• Advertising Age, Wednesday, April 15, 2009 9:30 AM

"The Closer" is the linchpin of TNT's challenge to broadcasters, as TNT gets ready to unveil three nights a week of original prime-time programming. Recently, sibling cable outlet TBS also unveiled plans for more original content, starting with a new late-night talk show featuring comedian George Lopez.

"Compared to broadcasters [such as CBS and NBC] that are scaling back, we are continuing to build and invest," says Linda Yaccarino, senior exec at Turner Entertainment, parent of TNT and TBS.

Some ad-buying executives remain skeptical. "These cable shows are hardly on par with network programming," says Don Seaman, vice president at MPG. He asserts that "premium" dramas on cable networks run on an "acceptable minimum" of viewers model, in which the goal is good programming over large audiences. Unlike broadcasters looking for a mass audience, "smaller numbers are expected in cable because they don't try to be everything to everyone," he says.

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