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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2017.The Daily News of TV Sales Monday, March 13, 2017

MALLS GET CREATIVE TO FILL SPACESUPERMARKETS AS ANCHORS? In just the past week we’ve reported on numerous store closing and bankruptcies. Hhgregg is closing 88 stores. Stage Stores closed 37 stores. Vanity Shop is going out of business and there are rumors about Payless Shoes. Radio Shack is headed back to bankruptcy, Gander Mountain filed bankruptcy on Friday, and Gordman’s filed today. Meanwhile, malls have been faced with hundreds of closings from Sears, Macy’s and Kohl’s, with J.C. Penney also announcing a round of closings. Plus many of the smaller chains almost exclusively in malls are either closing underperforming units or going completely out of business. Dow Jones Newswires is reporting that mall owners are now “eagerly” courting a retail segment they ignored in the past—supermarkets—and some of the biggest food retailers are willing to try the idea. Wegmans will open in a former Penney store in Massachusetts next year, while Kroger is taking over a former Macy’s in Ohio, and a 365 by Whole Foods Market will open in the mall in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana. Dow Jones says the goal for landlords is to provide destinations for visitors to get a vast array of items and, ideally, visit multiple times a week. The CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centers commented “Consumers, particularly millennials, are placing a high priority on experiences while also valuing convenience. As a result…we are seeing more restaurants, movie theaters, health clubs and grocery stores serve as anchors.” It’s not a brand new idea—some malls have brought in supers in the past, but the trend is clearly accelerating and higher-end grocers are now looking at malls for expansion. It’s also a way for the mall owners to increase rents for the space—in the past department stores that had been considered crowd-attracting “anchors” were offered very attractive rents to bring them into the malls. But the idea can also be a “win” for the supermarket, moving into an already-constructed large space with parking nearby rather than paying for a new building. While the malls would love to see the traffic attracted by supermarkets spread throughout the mall, it’s not clear that food shoppers would also go to other stores. An exec at a real-estate services firm said, “The addition of a grocery anchor is not necessarily complementary to the other stores, particular fashion retailers.” And the head of another firm said, “You’re not going to buy a Louis Vuitton bag or a dress when you’re carrying your groceries.”

ADVERTISER NEWS Gander Mountain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday evening, hoping for a “going concern” bid to sell the company to an owner that will keep the chain in operation. It will close 32 stores of the current 162 locations ahead of that sale It’s certainly not a surprise when Sears Holdings Corp. announces bad quarterly results, but a 17% decline in total sales for the holiday quarter was a big number even by recent standards for that company. While a reduced store base accounted for some of the decline, same-store sales were down 8% at

Kmart and 12.3% at Sears stores. One retail analyst called the results “dire” and said “Not only are sales down but the pace of the decline has accelerated sharply”……There’s a specialty retailer that’s on the absolute opposite end of the success spectrum from Sears—Ulta Beauty, considered by some analysts as one of the hottest retailers in the country.

In its latest quarter, Ulta registered a 16.6% same-store increase (including online sales) on 10.9% growth in transactions and a 5.7% bump in the average ticket. The growing chain expects to add a net of 100 more stores this year—it had 974 in operation at the end of the fourth quarter.…West Coast warehouse-style retailer Smart & Final had a 2% comp store decline in the quarter that ended on 1/1, coming from a small (0.2%) decline in transactions and a 2.2% drop in average ticket. The chain had previously talked about cannibalization of sales at previously-existing stores after converting a group of Haggen stores it had taken over, but it sees the problems from that cannibalization moderating……Nation’s Restaurant News reports Chipotle will close down the 15-unit ShopHouse Asian Kitchen chain later this week after having said the concept did not generate enough revenue to justify additional investments. Chipotle still has two other concepts in test, Pizzeria Locale, currently with seven locations, and Tasty Made, a burger-oriented restaurant which opened its pilot store in October last fall……(Continued on page 3)

PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

NETWORK NEWS Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) will play the head of a drama department in the new NBC pilot Drama High. Radnor’s character is based on real-life drama teacher Lou Volpe, a passionate teacher and family man whose dedication to his students and his program galvanizes the entire town. Drama High is based on the book of the same name by Michael Sokolove……Fox has announced the premiere date for its latest reality series called You the Jury. The series is described as a bit like American Idol and Judge Judy. Each week, the show’s prosecution and defense teams will cross-examine litigants and expert witnesses as they present their arguments to former judge of the Superior Court of California LaDoris Cordell. Viewers will have the opportunity to vote on the verdict. The verdict is 100% live and binding and will reflect the decision of the American people. You the Jury will be hosted by Fox News Channel’s Jeanine Pirro, and will debut on Fox Friday, April 7th……. Steve Zahn will play the male lead opposite Sandrine Holt in the ABC drama pilot The Crossing. The pilot revolves around refugees from a war-torn country who start showing up to seek asylum in an American town. But the country they are from is America, and the war they are fleeing is 250 years in the future. Zahn will play the local sheriff with a past. Rob Campbell is also in the cast playing a mysterious and cerebral member of the group of survivors……Lorenz Tate (Game of Silence, House of Cards) has been cast as the male lead in the ABC drama pilot Salamander. Tate’s character is Ethan, a brilliant but misanthropic engineer, who recruits a skeptical Homeland Security psychiatrist, played by Allison Miller, to track down a mysterious bank robber that targets 66 specific safety deposit boxes belonging to the elite and powerful……Telemundo has picked up another affiliate. The Spanish-language network will air on channel 9.2 in Charlotte, NC. The channel is owned by WSOC, the Cox-owned ABC affiliate in the market. A launch date is still pending since the station needs to conduct detailed research on the needs and interest of Charlotte-area Hispanics. It will be the first time that Telemundo programming, like their popular telenovelas and World Cup Soccer, will be available to the market’s Hispanic population free over-the-air. The report in The Charlotte Observer said that WSOC is looking to develop a Spanish newscast for the channel.

AD CAMPAIGN SUPPORTS TRUMP AGENDA A pro-President Trump advocacy group, Great American Alliance, is launching an ad campaign aimed at getting support for the President’s agenda in the U.S. Senate. Inside Radio reports that the ad, entitled Promises, highlights broken promises of former presidents in contrast with the group’s view that President Trump is committed to keeping promises he made on the campaign trail. The TV and radio campaign will run in seven states that were strong supporters of Trump as a candidate—Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, Florida and Ohio. The goal is to persuade Democratic Senators in those states to support the President’s agenda in the future.

AVAILS You arrived at work today not realizing that the best FOX affiliate in the country is looking to hire a Local Sales Manager. KVVU FOX5 in Las Vegas (where the sun always shines and entertainment never ends) is searching for a leader who brings a desire to train individuals, generate creative ideas to develop new business and grow key accounts. Las Vegas is a bright city and KVVU FOX5 employs only the brightest stars. If you want to shine, please apply online

by going to http://www.meredith.com/viewjobopenings. Meredith Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer WKRN News 2, the ABC affiliate in Nashville, TN and a Nexstar station, is currently seeking a Dynamic and passionate Local Sales Manager to lead our local efforts. The LSM will be involved in all aspects of the sales operation, including overall budget and market share performance, accurate forecasting, inventory control and

team development. The successful candidate will be a motivational leader with a clear focus on new business and digital revenue development. Qualified candidates should apply at www.wkrn.com. EOE/M/F/V/D - No calls please! WSVN-7 FOX/Miami-Ft. Lauderdale is looking for a dynamic individual for an Account Executive position. Need to have the ability to thrive in a fast paced, competitive, multi-media environment. We are looking for a creative person to generate revenue by prospecting and selling for television and a variety of digital opportunities. Responsible for attracting new clients, proposal preparation and presentations as well as maximizing revenue on existing account list. Please send resume to Kim Witker at kwitker@wsvn.com. EOE. ABC6 in Providence, Rhode Island is looking for a sales professional with sales experience to join this growing ABC affiliate as an Account Executive. We need an enthusiastic, accountable individual to work with local and regional clients– at the agency and local levels. This position is a great opportunity for someone looking for a move into a top 60 market. Please send resume to cantonio@abc6.com. No calls please. WLNE-TV/ABC6 is and equal opportunity employer. HOI-ABC in Peoria, Illinois seeks a dynamic Local Sales Manager. Are you ready to lead an aggressive team instead of generating reports and spreadsheets? Are you ready to work with broadcasters who respect the station as more than an ATM? Are you ready to coach a team to make recommendations based on client needs rather than Wall Street dictates? If these ideas appeal to you, we’re ready to talk to you! Send your cover letter, resume and references to: Pete Russell, GSM: prussell@week.com. EOE. Need to place a job in Spots n Dots? Do it ONLINE HERE, or send your listing to ads@spotsndots.com

3/13/2017

Conan O’Brien

Many years after dropping out of Harvard, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is going back

to get an honorary degree. Zuckerberg said he would have gone back sooner, but even he can’t afford college these days.

The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3

ECONOMIC RATINGS The Labor Department reported non-farm job growth of 235,000 in February, exceeding most forecasters’ expectations, along with a dip in the unemployment rate to 4.7%. Average hourly earnings were also up by 2.8% versus a year ago, suggesting that more people are working and have more discretionary income to spend. One of the hottest segments for jobs currently is construction, which added 58,000 jobs in February after having added 40,000 in January. The retail segment lost 26,000 jobs, perhaps a result of all the store closings we’ve been reporting on. BUSINESS BYTES The CEO of Bojangles said his chain’s business had fallen off a ledge in February, and that may accurately describe the entire industry. Nation’s Restaurant News says the Restaurant Industry Snapshot for the month found same-store sales down 3.7% with traffic off by an alarming 5.0%, one of the weakest months in the last four years. Some observers blame the delay in income tax refunds that we’ve already reported on, others see rising inflation and with lower food prices at supermarkets as a significant factor……The Transportation Department reported 53.2 million vehicles were recalled last year, up from the previous record of 51.1 million that had been set in 2015. There were a total of 917 recalls from all manufacturers during the year, also a new record, and with the Takata airbag situation still far from complete resolution, the number of upcoming recalls is expected to stay high. As we have reported in the past, though, there is some evidence that dealerships have an opportunity for new sales when a customer brings his recalled vehicle in for repairs as some customers inspect new vehicles on the sales floor while waiting for the recalled vehicle to be fixed……We’ve talked a lot about deflation in food prices at the supermarket in the past year, and Progressive Grocer is reporting a study done by Price-Trak found that manufacturers’ Consumer Package Goods list prices were down an overall 1.6% last year. The refrigerated and frozen segments were the areas where prices fell the most, 5.4% and 8% respectively, and much of that was due to lower meat prices. Eggs also showed a big drop. Beverages showed a small increase of 2.2% while household items were up 1.4%. HOMEOWNERS SATISFIED The 2017 Property Claims Satisfaction Study from J.D. Power finds that customer satisfaction among homeowners needing to file claims has reached an all-time high, despite a 10-year high in catastrophic events last year that usually produce lower scores. Power notes the satisfaction level among homeowners has now come into line with similar levels for auto insurance. There are many companies that sell homeowners insurance, but Amica Mutual and The Hanover tie for top-ranked. Major names above the industry average include Nationwide, MetLife, The Hartford, Allstate, Farmers and State Farm, while some below the average include Liberty Mutual and Travelers, as well as some plans branded by Auto Clubs.

ADVERTISER NEWS (Continued from page 1)....As part of its disappointing fourth quarter results, Signet Jewelers said it will close 165-170 stores this year (although it will open 90-115 in other locations). Stores to be closed will be mall-based regional brands..…Here’s yet another teen-oriented mall-based store that’s producing poor sales results: The Buckle, operating 467 stores in 44 states, had same-store sales fall by 16.1% in its fiscal fourth quarter, finishing a fiscal year in which comps fell 13.5% and net sales were down 12.9% Opposite many other retailers, however, Buckle’s CEO was eager to point out the company

has $264 million in cash and investments on hand with no debt……Hibbett Sports comps were down 2.2% in the fourth quarter, although it was able to finish the year with a slight gain of 0.2%. The chain added a net of 34 new stores during the past year and expanded eight others.

DONE DEALS Kyle King has been promoted to VP/GM of Nexstar’s KARK-TV (NBC), KARZ-TV (MyNetwork) and digital services,

in Little Rock-Pine Bluff, AR (DMA #57). King will also oversee Nexstar’s relationship with Mission Broadcasting’s KLRT-TV (FOX) and KASN-TV (CW) under a joint operating agreement. King comes to AR from Odessa-Midland, TX (DMA #143). In conjunction, Nexstar names Michael Lee (pictured) VP/GM of KMID-TV (ABC) in Odessa-Midland, replacing King. Lee most recently served as VP and General Manager of KXXV-TV (ABC), KXXV-DT2 (Telemundo) and Weather Now in Waco-Temple-Bryan, TX..... Gray Television has announced four promotions. Susan Ramsett is now the GM

of KWQC (NBC) in Davenport, Iowa (DMA 101). Shannon Booth (left) succeeds Sue as the General Manager of Gray’s television stations in Lincoln (DMA 105) and North Platte (DMA 209). In Marquette, Michigan (DMA 180), Rick Rhoades will become the General Manager of WLUC (NBC/FOX) on April 1 upon the retirement

of Rob Jamros, who has led WLUC TV6/FOX UP for the past 27 years. And in Parkersburg, West Virginia (DMA 194), Ken Long is now the General Manager of WTAP (NBC), WIYE (CBS) and WOVA (FOX).

ROKU IS AMERICA’S FAVORITE STREAMING PLAYER CordCutterNews.com recently reported on a survey by Tivo’s research arm about the most popular streaming players, and it says that gaming consoles are the most popular way viewers are watching content. Wi-Fi enabled Blu-ray players coming in second. Roku is the most popular set-top streaming media player with 15.1% of the market. Apple TV is next with 11.7%, followed by Chromecast at 11.2%, and Fire TV at 8.3%. The report also showed that if you are a streaming media owner you are far more likely to plan to cancel cable TV. 9.4% of Americans who own a streaming media player plan to ditch pay TV. Only 5.3% of Americans who do not own a streaming media player plan to cut pay TV.

3/13/2017

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