January 9, 2008

360 Update: Alltell, Mercedes, Garnier Sponsor Supermodel

Bravo Nets Mercedes, Personnel Moves at Soapnet and Oxygen, Another Food Fight and more news.

By Cable 360 Staff

Bravo inked exclusive sponsorship deals with Alltell Wireless, Mercedes-Benz and Garnier for competition series Make Me A Supermodel, premiering tomorrow, 10pm. Alltel will be the primary integrated sponsor and sponsor the live voting for the series. Sponsor Mercedes-Benz also will be official transportation vehicle for the series. Sponsor Garnier’s hair care products will be used exclusively.

Food Network unveiled another reality competition series, this one pitting Food’s viewers—everyday cooks—and their recipes as they battle it out in Ultimate Recipe Showdown, hosted by Food stalwarts Marc Summers and Guy Fieri (Feb 17, 9pm). The competitors will wage war in “a Kitchen Stadium-like arena” during the 6-week series, Food said. The winner gets $25,000 and the chance to have his-or-her recipe featured nationwide at T.G.I. Friday’s restaurants.
 
Disney-ABC Television Group promoted Ann Lewis Roberts to head Buena Vista Productions and Alternative Programming and Development for SOAPnet and named Adam Rockmore SVP, Marketing, ABC Daytime and SOAPnet. The moves were made following the recent restructure of Buena Visa Productions and the Disney-ABC Television Group’s Daytime Division. Roberts will oversee cable shows such as SOAPnet’s The Fashionista Diaries and GSN’s Camouflage. At SOAPnet, Roberts will develop and oversee all non-scripted programming. Rockmore came to Disney-ABC from Calphalon, where he was VP, Marketing and Retail.

Cynthia Chu was named VP and CFO of Oxygen Media. Chu is NBCU’s first major executive appointment at the newly acquired network. Chu comes to Oxygen from NBCU's Local Media division. Most recently, she was the Director of Sales Finance, responsible for the financial planning, pricing analysis, and reporting of revenue from 25 NBC and Telemundo Owned & Operated stations.

SNY said Lee Mazzilli will return this year as lead studio analyst for its Mets pre- and post-game shows. Mazzilli will work more than 80 Mets telecasts and contribute to www.sny.tv.  SNY also said it will carry 16 spring training games beginning Feb 29 against the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:00pm.

The YES Network finished the 2007 broadcast year as the most-watched regional sports network in the country in total day delivery for the fifth straight year.  YES averaged 33,000 TV households in total day delivery, 13.8% more than #2 NESN (Boston), which averaged 29,000 households. Its average prime time delivery of 86,000 TV households was a 7.5% increase over its 2006 average total day delivery of 80,000 TV households, according to Nielsen data.

[Today's AM update]