www.SpotsnDots.com

VOLKSWAGEN’S REP TAKES A PLUNGE Amazon reclaimed the top spot in the annual Reputation Quotient Summary Report by The Harris Poll, marking the eighth consecutive year the online retailer has ranked in the top ten, while Volkswagen Group dropped to the bottom. The report calculates corporate reputation ratings for the 100 most visible companies in the U.S., as perceived by the general public. The top ten companies for corporate reputation in 2016 are (in order): Amazon, Apple, Google, USAA, The Walt Disney Company, Publix Super Markets, Samsung, Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson and Kellogg Company. USAA and Kellogg Company are newcomers to the top ten, while Berkshire Hathaway returns to the top ten for the first time since 2008 and Disney returns after slipping to #12 in 2015. “Best-in-class companies demonstrate that corporate reputation matters—to your customers, employees, potential hires, business partners and investors,” said Sarah Simmons, senior reputation consultant at Nielsen, which owns The Harris Poll. In light of its recent emissions scandal, Volkswagen Group declined steeply, dropping 20.5 points overall from a “very good” (75.21) score in 2015 to a “very poor” (54.75) rating in 2016. The only company to receive a “very poor” rating this year, Volkswagen Group also fell more than 25 points on Emotional Appeal (includes attributes of trust, admiration and respect) and 20 points on Social Responsibility (includes attributes of environmental and community responsibility). CVS (-5.0) and Starbucks (-4.6) also experienced declines, dropping from “very good” to “good” ratings. JCPenney, which showed the survey’s largest increase in 2015, fell four points to a “poor” score. According to The Harris Poll’s report, the biggest risks to corporate reputation are lying or misrepresenting facts about a product or service, or intentional wrongdoing or illegal actions by corporate leaders; both scenarios were cited by 80% of Americans surveyed. Other risks to reputation damage include security or data breaches (74%), product recalls due to contamination that may cause illness (66%) and unfair workplace conditions and culture (64%). 25% of Americans say that employee strikes or workContinued on Page 2

ADVERTISER NEWS After many very poor quarterly reports, it may have been hard to imagine things could get worse at Sears Holdings, but yes they did in the holiday quarter. Kmart same-store sales were down 7.2% and Sears stores fell by 6.9%—and the company sees that as an “improvement from the trend.” Having closed 53 stores in last fiscal year, Sears Holdings said it will accelerate the closing of more unprofitable stores……Kohl’s managed a small same-store increase in the same quarter, up 0.4%. It will close

18 underperforming stores but open seven smaller-format stores and two more Off Aisle discount stores near headquarters in Wisconsin……Off-price retailer TJX continues to flourish while higher price stores struggle. Blended comps for the company were up 6% for the quarter that ended on 1/30 and the company added a total of 219 stores during the year for its banners. TJX currently operates over

1,000 stores each for T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, plus 526 HomeGoods and eight Sierra Trading Post stores……Best Buy quarterly same-store sales were down 1.7%; it says there was strength in appliances and wearables, but that was overshadowed by weakness in mobile phones and tablets. It also foresees negatives for the first half of this year……After the big box stores Home Depot and Lowe’s reported healthy numbers earlier this week, Ace Hardware also reflected strong demand in the DIY/hardware space. Total revenue for the year (which had one less week in its fiscal calendar) was up 7.3% and same-store sales rose by 4.6%. Ace added a net of 60 new stores during the year……Lithia Motors, the eighth-largest auto group seller with 91,192 new vehicles sold last year had a 10% same-store sales increase in its latest quarter with an 11% total revenue gain and a 16% profit jump. But same-Continued on Page 3

AMAZON HAS BEST BRAND REPUTATION IN U.S.

www.spotsndots.comPDF/TXT newsletter

Subscription: $325 per yearCall toll free: 888-884-2630This publication cannot be

distributed beyond the officeof its named subscriber.

Send sales-related job listingto: Ads@spotsndots.com

Copyright 2016.The Daily News of TV Sales Friday, February 26, 2016

PAGE 2

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

NETWORK NEWS FOX announced that Bones will return for a final farewell 12th season. The 12-episode run will celebrate the inventive series and bring the storylines of Brennan (Emily Deschanel), Booth (David Boreanaz) and the Jeffersonian-FBI team to a close. When Bones ends its run, the series will have completed 246 original episodes, making it one of the longest running FOX series ever……Principal photography has wrapped on Bounce TV’s first-ever original drama series Saints & Sinners. Shot on location in Atlanta, Saints & Sinners centers around the pursuit of power, intertwined with greed, deception, corruption and murder—all set against the backdrop of a large southern church. The series will air Sunday nights at 9:00 pm (ET) starting March 6……Cam, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Florida Georgia Line will perform on the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards. The awards show, co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, will be broadcast live from Las Vegas Sunday, April 3, at 8:00 pm (ET) on CBS......A special edition of Univision’s primetime newsmagazine Aquí y Ahora will feature a revealing interview of former beauty queen Emma Coronel, wife of one of the world’s most ruthless drug lords, “El Chapo” Guzmán. Aquí y Ahora—Mi Marido, El Chapo (My Husband, El Chapo) airs Sunday, February 28, at 7:00 pm (ET).

WEDNESDAY RATINGS Wednesday primetime saw a three-way tie for the 18-49 demo crown by ABC, CBS and FOX, while CBS led for total viewers in the Nielsen overnights. CBS, led by Survivor and Criminal Minds, was at an average 1.7 rating 18-49 and 5.1 in Households, with an average audience of 8.105 million viewers. FOX, with American Idol, was at 1.7 18-49, 3.9 HH and 6.632 million; ABC, led by Modern Family, 1.7 18-49, 3.7 HH and 5.816 million; NBC 1.4 18-49, 4.5 HH and 6.731 million; The CW 0.8 18-49, 1.5 HH and 2.289 million; Univision 0.7 18-49, 1.0 HH and 1.885 million; and Telemundo 0.5 18-49, 0.8 HH and 1.417 million.

DOUBLE DUTY FOR CAMPBELL Rebecca Campbell, President of ABC Owned Television Stations Group, has taken on additional responsibilities of overseeing daytime programming—both ABC Network and syndication—for Disney|ABC. Those duties had previously been with Paul Lee, who was ousted last week as ABC Entertainment President by Ben Sherwood, President of Disney|ABC Television. At that time Channing Dungey was named Entertainment President, heading primetime programming.

AMAZON HAS BEST BRAND REPUTATION IN U.S.Continued from Page 1stoppages are “not at all damaging” or “not very damaging” to corporate reputation. Other scenarios that are less damaging include employee conduct (20%), a product recall due to technical or equipment failure (15%), negative financial news about the company (12%) and safety-related product recalls (11%).

AVAILS WRSP/WBUI has a rare opening for a seasoned Account Executive in Springfield, IL selling FOX/CW. A strong account list will be awarded to the ultimate candidate. The ideal candidate will be motivated with a strong competitive spirit, relationship driven and a high sense of urgency. Weekly disciplines, proven New Business development and ability to sell multi-platforms are required. If you are all of this wrapped up in one package, we want to hear from you! CLICK HERE for more info or to apply now. Equal Opportunity Employer.

WAXN TV 64 – Cox Media Group Television Station in Charlotte, NC (Market #22) seeks a Local Account Executive. We’re looking for passionate sellers that want to WIN. The ideal candidate will be a sales professional with 1-4 years of media sales experience. The candidate will be responsible for prospecting and selling new business, as well as our vast digital portfolio, and growing a transactional list. Interested? Please contact Mark

Afshar, LSM, 704.371.3120, mark.afshar@waxntv64.com. Equal Opportunity Employer. Quincy Media seeks a Regional Interactive Sales Manager to coordinate and grow digital sales in five markets in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Working from WKOW-TV in Madison, WI, this individual will drive success through others by engaging the local management and sales teams to execute multi-screen revenue growth that meets or exceed company goals. This position is built for personal and professional growth in an environment that values independence and flexibility. CLICK HERE for details, then send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to: Carol Rees at crees@quincymedia.com. EOE WPTZ/WNNE-TV, the Hearst Television owned NBC affiliate in the scenic Burlington, VT/Plattsburgh, NY market, has an immediate opening for a Local Sales

Account Executive. Primary responsibilities include utilizing a complete portfolio of products including the NBC affiliate, The Valley’s MeTV, and a multitude of

Digital offerings to advance effective marketing solutions for an existing group of valued clients while developing a continuum of new advertisers. The position is based in Colchester, VT, with the ability to sell across the entire DMA. CLICK HERE for more details and to apply. EOE Want to coach at Eastern Carolina’s most successful TV station? Want to join a positive culture? Want to enjoy beaches, sunshine and happy days? Want to control your own destiny and make really decent money? Be a leader at Eastern Carolina’s number one, WITN! TV and digital is where it’s at! WITN is a Gray station and honored to work with the 2016 Station Group of the Year. TV Sales experience is a good thing. Living the golden rule and a strong desire to help people is necessary. Contact hr@witn.com. EOE2/26/2016

President Obama announced plans to close the prison at

Guantanamo Bay. It’s a pretty simple plan, really. He’s

going to put a RadioShack sign on it.

Seth Meyers

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

PAGE 3

AB INBEV PROFIT DOWN—TV A FACTOR? While the just-reported drop in Anheuser-Busch InBev profit was mostly attributed to falling currencies in emerging market countries, revenue in the U.S. also was down about a percentage point with key brand Bud Light continuing to lose share. But the beer market itself is also seen as losing share to other alcoholic drink alternatives. Despite gains being recorded by craft breweries, beer’s share of alcohol revenue fell to 48% last year, the sixth consecutive year of decline. Wine accounts for 17%, but hard liquor has made the biggest gains, rising from 29% at the start of the century to 35% last year. The Wall Street Journal offers an interesting perspective on that shift: it suggests television advertising and programming may be playing a part in making liquor more popular. After five decades of a self-imposed ban, liquor started appearing on some cable networks in the late 90’s, and then spread to local television later. After an early attempt by NBC to take liquor on the network ran into intense opposition in Congress several years ago, the networks finally started to take liquor ads—mostly in late night—about five years ago. The Journal also suggests that programs such as Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire may have “fueled the popularity of liquor and helped ignite a surge in popularity of American whiskey.” “They (the breweries) are in a predicament,” a research analyst commented. “They’re working everything they can to reignite interest in the beer they do produce…but it’s never going to be enough to offset the slow decline.”

THIS AND THAT Snapchat has signed to have Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings measure the audiences of its 3V advertising on mobile devices. That marks Snapchat’s first venture into independent neasurenment……Nielsen also announced a multi-year contract renewal by NCC Media, far and away the nation’s largest cable rep……Mortgage rates reversed most of last week’s move, falling back to the second-lowest point of 2016. The benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate is now 3.80%, according to Bankrate.com.

ADVERTISER NEWSContinued from Page 1store new vehicle sales were up just 4.8%, well short of the industry average……McDonald’s still wants to compete in the current “value” environment, but at a higher price point. With its 2-for-$2 promotion ending, Mickey D’s is now offering a 2-for-$5 deal, where customers can choose from a Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, 10-piece McNuggets or the Filet O’ Fish……Most of the pizza chains are still doing well. Domino’s same-store sales last quarter were up 10.7% at franchised stores and 10% at company-owned units, as the chain grew by a net of 88 stores during the quarter. Papa John’s was up also, but at a substantially-lower 1.9%, which was its weakest quarter of the year. Nation’s Restaurant News reports a growing price war among pizza chains, as lower prices for cheese have allowed competitors to offer discounts.

AVAILS Local Sales Manager: WFXB-TV, the Fox affiliate in Myrtle Beach, SC, (Bahakel Communications, Inc), is searching for a Local Sales Manager with at least two years of sales management experience. We’re searching for a leader with a proven track record of success in a multi-platform sales environment including traditional television, interactive,

digital services, and mobile. The successful candidate will have strong inventory management and strategic pricing skills. Excellent verbal and written communication and research skills are required. Attention to detail is a must! Info to: rwilson@wfxb.com. EOE

MORE AVAILS ARE ONLINE @ SPOTSNDOTS.COMTo place a classified, please email: ads@spotsndots.com

NEW CAR SALES ARE HOT, HOT, HOT We reported three days ago that J.D. Power and LMC Automotive are predicting February sales of new cars and light trucks to hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 17.7 million units—the fastest pace since 2000. Now the other major forecasters have weighed in and all are expecting a very strong month. Edmunds.com is right in line with Power/LMC at a 17.7 million SAAR prediction. Kelley Blue Book is even more bullish, predicting 17.9 million. KBB sees double-digit percentage gains by American Honda, Ford Motor Company and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. TrueCar has the least optimistic forecast, projecting a 17.5 million SAAR—which would only be the best February pace since 2001.

MOBILE PAYMENTS GAINING ACCEPTANCE The Baby Boomers may never quite catch on—but mobile payments have won fans among the young U.S. consumers coveted by so many brands. A new GfK study shows that Generation Z (ages 18-24) is twice as likely to make a mobile payment as the total population; smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices account for just 3% of all transactions in the U.S.—but 7% among Gen Z. More than half (53%) of Gen Z say they have made a mobile payment while using the Internet in the past 6 months; that is almost four times the rate (14%) for Baby Boomers (ages 50-68). Gen Y (ages 25-34) came in at 37%, and Gen X (35-49) at 27%. About one third (31%) of Gen Z consumers agree that “making payments with a mobile device is more secure than other methods”; this is double the general population level (16%), and five times the Baby Boomer score of 6%. The GfK research also shows that roughly half (53%) of Gen Z are looking forward to paying for “more and more transactions” from mobile devices. This is twice the overall U.S. average (27%), and higher than both Gen Y (45%) and Gen X (30%). Even so, consumers of all ages are worried about the security of their personal information when making mobile payments. That’s over half for all ages and the highest, 60%, for Gen Y.

2/26/2016

It’s reported over 20 million people interrupted

their workday to watch Kanye West's fashion show online. People are calling it

the highest rated hate-watch in history.

Conan O'Brien