• For Program Marketing Smashes In 2012, Nets Use The Old, The New, And Everything In Between
    Does broadcast need to be more like cable when selling shows? Does the Internet need to be more like broadcast when selling its shows? Does cable need to be more like the Internet? When it comes to new programming -- like the original shows on Hulu, YouTube and smaller video/TV platforms -- what are the exact marketing parameters?
  • Entertainment Copycats: 'We Need Your Content'
    From the late-to-the-party-entertainment-copy department: Madonna now claims Lady Gaga has been stealing her act -- and perhaps a song. This is not new in the entertainment industry. Artists have been stealing from each other for a long time, since one cave owner decided to copy a nice sketch of deer being hunted on a neighbor's cave wall.
  • The Value Of Long-Running Shows For Viewers And Advertisers
    News that David Letterman might still be on CBS late night in 2014 -- which will give him a stint (including his run on NBC) of 32 years on the air -- might make some wonder about the value of long-running shows in the digital age.
  • A Television Network -- By Any Other Name
    Broadcast networks increasingly have to contend with a "phantom" prime-time network that doesn't really have a name. Like the Tea Party, this network doesn't really have a structure or headquarters, nor does it do presentations to TV critics and reporters. But it has certain wants -- such as ridding itself of big bureaucratic obstacles like costs that may tax viewers' patience. We speak of time-shifted viewing, of course.
  • Could Failed Network Shows Have Had Longer Runs And Lasting Love On Cable?
    Who hasn't seen well-written and well- produced, but short-lived, prime-time network shows? And who hasn't thought: "Too bad they weren't on cable"? Two current network entertainment chiefs -- NBC's Robert Greenblatt and Fox's Kevin Reilly -- would agree.
  • Just-In-Time Entertainment May Be Coming -- Just In Time For TV Promotion
    Just in time means giving you something when you need it. For instance, I need a Broadway-themed, musical drama -- preferably on Monday nights. What luck! NBC seemingly has one. And -- despite my prior knowledge -- just-in-time advertising apparently would have helped me out. NBC had planned to run a boatload of commercials about the new program during the Super Bowl on Feb. 5, a Sunday night.
  • Olbermann And Current TV: Always Current, Always Drama
    I can understand some of what Keith Olbermann has been going through at Current TV. For example, I watched a repeat of Current TV's Iowa caucus coverage the day after the event. I don't think CNN, Fox Newsor MSNBC offered reruns of its live coverage the next day. You want to play with the big boys? Play big -- or at least look the part.
  • Spend Lots On Commercials, Hope For The Best -- And Have Clear Nostrils
    Governor Rick Perry spent the most TV money of all Republican Presidential candidates in Iowa -- $17 million, according to one estimate -- only to gain a low fifth place in Tuesday's caucus. Does TV still work as a marketing tool? Yes, up to a point.
  • Stop Dancing Around And Give Us The Results!
    Too many reality shows -- especially on the broadcast networks -- add extra programming and extra nights, teasing viewers while waiting for those all-important "results." The multiple airings per week work out well for reality producers and their growing license fees. But maybe not so much for viewers.
  • Can Kids' TV Marketing Result In Them Riding Around On Grandma's Scooter?
    My six-year-old was hit with a Scooter Store commercial during Qubo's running of "Maisy." "What's Medicare?" she asked me.
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