North American Satellite Broadcasting Service 'DirecTV' Threatening To Stop Broadcasting Viacom's 26 TV Channels, Including Nickelodeon USA And Nick Jr. Channel USA

From Blog.Viacom, the official blog of Viacom Inc., who is the parent company of the Nickelodeon brand:

DirecTV to Drop 26 Viacom Channels at Midnight on Tuesday, July 10

DirecTV to drop Nickelodeon – Spot #1 from Viacom on Vimeo.

Viacom's distribution agreement with DirecTV is set to expire at midnight on Tuesday, July 10. We’ve been negotiating for months and even offered DirecTV an extension past the agreement’s original June 30th expiration date. As recently as today, we made significant economic movement in direct conversations with DirecTV.

However, despite our best efforts, DirecTV has rejected all of our proposals to renew our agreement. This evening, DirecTV provided Viacom with a counter proposal that included a lower rate than Viacom receives from any other distributor in the industry. With this offer, our negotiations have reached an impasse.

This means that, as of tomorrow night, nearly 20 million DirecTV subscribers will be without entertainment from the programmer they watch most. A total of 26 Viacom channels, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, CMT, Spike TV, TV Land and more won't be available.

Our agreement with DirecTV is seven years old – ancient by the standards of the ever-evolving media industry – which means that DirecTV has enjoyed way below market rates for Viacom’s networks for a very long time.

If negotiations remain stalled, DirecTV will drop Viacom's channels tomorrow tonight. No Dora, no SpongeBob, no Teen Wolf, no 106 & Park, no Daily Show, no Colbert, and no Snooki – a regrettable and avoidable turn of events if there ever was one, and an outcome that our team has worked tirelessly to avoid.

Here's the official statement from Viacom:

As of midnight on Tuesday, July 10, DirecTV will drop 26 Viacom channels, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, CMT, Spike TV, TV Land and more. Viacom is the most watched programmer on DirecTV. Nickelodeon is the most watched cable network on DirecTV. We regret that DirecTV refuses to consider a fair deal that recognizes the value of Viacom programming. We urge DirecTV customers to call 800-531-5000 or visit www.whendirectvdrops.com and demand that DirecTV put its customers first, and keep Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET and all of Viacom’s channels.

Here are some indisputable facts about Viacom and the strength of its networks on DirecTV:

* Viacom accounts for 20% of all viewing on DirecTV – more than any other programmer and above the national average for all distributors.[1] Yet Viacom currently accounts for less than 5% of DirecTV’s programming expenses. [2]

* Nickelodeon is the #1 most-watched cable network on DirecTV. [1]

* Kids in DirecTV homes spend 50% of their viewing time watching Nickelodeon networks. [1]

* Over the past three years, Viacom has completed nearly a dozen significant distribution renewal agreements privately and without disruption to consumers.

And here are some indisputable facts about DirecTV:

* Over the past three years, DirecTV has fought publicly over carriage agreements with seven different programmers – Fox, Tribune, Diversified Communications, Northwest Broadcasting, Sunbeam, Belo, G4, Versus, and YES Networks – and dropped five of them.

* DirecTV is on track to deliver $5 billion in profit in 2012.[3]

* Over the seven year life of our expiring deal, DirecTV doubled its worldwide revenue, tripled its profits and increased its subscriber base by more than 32%. [3]

* Needless to say, Viacom will continue to work to convince DirecTV to keep our channels, and strike a fair and equitable agreement. Check this space for updates on the situation.

For more information, you can visit the website Viacom has set up to notify consumers of DirecTV’s decision to drop its channels at www.whendirectvdrops.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WhenDirecTVDrops.

Also, you can check below for some of the addtional spots we’re airing to notify viewers across our networks.

Sources:

1 Nielsen Custom Ratings DirecTV Analysis, Ad-Supported Cable Networks plus Disney and Nick Jr., 12/27/10-12/25/2011 and Kantar Media 01/1/2011-12/31/2011, based on Nielsen Ad supported cable networks plus Disney and Nick Jr. All networks measured 24 hours except for Nick, NAN, Cartoon and Adult Swim, these networks were cutback to 6a-9p for Nick and Cartoon and 9p-6a for Nan and Adult Swim.

2 SNL Kagan

3 DirecTV Q1 2012 earnings results

Also, from Reuters via Yahoo! News:

SpongeBob blackout looms for DirecTV subscribers

(Reuters) - DirecTV customers may not see SpongeBob, Snooki or Jon Stewart after midnight on Tuesday because of a heated impasse taking place between the largest U.S. satellite TV provider and Viacom Inc, the company behind the popular cartoon, reality series and political talk show.

In a blog post on Viacom's website, spokesman Mark Jafar wrote that despite Viacom's "best efforts" DirecTV rejected proposals to renew their contract. Nearly 20 million DirecTV customers will not have access to 26 Viacom channels including MTV and Nickelodeon [and Nick Jr. and TeenNick] if a new deal isn't struck by midnight Tuesday.

The stand off is the latest saga taking place between media companies and cable and satellite TV providers over the cost of content. These providers pay a fee to media companies that allows them to carry channels such as MTV. Programming is the single biggest cost for distributors and in recent years they have taken a hard line against what they view as unreasonable "carriage fee" increases by content companies like Viacom.

On July 1, AMC Networks, the company behind "Breaking Bad," "The Walking Dead," and "Mad Men" was removed from the Dish Network after the two companies could not reach a new contract.

The possibility of DirecTV dropping Viacom's networks was foreshadowed in a mid-June note by Bernstein Research analyst Todd Juenger.

Citing falling ratings at Nickelodeon and other Viacom networks, Juenger wrote, "We believe it is no longer inconceivable that a distributor would drop Viacom, or at least engage in a public battle with them over price increases."

Viacom is in the process of negotiating a new deal with DirecTV to replace its current seven year contract after it expires. Viacom, controlled by billionaire Sumner Redstone, described the contract as "ancient by the standards of the ever-evolving media industry - which means that DirecTV has enjoyed way below market rates for Viacom's networks for a very long time."

DirecTV said that Viacom "now insists" to be paid 30 percent more -- or about a billion extra dollars -- for the same programming.

"If Viacom wants so much more, then we believe your family needs to be able to choose which Viacom networks you want to pay to keep and which ones you don't," DirecTV said on a question and answer section on its website.

DirecTV is alluding to a debate currently raging among content owners and buyers about the ability to cherry pick channels. As it stands now, content providers typically package all of their channels together -- known in the industry as "bundling" -- rather than let customers choose the ones they want to watch.

"To be clear, we have offered Viacom increased fees for their networks going forward; we just can't afford the extreme increases they are asking for," DirecTV said.

This is not the first time a distributor has threatened to black out Viacom's channels due to a contract dispute. In 2004, Dish actually dropped Viacom cable networks after the two sides failed to reach agreement on a new distribution deal. But, citing the popularity of Viacom's channels, BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield noted the black out only lasted "for about 46 hours before Dish caved to Viacom's demands."

"It will be interesting to see whether DirecTV's [CEO] Mike White wants to go to war with Viacom and make the same mistake Charlie Ergen made 8 years ago. Hard to imagine DirecTV without Nick and Nick Jr.," Greenfield wrote in a blog post early Tuesday.

Also, Tweeted (posted) by Nick Jr. Channel USA on their official Twitter profile page (@NickJr):

Tonight @DIRECTV is dropping Nick Jr.! Call them now at 1-800-531-5000 to demand they #keepNickJr. #WhenDirectTVdrops http://www.facebook.com/WhenDirecTVDrops

And:

VIDEO:@DIRECTV will be taking away Nick Jr. & your child’s favorite shows!Keep it on the air! Call now! 1-800-531-5000 http://bit.ly/LMBTwm

Also, Tweeted (posted) by Nickelodeon USA on their official Twitter stream (@NickelodeonTV):

Tonight @DIRECTV is dropping @NickelodeonTV! Call them now 800-531-5000 to demand they #KeepNick! http://at.nick.com/NZyCs6 #WhenDirecTVDrops

London-Based 'Cake Entertainment' Signs UK Home Entertainment Deal For Nick Jr. UK's Animated Preschool Show "Poppy Cat"

From Kidscreen:

Poppy Cat gets Lionsgate UK home entertainment deal

London-based Cake Entertainment has secured a home entertainment deal in the UK with Lionsgate for preschool series Poppy Cat.

The Coolabi-produced series based on author Lara Jones’ bestselling books of the same name currently airs in more than 90 territories worldwide.

It is now a top-rated show on commissioning channel Nick Jr. UK and on Sprout in the US. The series will also launch on the new NBC Kids weekend block in the US from July, making it available in more than 110 million US homes.

Additional broadcasters airing Poppy Cat include EBS in Korea, Disney Junior (Spain and Latin America), France 5, Al Jazeera Children’s Channel, e-vision (UAE), SVT (Sweden), S4C (Wales), EBS (Korea), OKTO (Singapore), Nickelodeon (Australia), TVO and Knowledge Network (Canada), NRK (Norway), RTÉ (Ireland) and CiTV (UK).

The new deal adds to the increasing list of licensees for the property in the UK, which includes toyco Golden Bear for plush, plastics and arts & crafts products launching this fall. The Joester Loria Group handles licensing for the brand in North America.

Tags: Cake Entertainment, Coolabi, home entertainment, Lionsgate, Poppy Cat, UK

Comedy Central USA Promotes Former Nickelodeon/Nick at Night Marketing Director Mitch Fried To EVP, Comedy Central Enterprises

Below is a Comedy Central Corporate Communications Press Release via PRNewswire via MarketWatch:

COMEDY CENTRAL® Establishes COMEDY CENTRAL Enterprises And Names Mitch Fried As Executive Vice President To Lead New Division

COMEDY CENTRAL Enterprises Established To Spread The #1 Brand In Comedy Off The Network Through Consumer Products, Home Video, CDs And Digital Downloads, Publishing And Live Touring

NEW YORK, July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- COMEDY CENTRAL, the #1 brand in comedy, has created COMEDY CENTRAL Enterprises, a new business division that will focus on building upon COMEDY CENTRAL's leadership position in the industry through consumer products, home video, CDs and digital downloads, publishing, and live touring, it was announced today by Michele Ganeless, President, COMEDY CENTRAL. Mitch Fried has been promoted to the newly formed position of Executive Vice President, COMEDY CENTRAL Enterprises and will head up the new business division, reporting to Ganeless. Fried was formerly Senior Vice President, COMEDY CENTRAL Live Entertainment.

"In the increasingly fractured world of content distribution, success today means reaching fans everywhere. The formation of COMEDY CENTRAL Enterprises strengthens our relationship with our fans. It's another example of the kind of extension that keeps COMEDY CENTRAL the #1 brand in comedy," said Ganeless. "Mitch Fried is an experienced and innovative executive with a long history at COMEDY CENTRAL. Respected and well-liked throughout the industry, he knows the brand intimately and is the perfect person to spearhead our efforts under the new Enterprises banner."

"By consolidating these brand extensions into a single business division with a common goal, we are in a better position to grow and strengthen the brand and provide our fans with what they want most, easily-accessible, high-quality comedy, both on screens and off," said Fried. "Forming the Enterprises division also provides benefits to our talent partners by offering them massive exposure to our fans and a multitude of opportunities and points of distribution to increase their own following and generate revenue by getting their content in front of an ever-widening consumer base."

COMEDY CENTRAL Enterprises will bring together a number of category-leading brand extensions under Fried's oversight, including the previously independent Consumer Products, Home Entertainment, Records, Live Entertainment and Publishing divisions. Under Fried's leadership, COMEDY CENTRAL Enterprises will incorporate everything from negotiating with talent representation to execution, distribution, production and marketing support of these ancillary businesses. Fried will seek to expand the network's business partnerships with the talent community through omni-platform deals, which will encompass any combination of the division's brand extensions. Reporting to Fried are Vice Presidents Steve Raizes and Jack Vaughn, who will be charged with developing and maximizing the synergistic elements of the new Enterprises division.

The industry-leading businesses now reporting to Fried under the Enterprises banner include:

COMEDY CENTRAL Consumer Products - generating $2 billion at retail since its inception, the Consumer Products division negotiates with third parties to translate COMEDY CENTRAL shows, personalities and characters into consumer goods including apparel, social expressions, toys, games, electronics and consumables. Recent highlights include a partnership with Frito Lay and Wal-Mart to introduce [...] a licensing program surrounding "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Colbert Report" and the brand's own "Indecision" political coverage. Additional programs launching in 2012/2013 include efforts around "Tosh.0," "Workaholics" and stand-up comedy.

COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment - responsible for over $500 million in sales since its creation, the Home Entertainment division includes DVD and digital on demand releases of the COMEDY CENTRAL series and stand-up specials distributed through Paramount Home Entertainment, including four of the top five stand-up DVD releases of 2011. Recent releases from Jeff Dunham and Gabriel Iglesias have sold a combined one million units in only six months. The upcoming slate includes artists such as Demetri Martin, Chris Hardwick and Patton Oswalt.

COMEDY CENTRAL Live Entertainment - with over $100 million in box office receipts and over 2.7 million tickets sold, COMEDY CENTRAL Live Entertainment is one of the dominant players in live stand-up touring. In 2012 alone, COMEDY CENTRAL partnered with Daniel Tosh, Gabriel Iglesias and Jim Gaffigan on their respective tours, generating 375,000 tickets sold and $15 million in box office receipts. In addition to bringing major headliners to the masses, COMEDY CENTRAL Live has a college touring program that brings younger comedians to campuses across the country and produces a free, annual event in New York City, "COMEDY CENTRAL Park," which this year featured correspondents, contributors and producers from "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." COMEDY CENTRAL is also in its seventh year partnering with Live Nation in the "South Beach Comedy Festival" and will continue its partnership in the 8th Annual "New York Comedy Festival" with Caroline's Comedy Club, taking over New York City each November.

COMEDY CENTRAL Records - the world's largest comedy label as well as one of the largest independent labels in the country, COMEDY CENTRAL Records' catalog includes both spoken word and music from top comedic talent including COMEDY CENTRAL series and standup specials. Released via traditional CD and via digital download-to-own, the label has received eight GRAMMY® Award nominations since its launch in 2002, winning "Best Comedy Album" for the last three years. Along with critical acclaim, the Records division has produced numerous Gold, Platinum and Double-Platinum albums.

Publishing - COMEDY CENTRAL recently announced a new publishing relationship with Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group, and will release its first title, a holiday-themed novelty book from Denis Leary, later this year.

Prior to his promotion to Executive Vice President, COMEDY CENTRAL Enterprises, Mitch Fried oversaw the brand's successful live touring business as Senior Vice President, COMEDY CENTRAL Live Entertainment, a division which he launched in 2003. Fried joined COMEDY CENTRAL in 2001 as Vice President, Promotion Marketing and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Promotion Marketing in 2003. In those roles, he was responsible for all integrated marketing and sponsorship opportunities that supported the network's advertising revenue, including movie studio relations, promotions and stunts. Fried also worked closely with the network's advertising sales, programming and development groups to maximize revenue opportunities.

Before joining COMEDY CENTRAL, Fried was Senior Vice President, Marketing for Golden Books Entertainment Group in New York and prior to that he was Senior Vice President, Marketing at Broadway Video Entertainment, "Saturday Night Live's" production company. He has served as Vice President of Marketing at Viewers Choice, and prior to that was Director of Marketing at Nickelodeon/Nick at Night and Director of Business Development at MTV Networks.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, COMEDY CENTRAL ( www.cc.com ) is the #1 brand in comedy and is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom Inc. . For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at www.cc.com/press and follow us on Twitter @ComedyCentralPR for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

SOURCE COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications

Birds Eye, Nickelodeon USA and iCarly's Jennette McCurdy Rally North American Moms And Kids To Get Creative With The "iCarly iCook With Birds Eye" Program

Below is a Pinnacle Foods Group LLC press release via PRNewswire via MarketWatch:

Birds Eye® Taps Kids To Shake Up America's View Of Veggies

Birds Eye, Nickelodeon and iCarly's Jennette McCurdy Rally Moms and Kids to Get Creative with the "iCarly iCook with Birds Eye" Program

PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- What if kids asked moms for veggies at the dinner table because they're wacky, fun and exciting? That's the goal of Pinnacle Foods' Birds Eye brand. Birds Eye is the first company to go straight to the source, kids, to change the conversation about vegetables and inspire the next generation to love their veggies. By tapping Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, and working with iCarly's Jennette McCurdy as a veggie-loving ambassador, Birds Eye is empowering kids' culinary creativity and encouraging them to share their veggie inspiration with other kids.

As part of the "iCarly iCook with Birds Eye" initiative, at Nick.com/BirdsEye, parents and kids can create their own wacky veggie dish for a chance to have it featured on an episode of iCarly. Kids can also enter for a chance to win a trip to the set of a Nickelodeon show with McCurdy. To celebrate creativity, kids can experiment using the virtual kitchen and dish creator. They can also get their 15 minutes of fame by submitting their chef-tastic photos to be featured as the "Chef of the Week." On the site, there will be exclusive "wacky veggie fun" video content with UPC codes from Birds Eye Steamfresh packages. And, Birds Eye will look to the kid-inspired creations for future product innovations.

McCurdy announced the Birds Eye initiative to her more than 3 million Twitter and Facebook fans with a special inaugural video featuring an impromptu veggie rap song. "It's all about celebrating the awesomeness of veggies," said McCurdy. "With all the variety, colors and deliciousness packed into Birds Eye vegetables, it's fun to get crazy in the kitchen, and I'm committed to being a role model by eating more veggies every day."

With nine out of 10 children and adolescents in the United States not getting the recommended amount of vegetables(1), Birds Eye has a sustained commitment to engage kids with vegetables and help reverse the decline. Beyond the Nickelodeon partnership, Birds Eye pledged a three-year commitment with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which includes marketing and advertising vegetables directly to kids in their voice and bringing to market kid-inspired products. First Lady Michelle Obama has lauded Birds Eye's innovative approach to inspiring kids and helping support moms and is "proud that Birds Eye and the Partnership for a Healthier America have come together to make the healthy choice the easy choice for families."

Moms can get involved with the campaign, too, by visiting BirdsEye.com to to check out new kid-friendly recipes, such as Green Monster Pizza Night and Grilled Cheesy Broccoli Pockets with Ham featuring Birds Eye Steamfresh® products. Birds Eye Steamfresh is perfect for kids' cooking because no knives or hot stoves are required--they can help press the buttons on the microwave and, with mom's help removing and pouring, it's simple for kids to prepare their own creations.

"Nickelodeon is a perfect partner for Birds Eye to inspire a new generation of vegetable lovers because they have powerful assets like iCarly that kids love and the right creative, fun and engaging approach that will encourage change for future generations," said Rodrigo Troni, senior vice president of marketing, Birds Eye. "We've become mom's ally at the dinner table and we want to help moms even more by encouraging kids to think about vegetables differently. Moms know the benefits of vegetables on the plate, but it takes a breakthrough approach to get kids involved so they own and enjoy their vegetables."

As a pioneer of frozen vegetables, Birds Eye knows it's how you make the meal that matters. Birds Eye's heritage, quality, taste and variety can make the dinnertime difference. With more than 40 unique vegetables offered and countless ways to enjoy them, from pure and simple vegetable favorites to sauced and seasoned sides and steamed varieties, Birds Eye gives consumers limitless possibilities to complete the meal with vegetables every day.

About Birds Eye Birds Eye® unlocks the wonder of vegetables and makes them accessible and enjoyable to everyone, everyday. Using vegetables picked and frozen at their peak of freshness, Birds Eye® helps Americans make vegetables a meaningful part of everyday life. Providing a range of tasty and exciting solutions that make eating vegetables a memorable taste experience, Birds Eye® has something for everyone: with pure and simple vegetables under the Birds Eye®, C&W®, Freshlike® and McKenzie's® brand names; Birds Eye Steamfresh® vegetables and vegetable rich blends; and Birds Eye Voila!® complete frozen meals. For more information on Birds Eye® visit www.birdseye.com or www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables

About Pinnacle Foods Group LLC
Millions of times a day in more than 85% of American households, consumers reach for Pinnacle Foods brands. Pinnacle Foods is a Top 1000 Company ranked on Fortune Magazine's 2011 Top 1000 companies list. We are a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products, which have been trusted household names for decades. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, our business employs an average of 4,300 employees. We are a leader in the shelf stable and frozen foods segments and our brands hold the #1 or #2 market position in 8 out of 12 major category segments in which they compete. Our Duncan Hines Grocery Division manages Leadership brands such as Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings, Vlasic® shelf-stable pickles and Mrs. Butterworth's® and Log Cabin® table syrups and Foundation brands such as Armour® canned meats, Brooks® and Nalley® chili and chili ingredients, Comstock® and Wilderness® pie and pastry fillings and Open Pit® barbecue sauces. Our Birds Eye Frozen Division manages Leadership brands such as Birds Eye®, Birds Eye Steamfresh®, C&W®, McKenzie's®, and Fresh like® vegetables, Birds Eye Voila!® complete bagged meals and Van de Kamp's® and Mrs. Paul's® seafood and Foundation brands such as Lender's® bagels, Celeste® pizza, Hungry-Man® dinners and entrees and Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts. Our Specialty Foods Division manages Tim's Cascade Snacks®, Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips, Erin's® Popcorn, Snyder of Berlin® and Husman's® in addition to our food service and private label businesses. Further information is available at http://www.pinnaclefoods.com .

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 30th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 consecutive years. Nickelodeon is a division of MTV Networks, and Viacom Inc. www.nick.com

[1] State of the Plate Report 2010: Study of America's Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables. Produce for Better Health Foundation.

SOURCE Pinnacle Foods Group LLC

'The Huffington Post' Reporter Talks To Former Nickelodeon And "All That" Star Alisa Reyes At "PopCon 2012"

From The Huffington Post:

My Day at PopCon

After weeks of hoping, waiting, and speculating, on July 6, PopCon, the first annual pop culture convention, finally descended upon the City of Angels and has opened up its doors to the eagerly awaiting public. Now that it had finally arrived, I began the day hoping to get a taste of what PopCon had to offer. So, I threw on my media pass, grabbed my recording device, and stepped inside the LA Convention Center to see what all the fuss was about.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the convention room was the large amount of tables set up everywhere, and the huge variety of them. There was a smattering of everything, from booths for organizations and clubs -- such as the R2-D2 builders club amongst others -- to tables promoting celebrities of all types, like James Hong (Kung Fu Panda), Margot Kidder (Superman), Alisa Reyes (All That), Tony Curran (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), and more. I decided to visit the organizational booths first.

[...]

Also while I was there, I was able to talk with Alisa Reyes -- one of the cast of the classic teen show All That -- about her experiences on the show ("absolutely amazing") and her career since her days with Nickelodeon ("busy and filled with variety"). I even learned all about some of the crazy stuff that went on behind the scenes of Caddy Shack and Tron from the incredible Cindy Morgan. Overall, it was candid moments like these that really made this Con what it was.

You can read award-winning actress, entrepreneur, TV/Video producer, public speaker, author, and writer Clarissa Burt's full coverage of the first annual "PopCon" pop culture convention, "PopCon 2012", which was held in Los Angeles, California, USA on Friday 6th July 2012 at the LA Convention Center here on the official 'The Huffington Post' website, huffingtonpost.com.

Nickelodeon Land At Pleasure Beach, Blackpool "Having A Very Positive Impact On Increasing Visitor Numbers" To Blackpool, UK

From the Herald Express via This Is South Devon:

Bay tourism company beats rivals to scoop top national award

TORBAY'S tourism company has landed a top national award — beating some of its arch rivals.

The English Riviera Tourism Company has won the 'best in class' website award at the 2012 British Destinations Association Conference in Blackpool.

The judges agreed that the English Riviera's new destination website homepage is the best in Britain, beating other leading resorts including Bournemouth, Scarborough, Blackpool and Great Yarmouth.

ERTC chief executive Carolyn Custerson said: "I am obviously delighted to receive this award as it builds on previous success achieved by the English Riviera Tourist Board, which also won British Destinations Association awards.

"To have achieved a national website award such as this when the ERTC is only 18 months old and when e-marketing is moving at such a rapid rate is a notable achievement.

"I would like to thank everyone involved including the ERTC executive team, E-Strategy, a local Torbay business who now manages the site on our behalf and New Mind, a highly reputable international web site solution company. This has a been a real team effort."

The ERTC board decided to invest £50,000 to relaunch the official website www.englishriviera.co.uk as part of its first business plan, recognising the need to 'up the pace' on digital destination marketing.

The investment forms part of the delivery of the adopted Turning the Tide for Tourism strategy with developments also including a new English Riviera iPhone and Android App, web site widgets, new Facebook page and plans to launch a new English Riviera mobile web platform.

The ERTC says the new website is performing well with more than 500 local businesses now promoted on the site.

Traffic to the site for May alone was up 95 per cent on May last year and the tourism company is now on target to attract 500,000 visitors by the end of the year, double the levels achieved in 2011.

Mrs Custerson attended the two-day conference which included time to view the results of Blackpool's £500million resort rejuvenation programme that has been taking place in the resort over the past five years.

She said: "It was very exciting to see all the work that has been happening in Blackpool with the arrival of international brands Merlin and Nickelodeon clearly having a very positive impact on increasing visitor numbers.

"Blackpool Council has also made the decision to set up a new, private sector-led, arms-length company like the ERTC. During the conference visit, their representatives were very interested to learn more about the successes the ERTC are having and are planning to visit the English Rivera to learn more."