• Boom Time For Boomers
    In the early days of television, media was bought on households and broad demographics like "men" and "women." Then in the early 1960s, trailing network ABC had an ingenious idea: Why not change the buy-sell conversation and sell on strengths? ABC did not lead in overall household performance, but it did lead among younger TV viewers. The "sell" was that these younger, 18- to 49-year-old viewers were open to messaging and did not have intractable brand loyalties. Advertisers could reach them while they were open for conversion and willing to experiment. The idea stuck -- and soon all networks were …
  • Is Fox's Bold And Bloody 'The Following' Too Sadistic For Its Own Good?
    Fox's profoundly disturbing serial killer drama "The Following" is unarguably the boldest new series of the broadcast season. In many ways it is also the most problematic, but everyone involved had to know that controversy and criticism would come with such extreme material.
  • Will The Media In India Continue To Cover Crimes Against Women?
    My recent trip to India could not have come at a better time for someone interested in assessing the impact of media on the public mind.
  • Those Inauguration Ratings
    President Obama's second inauguration is a historic event that will be watched by millions. I wouldn't dare speculate on the outcome of a second Obama term, but I will predict that when the inauguration's TV ratings are released, someone will question their accuracy.
  • 'The Carrie Diaries': Much More Than Prequel To 'Sex and the City'
    The early months of 2013 are bringing with them a number of new series - some of extreme high quality, others less so - that may prove engaging but aren't exactly feel-good or lightweight escapist fare. Fortunately, there's one new series that seeks only to entertain, and while it is at times quietly dramatic, it's so youthful and hopeful and by design nostalgic that it practically shines as a beacon in the increasing darkness of the television landscape. I'm talking about "The Carrie Diaries," the new comedy-drama on The CW that is engrossing and thought-provoking in so many different ways …
  • Media Insights Q&A With Mark Altschuler
    It all comes down to sales -- and Mark Altschuler knows sales. He started in TV over 30 years ago and is currently the VP of national ad sales for Comcast Spotlight at a time when digitization, cross platform and the impact of new technology is disrupting "business as usual."
  • FX's 'Anger Management' Kicks Off A Year Of Dynamic Scheduling Strategies
    One of the year's most significant scheduling strategies will begin next Thursday with the return to FX's prime-time schedule of "Anger Management," the Charlie Sheen sitcom that marked the actor's jump back into television after his legendarily ballistic break from his starring role on CBS' long-running comedy "Two and a Half Men."
  • Jim Halpert Grows Up
    Unless NBC manages a programming miracle in the next few months, we are living through the last days of their three-decade-long "must-see TV" tradition during which they owned Thursday night, either in the ratings or the critics' hearts. Until very recently, it was plausible to argue that the current crop of Thursday sitcoms - "The Office," "30 Rock," "Parks & Recreation" and "Community" - were on par with the best of any former four-show "must-see" bloc. Unfortunately, these shows are all running out of steam at the same time, and it's possible that three or even four of them will …
  • Experts Mull The TV Of Tomorrow
    For my first column of the new year, I always like to look back in order to look ahead. What do media executives -- those on the front lines -- see as the future of television?
  • Fox's 'The Following,' TNT's 'Monday Mornings' Lead Surge Of Bold New TV Dramas
    The many profound series that filled all those recent year-end best-of lists made clear that the new golden age of television drama that began with the turn of the millennium shows no sign of fading. In fact, the surge of new dramas set to debut in the early months of this year suggests the opposite.
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