• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, March 13, 2008

Despite the writers' strike, national advertisers may be getting what they really want this upfront season: a slower and more diverse rollout of new network shows.

Consider ABC.  It may do the unthinkable in starting the upcoming fall season with no new shows. So far, the network hasn't picked up any pilots slotted for September.

This comes partly as a side effect of the writers' strike that put the kibosh on much development work. This doesn't mean ABC won't have any shows for the new season. It'll just delay new shows until mid-season -- in January.

For years, many advertisers have pushed for calendar year upfront deals -- which work out well for their marketing plans, though less so for those high-selling, fourth-quarter retail advertisers who look to new TV programming for their holiday marketing efforts.

The transition started with the de-emphasizing of traditional TV wares during this year's upfront events. CBS said this week it will do essentially what NBC says it'll do with its upfront presentation in May: sell all its media platforms -- everything from outdoor to radio to new digital platforms -- all with more subdued TV presentation, and no after-party. (Say goodbye to the Tavern on the Green festivities).

Earlier, NBC announced it is moving away from the trappings of its usual big event at Radio City Music Hall, as well as its party on the summertime ice-less Rockefeller Plaza ice skating rink.

ABC would join Fox, which has been launching new and existing shows -- "American Idol" and "24" (though not this season) --in January.  ABC already follows this strategy for shows like "Lost."

With all this, networks are finally making good on their promise to offer up year-round new programming launches -- even if pushed by market forces. The downside for ABC is missing out on the usual big fall season marketing push of network shows, where everyone seems to share in the industrywide TV awareness wealth.

Still, ABC won't be out of the market completely in the fall, and would amp up its marketing efforts and sizzle around existing big shows -- "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost."

To be sure, ABC may have overdone it a year ago, when it announced about a dozen new shows, many more that the other networks. So, in averaging the two seasons, ABC would come in with a normal number of new network shows as compared to other networks.

Consider this factor, too: ABC isn't looking to rush-to-market shows that in the past -- hello, "Commander-in-Chief" -- should have been kept in development. All this is a good move .