Internet Viewing

"According to a recently released Digital Life America tracking study conducted by Solutions Research Group, nearly 80 million Americans (43% of the online population) have watched one of their favorite TV shows on the Internet, up significantly from 12 months ago when that figure was just 25%. 20% of the American online population said they watch TV on the web on a weekly basis, and that's ahead of the 14% who say they take advantage of cable's video-on-demand offerings."



Laura from TV.com interviewed a number of "Jericho" cast members this past weekend (2/24/08) at Wondercon. Check out these videos. Thanks Laura.


If you live in the N. Alabama area I'd love to hear from you. I haven't met many fans from around here. You can drop me a line at sweat1951@rock.com

Jericho: The Underrated

"I think that if CBS doesn’t pick Jericho up for a 3rd season, they’ll be making a terrible mistake. Everyone knows that Jericho is a fantastic underrated show. By now everyone understands that the Rating system is completely flawed and overrated, no pun intended."



"The price of a TV commercial routinely runs into the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. And if that wasn't enough, the three oldest broadcast-TV networks have for decades required another fistful of cash known as an "integration fee." Two big ad-industry trade groups are now fighting to keep that money in advertisers' coffers."



"Will couch potatoes give up their ability to skip ads if they can watch a program at a time of their own choosing? ABC is making its best-known programs available to media distributors who can promise exactly that, prompting a hot debate over whether advertisers should follow."

New Jericho Video

Fantastic New Video form K4ist.

CBS: The Unwatched

"While CBS still constantly pitches itself on-air as the most-watched television network, that is no longer the case, at least not in prime-time where advertising dollars go for a premium.

Also worth noting is a very unhealthy longer-term trend for all the big guys (ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC) where there are appreciably more 35-49 viewers than there are 18-34 viewers. The youth seems to be phasing out of TV, and while that can somewhat be masked in the overall 18-49 and 25-54 categories, it won’t get masked forever."



"Earlier talks this year can only help the broadcast networks, who likely are going to have fewer new fall programs to tout due to the recently ended writers strike holding up production schedules and pilot development. The big TV outlets have other problems, too: their prime-time ratings continue to erode and penetration of ad-skipping digital video recorders continues to increase.

That's led to a growing sense among major advertisers that TV commercials don't work as well as they once did. A survey of 78 leading marketers conducted by the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research found 62% of marketers believe traditional TV ads have become less effective during the last two years. More than 50% reported that when half of all TV households use DVRs, they will cut spending on TV advertising 12%."

Jericho: Weekly Recap

Nielsen ratings


CBS: Know Your Audience


Count All Viewers


Exclusive interview with Bjo Trimble who is responsible for saving Star Trek.



Jericho Advertisers Contact List

Please Contact these advertisers and thank them - let them know you enjoy their product or are now interested.

Jericho Fans: Not At Fault

I am very aggravated by the articles that are coming out every day that seem to imply that Jericho fans are somehow at fault for the bad ratings. Can't these people read? Do they ever venture out from their blog? Like this comment:

"Well, you Jericho fans out there can’t say CBS didn’t give your show a chance. Networks rarely uncancel a show as it is, but they did it with Jericho after fans got riled up enough to engage in a brilliant resurrection campaign, but apparently all the publicity from that didn’t generate enough viewers, because Jericho’s Season 2 return from the abyss, starting with its first two episodes, netted well below average numbers."

++++++++++++++++++++++
I beg to differ. CBS has never given Jericho a chance. There was the long hiatus, lack of advertising,summer reruns that were constantly being preempted, and affiliates who replaced Jericho with other programs. Many affiliates did not air the episode last Saturday night.

Furthermore, CBS told us to get viewers. Thanks for telling us to get viewers who don't count unless they're Nielsen families. Let me get my list of all those families that we don't know who they are. Thanks for never giving us any marketing help.

Are Jericho numbers below average? Compared to what? All the strike did was chase off viewers and some have never returned. Ratings are down all around us.

Joe says it best when he writes:
"If last season’s “Save Jericho” campaign taught them anything it was that this show has an audience, a damned vocal and clever one at that. Connecting to that audience is CBS’s job. In other words, each Tuesday night all of those hardcore Jericho fans are tuning in (to the tune of about 5 million). CBS needs to grow that audience. Too bad they’re not doing it."




Even Kelly Kahl of CBS says he realizes audiences are down so Jericho's ratings cannot be compared to last year's. What will CBS do now?


" Once the networks are back it remains to be seen whether viewers will be back as well. Expectations of audiences flocking to rare instances of original programming during the months-long strike proved incorrect. This year's Grammy Awards broadcast, after receiving a waiver from the Writers Guild of America, went on as usual in the teeth of the strike but got one of its smallest audiences on record. Likewise, there was much speculation "American Idol" would do its biggest numbers ever, based entirely on the fact there would be so few viewing alternatives. Instead, while far and away the most watched show on television this season, "Idol" is down this year from last.

"The real interesting thing when we get back up is what [viewing] levels are going to be at," Kahl said. "Are viewers going to come back, or will there be a strike hangover here?"

Nuts and Rice-A-Roni

" Your One Stop Source for Journeyman"



"Journeyman has been nominated for two Saturn Awards, awarded by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The series has been nominated for Best Network Television Series, and Kevin McKidd has been nominated for Best Actor in a Television Series."



"Some critics came out firing after the first episode that the Jericho Nuts fans didn’t do enough and the show was doomed after the first episode. Yes, numbers don’t lie but a silver lining is starting to shine, Jericho appears to be doing very well in the coveted 18-49 group. Now some of those wrong-headed critics appear to be changing their tune."

Jericho: CBS Boneheads

From Rich at Copywrite Ink comes hopeful news for all of who love our TV shows.


"According to The New York Times, NBC will be committing to a new lineup of shows earlier than any of its competitors, while also inviting advertisers to build marketing plans around specific shows and perhaps to integrate brands and products into the plots of the shows themselves.

The departure places a real question mark on the viability and importance of the Nielsen rating system. Nielsen is not prepared to measure a 52-week season; the bulk of its measure is based on traditional sweeps. Tradition, it seems, is dead.

Whether this decision plays well for the fans of recently cancelled shows, or those on the bubble, has yet to be seen. For NBC, the show is Journeyman. So far, despite the inventive Rice-A-Roni campaign, the best outcome for fans seems to be based on a rumor that a few more episodes of season one might see the light of day.

For CBS, everyone knows the show is Jericho. With season 2, episode 2 ratings being called a virtual disaster, even sympathetic critics seem to think there is little hope left."



"Nope, pin the responsibility for Jericho’s failure on CBS’s boneheaded scheduling and marketing. Putting this show right after a show that’s been dead for 5 years was a brilliant move if you’re trying to open up some space for yet another CSI. Otherwise, it’s a drain.

Look, I’m as thankful as anyone that CBS gave this show another chance. But what I don’t get is why they’re only giving it half of one.

If last season’s “Save Jericho” campaign taught them anything it was that this show has an audience, a damned vocal and clever one at that. Connecting to that audience is CBS’s job. In other words, each Tuesday night all of those hardcore Jericho fans are tuning in (to the tune of about 5 million). CBS needs to grow that audience. Too bad they’re not doing it."

Marketing Television

"Sixty-two percent of marketers believe traditional TV ads have become less effective during the last two years. Given that belief, it's no surprise that close to half of them already have experimented with other ad formats that work with digital video recorders or video-on-demand programs. And more than 50% of marketers reported that when half of all TV households use DVRs, they will cut spending on TV advertising by 12%.

Eighty-seven percent of advertisers believe branded entertainment is the key to TV advertising in the coming year, and 65% of them are eager to try ads in online TV shows."



"To CW Network:
We, the undersigned fans, want Supernatural renewed for a 4th season. Supernatural makes Thursday nights one of the best nights on TV. We love this show too much to let it go off the air without a fight.

Please sign this petition and show your support for a Supernatural Season 4. Send it to your friends, family, co-workers, put the petition widget on your MySpace and FaceBook page. Let's not see another great show become a memory."

Jericho: Season 2 DVD

Jericho Season 2 DVD Release:

On June 10th



Interview with Lennie James.

More here.



"In the next couple of days, BlogCatalog is launching Social Dashboard beta, a new feature that displays your latest activities across many social networks — Digg, Flickr, Last.fm, Twitter, YouTube, and many others. That means automatic cross-networking and promotion right from your personal profile page. It also means that the your post updates, Twitter comments, Digg submissions, and other activities will appear on the Social Dashboard of all your BlogCatalog friends, and maybe their friends too. This is the kind of networking that can make posts go viral. And that's just for starters."

Fighting For Journeyman

While browsing for Journeyman websites I found this one from Australia. I wanted to know more so I asked the owner, Edgeman, to tell me why he started this site and more about Journeyman.

Here's what he said:

"Journeyman started on Australian TV in it's "out-of-ratings" period, which as a start is pretty bad, it means the Australian TV network that showed it (channel ten) did not have much faith in it. Funnily enough they started "Everybody Loves Raymond" exactly the same way, and it took a couple of seasons for them to bring it to prime-time, and within ratings season.

To make matters worse Channel Ten have now moved this (my favourite show) to their Hidh-Definition channel, which means I can no longer watch the show (I don't have a HD set-top box). Luckily there are other means of watching TV shows these days!

I started my web site as soon as I heard that the show was not being renewed. This is the first time I have come out to support a show like this (and yes, I watched Jericho, and many, many other shows that have been cancelled prematurely to be replaced by reality tv dribble).

The purpose of my web site, and please bear in mind it's growing is to provide easy resources for other fans to show their support, it's an "add-on" site to savejourneyman. I found it difficult to get all the resources I needed in one spot (faxes, e-mail addresses, links, etc, etc), so I built my site. I am also about to publish another round of fax / letter templates, again, to make it easier for others to show their support. My feeling is that a lot of people really like the show, and will even post here on savejourneyman.net, but I want those voices, those people heard by NBC & FOX directly.

I am passionate about this show because of the show itself. It is not only the first show that I've come across with SCI-FI concepts that my wife likes and enjoys (almost) as much as me, I just found it to be the perfect package for a show. In terms of acting, script, location, concepts, etc... for me, it's got it all and I believe it would appeal to many, many people (given some proper promotion, lead-in and a good timeslot!!)."

Another Nielsen Error

Here's a concern for all of us. This is what recently happened in Ireland regarding a Nielsen error.
Just one more thing that worries me about networks depending on Nielsen.

"The company that compiles statistics on television viewing has made a serious error with its calculations, costing some TV stations hundreds of thousands of euro in lost revenue.

Channel 6 is threatening legal action over the mistake by AGB Nielsen, claiming it has lost €400,000 in advertising revenue because of the ongoing error. An independent auditor is being appointed to investigate how the mistake - which is to do with the weighting of Dublin audiences in its data - was made."

Jericho: The Return

"This week’s second-season premiere of “Jericho” will now repeat on CBS Saturday (Feb. 16) at 8 p.m. -- perhaps a tiny test of whether the series now airing Tuesdays at 10 should return to an earlier time slot. I can’t be the only critic getting emails from parents outraged that their kids’ once-favorite show has returned at a weeknight hour too late for them to stay up for.

The episode is also streaming online at CBS’ extensive “Jericho” site, either with or without commentary."



"Whether Jericho fizzles back out due to incredulous audiences refusal to give the new plot a try, or if the series pulls off what seems to be the impossible and builds an audience sizable enough to warrant a full season renewal, it certainly can be said that the Jericho crew took CBS’s cancellation and subsequent revival as a mandate to deliver something worthy of a second chance. Jericho 2.0 is definitely worth a second glance."



"Al Norton: Fact. I have written it before and will do so again here - the return of Jericho is the greatest accomplishment of the TV Viewer in my lifetime. Bringing a show back from the dead simply doesn't happen, so all who sent nuts to CBS deserve high praise. What makes it even better is that these episodes are the same high quality as where the series left off last spring. I have seen the first four of the year and can tell you they have not lost one iota of their trademark intensity, while at the same time boosting the heart of the show with more of the Stanley-Mimi relationship; how Alicia Coppola continues to fly under the radar screen is beyond me. Esai Morales is a fine addition to the cast, and while I know there are some Skeet haters out there, he is a very good fit as Jake. On some level whether or not the show does well is beside the point, that the triumph is simply in the resurrection, but I do hope Jericho meets with some success as it will encourage other networks to consider second chances in the future."

Jericho: Whack -The -Mole

Remember how Jericho fans showed CBS that they were not being counted by Nielsen ratings? We told CBS that everybody should be counted. Well, Nielsen made a little stab at it but nothing much has changed.

Now Nielsen has a plan to track how many people are watching a TV show via computer.Don't get excited though. This plan won't be introduced until the end of this year. Notice I said introduced and not implemented.


"Last year, when Nielsen came under fire by the fans of several cancelled television shows, I had some faith they could fix it," says Richard Becker of Copywrite Ink.

"Nowadays, it seems more that they are playing whack-the-mole. There is no clear focus. They have to fix the rating system that drive entertainment decisions before they can hope to provide better analytics for something a simple Google program or StatCounter can do."


Thanks Rich. Whack-the-mole seems to fit well here.

Saving Journeyman

Saving Journeyman

A Step-By-Step Guide to saving the show.

Everything you need from signing petitions, faxes, letters, and more.



"Literally, as he makes his way back in to work for the first time since the writer's strike to chat with fellow writers about the last four episodes of this season, Eric Kripke takes time to chat with ACED about The CW's super show, Supernatural. (Yes, I do mean four MORE episodes THIS season)."

Nielsen: Too Little, Too Late

" In a sign that viewers are growing more interested in watching television shows on their computers, The Nielsen Co. will begin measuring TV viewing on PCs by the end of the year in its people meter household panels, the company said.

The effort is part of a broader plan to measure television viewing on mobile devices such as iPods and cell phones, according to the audience measurement company."

********What about now? Don't cancel any shows until then. Count everybody.*******



Midori Miller: One Voice At A Time

Such a sweet lady who loves Jericho



Send a Valentine from Lost, Ugly Betty, or Grey's Anatomy.

Kristen Bell, Moonlight, and The 4400

Video interview with Kristen Bell here.



The 4400 Sunflower Seed Campaign

"June Terrell, of Memphis, Tenn., a member of the Save “The 4400” campaign, talks to Media Life about the “Jericho” effect, USA’s reaction and what her group is hoping for."



Will Moonlight get new episodes?

Jericho and Supernatural

Jericho premiere day at Remote Access.

Thanks for a wonderful week Amy.



The first new episode of Supernatural went up against Lost. The second show numbers declined.This led to a fan campaign entitled:

"Supernatural Will Not Get Lost."

To find out more about the campaign go to:

http://www.winchesterbros.com/index.php

http://www.supernatural.tv/index.html

Jericho Returns

Where to watch Jericho online.



Amy's Bonus Links at Remote Access

Lots o links here.


The Last Ordinary Day at Jericho Junction.


Back from the dead.

Polls And Letters

"Has infighting amongst Jericho fans been affecting the fandom? Please vote in the poll to help everyone to get some idea."



"Let us dare to read, think, speak and write."
John Adams

Since I bought my first computer I don't think I've sent anybody a hand written letter. I realize how much I miss sending and receiving them. Looks like some other folks may miss them too.

"John Adams (October 30, 1735 - July 4, 1826) was one of the leaders of the American Independence movement and served as George Washington's Vice President, before being elected our second President."

Adams and his wife, Abigail, exchanged over 1000 letters during their 40 year relationship and HBO will present a 7 part mini-series "John Adams" which premieres March 16, HBO.

Jericho: Viewing Party Sweepstakes

"Hello Jericho Fans:

We have more info on the Viewing Party Sweepstakes you can enter for a chance to win a trip to meet the cast of Jericho. The Sweepstakes will begin on February 12th, after the Premiere Episode of Jericho. It will open at 10:00PM et.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Host a Jericho premiere viewing party for friends and new recruits (or enjoy it on your own).

2. Right after the premiere, return to CBS.com/jericho return to answer a question about the episode.

3. Enter for the chance to win a trip to meet the cast of Jericho at WonderCon 2008 in San Francisco or win one of ten $100 gift checks.

Sweepstakes will end at 11:59 pm ET on 2/13/08.

Thanks,
CBS Jericho Web Team"

Jericho: Wonder Con

Meet the stars and producers of Jericho.

FEBRUARY 17, 2008 CONVENTION

LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION


Wonder Con SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24


"1:00-2:30 JERICHO— Get a sneak peek of a new episode of JERICHO, followed by a moderated panel discussion led by TV Guide West Coast Bureau Chief Craig Tomashoff with series stars Lennie James (Robert Hawkins) and Ashley Scott (Emily Sullivan) and Executive Producer Carol Barbee. Returning for a second season as a result of one of the most unprecedented and impassioned displays of fan support on behalf of a television program, JERICHO is a drama about what happens in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion in the once peaceful town of Jericho. Hall A"

Jericho, Amy, and Dexter

Amy's Daily Fix of Jericho.

She's loaded us up today with lots of interesting reading material.



Another new fan for Jericho.

I love reading these.



"`Dexter" is a serial killer cop who kills other killers. Gavin McKiernan with the Parents Television Council said it's not only too graphic for TV, but sends the wrong message to kids.

``The problem with the show is that it's not just about the gruesome killings, it's that you empathize with the killer. He's a great guy, you want to pal around with this guy, you're rooting for him," McKiernan said."

Tidbits

Amy at Remote Access has a post about hope for fans of The Dresden Files. She also writes about Men in Trees fans which is quite interesting.

There's more about other shows so be sure to see it all here.



If you're a Lost fan and like Sawyer try the Sawyer Nickname Generator here.



A new fan explains why and how he became a Jericho lover.

"And to all you who were fans from the beginning, I’m sorry for showing up so late to the party, but I hope you’ll have me. If you refuse, I have just one word for you."

A Message From Jericho Rally Point

"With only seven days to go before Jericho returns its time to kick it into high gear!

Jericho needs you! Now is the time to start getting those new viewers, and old viewers, back to Jericho and make sure that we get a third season. Its time to go back to some of the lessons we learned back in May and go out there and spread the word.

Post on as many message boards as you can find. Post comments on blogs and articles. Digg It! In addition, come back to Jericho Rally Point and post links in the Jericho 2.0 ~ Promote Jericho forum that fellow Rangers can go to post and Digg as well. Visit the Visual Jericho board for printable materials you can hand out.

We are only going to get one shot at this so we have to make it count! Its time for Jericho fans to rally once more and work toward keeping Jericho on the air. We cannot sit back and wait because if we do it will be too late. So let’s all put our heads together and get the ideas flowing again.

Also, Jeritopia is having a week long Jericho Season 2 Premiere Pep Rally with special guests and chat nights. Come, join everyone, and show your support. The CBS board also needs a show of positive support from all Jericho fans. Let’s show new comers what being a part of the Jericho fandom is all about!"

Margie and Edna Need You

Rich of Copywrite Ink has an interesting post today. I enjoyed his discussion concerning bloggers as consumers and "possibly customers." He makes some good points and, as always, makes us think.



Okay folks, here’s your chance to get some advice from Jericho’s #1 gossip mavens. Do you have a question for Margie and Edna? Submit your questions, and Margie and Edna will tackle your toughest post-apocalyptic problems and concerns. You may submit a question either for an existing Jericho character, or for yourself. However, if you submit a question for yourself, it must be as if you are living in Jericho or New Bern—no real world problems allowed.

Send your questions to: sweat1951@rock.com, put “Ask Margie and Edna” in the subject line. We reserve the right to edit questions for length, spelling, etc. Please bear in mind, it’s possible that not all questions will be selected to be answered. Keep watching this space, maybe Margie and Edna will answer your question next!

Special Announcements

Special Announcement:

Jeritopia Rocks.

Chats ahead:

Monday Feb. 4-- Townsperson Jennie Sword--9 p.m. CST

Thurs. Feb. 7-- Matt Federman (Writer)-- 10 p.m. EST


Rich of Copywrite requested our help so, if you'd like, please answer this question:

"With Jericho at minus 9 days, I'm working on a post to break sometimes before Feb. 12 and would like to write something from the perspective of the fans. So, if you have a minute, etc. What stands out to you about all these months of saving and promoting the show? "

You may leave your response in a comment or email to me at sweat1951@rock.com

Thanks.

TV: Second By Second

Jericho brought attention to the Nielsen ratings by showing that viewers were watching online and not just on TV. CBS quickly learned how many viewers Jericho actually had. This began a move to find a way to measure online viewers of any show.

It appears the advertisers are finally jumping on board as well. It's no longer enough for them to know age, race, and gender. Advertisers are now interested in learning how those viewers who watch commercials watch TV. "Advertisers want to know what makes consumers stick with one program, or how they jump from one channel to the next and why."

The landscape has changed. Advertisers want to know what you're watching in seconds not half hours or hours. It'll be interesting to see how this works as CBS has joined with TiVo and TNS Media Research and DirecTV have formed a panel
"whose viewing patterns would also be measured on second-by-second basis."



How will February Sweeps be affected by the writer's strike?

Will Fox take the prize?

Read the full story here.

Changing Jericho

As most of you know there was a time during the Save Jericho campaign when it became necessary for me to have three blogs so I could post assorted news and information about the campaign.

As we are ready to embark on our journey to Season 2 I feel some changes are in order. We won the campaign and Jericho will return soon. I feel that I am spread too thin to provide the depth of coverage I am now interested in pursuing.

Therefore, I am happy to announce that JerichoMonster will remain as the blog for Jericho news and information. Arabelle's Alley will, within the next week, become a blog focusing on TV in general as well as Social Networking. JerichoCentral will remain (for informational purposes) but I will not be updating it after today.

I hope you will all join me at JerichoMonster for more in depth discussions of the show. I appreciate your support and encouragement and look forward to seeing you at Arabelle's and the Monster.

Thank you.

Writers And CBS

"The Writers Guild of America abruptly scrapped a controversial event it had planned in New York next week targeting investors of CBS Corp., one of the media companies with which it is in contract talks.

The guild had invited dozens of Wall Street analysts to a one-hour presentation Tuesday on how the 3-month-old writers strike has negatively affected the television networks and CBS in particular.

The unusual event was part of a strategy to pressure conglomerates through their shareholders to reach a deal with writers. But it prompted an angry response from some executives whose studios are in talks with the writers.

As of early Wednesday, several analysts contacted by The Times said they were planning to attend the session. By late afternoon, however, guild leaders had decided to pull the plug, according to two people close to the matter. Guild officials declined to comment."