See Clips of Network TV New Series at 'TV Week'
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NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Wondering what the new "Bionic Woman" looks like? Or why CW's "Reaper" got such good buzz? Or why the kids on "Kid Nation" are crying? Ad Age sibling, TV Week, has gathered video clips of the broadcast network's new fall series on to one video player. Search by network, by night or by show.
VIDEO SERIES: Inside the Upfront
Report From CBS, Fox and CW Presentations: From Hard Business to Pussycat Dolls
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Continuing the early-week trend, brevity reigned supreme at the late-week upfront events from CBS, Fox and the CW. Foregoing any entertainment, Fox, which had an infamously long and messy upfront event last year, surprised its audience this year with a hard-business briefing lasting less than an hour. Katie Couric, who was the star of CBS's presentation last year, was notably absent from the network's event last week, sparking the most gossip. And CW's show, which was short, still jammed in some fun by kicking off the morning presentation with the Pussycat Dolls. Watch Ad Age MediaWorks editor Ann Marie Kerwin's report.
Photos from the Upfront Presentations
From NBC, ABC, CBS, CW and Fox
Last week's upfront presentations and parties were packed full of small screen celebs and network honchos. See who was there. We've got four pages of pictures.
Old Medium Learns New Tricks
TV Week: The CW Sells Out Ad Opportunities on New Commercial-Free Show
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- One of the first deals made in this year's upfront TV advertising market is for a show with no traditional, 30-second commercials. MediaVest has bought all the sponsorships in the CW's new Sunday-night trends program, "CW Now," for the entire year.
Networks Cut to Chase, Curry Favor With Buyers
With the Myriad Issues Around This Year's Upfront, Broadcasters Kept Annual Show-and-Tell Brief
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- This year's upfront presentations were more relevant for TV buyers, more focused on the consumer, and, perhaps best of all, they were over in record time.
Buyers Like What Nets Offer Up
Dramas Still Take Up Bulk of Schedule, but Sitcoms Make Surprising Comeback
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- No one's going to call this year's development slate the most dynamic or original when the most hyped shows are essentially updates of "The Bionic Woman" and "The Terminator" and retreads of "Sex and the City." But in terms of the quality of prime-time programming, buyers seem to think the networks have stepped up their game.
Freeloader Does the Upfront Presentations
The Network With the Most Cosmos Wins
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Upfront week offers lots of showbiz and shrimp -- sort of the ultimate Freeloader event. We score the network parties on a scale of one to 10 cosmos.
Quick Like a Fox
A Streamlined Presentation, a Parade of Stars
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- When you need to get out of a jam, who else do you call but Jack Bauer. And so it was that Fox opened its upfront presentation with a video of Entertainment President Peter Liguori calling everyone's favorite go-to fixer to find out how to keep advertisers and agency folk happy during the fifth upfront presentation of the week. Jack's advice (dispensed while diffusing a bomb): "Keep it to an hour. ... You're on the clock Mr. President." And remarkably, he did.
Buyers Like Fox's Brevity, and Some Shows Too
'Back to You,' 'Canterbury's Law,' 'Sarah Connor Chronicles' Get Some Love
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- After five broadcast upfront presentations and one torrential downpour that fell on guests at CBS' after-party at Tavern on the Green, the clouds lifted on the 2007 upfront season at Fox's bash in Central Park's Wollman Rink. It was a shorter end than anticipated, too. After last year's presentation clocked in at a notoriously derided three hours, Fox whittled things down to one hour on the dot, thanks to the nefarious "24" ticking clock. The feat did not go unnoticed by buyers, either.
Fox Adds Six New Shows For Next Season
Comedy 'Back to You' Stars Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Despite all the early talk of beefing up its fall slate for a stronger all-around season, Fox is still banking on the "January effect" from "American Idol" to roll out it biggest, most surefire hits. In a conference call this afternoon, entertainment president Peter Liguori announced the addition of six new shows to the fall schedule, including three unscripted series, two dramas and one big-ticket sitcom.
CW's Second Year All About Being Hip
Network Stocks Up on Pussycat Dolls, Gossip Girls and America's Next Top Models
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- With three nights of upfront presentations and after-parties under their belts, attendees at the CW's breakfast and presentation this morning at Madison Square Garden Theater were no doubt grateful to be greeted by Jamba Juice Smoothies and men bearing trays of breakfast burritos and cinnamon buns. Coffee, needless to say, was also on hand.
Joe Uva's Univision Is User-Generated
New CEO Invites Viewers to Sit Onstage During Upfront
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- New to the U.S. Hispanic market, Joe Uva was pleasantly surprised during his first week as CEO of Univision Communications by the trust viewers place in the leading Spanish-language network. "People actually call the switchboard of their favorite network [Univision] and ask where they should bank, or for the name of a good doctor, or where to send their kids to school," Mr. Uva told the upfront audience on Wednesday morning. "People give back an incredible amount of loyalty, affection and trust."
CBS Happy to Show Competitive Strength
Sticks to Tried and True, With Just a Few New Shows for Fall
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Day three has its advantages, as CBS has long known. With NBC and ABC already having revealed their schedules, CBS was free during its upfront presentation to point out all the places where its schedule showed strength in relation to its rivals. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler touted that "We're No. 1" more often than a high school cheerleader at the end of the state championship. CBS has always been the most competitive, and this year's upfront presentation underscored that that hasn't changed.
Despite a Play for Edgy, Buyers Mostly See Safe at CBS
With Just Five New Shows, Schedule Showcases Network's Vaunted Stability
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- CBS took a playful swipe at its old-skewing, conservative image by rolling out a host of edgy fare, such as Cuban drug drama "Cane" and wife-swapping '70s show "Swingtown," during its upfront presentation last night at Carnegie Hall. And given the network's oft-repeated status as the most-watched network on TV (despite being beat in key demos by ABC in some of the competitive time slots), some buyers think CBS might be able to recuperate should any of said risks fall through. "They have such a stable schedule, they should be able to experiment and not put their whole lineup at risk," said Bill Carroll, director-programming for Katz Media Group.
Steady CBS Adds Some Spice for Fall
New Shows Center on Vampires, Wife Swapping and Singing
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- CBS is hoping to inject some life into its schedule this fall, with five new shows being added to its lineup. At a press conference in New York this morning, CBS President-CEO Les Moonves, Entertainment President Nina Tassler and Exec VP-Entertainment Kelly Kahl were on hand to announce the new shows from the CBS headquarters.
One Singular Sensation, Plus Bingo
ABC Breaks Out Chorus Lines, Marching Bands and Confetti
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Steve McPherson, ABC's president-entertainment, decided to leave the dancing to a kid this year. "In the past," he told attendees, "we've celebrated our beautiful women, our beautiful men. And last year, I danced like a monkey on a hot plate." What was in store this year for advertisers who lived through dancing Desperate Housewives, a Marc Cherry-led chorus line of studs and Mr. McPherson's own dancing with the stars? How about a pre-teen with Broadway dreams? Twelve-year-old Mark Indelicato stole the show with a version of "One" from "A Chorus Line" in homage of "Ugly Betty."
ABC Proves Upfront Excess Is 'Alive and Well'
Buyers Give Assessment of Fall Shows, and 'Cavemen' Gets Mixed Reviews
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- "Upfront excess is alive and well," said Alec Gerster, CEO of media agency Initiative, after ABC's 90-minute upfront spectacle, which opened with a high-kicking chorus line flanking the stars of "Ugly Betty" and closed with a confetti shower.
ABC Slots Seven New Dramas, Four New Comedies
Geico's Cavemen Get Prime Slot on Tuesday Nights
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- ABC unveiled its fall schedule this morning and handed insurance marketer Geico's ad spokespeople, the Cavemen, a shot at the big time. The sitcom is one of four new comedies and seven new dramas premiering later this year, along with a cause-related series from Oprah Winfrey.
ESPN Gets Serious About Putting On a Show
Upfront Presentation Includes Broadway Cast
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As the first cable network to hold a presentation during the same week as the broadcast networks, ESPN had already set itself part. But the sports empire took its Broadway debut at Times Square's Nokia Theater quite seriously by constructing a fully produced 90-minute show around its key executives, multiplatform brands and well-known talent.
Telemundo, Like NBC, Embraces Digital Platform
Offers '360-Degree' Multiscreen Packages
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The Spanish-language TV upfront is now big enough that NBC Universal's Telemundo moved to Radio City Music Hall last night from much smaller venues in previous years. The network has also been on something of a comeback journey since switching from imported to original programming despite struggles with ratings.
Buyers Lukewarm to NBC's Offerings
After-party: After a Disappointing Season, 'Optimistic but Cautious'
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Madison Avenue is generally cautious about delivering instant opinions at upfront after-parties, but ad buyers on the whole were receptive to, but not exactly bowled over by, NBC's new offerings for the fall following the network's 90-minute presentation at Radio City Music Hall yesterday afternoon.
NBC Breaks Out the Bells, Whistles and Extras for Every Show
Entertainment President Reilly: "We've Got Class, Now We Need Mass"
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Last year, ABC's Steve McPherson became briefly notorious for his expert dance steps with one of his "Dancing with the Stars" cast members during the network's upfront presentation. This week, NBC was the first to take the stage for the 2007-2008 upfront presentations, and President-Entertainment Kevin Reilly promised attendees the most efficient upfront presentation, vowing to keep it to an hour. "We can do that because they've cut my dance number," he said, as a picture of him in a Riverdance-like outfit flashed behind him. "I had a whole Irish dance number planned. Damn you, McPherson!" And that was as close to competitor bashing NBC got this year.
NBC Brings Back 'Law & Order,' 'The Office,' 'Scrubs' and Seinfeld
Orders Five New Dramas; Comedian to Return in Series of 20 'Minisodes'
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- NBC has ordered five new dramas for its fall schedule, as well as one new comedy and several reality series. And in a sign of how the network has changed its approach to prime-time planning, it has also tapped one of its biggest former stars, Jerry Seinfeld, to create 20 "minisodes" around his experiences creating DreamWorks animated film "Bee Movie."
Unilever No Show? Titan Sounds Off on Upfront
Exclusive: VP-Media Is 'Weighing Options' Heading Into This Week's TV Buying-and-Selling Period
BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- In what could signal a broadening of the revolt begun last year after Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola Co. pulled out of the TV upfront, another package-goods giant with a half-billion-dollar-plus budget is re-evaluating its position. This time it's Unilever's turn to startle the TV sales chiefs.
Coming This Upfront: Lots of Movie Money
As Studios Look to Make Splash, Nets Welcome Ads That Keep Viewers in Seats
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- "Spider-Man 3" broke all sorts of movie records -- highest opening theater count (4,252 screens), biggest opening-weekend tally ($148 million, besting the $135.6 hauled in by "Pirates of the Caribbean 2") and largest combined marketing and production budget ($400 million). But Spidey is only the first mega-blockbuster in a summer that could top 2004's boffo take of $3.95 billion with sequels to "Shrek," "Pirates" and "Harry Potter" also on the horizon. All of which adds up to this: Movie advertising is one of the categories networks are banking on in this year's upfront.
Your Upfront Starts Here
MediaWorks Maps: Upfront 2007
Get ready for Upfront Week! Ad Age's MediaWorks has put together a map, with help from Google Maps, of the five broadcast networks presentations and after-parties. Just click on one of the placemarks and get information on each network's presentation. Coming in from out of town and need to know where to go? We tell you where you need to be, the best subway to use to get there, and how to get to the after-parties. Also included are links to Ad Age's "Road to the Upfront" coverage for each of the networks, so you can quickly glance at where each one stands in the ratings, how much money they took last year, and what your fellow media buyers think. Remember to bring your invites and photo ids, and see you at the after-parties!
ESPN Makes Jump to Major League
Q&A: Network President George Bodenheimer on the Brand's First Outing in the Broadcast Upfront
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In the increasingly crowded sports-media landscape, one brand comes out on top of every platform it plays in -- ESPN. George Bodenheimer has overseen all of ESPN's properties since 1998, when he became president, and he added president-ABC Sports to his title in 2003, after spearheading the integration of ESPN content into sibling Disney network ABC. Just an hour before he kicked things off at the Cable Show, Mr. Bodenheimer sat down with Ad Age to speak about the enduring power of the ESPN brand, opportunities for advertisers and, yes, gas stations.
Is Crucial Daypart Finally Past Its Prime?
Megabillion TV Jackpot Is Evolving Into Big Events (Sports, 'Idol') Vs. Time-Shifted on Demand (Everything Else)
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Prime time used to be "appointment television" time. Problem is that these days many viewers, especially the younger generation, are skipping their appointments.
Measurement Remains the Key Sticking Point
Nets and Shops Haven't Reached Consensus About Best Method to Gauge Audience but Sellers Are Optimistic
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The 2007 broadcast-network upfront may well turn out to be a chess game for the wonks rather than the usual boxing match between buyer and seller. Measurement and currency debates are top of the agenda, assuring full employment for statistical gurus on both sides of the table.
NBC Ad Chief Eyes 'Crisper Thinking' at Net
Mike Pilot Says New Technology (and a Few More Hit Shows) Will Boost Peacock
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Mike Pilot joined NBC Universal as president-ad sales in January from parent General Electric Co. Mr. Pilot talked to Claire Atkinson about his views on commercial ratings, the health of the upfront market and what NBC is going to discuss in its upfront presentation.
Industry Fixates on Plummeting Live Audiences
As Ratings Wither in Face of DVRs and New Nielsen Methodology, Broadcasters Pursue Other Metrics
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Climate change is wreaking havoc on the airwaves. Everywhere marketers look, they see network prime-time ratings melting away -- huge blocks of audiences simply snapping off, top-rated shows sinking to record lows. Digital video recorders and Nielsen Media Research's ability to track users have become to TV what global warming is to planet Earth.
Integration Opportunities Fuel Hispanic Nets' Growth
Univision, Others Primed for Strong Seasons Thanks to Cross-Platform Offerings and Product Placement
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- TV networks come to this year's Hispanic upfront -- estimated at $1.8 billion -- armed with marketing proposals that go beyond the traditional fare of soccer and telenovelas. In fact, marketers should brace for cross-platform offerings that include radio, internet, wireless, magazines and events. And there will be product placement aplenty.
Could Springer's Steve Wilkos Be This Year's Rachael Ray?
With Prospects Such as 'TMZ' but No Surefire Hits, Sellers Will Tout Percentage of Live Audience, Shorter Ad Breaks
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Syndication, like the rest of the TV world, is turning to the internet this upfront season. But instead of TV content migrating online, a hot website is inspiring a new syndicated show.
'Disney Day' Makes ESPN Only Cabler in Big Buying Week
FX, A&E, Lifetime Showcase Star Vehicles While Others Pull in Niche Audiences; Digital Is the Next Challenge
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- On what's being billed as a "Disney day," ESPN will be the only cabler actively participating in the big buying week, on May 15, the same day as broadcast sibling ABC's presentation. It's a risky move for any network lacking the household carriage and broad appeal of the broadcast giants, but such is the assertiveness of cable TV as its programming continues to narrow the ratings gap with its broadcast rivals.
Broadcast Viewers Follow Shows Online
Network Sites Support Dizzying Array of Material and Lure Blue-Chip Advertisers, Giving Buyers a Lot to Talk About
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- It's not YouTube or "you lose" quite yet for the broadcast networks. Their websites are gaining as crucial tools in the 2007 upfront market as viewers spend more time with their favorite shows. That means the networks' websites are also marquee venues for advertisers in the rush to place ads in front of online video streams.
Portals Make Plays for Upfront Dollars
From Yahoo's 'In Front' Presentations to AOL's 'First Look,' Key Online Landing Spots Seek Early Exposure
NEW YORK (adAge.com) -- Those internet-portal folks who called the 2006 upfront "antiquated" are now coming around to the concept of an advertiser-targeted blow-out event. This year, several top online portals have made their presence felt to advertisers in much more pronounced ways during a period that roughly coincides with the 2007 TV upfront.
What to Expect From This Year's Upfront
Panel: Dollars Will Follow Eyeballs to Digital, Cable; Wireless, Pharma, Beauty, Spirits Will Add to TV's Take
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- A panel of buyers and sellers of TV airtime gathered at the Upfront Television Advertising Summit conducted by Advertising Age and TelevisionWeek to discuss the state of the industry in a digitizing world.
Will This Golden Age of Game Shows Last?
Now That You Know You Aren't Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader, Get Ready for ABC's 'National Bingo Night'
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In the beginning, back in the 1950s, there was "Twenty-One" and "Truth or Consequences," and it was good. Years later, there was "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and it was good again. So now that "Deal or No Deal" and "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader?" have ushered in what many say is a third golden age for prime-time game shows, should viewers and marketers get their hopes up that this one might not be as fleeting as the others?
Dean of Game Shows Proffers New Puzzle
Q&A: Merv Griffin on His Latest Endeavor, 'Let's Do Crosswords,' and What He Thinks of the Category Today
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Having created "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune," Merv Griffin knows a thing or two about game shows. His newest project, "Let's Do Crosswords," will make its syndication debut Sept. 10. The showbiz legend took time out from ripping through crosswords -- at 81, he does a minimum of four a day -- to discuss with Larry Dobrow the state of the game-show genre.
Cable Networks Form Commercial Ratings Commission
Aim to Establish Currency for Upfront Negotiations
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- With just over a week to go before the broadcast networks make their upfront presentations, cable networks have pulled together a dedicated team to determine the best currency for this year's market. The Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau today announced the formation of a Commercial Ratings Commission.
Scoring With Syndicated 'Sopranos'
Road to the Upfront: A&E
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In an upfront that's all about efficiency, it's nice to see some networks apply that approach to their presentations. A&E managed to wrap things up in under an hour despite a presentation that encompassed two networks, multiple digital offerings and a ratings comeback it was eager to plug.
'Idol' Delivers Fox the 18- to 49-Year-Old Crown
Road to the Upfront: Fox
"American Idol" is still the network's crowning glory but is starting to show signs of gray. It posted its lowest Tuesday-night ratings in two years midseason. "House" and "24" are posting year-to-year improvements, and Fox most likely will win the season in adults 18 to 49 for the third season in a row. As of April 18, the net remains steady year-to-year among 18- to 49-year-olds and is up 4% in total viewers.
Going, Going, Gone? Auction Model's Fate Unclear
Google, RevShare Try to Further Sales System After CAB Wouldn't Back eBay
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Now that Google has sealed deals with Clear Channel and EchoStar to use its auction-based system to sell ad time, the industry is watching closely to see how it all works out. Will a behemoth like Google lend credence to a model some say turns advertising into a last-minute space filler for cable and radio networks?
Media Buyers Intrigued by Fox Plan for Updated DVR Ads
But Say It's No Guarantee Ads Will Be Watched
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Will updating time-sensitive ads when they're played back on digital video recorders be the answer to commercial engagement in a live-plus-seven age? Jon Nesvig hopes so.
Forget the Suits and Ties. Bring on the Video Games
Road to the Upfront: Adult Swim
As any college kid (or junior media buyer) will tell you, Adult Swim is unlike anything else on TV. How appropriate, then, that its upfront party was beyond compare.
An Upfront Engagement Party
Road to Upfront: FX
Every once in awhile, the reporters covering every move the upfront players make like to be treated with the same amount of respect as any potential client. Therefore, props to FX for making us feel at home in the cozy screening room of sister network Fox Sports for an abbreviated upfront presentation and a surround-sound screening of the pilot for the upcoming original drama "Damages," starring Glenn Close.
Women-Targeted Cable Net Ramps Up Programming, Website
Road to the Upfront: Lifetime
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- After last week's pared-down MTV affair in Times Square, it was nice to see one network keep alive the grand upfront tradition of glam and gratuitous use of celebrity. Lifetime held its programming summit in New York's Grand Hyatt Ballroom yesterday to announce its hearty helping of original shows and movies, having increased its original programming by a network-record 31% for the upcoming season.
ABC, the Most Cluttered of Them All
Airs More Than 15 Non-programming Minutes Per Hour
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Have you wondered why the commercial breaks during "Grey's Anatomy" or "Lost" seem especially long of late? It could be because ABC was the leader of MindShare's annual clutter report, which says the alphabet network logged 15 minutes and 38 seconds in total non-program minutes per hour in 2006, up a bit from its 15:26 total in 2005.
Dramas Are a Hit, but Network Could Use Some Laughs
Road to the Upfront: ABC
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The TV upfront is right around the corner, and Advertising Age is here to help you keep track of the players in both broadcast and cable. This week: ABC.
'We Know Everything About This Market'
Road to the Upfront: BET
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Forget commercial ratings and engagement. The key to really discovering where a cable network fits into the grand scheme for this year's upfront is through consumer research, said Louis Carr, who heads ad sales for Viacom cabler BET.
'Branded Roadshow' Proves Low-Key Affair
Road to the Upfront: MTV
As the pre-cable upfront season winds down, networks have just a few more weeks to woo potential clients with their biggest talent, most high-tech video packages and strongest booze. Surprising, then, that MTV offered none of those at its "branded roadshow" in New York yesterday. The low-key presentation was a far cry from its events of yore, which were complete with rock-star guests such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Mariah Carey.
Still Seeking Its Return to the Top of the Heap
Road to the Upfront: NBC
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The TV upfront is right around the corner, and Advertising Age is here to help you keep track of the players in both broadcast and cable. this week: NBC.
Moving Beyond Crime Dramas
Road to the Upfront: CBS
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Believe it or not, the TV upfront is right around the corner, and Advertising Age is here to help you keep track of the players in both broadcast and cable.
CBS Puts Its Shows, With Ads, Out Across the Web
Places Its Bets With Sites Big and Small for Online Distribution
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- It's yet another sign of how quickly things move in the online space: CBS has already one-upped the joint venture News Corp. and NBC formed just two weeks ago.
TV Networks Still Wrestling With 'Video'
2007 TV Upfront Summit: What Should a Digital Ad Look Like? | Watch the Video
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Shifting dollars to digital may be on every advertiser's to-do list for the 2007 upfront, but uncertainty over what the digital advertising environment should look like for TV networks could hold up getting any deals done, according to experts participating in a panel at Advertising Age and TelevisionWeek's TV Advertising Upfront Summit, held yesterday in New York at The New School.
The Reality of Commercial Ratings and Engagement
VIDEO: 2007 Upfront TV Advertising Summit
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- With just one month left until what will no doubt be the most complicated upfront, major players on each side of the table assembled at New York's Tishman Auditorium (home of Bravo's "Inside The Actors Studio") for Advertising Age and TelevisionWeek's Upfront Television Advertising Summit.
Fox the First to Bring Content Into Commercial Pods
As Minute-by-Minute Ratings Near, Net Tries to Keep Viewers Engaged
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Viewers who tuned in to keep up with Jack Bauer on last night's "24" found themselves introduced to another character during the commercial break. Oleg the cab driver made his Fox debut in a series of animated eight-second interstitials staggered across the hour-long program, making Fox the first of the five major broadcast nets to experiment with original content in their commercial pods.
Campus Viewing Stirs a Rumpus
Revealed: TV-Watching Habits of Key Demo and Networks Such as MTV, Comedy Central Have Plenty to Brag About
As the first TV ratings from Nielsen Media Research measuring college students' viewing become available, cable TV networks are making some crucial programming adjustments. Cable networks are poring over the new data from Nielsen Media Research, but while it's significant, it isn't revolutionizing the business, they say.
Selling an Aggressive Lineup of New Programming
Road to the Upfront: NBC Universal Cable Networks
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Believe it or not, the TV upfront is right around the corner, and Advertising Age is here to help you keep track of the players in both broadcast and cable. This week we look at NBC Universal's cable networks.
Retooled MTVN Wrestles for Relevance
After a Tough 2006, Ups Focus on Digital Ad Sales, Works to Reinvent Rep as a Trendsetter
The struggles at MTV Networks over the past half-year have been widely chronicled, from the ousting of Viacom CEO Tom Freston for failing to keep pace with digital changes to the shortfall in ad revenue in the fourth quarter to the layoffs in February of 250 employees, representing more than 5% of MTVN's staff.So what's a media company to do? First change the guard; then trim staff and restructure.
As Media Companies Think Digital, ESPN Goes Offline
Steamlines Multiplatform Ad Buys for More Horizontal Strategy
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Bill Simmons has been feeding sports-hungry fans online for the last six years at ESPN.com. His quick-witted "Sports Guy" columns for the Page 2 section have gained a following large enough to generate 18 million page views in the two-month period following this year's Super Bowl alone. But as for Mr. Simmons' appetite, there's always been one potential sponsor he's hoped to snag.
Syndicated Viewers Stay Tuned During Breaks
Magna Global's Commercial-Pod Study Also Finds Most Spots Skipped in Playback
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Still anxiously waiting for Nielsen's commercial ratings to hit at the end of next month? Magna Global's annual commercial pod study, released today, has some statistics that should tide you over until this year's upfront.
NBC, News Corp. Believe in 'Ubiquitous Video Distribution'
Premium Video Content Online Is Great, but Scale Is Really What Marketers Need
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The final details were hammered out over the past week, advertisers were called the night before and Google's Eric Schmidt was reached the morning of NBC and News Corp.'s blockbuster announcement about a joint online video venture. After months of speculation, News Corp. and NBC Universal announced this week that they would create an online distribution system together for TV content. And by partnering with portals AOL, MSN, Yahoo and MySpace, the yet-unnamed distribution venture would reach 94% of the U.S. Internet audience.
A Young Network Looks to Push Its Young Demo
Road to the Upfront: The CW
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Believe it or not, the TV upfront is right around the corner, and Advertising Age is here to help you keep track of the players in both broadcast and cable. This week we look at the CW.
ABC Upgrades Online Video Player
Just as Others Begin to Tweak Their Own
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- ABC.com unveiled a new look this week, including an upgrade to its streaming-video player and the ads that play within it. The new video player offers a full-screen option and two smaller-sized formats to allow viewers to multitask while watching their favorite shows. But beware, time wasters: The player will go to full-screen with a new ad at the end of each eight-minute program segment.
Despite Still Tiny Revenues, Cable Ready to Get Interactive
Bravo, Discovery, Scripps Create Digital Chief Posts
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Last year, plenty of folks were ready to tag the annual TV marketplace as the first digital upfront, with networks and marketers all eager to forge deals that included web components. That talk -- and it turned out to be more talk than action -- got Rob D'Asaro and his team at OMD thinking: "We really need to make sure OMD is completely prepared going into this year's upfront." Agencies such as OMD aren't the only ones bringing more to the table at this year's upfront. The cable networks are also recasting their teams to beef up their interactive content and sales, with Bravo, Discovery and the Scripps networks among the most recent examples of cablers appointing new digital chiefs.
Warm and Fuzzy for Boomers, like Hillary Clinton
Road to the Upfront: Hallmark Channel
Viacom may have had Bill Clinton speak for 45 minutes at TV Land's upfront event at Lincoln Center last week, but the Hallmark Channel made sure its media friends had the opportunity to get a photo opportunity with another Clinton -- Hillary, who appeared in cardboard cut-out form at the end of the cable net's upfront press breakfast. "We have a more limited budget than Viacom," CEO Henry Schleiff joked.
Bill Clinton, Boomer President, Likes His 'I Love Lucy'
Road to the Upfront: Viacom's TV Land
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- We've grown accustomed to seeing network presidents making the rounds of the cable upfronts this year, but American presidents are another story. TV Land snared former President Bill Clinton for its event for advertisers, billing him as the first "boomer president" to tie in conveniently with their new focus on the 40-plus demo.
Can Last Year's Upfront Pace-setter Support All Its Platforms?
Road to the Upfront: MTV Networks
Believe it or not, the TV upfront is right around the corner, and Advertising Age is here to help you keep track of the players in both broadcast and cable. This week we look at MTV Networks.
Advertisers Salivate Over YouTube Killer
NBC-News Corp. Deal Meets Demand for Online Video From Professionals
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- How would you like to advertise in professionally created video content, available online with massive scale and reach? It was an offer marketers such as GM, Esurance and Royal Caribbean couldn't, and didn't, refuse.
Will a New Currency Devalue Your Ads?
Commercial Ratings Tell When Viewers Tune Out, Exposing Weak Creative
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The debate over exactly how to implement commercial ratings may appear interminable, but at some point in the not-too-distant future, they will become the currency by which TV is bought and sold -- and advertisers and their creative shops had better be ready.
A Peek at TV Networks' Fall Schedules and Plans
Development Meetings for ABC, Fox, NBC, CW
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- TV ad buyers cruised the Hollywood back lots this week casting an eye over TV's equivalent of spring training. The March development meetings -- which CBS sits out altogether and ABC says it hates doing -- gives ad buyers a sense of who's bringing what come May upfront time.
Superheroes and Cylons Meet at the Meatpacking District
Road to the Upfront: Sci-Fi Channel
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- We're a little more than halfway through the cable pre-upfront season, so what better way to celebrate such a milestone than with a party for Sci-Fi Channel that didn't mention a thing about ad sales? No, seriously.
Ramping Up Social Networking, Mobile and YouTube
CEO David Zaslav on Discovery's Digital Plans
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The Discovery Networks took one more much-needed step toward digital growth last week when President-CEO David Zaslav appointed his former NBC colleague Bruce Campbell to the newly created position of president-digital media, emerging networks and business development. The hiring was a fitting passing of the torch for Mr. Zaslav, who served as NBC's head of cable and new-media distribution through the end of 2006. Just days before bringing Mr. Campbell on board to a newly restructured team, Mr. Zaslav spoke with MediaWorks about his plans for making Discovery a more digitally viable company in the proper venues and platforms.
Politics Are Easy, Commercial Ratings Are Hard
At the ANA TV Forum: Searching for the Accountability Answer
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- If networks and agencies saw things the same way they do politics, the commercial ratings debate would be a lot less complicated than it was at this week's Association of National Advertisers TV Forum in New York.
Second-Quarter Scatter Already Off to a Brisk Start
News Segments Tight, Audience Erosion an Issue
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As the last TV ad units of the year's first quarter are sold off, eyes are already turning to the all important second-quarter scatter market -- the most scrutinized indicator of upfront health.
Looking to Build on Its Ratings Comeback
Road to the Upfront: Discovery Networks
Believe it or not, the TV upfront is right around the corner, and Advertising Age is here to help you keep track of the players in both broadcast and cable. This week we look at Discovery Networks.
Soon, You Could Know How Many See Your Spots (Really!)
Marketers Make Push for Ratings System That Would Measure Every Single Ad
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Very soon, marketers won't care how many people tuned into "Grey's Anatomy." Instead, they'll be waiting with bated breath to see who tuned in to their artful creative starring Geico's caveman or Pizza Hut's Jessica Simpson. At least that's the idea behind last week's ANA recommendation for brand-specific commercial ratings.
Driving Retail Incentives With Food Network, HGTV
Road to the Upfront: Scripps Networks
We were impressed by the colored lighting at Nickelodeon's orange-and-green upfront last week in Times Square, but Scripps offered up brand identity in a format even more palatable to sales execs and media buyers alike: booze. A roundup of five mixed drinks colored to match Scripps' "life to the fifth power" lifestyle networks proved too tempting for many revelers to resist. Attendees were also treated to schmoozing opportunities with HGTV's newest stars, Vern Yip and Carter Oosterhouse, and 17-year-old breakout singer Taylor Swift in Great American Country's corner.
Cable Girds for Another Challenging Upfront Season
Digital Plans Changing Conversations Between Buyers and Sellers
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Cable upfront selling dragged into late summer last year as too many cablers vied for too few ad dollars, ending flat to 2% below the $6.5 billion taken in during 2005's upfront. So it's no wonder cable networks were out early and often with their sales pitches this year.
Turner Tries a 'Brand and Programming Summit'
Instead of an Upfront Presentation
With all this talk of the death of the upfront as we know it, leave it to the Turner entertainment networks to lead the charge in the next wave of programming presentations. The Time Warner company held its first "brand and programming summit" -- not an upfront presentation, they insisted, despite throwing two of the same summits for media buyers and planners -- at the MOMA today to a packed crowd of past, current and potential clients that dissipated as the running time went well past the two-hour mark.
Marketers Push for Brand-Specific Commercial Ratings
ANA TV Committee Wants More Granular Data
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Nielsen's commercial-ratings data hasn't been released yet -- advertisers and networks alike will have to hold their breath until May -- but marketers want to be sure their needs are going to be met as the industry makes the shift from program ratings (how many viewers watched a show) to measuring how many viewers stayed put for the ads.
Nickelodeon's 'Multi-Splatform' Brand
MTV's Kids Network Plans New Tot Shows, Webcasts
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- MTV may be splitting its upfronts into three brand roadshows this year, but the kids group at Nickelodeon still rolled out the orange carpet for their annual fete for the advertisers and media buyers.
Don't Bank Your Upfront Currency Just Yet
Measurement Debates Muddle Beginning of TV's Big Buying Season
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Forget the cold pizza this upfront. Drag out the Tylenol. The starter's gun hasn't sounded, but the mania has already begun, as networks pore over how best to bring their assets to market and agencies wrangle over myriad measurement issues, from engagement to commercial ratings to the continuing "live plus" ratings debate. Then there's the headache of how digital will roll into those complex package deals.
Road to the Upfront: Women's Cable Networks
Lifetime Is Still Camp, but Carriage Deals, Original Programming Boosting Smaller Nets
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Believe it or not, the TV upfront is right around the corner, and Advertising Age is here to help you keep track of the players in both broadcast and cable. This is the first in a weekly series.
Upfront Traders Wrestle With the Digital Dialogue
ANALYSIS: Major Divide Separates Mind-sets of TV, Interactive Buyers
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The most prominent buying and selling marketplace for advertising -- the TV upfront -- is undergoing a sea change. What started last year as a trickle of digital dollars flowing into TV-network coffers promises to turn into a flood this year.
Media Buyers Play Soap Stars for a Day
Road to the Upfront: SoapNet
It's only halfway through February, but the upfront hoopla has begun. SoapNet had the spotlights out for its upfront bash at Chelsea hotspot Venue, where ABC daytime stars such as Susan Lucci and Cameron Mathison roamed freely among the junior account execs and senior media buyers who stuck out like parents at a Cheetah Girls concert.
Road to the Upfront: Cartoon Network
At Which the Infamous Cabler Avoids Mentioning Boston
No cable network has gotten as much media attention as Cartoon Network these past two weeks -- but you'd never know it from its upfront event in New York this week.
Yahoo Woos TV Media Buyers at Its 'Infront'
Aims to Grab More of the Dollars Chasing 18- to 34-Year-Olds
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Yahoo kicked off a new era in TV upfront history by inaugurating its own "infront" conference at a theater here last night. The message to classically trained TV media buyers: The age of digital media is here, and Yahoo is laying its claim on the dollars chasing 18- to 34-year-olds.
Less Bitch Slapping, More Martial Arts
MyNetworkTV Retools Programming Schedule
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- There will be less bitch slapping, but MyNetworkTV still plans plenty of hand-to-hand combat. The struggling sixth network today unveiled its spring schedule, and has drastically cut back on the English-language telenovelas so heavily hyped during last year's upfront. The more varied schedule aims to draw in more men.
The End of the Upfront -- At Least As We Know It
Talks Explore End of Glitzy Entertainment Extravaganzas
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- This could be the year the upfront presentations get a full-scale makeover. None of the key players are looking to ax the upfront completely -- too much forward-planning depends on this booking period. But major media agencies and many marketers are tired of an upfront that plays more to analysts, TV critics and affiliate executives than it does to them.
Road to the Upfront: Oxygen
Women's Network Kicks Off Selling Season
Forget waiting until the end of spring. Upfront season is right here, right now, and unofficially kicked off this morning with Oxygen's first upfront event in New York. The Oprah-approved Little Women's Network That Could reached 70 million households in 2006 (the first network launched since 1996 to do so), a feat commemorated with a showy, scripted event at Midtown Manhattan staple Cipriani.
Finally Living the Life Of Reilly
NBC Entertainment President Boasts a Solid Thursday Night Lineup and the Top New Show Among 18-49s
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Kevin Reilly still has to face Fox's "American Idol" Death Star, as he calls it, but after three years overseeing abysmal ratings at NBC, he's stopped apologizing.
Swinging and Singing at CBS
At TCA: Entertainment President Nina Tassler Wants Edgier Shows
PASADENA, Calif. (AdAge.com) -- CBS might look a little different later this year. The network known for its stability and long-running procedural crime dramas (think "CSI") is taking some chances on a few unusual pilots aimed at getting people talking about the network.
NBC Expands 'Today'; Picks Up 'Thank God You're Here'
At TCA: Also Touts Midseason Hope 'Black Donnellys'
PASADENA, Calif. (AdAge.com) -- NBC made a slew of programming announcements today at the Television Critics' Association's biannual press tour -- but perhaps the most significant for Madison Avenue is that long-running morning franchise "Today" will be a four-hour show come September.
Nielsen to Release Commercial-Minute Data in May
Report to Include Broadcast, Cable and Syndication
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- There's good news and bad news in Nielsen Media Research's updated plan for releasing commercial-minute data. The good news is the measurement company has decided to include all parts of the TV universe in its average-commercial-minute product. The bad news is the data won't be available until after the broadcast upfront presentations in May.
CBS Research Chief Predicts Strong 2007 Upfront Market
Poltrack Counting on Shift to Commercial Ratings
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Who's troubled by the health of the broadcast-TV upfront? Not David Poltrack, chief resources officer, CBS Corp., and president, CBS Vision. In his "Outlook for the Broadcast Networks" presentation during the UBS annual Media Week Conference in New York, Mr. Poltrack said he foresees a 3% growth in network-TV revenue and a strong 2007-2008 upfront market due to a change in measurement focus.
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