Jo Ann Ross Will Take Ad-Sales Chairman Role at Paramount While John Halley is Elevated

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The TV networks haven’t been particularly fond of Nielsen in recent months, but their digital rivals seem pretty impressed. The media-measurement giant has entered into a pact with streaming portal Roku that calls for Nielsen to track viewership across traditional and connected TV watching, desktop usage and mobile screens. Advertisers who use Roku can get data on the reach of their commercials among Roku users that will rely on so-called “deduplicated” audiences, or people who aren’t seeing the same content on different viewing platforms. “Marketers are increasingly investing in CTV to follow consumers. However, brands want consistent measurement across screens,” said Kim Gilberti, senior vice president of product management at Nielsen, in a prepared statement. “Marketers can now better evaluate CTV inventory’s unique reach and frequency in conjunction with their entire Roku buy in a comparable and comprehensive manner, and advertisers can reduce waste and help ensure that relevant ads are delivered to the right audiences across devices.”

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor AMC hopes that when viewers aren’t watching its new “Interview with The Vampire” series, they’ll be shopping it instead. The media company, which has made a significant investment in the “Vampire Chronicles” and “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” properties devised by author Anne Rice, is opening a virtual boutique with items all related to the first series in the new venture. “Interview With The Vampire” is slated to debut on Sunday, October 2, the same day the shopping outlet, known as “Night Market,” goes online. Bedding, sleep masks, “forever flowers,” and even a casket are available for purchase, notes Kim Granito, an executive vice president of integrated marketing for AMC Networks who is overseeing the project, devised by the company’s Content Room, a brand studio. “You don’t have to be dead to enjoy them,” she says of the vampire-related goods.

EXCLUSIVE: Game of Thrones alum Jerome Flynn has joined the cast of 1923, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel series at Paramount+.

Soaring energy prices and workforce pay increases stand to leave a £26million hole in the finances of Trafford council with town hall bosses now facing a raft of 'difficult decisions'. The warning came from the authority's executive member for finance and systems Coun Tom Ross at a scrutiny committee meeting last night (September 21).

Los Angeles’ homeless problem, the lack of affordable housing, and public safety dominated the first and only televised mayoral debate Wednesday between billionaire developer Rick Caruso and Congresswoman Karen Bass.Both candidates agreed that homelessness is wrecking the city, and when asked to describe the state of the city in one word, Bass chose the word “crisis.” Caruso said: “We’re beyond crisis.” Caruso said he would “call a state of emergency” to help get people off the street and into shelters. “We have people living and dying on the streets,” he said. “The premise is to get them into shelters and get them safe.

A police officer has been carried away on a stretcher during the late Queen Elizabeth II ’s funeral, after fainting while on duty along the procession route. The officer was photographed this morning lying on the ground in Central London, following his collapse, being attended to by police colleagues and Royal Navy personnel.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor George Stephanopoulos has been many things over the years. A political operative. A TV anchor. In his next project, he’s taking on a decidedly different role. In “Power Trip — Those Who Seek Power and Those Who Chase Them,” a new eight-part series set to stream on Hulu starting September 25, Stephanopoulos will serve as an analyst and adviser to a group of seven ambitious young “embed” reporters covering the 2022 midterm elections for ABC News. The show mixes on-the-ground reportage with the sort of mentor-student relationship that plays a central part in popular reality programs that range from “The Voice” to “Restaurant: Impossible.”

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Paramount Global has likely explored the idea of a bundled product that includes Showtime and Paramount+ with cable and satellite distributors, the company’s top executive said, as it continues to mull over the best way to package its various products for consumers. “We should have that conversation,” Paramount CEO Bob Bakish said during remarks at an investor conference held by Goldman Sachs. “It’s not like we have made a decision.” The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Paramount might consider discontinuing its Showtime streaming service, in favor of shifting its content to Paramount+. But Bakish suggested the company had not made a commitment to that model, even as it explores all kinds of bundles of its streaming assets. Paramount operates Paramount+ and Showtime, which both hinge on subscribers, and Pluto, which is free and ad-supported.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Pooja Midha has been named executive vice president and general manager for Effectv, the ad-sales division of Comcast’s large cable operation, putting her in charge of a unit with broadening importance for the unit at a time when advertisers are seeking new technologies to aid in the placement of their pitches to consumers. Midha replaces James Rooke, who was recently named president of Comcast Advertising. Midha will oversee a national team that manages everything from sales to data innovation. She is expected to continue to burnish the company’s efforts to bring more widespread use of data to TV strategies, and to utilize addressable and programmatic ad technologies.

Paramount Global is making moves in its advertising division. Jo Ann Ross, a 30 year veteran of the company, has been named chairman of Paramount advertising – an advisory role, with John Halley assuming her previous role as President in the division. As part of Halley’s new role, he will report to Bob Bakish, president and chief executive officer of Paramount.“Jo Ann is a true trailblazer in our industry and a dominant force behind the success of CBS, ViacomCBS, and now Paramount Global,” Bakish said in a statement.

EXCLUSIVE: Marcus Dunstan, the writer of Saw 3D and Saw VI, is set to direct the horror flick All My Friends Are Dead. Film Mode Entertainment and Roundtable Entertainment will launch sales on the project at the Toronto Film Festival.

Nicolas Cage is back on the red carpet after welcoming a baby girl!

the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Among the stars who have sent messages is no other than Ricky Martin, one of the few Hispanic figures with a close relationship with the Royal Family, thanks to his friendship with Princess Eugenie of York.Ricky, who attended the wedding of Prince Andrew’s daughter with Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, has great admiration and respect for the famous family; therefore, he ensured to pay his respects to the late Queen and her descendants.The Puerto Rican global sensation took to social media to share a snap from his experience at the Queen’s Golden Jubilee concert in June 2002. At the time, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 50 years of sitting on the throne of the United Kingdom.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Kim Kelleher added oversight of distribution revenue to her portfolio at AMC Networks, a substantial enlargement of her duties at the content company that was recently put under the aegis of a new CEO. Kelleher, who will continue to supervise advertising sales and partnerships, has been named chief commercial officer of the company, best known for its flagship cable network and influential series like “Better Call Saul” and “The Walking Dead.” “A cohesive, forward-looking commercial revenue team that has responsibility for all of our valuable partner relationships across advertisers, affiliates and new digital platforms makes strong strategic sense and Kim is the perfect executive to lead it,” said Christina Spade, who was recently named CEO of AMC Networks, in a statement. “She has brought her own unique talent, ingenuity and dynamic leadership to our commercial revenue group. We are thrilled to apply her abilities to an even more comprehensive role to drive the company’s top-line growth.” Kelleher will report to Spade.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The typical evening-news program give viewers all the news they need to know in less than 30 minutes. John Dickerson’s take on the format aims to unpack the headlines of the day and offer something most news programs don’t — perspective. Dickerson will lead CBS News’ step into an emerging frontier, an evening-news program that doesn’t air on a TV network, but streams instead, presumably for a younger, more tech-savvy audience. “CBS News Prime With John Dickerson,” a new hour-long program, debuts tonight at 7 p.m. eastern on CBS News’ streaming outlets, and will appear live Monday through Thursday.  The goal is for Dickerson, a former host of “Face The Nation” and a longtime political journalist and analyst, to provide insight and historical context around the events of the day so viewers gain a deeper understanding of the news cycle.

K.J. Yossman Nicely Entertainment has tapped ex-TF1 exec Rachel Siegenthaler for vice president of international sales. Siegenthaler will remain in Paris for the newly-created role, which will be focused on expanding L.A.-based Nicely’s European presence. The role will include responsibility for EMEA and Asia sales and co-productions, which include ten movies set to debut at Mipcom next month. The Mipcom slate includes “Cloudy with a Chance of Christmas” (pictured above), “A Christmas to Treasure,” “A Royal in Paradise” and “Baked with a Kiss” as well as family documentary “Beyond the Reef,” which introduces audiences to the Great Barrier Reef. The feature, which is set to be released in IMAX, is narrated by Shuang Hu.