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upfront

In entertainment marketing, what's past is prologue

That wise old marketing philosopher Yogi Berra said: "I don't make predictions, especially about the future." By looking back at some of the history of entertainment marketing and how people have responded to it over time, we can gain perspectives that help us in the present and future.

We're heading into the Upfront season -- the time each year when television networks host presentations in New York to introduce our new shows and fall schedules to the advertising community. Now is a good time to look back at our collection of vintage CBS print ads from … Read more

CBS Upfront 2011: Up, up, and away

What a week! We just wrapped CBS's 2011 Upfront presentation--the annual show-and-tell held at Carnegie Hall where we show off our new fall schedule and tell the advertising community our strategy for the season to come.

For all of us at CBS, the upfront is a celebration of broadcast television, of entertainment, and of the business we all love. (See my post from last May for a full description of how the upfronts work.)

This year, we're adding five new series to our top-rated lineup: two comedies and three dramas. We're also making some key time-period moves … Read more

An up-close look at the CBS 'Upfront'

Recently, those in the television and advertising communities celebrated the "upfronts." For anyone unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the third week of May each year when the television networks host massive presentations in New York City to introduce their new shows and fall schedules to the advertising community.

Upfront presentations are so named because they kick off the upfront buying season, when advertisers can buy commercial time in advance for the new season, negotiating for the shows and the rates.

Just as geeks and analysts hold their breath to see what amazing new devices will be … Read more

Let's see what develops

It's development time in the network television world. That's when we look at all the shows that are contenders for the fall schedule. Network TV is still the biggest dog in the media pack, and people are watching more TV than ever. To that end, there are many more choices.

So, how are they selected? Let me take you through the process at CBS (and it's essentially the same for all the big networks).

We have very talented programmers and development executives whose jobs are to work with writers, creators, and producers to look for material that … Read more