Despite having the most stable schedule this season, CBS has still rolled out some big flops. Among the major ones was the swift fall of action drama "Smith." The network's entertainment president Nina Tassler notes that it has "a long history with ["Smith" producer] John Wells, and a great relationship. He was producing the show that he wanted to produce. We aired the show that he wanted us to air." Despite a substantial audience lead-in with "The Unit," it failed to click. Medical drama "3 Lbs." replaced Smith, and it went down as fast. "I …

According to a recent Harris Interactive study ordered by Viacom's gay network LOGO, its viewers are avid consumers of entertainment--and not just social dramas, art/foreign films and documentaries. Indeed, gay men also watch horror, thriller and sci-fi movies more than most. The study also found that LOGO's audience is twice as likely to attend a film's opening weekend as everyone else. In short, entertainment advertising meant big business for gay media in 2006. Among the top spenders were HBO, Showtime, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures. Together with others, they helped push advertising revenue for the …

In an attempt to take back the top toothpaste sales spot from Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble Company has rolled out a new product which claims to deliver everything a consumer could possibly want in the same tube. Plus, Crest Pro-Health will be supported by a $100 million advertising campaign, the company's largest for a new dental product. The effort, Saatchi & Saatchi, is clinical in tone: One spot has an actual dentist; another an actor playing a researcher. Pro-Health is designed to challenge the Colgate Total line, the first toothpaste to claim that it fights gingivitis--a quality that …

The National Association of Broadcasters has asked the Federal Communications Commission to relax its local radio market limits and to rebuff attempts to limit ownership size. NAB also wants duopolies in markets of any size and to see the repeal of restrictions on cross-ownership of radio stations, television stations and newspapers. Media-ownership rules are currently being reviewed by the FCC but, noting the tougher competition that local broadcasters now face from digital media, NAB wants the review conducted "with an eye toward maintaining the vibrancy of America's radio and television stations." The new landscape has fragmented audiences …

This year could bring a lot of work to attorneys that play in the children's advertising area, as childhood obesity and other issues come into even sharper relief. "2007 will be a year of focus on kids' advertising," says John Feldman, a partner at law firm Reed Smith. At the Association of National Advertisers' Advertising Law & Business Affairs Conference, he announced the launch of KidAdLaw.com, a Web site about regulatory activities on marketing to youngsters. The main scrutiny right now is on food marketers, but various other categories could soon feel the same heat. "Politically, what …

In a new round of ads, The New York Times is adding a TV spot and a dedicated Web site to the marketing mix. Part of its "These times demand the Times" effort, a 60-second ad ready to roll next week shows the making of a daily newspaper in reverse, beginning with a person reading a story on the computer at the end of the day and concluding with a reporter and her notebook. In between are the interview with a source, a news meeting, the reporter writing the story and the newspaper rolling off the press. A …

Shares of both Sirius Satellite Radio and rival XM Satellite Radio fell to earth after the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission seemed to put the kibosh on any idea of a possible merger between the two. The sell-off was sparked by comments made by Kevin Martin in response to a press query that FCC rules prohibit "one entity owning both of those businesses." Speculation about a combination of the two largest satellite-radio providers has been rife lately, with both companies apparently more open to a pact. Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin got the ball rolling earlier …

La-Z-Boy has put its $35 million account into review--but the incumbent agency isn't just sitting back and watching. The furniture manufacturer/retailer has asked Doner, Southfield, Mich., to participate, which will include both the brand and its stores. Doner has had the business for 15 years, and CEO Alan Kalter says the agency will retain it. "We're going to defend it, and we're going to win," he says. La-Z-Boy, with annual sales of about $2 billion, is changing its business model. Famous among couch potatoes for its reclining chairs, the company is growing its retail store base …

Some TV and radio ads from Kellogg are now real-time reminders to skip the candy bar in favor of more healthful snacks. The spots--set to run at prime snacking hours like midafternoon and late night--push messages, including, "It's 2:58 p.m. Right now, you're about to cheat on your diet with a big hunk of something chocolate." A better choice is then suggested: the new Special K snack bar. "It's more engaging if we come at consumers in a live way," says John Condon, chief creative officer at Kellogg's ad agency, Leo Burnett. T he agency created …

As Fox rolls out the premiere of "American Idol," one question is when --and if--its hold on viewers will ever begin to slip. For the three seasons in a row, it has been the No. 1 show among adults 18-49, lifting Fox to top honors in the demo. But the success has put the net in something of an unusual pickle: If it gets any bigger, it could price advertisers out. "At this point, I don't think Fox wants "Idol" to get any bigger," says one media researcher. "Otherwise, they'll have a hard time finding advertising." T …