Television

Marketing TV with a summer road trip

The new TV season is rapidly approaching. We're hard at work making all the promos, ads, apps, stunts, and social media content designed to catch America's eyes, whet their appetites, and get them to tune in to CBS in September.

Getting people's attention in the summer months is particularly tough: kids are out of school and the nation is in vacation mode. It's a time for cookouts, swimsuits, and state fairs.

So this year, we're taking a high-tech, high-touch approach by going directly to the people and their summer events with the CBS Buzz Tour … Read more

Uh oh: LCD TV shipments fall for the first time ever

The television market hit a rough patch during the first quarter of 2012, according to new data from research firm NPD DisplaySearch.

During the period, total television shipments worldwide hit 51.2 million units, representing an 8 percent decline compared with the first quarter of 2011. LCDs took up the major share, tallying 84.2 percent ownership of the television market. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions took 10 percent of the market, followed by plasmas with 5.8 percent share.

The big news, however, was that for the first time ever, LCD shipments were actually down year over year. According … Read more

Catch the CBS buzz

We're hitting the road this summer with the CBS Buzz Tour, bringing all things CBS directly to the fans. CBS giveaways, a photo green screen experience, and special events may be coming to a city near you! Read more about it in a recent New York Times article.

And be sure to "Like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @cbsbuzz to get the latest updates on the CBS Buzz Tour!

Google fills search with Zagat ratings

It's time to rate your world on Google+ Local, double down on secrets and lose the hashbang:

Google+ has teamed up with Zagat to add a new feature encouraging users to review local establishments. It's called Google+ Local, and even if you don't use Google+, you'll start to see these ratings pop up around Google search and maps.

Apple CEO Tim Cook shared some interesting comments at the D10 conference Tuesday. To summarize, Cook didn't say if Apple was working on a television set, he vowed that the company will "double down" on … Read more

Cupcakegate: Vindicated!

In an article about 2012 upfront week "disappointments," Broadcasting & Cable incorrectly stated that CBS promised cupcakes at its upfront afterparty but did not deliver. I contacted them to set the record straight -- we promised cupcakes and delivered cupcakes (handed out by servers in "Two Broke Girl" waitress outfits no less)! B&C issued the following correction in the May 28, 2012 issue.

RIP Eugene Polley, a real American hero

Couch potatoes everywhere have lost a true hero. Eugene Polley, inventor of the first wireless remote control, died on May 20 at the age of 96. As an engineer at Zenith Electronics in 1955, Polley created the Flash-Matic remote control, a device that, for the first time ever, gave viewers the ability to change channels without leaving the comfort of their couches and recliners.

Read the full obituary in The New York Times.

Read my post about remotes "Clicking into the Future."

Visit our Remote Control Gallery on The CBS Attic.

The experts agree

The influential Jack Myers Media Business Report gave CBS 5 out of 5 "Jacks" (the equivalent of 5 out of 5 stars) in its annual Television Upfront Report card.

Here is Ed Martin's review:

CBS (5 Jacks) Anyone who might wonder why CBS usually takes top honors for the week need only have walked through Carnegie Hall before its presentation even began to understand why it remains the network to beat for upfront effectiveness. For the better part of a half-hour before the show started, a vivid display of glamorous and exciting images and videos featuring all … Read more

How Amazon is changing the rules for books and movies

If you want a glimpse into the way Amazon sees your digital future, look no further than Jeff Ragsdale's new book, "Jeff, One Lonely Guy."

Last October, after being dumped by a girlfriend and mired in depression, Ragsdale posted a flier around New York City on a whim that read, "If anyone wants to talk about anything, call me." It listed his mobile phone number. Calls streamed in, by the dozens, then the hundreds, and now well into the tens of thousands.

Some callers left messages. Others texted. And many spoke with Ragsdale, sharing their … Read more

Putting the 'show' in showbiz

And we're off! On May 16, we held CBS's 2012 Upfront presentation, the annual show-and-tell at Carnegie Hall where we introduce our new fall schedule to advertisers. The upfront is a tremendous source of pride for us at CBS. It's a celebration of broadcast television and the fun and important business of entertaining America. (See my post from May 2010 for a full description of how the upfronts work.)

In addition to bringing in the stars of CBS's numerous hit shows, we often feature surprise appearances and performances from special celebrity guests. This year, hip hop … Read more

Facebook's price too high for a 'fad'?

In today's show, the postman always scans twice, a new Kindle could let you read in the dark, and catch all the Pokémon hiding in your living room:

We're keeping a close eye on Facebook as it prepares to go public on the Nasdaq this week. Values for its initial public offering are in the $34 to $38 range. At the high end, it would make Facebook worth more than $100 billion. But we will find out Thursday what the actual initial stock price will be.

But will it keep that high value for long? A poll shows … Read more