Observer » Luther Vandross

Power of Love

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 15:51:00 -0400

To keep up with the volume of requests for copies of last Friday's broadcast of the memorial service for Luther Vandross, NY1 has installed four additional DVD players in its library. The flow of requests for DVD or VHS copies of the two-and-a-half-hour event has slowed since the beginning of the week, when the station was deluged with e-mails and phone calls from Vandross fans. In total, the network has received more than 400 requests, but a spokesperson could not provide an exact tally. "I'm finally getting a hold on it," said librarian Rachel Godfrey earlier this afternoon, while flipping through a folder of Vandross e-mails she had answered over the weekend. "Now let's see if the checks come in."

--Rebecca Dana

Never Too Much

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 16:46:00 -0400

Ratings are in for NY1's two-and-a-half hour live coverage of this past Friday's memorial service for Luther Vandross: The event drew a 1.2 rating, a whopping figure for the station in the afternoon time slot.

The all-star sendoff--featuring Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder--was seen by an average of about 89,200 households, with a peak around 104,700 households.

For the same time period the previous week, NY1 had scored a rating of 0.2, meaning about 14,000 households. Head to head, the memorial beat NBC's Starting Over, which got a 1.1 rating.

NY1 spokesperson Edward Pachetti said the last time he could remember ratings that high was during last year's transit strike threat.

A rebroadcast of the service at 3 p.m. Saturday received a 1.1, meaning it was seen in some 77,300 households, with a peak of 115,000.

Despite the ratings success, NY1 has no plans for another airing of the service. The station has recieved approximately 400 requests for video and DVD copies of the program. Fans seeking a copy should send an e-mail to library@ny1news.com. The price for a VHS or DVD dub is $65.

--Rebecca Dana

Media Mob Mailbag

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 11:42:00 -0400

Readers write:

***

Subject: Luther Vandross Funeral

Hi, will Luther's funeral be re-aired anytime this week, and if so, what time? Thank you.

- P.T., Miami, Florida

***

Subject: Video of Luther Vandross Funeral

For those of us who are big fans of his and do not live in NY, how do we get a video of Luther's funeral?

- S.H.

***

Questions? Comments? Send 'em to Media Mob!

UPDATE: Reader questions answered!

Always and Forever and in Reruns

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 17:40:00 -0400

From a bit before noon till around three this afternoon, NY1 pre-empted its regularly scheduled news programming to provide end-to-end coverage of the memorial service for Luther Vandross, who died this week at age 54. The live program, from Riverside Church, showed the R&B world's version of a New Orleans jazz funeral, with musical performers including Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin, and eulogies from the likes of Al Sharpton and Dionne Warwick.

"As a public service, we decided we would put this on television for those who couldn't make it to the public funeral but who still wanted to be able to celebrate his life," said Bernie Han, NY1's vice president of news.

And viewers, according to NY1, couldn't get enough. The broadcast was so popular that the station plans to re-air the Vandross funeral program at 3 p.m. tomorrow.

"We've gotten dozens of calls today from people asking to buy copies of our coverage," Ms. Han said.

The cost? "Less than $100," she said. "But we're telling people when they call that they'll have an opportunity to see it and record it for themselves. You don't have to pay for it! We're not here to make money off of tapes of the man's memorial service."

The actual burial of the Ambassador of Love, in Paramus, was open to friends and family only. It was not televised.

--Rebecca Dana