Friday’s Social TV Must-Reads

Lots of important articles on the changing world of TV, and we have picked the best for you today. Check out research on DVRs and viewership, get advice from Kim Kardashian’s agent, learn about how social media has boosted a new team in the NBA’s D League, check out a new Puerto Rico social network, and get an insight into social media and India’s TV industry. Tell us what you think on Twitter, where we are @socialTVDaily.

#SocialTV Scorecard: 2012′s Most Buzzed-About TV Characters

Based on Trendrr analytics.

Read the article, via Ad Age http://adage.com/article/trending-topics/socialtv-scorecard-2012-s-buzzed-tv-characters/238879/

Cablevision expands social media efforts while Charter cuts Twitter support

Cablevision is recruiting executives to help it use Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to promote its Optimum products and to respond to complaints from subscribers. Meantime, Charter Communications, which is run by former Cablevision COO Tom Rutledge, has scaled back its social media operations.

Read the article, via FierceCable http://www.fiercecable.com/story/cablevision-expands-social-media-efforts-while-charter-cuts-twitter-support/2012-12-20

You Aren’t Watching TV if You’re Watching TV Without Twitter

I thought the only combo of TV viewing and social media participation was “hate-watching,” but apparently 36 percent of 35- to 54-year-olds and 44 percent of 55- to 64-year-olds use their tablets while watching TV—even those shows they like.

Read the article, via Philly magazine http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2012/12/20/watching-tv-watching-tv-twitter/

Twitter as a barometer of TV content

The new deal has seen the fierce debate over whether social media is a threat to mainstream media take an interesting turn. TV channels in India saw this coming. This is why every media organisation has its official generic twitter account, with separate ones for flagship shows and star anchors.

Read the article, via India’s The Hindu http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/twitter-as-a-barometer-of-tv-content/article4226148.ece

Social Media Evolution, Not Revolution

Rami Khater, Senior New Media Producer, Al Jazeera’s The Stream, analyzes social media and TV

 Experts are no longer “experts;” the crowd is. The new expert is the person who has personal knowledge and knows how to engage with the crowd and find the niche experts in any situation. A good analogy is this, what is the best camera one can have? The one that is there when you need it. A person live tweeting an event with an old smartphone is the “expert” at that time — what you need to do is communicate with them and the others doing the same thing.

Read the article, via HuffPo http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rami-khater/social-media-evolution-no_b_2338465.html

Research

• TV Viewing Anywhere, On Anything

According to a new study from Ooyala, “Q3 2012 Video Index,” long-form Video TV is no longer a single screen in the living room. Viewers today are watching long-form premium content on a variety of connected devices. Tablets are quickly becoming the “first screen” people turn to when streaming TV shows, movies and sporting events. This is true in developing markets, and even in households with traditional televisions.

Read the article, via MediaPost
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/189449/tv-viewing-anywhere-on-anything.html#axzz2FcO3lu1y

• Networks watch how DVRs alter viewership

TVB, a trade association of America’s commercial broadcast TV industry, released recent surveys that show the programs that most benefit ratings-wise from same-day DVR playback. The group found that 43 percent of time-shifted viewing is done the same day a program first airs.

Read the article, via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv-radio/tuned-in-networks-watch-how-dvrs-alter-viewership-667278/

People

Kim Kardashian’s Agent Has Some Advice for Reality Stars

Re: mastering social media (“You need to be on all of them daily“).

Read the article, via LA Racked http://la.racked.com/archives/2012/12/20/kim_kardashians_agent_has_some_advice_for_reality_stars.php

Friday TV Highlights

PSY on the holiday special “Christmas in Washington,” airing at 8 and 11 p.m. on TNT, and Ball State vs, Central Florida in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla., on ESPN.

Read the article, via LA Times http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-fridays-tv-highlights-christmas-in-washington-on-tnt-20121220,0,2039932.story

Saturday College Football Bowl Games

• New Mexico Bowl, Nevada vs. Arizona, ESPN
• » Division II championship, Valdosta St. vs. Winston-Salem, ESPN2
• » Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Toledo vs. Utah St., ESPN

TV Ratings

‘X Factor’ finale tops Miss Universe as FOX wins Wednesday

The two-hour performance finale of “The X Factor” got only a small bump over last week’s Wednesday show, but it still had no trouble beating NBC’s Miss Universe Pageant and leading the night in all measures. Overall, FOX averaged an estimated 8.3 million viewers and a 5.0 rating/8 share for Wednesday primetime. NBC was second with a 4.1/7 and 6.27 million viewers, beating CBS’s 3.8/6 and 5.76 million viewers. ABC was fourth with 5.24 million viewers and a 3.5/6, with The CW averaging a 1.1/2 and 1.62 million viewers.

Read the article, via HitFix http://www.hitfix.com/news/tv-ratings-x-factor-finale-tops-miss-universe-as-fox-wins-wednesday

Programming

Marketing the Grammys Via Social Media: Not as Easy as It Seems

Evan Greene, the Recording Academy’s chief marketing officer, spoke with Billboard.biz about the event on Feb. 10.

The universal truth we discovered is that people are fundamentally looking for two things: discovery and community.If there is discovery, that leads to enhanced community. Boiled down to its essence, it’s really about the conversation.

Read the article, via Billboard Biz http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/tv-film/marketing-the-grammys-via-social-media-not-1008058892.story

Hardware

Samsung Reportedly Packing 5.5″ Flexible Displays for CES Trip

CNET has learned from Samsung representatives that Samsung Display will be boasting flexible displays at CES 2013. The 5.5 flexible display will have a 1280 by 720 pixel resolution and pack 267 pixels per inch. Although Samsung isn’t the only company playing with flexible displays, they are expected to make the first device with a flexible screen for consumer use.

Read the article, via Mobile Mag http://www.mobilemag.com/2012/12/21/samsung-flexible-displays-ces/

Sports

• David Akers quits Twitter after death threat

San Francisco 49ers kicker David Akers has deleted his Twitter account, shortly after retweeting a death threat, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

Read the article, via NBC Sports http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/20/david-akers-quits-twitter-after-death-threat/

• NBA Revamps All-Star Saturday

The NBA’s All-Star Saturday has lost its luster and the NBA is trying to get it back. No, it isn’t promising big stars in a declining Slam Dunk Competition, or a total wipeout of the painstakingly boring Shooting Stars and Skills Challenge. Instead it’s just a duct-tape resolution, one that involves stringing together the four events by creating East and West teams — including naming captains — and implementing a scoring system, in which the winning conference gets a larger cash prize to donate to charity.

 Read the article, via Sports Grid http://www.sportsgrid.com/nba/nba-revamps-all-star-saturday-will-almost-certainly-have-no-effect/

• How Social Media and Snoop Dogg Helped a Fledgling NBA Team

But the Santa Cruz Warriors story is more than just a tale of minor league hoops coming to a small town — it also shows the growing importance of social media in sports marketing, and how it’s saturated sports communications even deeper and wider than many may realize.

Read the article, via Mashable http://mashable.com/2012/12/20/social-media-santa-cruz-warriors/

Latin Market

• Univision Launches UVideos on Kindle

Univision Communications has launched its bilingual digital video network on Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD.

Read the article, via Multichannel http://www.multichannel.com/ott/univision-launches-uvideos-kindle/140851

• Telemundo Creates Children’s Version of ‘The Voice’

NBC Universal’s Telemundo Media announced Thursday that it will soon start the casting for their its reality singing competition La Voz Kids (The Voice Kids). The show, the first singing competition aimed specifically at kids, is casting children between seven and 14 in nine different U.S. cities, including New York and Los Angeles.

Read the article, via THR http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/telemundo-creates-childrens-version-voice-405954

• New Social Media Network ‘Parranda’ Aims to Unite Puerto Ricans in Diaspora

Parranda, will integrate other existing social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But the new platform’s founders hope to help unite a scattered community, and build a site that will allow Puerto Ricans in the diaspora to discuss real solutions to the high crime rates, high unemployment, and the rapid brain drain in the U.S. Commonwealth island.

Read the article, via ABC/Univision
http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/social-media-network-parranda-aims-unite-puerto-ricans/story?id=18009401#.UNRoZoNZV0Z