"Network TV buying is still very much a relationship business, and [CBS] fired most of their guys who had the relationships," said one top ad agency media buyer.
Gone are Dan Colby, VP-national sales manager; John Brooks, VP-director of sports sales; Mike Guariglia and John O'Sullivan, both VP-director of sales and marketing (see For the Record on Page 56).
"The buyer-seller relationship in network TV sales is a very unique animal," said another agency executive. "I am greatly troubled by this; it's a total disregard for the experience they just let walk out the door."
The action came a month after another popular sales executive, Mike Mandelker, was dismissed at NBC. Mr. Mandelker has since become exec VP-sales for UPN.
"I think the ad community feels the same way we did about Mike's being let go," said one of the buyers who deals with the executives extensively.
