Author: Brian

upwave VRP

Brian

Overview:

upwave is Turner Broadcasting’s newly launched multi-platform entertainment brand focused on health and wellness that integrates digital content and linear cable television with technology including mobile apps, live events and social media to create a robust healthy living destination for consumers and advertisers.

The brand’s content extends across several media platforms, beginning with upwave.com, and leading into TV later this year. Uniquely situated at the intersection of entertainment, technology and health and wellness, upwave offers entertaining storytelling that emphasizes all aspects of healthy living through its five content pillars: eat, move, relax, thrive and connect.

“Upwave is excited to help people make positive choices in their lives through entertaining and engaging content,” Molly Battin, SVP/GM said in a press release. “Our goal is to inspire people to get up, get moving and enjoy what it means to ‘live life on the up,’ experiencing healthy balanced living through the lens of entertainment…”

upwave will be advertising-supported, allowing Turner to reach new target categories beyond its traditional general entertainment focus. Due to the high degree of personalization provided by upwave, advertisers will gain a unique opportunity for deep consumer engagement and robust sponsorships.

Upwave, based out of Turner’s Atlanta headquarters, has about 30 full-time staffers, including sales, editorial and marketing.

About 69% of U.S. adults are obese or overweight. Upwave is aiming primarily at the 36% of consumers who are either already active in health and wellness or are “health strivers” looking to improve their habits, as well as another 17% who are “health hesitators” and need encouragement.

Upwave initially comprises a website with articles and short-form video; a YouTube channel; and social media channels. In December, Turner plans to debut a two-hour Upwave programming block on HLN, the sister news channel to CNN, to air Sundays from 7 to 9 p.m. So far, Upwave has about 190 videos, with two hours of free fitness videos and an hour of recipes.

The launch marks Turner’s first “digital first” brand, said Battin, a 13-year veteran of the company. “Leading with digital is the right place to start.”

Turner Eyes Fat Market for ‘Upwave’ Multiplatform Health and Wellness Brand (Variety | August 25, 2013)

http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/turner-eyes-fat-market-for-upwave-multiplatform-health-and-wellness-brand-1200587543/

TV: 12/1/2013

Location: 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30318

Website: http://upwave.com/ (launched 8/26/2013)

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/upwave (launched 8/5/2013)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upwave

Twitter: https://twitter.com/upwave

Instagram: http://instagram.com/upwaveofficial/#

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/upwave/

Contacts:

Amy Cohn, Turner Broadcasting System, 404-827-5033, amy.cohn@turner.com

Shani St. John, Porter Novelli, 404-995-4500, shani.stjohn@porternovelli.com

Mission:

upwave helps people close the gap between healthy intention and action through entertaining storytelling.

Key Facts

upwave is:

·      Designed to help people close the gap between healthy intention and action

·      Entertaining storytelling that only Turner Broadcasting can deliver

·      Uniquely situated at the intersection of entertainment, technology and health & wellness

Content:

·      Pillars include Eat, Move, Relax, Thrive and Connect

·      Emphasizes all aspects of healthy living, including fitness, nutrition, stress management, sleep and relationships

·      Delivers actionable tools to help people live a healthier, more balanced life

·      Website programming will offer tools for healthier living; content mix will include informational articles, recipes, videos and webisodes, quizzes, Q&A with experts and customizable information such as user profiles

·      YouTube channel serves up a fresh twist on traditional health content, such as fitness and recipe videos

·      Also delivers original episodes of series such as the hilarious and stealthily informative “Why Do Men Have Nipples?” hosted by Dr. Billy Goldberg

The upwave website:

Upwave carries the tagline “Live Life on the Up.” Its content includes tools for healthy living including informational articles, recipes, videos, challenges and customizable user profiles. Personal goals and interests, indicated by the user, generate fresh content unique to the individual. Future website features are skedded to include tools, quizzes and Q&As with industry experts.

upwave.com is the first personalized health and wellness digital property of its kind, connecting the dots for users with individually tailored content linked to five core pillars:

1. Eat—incorporates all things nutrition, diet and recipes

2. Move—covers fitness, weight loss, sports and fun — creative ways to get your body moving

3. Relax—advises about de-stressing and finding balance in life

4. Thrive—provides support in finding happiness and living longer

5. Connect—supports strengthening relationships with family, friends and communities

The upwave YouTube channel

The channel – which precedes the brand’s television presence – serves up a fresh twist on traditional health content, such as fitness and recipe videos. It also delivers original episodes of series such as the hilarious and stealthily informative “Why Do Men Have Nipples?”

Current talents:

Keri Glassman – nationally recognized nutrition expert and published author

Tim Ferriss – serial entrepreneur, New York Times Bestselling author, public speaker and angel investor; best known for his rapid-learning techniques as seen in The 4-Hour Work Week.

A.J. Jacobs – journalist, lecturer, self-proclaimed “human guinea pig” and author of four New York Times bestselling books; books chronicle his journey through self-improvement in fitness, spirituality and experimentation.

Dr. Billy Goldberg – NYC emergency medicine physician at the NYU School of Medicine; resident upwave expert answering viewers weird science questions through “Why Men Have Nipples” on upwave’s YouTube channel.

Obi Obadike – top fitness personality with more than 1.4 million Twitter followers.

Adam Brewer – personal trainer and coach offering healthy solutions for body mind and soul.

Ary Nunez – trainer, health psychologist and lifestyle coach; fitness background is in martial arts with black belts in Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu.

 

HLN Announces December Launch For Three Lifestyle Shows

HLN announced this morning it will debut three new primetime “upwave” programs — that’s Turner Broadcasting System’s multi-platform health and wellness entertainment brand — on December 1 at 7 PM (ET). Turner launched upwave — lowercase “u” is its idea — in August with a digital-first strategy, including a YouTube channel and upwave.com, which the media conglom said is intended to connect users with health and wellness content “through the lens of entertainment.” From the announcement:

The entertaining and insightful programs are intended to help close the gap between healthy intention and action, encouraging viewers to get moving and enjoy what it means to ‘live life on the up.’

Leading the Sunday evening two-hour block is “Cook Your Ass Off,” a transformational culinary contest hosted by celebrated chef Richard Blais that will change the diets and lives of everyday people with the help of nutritionist Keri Glassman. Following is the “The Tim Ferriss Experiment,” featuring the New York Times Best Selling author using his signature rapid-learning techniques to master a unique, and seemingly impossible, challenge each week, helping viewers apply his learnings to improve their own lives. The block will conclude with “THE DOSE with Dr. Billy” providing an entertaining look at daily health and wellness through the humor and insight of ER Dr. Billy Goldberg.

7 p.m. (ET), “Cook Your Ass Off”

Produced by Jane Street Entertainment (“Chopped,” “Next Food Network Star,” “Rachel vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off”), each episode will introduce the health struggle of an individual and pit talented chef contestants against one another in a three-round competition to transform favorite daily indulgences into lean and delicious meals. Chef Richard will provide an insider’s view as the “Cook Your Ass Off” line-up of chefs competes, while Keri offers commentary on the culinary substitutions and coaches guests to implement changes in their daily lives. A panel of celebrity guest judges, often with personal connections to the identified health struggle, will choose one winning chef to compete in a Grand Finale for $50,000. One episode will feature Keshia Sessoms a 41-year-old mother of three currently battling breast cancer and seeking inspiration for a healthier lifestyle.

8 p.m. (ET), “The Tim Ferriss Experiment”

Here’s your chance to get inside the head of Tim Ferriss (“The 4-Hour Workweek,” “The 4-Hour Chef,” “The 4-Hour Body”), the entrepreneur best known for his rapid-learning techniques and their transformative results. “The Tim Ferriss Experiment” will follow Tim’s step-by-step preparation for seemingly impossible and thrilling feats. Tim believes nearly any skill can be mastered in one hundredth of the time people expect, and he’ll take viewers on his personal journey while sharing radically counter-intuitive solutions to take viewers from zero to hero in no time. Creating a truly interactive experience, Tim will launch a nationwide search for one deserving viewer who could receive the chance-of-a-lifetime and become part of “The Tim Ferriss Experiment.” The winner will learn how to swim alongside Tim in Hawaii, applying his techniques to overcome their fear and embrace the water in record time. To learn more or to create an entry, visit upwave.com/TFXswim beginning Oct. 7. The series is produced by Zero Point Zero Production Inc. (“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” “The Mind of a Chef,” and “The Getaway” amongst others).

8:30 p.m. (ET), “THE DOSE with Dr. Billy”

Known for tackling unexpected health questions like “Why Do Men Have Nipples?,” 20-year veteran emergency medicine physician and two-time New York Times bestselling author Dr. Billy Goldberg is not a typical TV doctor. He will address viewers’ health concerns on “THE DOSE with Dr. Billy,” also produced by Zero Point Zero Production Inc., using his signature light-hearted but informative style, inserting humor into expert visits and celebrity house calls. Taking viewers on health journeys from start to finish, the series’ debut episode will examine how poor sleeping habits affect overall health, including many surprises along the way – like testing a full-body sleeping bag with Academy-Award® winner Julianne Moore.

Simon Sinek VRP

Brian

Simon Sinek VRP

Simon O. Sinek (born October 9, 1973) is an optimist, a leadership expert, and author best known for popularizing the concept of “the golden circle“, described by TED as “a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?”‘. He joined the RAND Corporation in 2010 as an adjunct staff member, where he advises on matters of military innovation and planning. His first TED Talk on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” is the 7th most viewed video onTED.com. His 2009 book on the same subject, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (2009) delves into what he says is a naturally occurring pattern, grounded in the biology of human decision-making, that explains why we are inspired by some people, leaders, messages and organizations over others. In December 2011, the book topped the list of best sellers for corporate America according to 800-CEO-READ.

Beginning as a student in anthropology, Simon Sinek turned his fascination with people into a career of convincing people to do what inspires them. His earliest work was in advertising, moving on to start Sinek Partners in 2002, but he suddenly lost his passion despite earning solid income. Through his struggle to rediscover his excitement about life and work, he made some profound realizations and began his helping his friends and their friends to find their “why” — at first charging just $100, person by person. Never planning to write a book, he penned Start With Why simply as a way to distribute his message.

He has commented for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, FastCompany, CMO Magazine, NPR and BusinessWeek, and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, BrandWeek, IncBizNet.

Early life:

Sinek was born in Wimbledon, England; at a young age he moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, then to London, then to Hong Kong, before settling in New Jersey. He attended Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, graduating in the class of 1991. He earned a BA degree in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University; he attended City University in London with the intention of becoming a barrister, but left law school to go into advertising. He moved to New York and joined Euro/RSCG, an ad agency, where he worked on the MCI account. He then joined Ogilvy & Mather, and was later recruited back to Euro/RSCG, where he worked on accounts for Oppenheimer Funds, MCI, NASDAQ and DISH Network. In 2002, he started his own company, Sinek Partners.

Current life:

Active in the not-for-profit world, Sinek works with “Count Me In,” an organization committed to helping one million women-owned businesses reach a million dollars in revenues by 2012, and he serves on the Board of Directors for Danspace Project, an organization that fends for advancing art and dance.

He lives in New York and teaches a graduate-level class in strategic communications at Columbia University.

Books:

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (Dec 27, 2011)

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek (Jan 7, 2014)

Personal website: http://www.startwithwhy.com/Home.aspx

On social networks:

https://twitter.com/simonsinek

https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek

YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/HCOeLSmOyk2Ts

Simon Sinek TED Talk

 

image001

At a Campus Scarred by Hazing, Cries for Help

Brian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2012/may/08/gay-rights-united-states

One student said she feared for her boyfriend’s health and ability to do his schoolwork because he was coming home from fraternity pledging around 4 a.m. with gashes and cuts on his hands and elbows that reopened daily.

Another student said he was hazed night after night, until right before morning classes. He wrote in an anonymous e-mail to the university, “I was hosed, waterboarded, force-fed disgusting mixtures of food, went through physical exercises until I passed out, and crawled around outside in my boxers to the point where my stomach, elbows, thighs and knees are filled with cuts, scrapes and bruises.”

Part of the problem, university officials said, was that few victims were willing to come forward, so allegations were hard to verify. A number of the complaints, which were provided to The Times by someone alarmed at the severity of the hazing, came secondhand or thirdhand from worried girlfriends, alumni or parents.

 

How does the Film Industry Actually Make Money?

Brian

I’ve been trying to come to terms with two seemingly irreconcilable facts. First, “Men in Black 3” has made more than $550 million worldwide. Second, while a representative from the parent company of Columbia Pictures told me that the movie is now “in the win column,” it seemed until recently as if Columbia might actually losemoney on it. How could that be? It’s not so complicated. Its production costs were close to $250 million; worldwide marketing most likely added at least that much; and a big chunk of the ticket sales go to theaters and distributors.

The Making of an Olympic Sex Symbol

Brian

AFTER finishing three hours of laps, sprints and weighted strokes at the University of Florida’s Olympic-size pool here, Ryan Lochte, the record-setting, gold medal-winning swimmer, was showing the briefest glimmer of fatigue.

“I just want to be done,” he said on the drive to a nearby Hilton, steering his white Range Rover with his knee, sitting far down in the bucket seats, blasting Lil Wayne. He was to spend hours shooting a commercial for a cellphone company, posing shirtless on a locker room set. Tomorrow would bring a double session of exhausting practices to rack up the 70,000 meters he swims weekly in preparation for the London Olympics next month. And then more shoots, more training, a grueling schedule of never-ending shirtlessness.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/fashion/ryan-lochte-olmypic-swimmer-and-sex-symbol.html?_r=2&hpw

A TV Schedule in the Hands of Whoever Holds the

Brian

It’s an apt metaphor. When it comes to the traditional screen that families gather around, live television is competing against a growing array of self-selected content. Given the amount of high-quality shows idling in my DVR and on-demand queue, channel surfing for live television seems very last century. And our television is Web-enabled, so a vast treasure of other goodies awaits from Netflix, Hulu Plus and Apple TV.

(Our house is part of a rapidly growing trend: online viewing is up more than 46 percent in just the last year, according to the media buying firm Horizon Media. And as my colleague Bill Carter noted, live ratings for network programs have declined for 14 consecutive quarters, with audiences bolting in record numbers this spring.)

Outside of the professional football season or some breaking national news event, the television at our house has become uncoupled from the commercial-driven environment that drives the broadcast and cable business. We haven’t cut the cord so much as kinked it in a way that commercials rarely sneak through.

I continue to be a fan of (some) network television products; I just don’t consume them as they’re broadcast.

I’m part of the cult of “Community,” but I motor through several episodes on Hulu Plus when I am feeling the need to spend some quality time with Abed. I’m a frantic fan of “Modern Family,” but this season, fresh episodes were broadcast so sporadically that I just set the DVR to harvest the new ones. And sure, I like to get tucked in by Stephen Colbert, but I don’t go to bed until 1 a.m., so I make sure he is waiting for me in the virtual video library controlled by the remote on my night stand.

As Talent Flees to Cable, Networks Fight Back

Brian

In growing sections of the television drama business, a condition known as “cable envy” has been setting in — and spreading. Cable, the land of small budgets and even smaller audiences, has become the place creators of drama go if they want to take big creative risks — and win golden trophies.

But increasingly, networks are trying to lure talent that otherwise might succumb to the allure of cable. It helps that some of the top network programmers cut their teeth in cable: Kevin Reilly of Fox once was the top programmer at FX, Bob Greenblatt at NBC earned his post because of his success leading Showtime, and Paul Lee, the top programmer at ABC, previously had that job at the ABC Family Channel.

They are not trying to reshape their hourlong dramas along the lines of the hot cable series of the moment, but they are willing to bend traditional network rules.

For example, networks are willing to offer shorter seasons — a staple of cable programming — and to run serialized shows without interruption by reruns. This season interruptions, primarily repeated episodes, clearly drove viewers away from certain network shows. “Unforgettable,” on CBS, sank late in the season after long stretches of reruns.

E! Unveils First Scripted Development Slate

Brian

When she took over E! Entertainment after the NBC Universal-Comcast merger, NBCUniversal’s cable maven Bonnie Hammer made introducing scripted programming to the the channel — known for its celebrity news and reality programs — a priority. A year later, at its upfront presentation tomorrow E! will unveil its first slate of scripted projects in active development. The slate features hourlong projects from John Wells, Kevin Spacey, Michael De Luca, Phillip Noyce, Emily Whitesell and Josh Reims. Like the rest of E!’s lineup, its scripted shows take on pop culture. That includes Dorothy, a contemporary tale inspired by The Wizard Of Oz, the John Wells-produced Anne Of Hollywood, the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII reset in present-day Hollywood (the project was originally set up at ABC earlier this season), and The 400, about the rise of the Vanderbilt dynasty. Rounding out the slate are a legal thriller (Juror #9), a detective procedural (Amy Devlin Mysteries), a show about a group of executive assistants and the more eclectic Fascination Street, set in two different time periods and centering on brothers investigating the disappearance of their band’s lead singer, King David, a modern-day Mr. Smith, and the Spacey/De Luca-produced Upstarts, about Silicon Valley’s digital gold rush of the late 1990s. “Our strategy is centered on telling compelling stories that reflect pop culture relevancy in unique and irreverent ways, and these scripted series will complement E!’s already diverse mix of reality, topical, news and comedy franchises,” said E!’s president of entertainment programming Lisa Berger. “The response from the creative community has been incredibly positive and we are excited to be in business with such high-caliber writers, producers and directors.” Berger shepherds E!’s scripted development with SVP scripted programming Kevin Plunkett, the network’s first ever scripted executive who was hired in October. E!’s first scripted series will make its debut in 2013. Here are details about E!’s scripted projects in development:

http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/e-unveils-first-scripted-development-slate/#utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Yahoo’s Latest Brush With Big-Name Producer Talent: Ben Stiller

Brian

Yahoo continues on its push for original video content and A-list talent, with a deal for a new comedy series with Ben Stiller’s Red Hour production shingle.

Burning Love, which will be co-produced by a division at Paramount Pictures specializing in small-budget projects, Insurge Pictures, will be a spoof on syndicated reality dating shows like Blind Date. Launching in the spring on Yahoo Screen’s Comedy Channel, the scripted show will feature such onscreen talent as Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Ken Jeong and Abigail Spencer.

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-yahoos-latest-brush-with-big-name-producer-talent-ben-stiller/