• Advertising Age, Monday, June 1, 2009 9:30 AM

Steady and reliable programming appears to be working for CBS. Between Sept. 1, 2008, and May 17, 2009, CBS won more ad dollars than its broadcast competitors, per TNS Media Intelligence. CBS secured about $4.03 billion during that time period, compared to ABC's $3.67 billion and NBC's $3.02 billion.

As a result, next season's slate is very reassuring. Gone are experiments like "The Ex List," a female-aimed drama, and sci-fi cult favorites like "Jericho" or "Moonlight." It's part of a must-win formula that ad buyers and Wall Street analysts largely attribute to CEO Leslie Moonves. "Moonves is really involved in the consistency of the programming grid," says Michael Nathanson, analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein.
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At stake: the continued good health of the CBS network, the financial driver of its parent company. CBS is less insulated from fluctuations in ad spending than rivals such as Time Warner, News Corp. and even NBC Universal, all of which have multiple cable outlets to provide revenue. Plus, successful programs can drive more revenue in syndication and international distribution, whereas middling on-air performers don't help.

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