2 percent in February after an upwardly revised 1.7 percent surge in January. These so-called core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product. They were previously reported to have rebounded 1.1 percent in January. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity. The sharp upward revision to core retail sales in January was insufficient to reverse December’s more than 2 percent plunge, leaving expectations for tepid GDP growth in the first quarter intact. Growth estimates for the January-March quarter are as low as a 0.8 percent annualized rate. The economy grew at a 2.2 percent rate in the fourth quarter after expanding at a 3.4 percent clip in the July-September period. In February, sales at building materials and garden equipment and supplies dealers tumbled 4.4 percent, the biggest drop since April 2012. Receipts at clothing stores fell 0.4 percent and those at furniture outlets dropped 0.5 percent. Sales at food and beverage stores declined 1.2 percent, the biggest drop since February 2009. Receipts at electronics and appliances stores fell 1.3 percent, the largest decline since May 2017. But consumers bought more motor vehicles, with sales at auto dealerships rebounding 0.7 percent after declining 1.9 percent in January. Households also spent more at service stations, likely reflecting higher gasoline prices. Online and mail-order retail sales rose 0.9 percent. Sales at restaurants and bars edged up 0.1

U.S. RETAIL SALES RETREAT, FUEL FEARS OF SLOWDOWNADVERTISER NEWS Amazon is once again cutting prices at Whole Foods Market, Chain Store Age reports. Amazon and Whole Foods are enacting the third round since Amazon purchased the specialty organic grocer in June 2017. The latest round of cuts comes amid intense competition in the grocery sector and the high-price image that still continues to plague Whole Foods. Customers will save an average

of 20 percent on the new reduced priced items... On the subject of groceries: Grocery delivery services are looking to poach workers from their competitors, The New York Post reports. Dumpling, a grocery delivery startup that received nearly $5 million in funding, is looking to recruit veteran employees from rivals like DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates. The service, which has signed up about 500

recruits, has attracted workers by offering friendlier working environments such as allowing personal shoppers to keep customers, something Instacart does not allow... A class action lawsuit against Nestlé Waters maintains that the company has defrauded consumers by claiming its Poland Spring Water is 100 percent natural spring water when its source is six “phony, man-made ‘springs,’” Fast Company reports. The company stands by the representations it has made and believes its “legal position” will hold up in court... Kellogg has agreed to sell its Keebler biscuits brand and other assets to Nutella maker Ferrero for $1.3 billion as it focuses on its core cereals and snacks businesses. Kellogg’s fruit-flavored snacks, pie crusts and ice-cream cones businesses will also pass to the Italian confectioner as part of the deal... Air travelers hungry for a chicken sandwich can stop at a Chick-fil-A restaurant inside 28 airports around the U.S., but not at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Nor will they any time soon, the Buffalo News reports. Plans have apparently been scuttled following protests over the chain’s founding family and its support for organizations seen as hostile to the rights of LGBT people. San Antonio International Airport has also turned away Chick-fil-A.

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

AVAILS KITV, an SJL, Lilly Broadcasting-owned ABC affiliate in Honolulu, seeks a dynamic Director of Sales. We are looking for a sales leader with a proven track record of success to direct the local sales team for KITV, MeTV among other digital channels and online platforms. The Director of Sales will lead our local Account Executives to exceed goals through communication and negotiation with local clients and agencies; developing new business; and providing direction, leadership and support to our sales team. Interested candidates should email cover letter and

resume to jhagiwara@kitv.com. EOE. KIRO TV, Cox Media Group, Seattle, seeks a Digital Sales Specialist to work with the media sales team to grow digital revenue by accompanying the media sales team in the field to conduct customer needs analysis and present client-facing solutions. The Digital Sales Specialist must understand all CMG Local Solutions digital product offerings and how to leverage them to meet the client’s strategic objectives.

Digital assets include all kirotv.com core products and platforms inclusive of display advertising, streaming media, and native advertising. CLICK HERE to apply. The Networks of Mid-Missouri, ABC 17 KMIZ, FOX 22 KQFX, MyZouTV and Me-TV, is looking for a Director of Sales to oversee all revenue for its broadcast and digital properties in the Columbia/Jefferson City, Mo., market. We need a highly motivated individual who is a dynamic leader with a track record of multimedia sales success to manage the rapidly changing landscape of broadcast and web revenue generation. APPLY ONLINE and be prepared to provide cover letter and resume. NPG of Missouri, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Nexstar’s Norfolk duopoly of WAVY-TV (NBC) and WVBT-TV (FOX) seeks a Local Sales Manager to co-lead its local sales team on the southeast Virginia coast. The Sales Manager is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the sales department, including development of new business and achievement of broadcast and digital revenue goals. Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising or Mass Communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience required. CLICK HERE to apply. No calls, please. EOE.

See your ad here tomorrow! CLICK HERE for details.

THIS AND THAT The Census Bureau says 232,000 qualified people have applied for the first batch of 50,000 jobs conducting the 2020 count, easing fears that the tight employment market will impede its success... Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is calling for regulators to play a “more active role” in establishing rules that govern the internet, as the world’s largest social media network struggles to defuse criticism. Zuckerberg, whose company is under pressure for failing to adequately police content and protect user privacy on its platform, wrote in a Washington Post article that a “standardized approach” for removing content would help keep internet companies “accountable.”

NETWORK NEWS The first season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC will open on Friday, May 10 at 8 PM (ET). Last season, the team leaped forward in time to a dystopian future they soon realized must be prevented. The series stars Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley and Jeff Ward... The Professional Bull Riders, a presence on CBS Sports platforms since 2012, may not have the mass appeal of the Final Four, NFL or The Masters. Still, its growth pattern and concentrated appeal to its core fan base will keep it in the CBS fold through 2028. An extended rights agreement between the parties will see the number of PBR broadcast hours on the CBS Television Network increase each year. In the last full season, the network drew average audiences of more than 1 million total viewers for each PBR broadcast. CBS Sports will carry nearly 20 broadcast hours of programming each subsequent year over the course of the agreement... Arrow star Emily Bett Rickards is leaving the CW superhero drama ahead of its eighth and final season. The actress made the announcement over the weekend on social media. Rickards, who plays Felicity Smoak, said in a statement on Instagram that it’s time to say goodbye to the character after seven seasons. It is believed that her contract was up and she opted to move on.

MARCH MADNESS RATINGS UP OVER LAST YEAR Live coverage of March Madness basketball on CBS and Turner networks TBS, TNT and TruTV is averaging a 6.7 household rating and 15 share in metered markets this year, up 8 percent over last year, according to Nielsen. This year’s figure is tied for third best through the regional finals in the past 26 years, the networks said. Live streams and live hours are both up at least 30 percent, according to CBS and Turner. Sunday’s Michigan State/Duke game produced the highest metered market delivery for the game window in 14 years at 10.5 with a 21 share. Next up in the tournament are Auburn versus Virginia and Texas Tech versus Michigan State, both on CBS this Saturday. The winners face off for the championship Monday in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, March Madness streaming is on the rise. According to CBS and Turner Sports, which have TV rights to the games and operate the streaming offerings, March Madness Live is setting new records for streams and streaming hours so far, with both categories up by more than 25 percent compared to last year. Data from the streaming measurement and analytics firm Conviva says through rounds one and two of the tourney, streaming hours are up 65 percent compared to last year. Perhaps most interesting: This viewership is happening in front of the TV glass. While people at work will watch on mobile devices or PCs, even people at home are turning to streaming for their basketball fix. Conviva found 48 percent of streaming hours were on connected TV devices, with Roku accounting for the lion’s share.

4/2/2019

Conan O’Brien

Great Britain is like a dad who asks for a divorce,

then refuses to move out of the house and kind of hopes you’ll forget he’s living in the basement.

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

DIFFERENT AD PATHS, DIFFERENT VIEWERS Sixty-one percent of U.S. adults agree that today’s various streaming services have changed their TV-viewing habits, according to new data from YouGov Plan and Track. For consumers ages 18-34, that degree of disruption is even higher: 77 percent. As the 2019 TV upfront season gets underway, additional YouGov data reveals how Live TV Watchers diverge from On-Demand TV Watchers over opinions and behaviors toward advertising. For instance, On-Demand TV Watchers (defined as U.S.

adults 18-49 who watch 10+ hours of on-demand, catch-up, or recorded TV during a typical week) appear more averse to traditional television commercials. Overall, 56 percent of these viewers say they tend to mute advertisements on TV, compared to 48 percent of Live TV Watchers (U.S. adults 18-49 who watch 10+ hours of live TV during a typical week). Furthermore, 54 percent of the On-Demand consumer group report not trusting TV ads, while the same is true for

48 percent of Live TV Watchers. Although neither group has a majority that enjoys viewing television ads, Live TV Watchers are slightly more likely to derive pleasure from TV spots than On-Demand TV Watchers (47% vs. 43%). On the flip side, On-Demand TV Watchers seem slightly more open to emerging fields of advertising than Live TV Watchers. When it comes to watching ads to access otherwise free content, for example, 70 percent of On-Demand TV Watchers consider it a fair exchange, compared to 67 percent of Live TV Watchers. Meanwhile, 57 percent of On-Demand TV Watchers say they’re more likely to engage with ads on social media than on regular websites; 53 percent of Live TV Watchers agree.

4/2/2019

Funny Tweeter

I missed two of my mom’s calls, so I assume the

helicopter that just flew over my house is part of

the search crew she called.

SUNDAY NIELSEN RATINGS - LIVE + SAME DAY

WHAT’S SHAPING THE DIGITAL AD MARKET Despite early warning signs of a global economic slowdown, the possibility of a recession is not keeping most advertisers up at night, eMarketer reports. Ad spending will continue to rise across the globe, with digital driving most of the growth. That said, total media and digital ad spending growth rates will be weaker than they were in 2018, but that’s indicative of a market in transformation rather than budgets tightening. “The advertising market is underperforming the economy, but we don’t think that’s because advertisers have stopped investing,” said Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at Zenith. “Instead, we think they’re investing in other areas like advertising technology, data and e-commerce.” In 2019, worldwide digital ad spending will rise by 17.6 percent to $333.25 billion. That means that, for the first time, digital will account for roughly half of the global ad market. In some countries, including the UK, China, Norway and Canada, digital has already become the dominant ad medium. This year, the U.S. and the Netherlands will join that group, with digital accounting for 54.2 percent and 52.6 percent of total ad spend, respectively. Google will remain the largest digital ad seller in the world in 2019, accounting for 31.1 percent of worldwide ad spending, or $103.73 billion. Facebook will be No. 2, with $67.37 billion in net ad revenues, followed by China-based Alibaba, at $29.2 billion. Though Amazon has been steadily chipping away at the Google-Facebook duopoly in the U.S., it will be a smaller player on the global stage, with $14.03 billion in ad revenues. That still makes it the fourth-largest digital ad seller worldwide, however.

NIELSEN INITIATIVE PUTS FOCUS ON PEOPLE At a time when AI and advanced forms of machine learning to leverage real-time data about consumer behavior gain steam, Nielsen is going the opposite route: helping human beings learn how to influence other human beings. MediaPost says the company, after years of investing in a variety of behavioral sciences (especially so-called neuromarketing research) is launching a new service practice that will focus exclusively on educating marketers on how to apply them. Dubbed the Behavioral Sciences Institute, it’s an outgrowth of Nielsen’s burgeoning Consumer Neuroscience Division, but it’s not selling (or upselling) Nielsen’s brand of research, says Joe Willke, the division’s president. Instead, the institute will focus on helping marketers understand a wide range of new and emerging scientific learning about what makes people tick in favor of brands. The curriculum falls into three categories of professional development for marketers who want to steep themselves in the behavioral sciences: a Foundational session providing an introduction to consumer-related behavioral sciences; a Specialized session that will dive deep into the “deep learning” about scientific research about how consumers’ brains work and how that can be influenced; and Custom sessions tailored for a brand or marketing organization’s specific needs and questions.