• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 7, 2008

NBC might be chiming in on finding a new marketing tag line for its network.

NBC apparently wants viewers to "Chime In" -- spinning off its old three-note musical theme, "N-B-C" -- in a new slow-building, under-the-radar marketing campaign. In part, the network will suggest that viewers come up with their own versions of the 1950s/1960s short musical riff, where the actual musical notes are G, E, and C.  

It's always tricky, marketing a network with a specific line. But in recent years, broadcast networks have mostly avoided such tag lines. (Not cable networks, however).

ABC had the notorious "TV is Good" campaign in the 1990s -- except that during those years viewers put the network in a less-than-good fourth-place rating spot. CBS had "The Address is CBS," which came and left some years ago to mixed results.

Only NBC's previous glory, "Must-See TV," which originally touted the network's Thursday night lineup, hit a high note, especially with NBC's long run as the top-rated network.

In the last year ABC tried its luck again, prompting viewers to "Start Here," encompassing a message that ABC is more than just a traditional linear TV network, that it's the starting point for TV programming and video, but that digital, mobile, cable, place-based, and theme parks, are other places to get ABC's content.

For NBC, the timing of a new campaign would make sense -- coming in the summer before the start of a new season, and, perhaps more importantly, to get a launching pad for next month's Beijing Summer Olympics.

Still, just "Chime In" may be a narrow skew -- owing to NBC's past (grabbing older viewers) and as a limited promotional stunt for those niche-fanatical Internet broadcast TV followers who love to rewrite. Right now "Chime In" speaks to community but doesn't say much about where NBC is going as a multiplatform media company.

Maybe that's not the point. "Chime In" may just be a modest little effort to get NBC some footing. And, if it doesn't work, there's no harm. Viewers will chime out and whine on .