Don’t let the TV networks hear you say there’s nothing new on the tube these days.
NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC have blitzed the airwaves with promotions aimed at reminding viewers that they are offering more than re-runs during the Hollywood writers strike.
As George Schweitzer, head of marketing at CBS, tells the Wall Street Journal, “We don’t want people to think we’re just running repeat programming.”
Indeed, there are some new scripted shows on offer, like “Cashmere Mafia,” “Welcome to the Captain,” “Lipstick Jungle,” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” There are also plenty of reality shows, “American Gladiators,” “American Idol” and “Oprah’s Big Give,” to name a few.
But while networks are pumping up their midseason schedules, there’s certainly fear throughout the industry that viewers will miss their old shows, dislike the new ones and simply tune out and turn off.
Meanwhile, the union’s negotiating tactics may be “creating fissures within the guild,” the New York Times reports, saying some members are worried that hardball tactics are backfiring.
And in other developments, the New York Post says Academy Award organizers have reached out to the guild to try to broker a deal for the Oscars, although a spokeswoman for the Academy denied the organization has made an approach.
Keep an eye on:
- Juniper Networks Chief Operating Officer Stephen Elop is making the move to Microsoft, replacing Jeff Raikes as head of the company’s $16 billion Office software business. (Reuters)
- Interpublic Group’s turnaround is moving ahead, and should be completed by the end of next year, its chief executive said in an interview. CEO Michael Roth sounded confident the company would land some key new accounts. (Reuters)
- CBS Corp will see growth in 2008 in “every single division” and no short-term effects from a looming economic downturn or Hollywood’s writers strike, according to its top executive (Reuters)
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