• by Wayne Friedman , August 20, 2021

Looking to return to a more regular pre-fall broadcast TV network promotional period, TV networks are kicking up program messaging for new shows -- just weeks before the new season starts.

Over the last two weeks (August 6 through August 19), CBS has been airing heavy messaging for new series, including comedy “Ghosts” (79 airings); “CSI: Vegas” (66 airings, the return of the crime procedural show); and another NCIS edition,“NCIS: Hawai’i” (45 airings), according to iSpot.tv.

During this period, CBS promos aired with a media value of $12.6 million, amassing 2.6 billion impressions. Data here include current summer TV series, new and returning TV shows for the fall.

NBC’s top new fall show promotional efforts are for two dramas, the disaster-themed “La Brea” (62 airings) and aspirational drama “Ordinary Joe” (186 airings).

Overall media value for NBC's promos is now at $15 million, yielding 2.2 billion impressions.

NBC also gained impact from on-air promos from the last two days of the two-week Tokyo Olympics, which ran July 23 through August 8.

ABC is at $10.4 million in total media value for promos, producing 1.7 billion impressions. One main push is a new version of “The Wonder Years” (82 airings) and “Queens,” a drama about the return of a popular singing group (32 airings).

Fox has been sinking the most number of airings for individual new shows,with American family drama “Our Kind of People '' (212 airings) and an avatar-themed “Alter Ego” (239 airings). Fox has also been giving significant on-air time for dance-themed drama “The Big Leap” (69 airings).

Fox has placed on-air program promos with a media value of $4.1 million yielding 1 billion impressions.

The CW’s fall program promos have pulled in 212.9 million impressions from national TV airings, with a value of $1.1 million.

New shows include sci-fi drama “4400” (27 airings) and a new version of the Nickelodeon-adventure series, “Legends of the Hidden Temple” (20 airings).