• by John Gaffney , May 13, 2002

Peacock Riffs: If it ain’t broke…. you know the rest. NBC sure does. I thought the long awaited announcement of its fall lineup was decidedly underwhelming and when you’re number one, that’s OK. I mean, what were we expecting? Something truly different or shocking? What we got was no more “Weakest Link,” and confirmation that game shows were an overachieving concept that has re-discovered its proper place with the syndication of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.” We got a new series called “Kingpin” about a Latin drug-boss that sounds like “Scarface-meets-Traffic and they have dinner with The Sopranos.” We still have “Friends.” I think NBC is playing it safe this year. Its lineup is solid enough to get consistent wins right now, and odds are it will remain strong next year. I’m sure it will expect planners and buyers to buy into that and spend accordingly. However, this will only work for one year. Next year you lose “Friends.” Next year “Fear Factor” ain’t so scary anymore. Next year planners and buyers will be expecting bolder upfront announcements from NBC……….

AOL Riffs: So much for Richard Parsons pretending to search for a strategy. He officially starts as TimeWarner/AOL CEO on Thursday. Each day this week you will see a few more cards in his hand. Today’s card was the “de-convergence card.” He told The Wall Street Journal that he will de-emphasize convergence. He will put the emphasis back where it belongs on individual business unit performance. That essentially means that AOL will have to fly on its own revenue. It means that the Sports Illustrated sales rep that was trying to get planners and buyers to cut loose with millions for a cross-channel media buy just might return to selling SI. Which isn’t a bad hand to play. Synergy and convergence is very good for content. It’s still a bit awkward for advertising. Lets’ see what card Case and Pittman play this week……….

Amex Riffs: You gotta tip your hat to American Express. It announced its sponsorship of the River to River arts festival, aimed at creating events that will bring people back to downtown Manhattan. It was not afraid to use the reopening of its Sept. 11-damaged corporate HQ to tie itself to the city’s recovery. Very smart use of image, money and brand resonance.