TALENT SHOWS NOT GOING OUT WITH A BANG

Last week ought to have been the week when the big talent-contest shows, American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, were trouncing everything in sight. To be sure, they still represented potent factors on the Nielsen ratings list, but they were no longer the force that they once had been. Indeed, the most-watched show of […]

NBC TRIES TO CONVINCE AD BUYERS TO COURT OLDER VIEWERS

NBC was scheduled to make a major presentation to advertisers today (Thursday) to try to convince them that their notions that older viewers spend significantly less money than younger ones. As reported by MediaWeek magazine, NBC research head Allen Wurtzel, previewing the presentation to reporters on Wednesday, said that the adult 55-64 demo “is the […]

CBS ACCUSED OF USING LOCAL NEWSCASTS TO HYPE NEW SERIES

CBS-owned stations in major markets last Monday devoted part of their early-evening newscasts to promoting the premiere of the new Hawaii Five-0 that night in what veteran TV critic Robert Feder called “a well-coordinated plan to prostitute the newscasts of CBS-owned stations nationwide.” On his blog at Vocalo.org, Feder, who for 28 years was the […]