The Business of Television : The CW

Fox Wins 5th Straight Season in Key 18-49 Demo

News — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:40:00 GMT

Fox and CBS did it again. For the 2008-09 TV season, Fox has officially claimed its fifth consecutive ratings win among adults 18-49, while CBS wrapped up the season as the most-watched broadcast network for the sixth time in the last seven years. It...(read more)

Broadcast Networks Holding Firm on Upfront Ad Pricing

News — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:36:24 GMT

With the television industry slogging through the worst economy in decades, the broadcast networks put their best foot forward at the upfront, then braced for long negotiations with media buyers and advertisers. “I’m surprised by how normal everything...(read more)

CW Upfront: 'Melrose Place,' 'Vampire Diaries' on Tap

News — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:05:15 GMT

The CW's pretty-people dramas '90210' and the new 'Melrose Place' will anchor Tuesday nights in the fall, the network said at the upfront advertising market. Spook-themed shows "Supernatural" and "The Vampire Diaries"...(read more)

J&J Finds Way to Get Under ‘90210’s’ Skin

News — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The CW has been working to find a place not only in the hearts of 18- to 34-year-old women, but also in the hearts of advertisers who target them. The network, which holds its upfront presentation in New York on Thursday, has showed its advertiser friendliness...(read more)

‘Children,’ ‘Lives,’ ‘Bold’ Vie for Drama Series Honors at Daytime Emmys

News — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:26:49 GMT

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences today announced nominations for the 36th annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards. The drama series nominees are “All My Children,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” “Cristina...(read more)

Upfront Digital Ad Sales Primed to Rise

News — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:25:00 GMT

With the majority of the networks’ upfront presentations still a few weeks away, it’s difficult to predict when advertisers will start spending on television and online buys. But digital executives at most of the broadcast networks are optimistic that...(read more)

CBS Gains in Sweeps Period; Fox Remains on Top

News — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:05:00 GMT

For the first two weeks of the May sweeps, CBS is the only broadcast television network posting year-over-year gains among total viewers. The network is also the only one to avoid any losses among adults 18-49, the demographic still led by Fox. Among...(read more)

Grading the Networks

News — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:48:00 GMT

After the strike-induced tumult and turmoil of last season, broadcasters were praying things would somehow take a turn for the better during the 2008-09 campaign. It didn’t happen. With less than a month left to go before this season ends, four of the...(read more)

The Art of the TV Slate

News — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:30:00 GMT

It may be the age of TiVo and Hulu, but the next few weeks will once again underline an important tenet of the broadcast TV economy: Schedules still matter. Even as networks increasingly adapt to the notion that their programming is being absorbed long...(read more)

Summer Has Original Look

News — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:14:00 GMT

The summer television schedules revealed last week reflect the tension between the broadcast networks’ dual goals: attracting advertisers with quality fare and keeping costs low. In keeping with the trend of recent years, summer will not be light on original...(read more)

CW Makes Summer Programming Push

News — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:19:58 GMT

The CW is finally getting into the summer programming game. After taking the warm weather months off during its first two years, the network has decided to debut two new reality shows this year. The RDF USA/Mike Fleiss-produced “Hitched or Ditched” will...(read more)

Q&A: Josh Schwartz Prepares Launch of ‘Rockville CA’ on TheWB.com

News — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:05:00 GMT

With three network shows on the air or in the works, nobody will ever accuse writer-producer Josh Schwartz of being a slacker—even if he still kinda looks like one. But this week, the man who burst onto the TV scene by creating “The OC” is adding another...(read more)

'Brian McKnight' Picked Up by CW Plus Stations

News — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:56:49 GMT

Litton Entertainment’s “The Brian McKnight Show” added The CW Plus to its list of clearances for fall 2009, the distributor announced today. The CW Plus is a collection of stations in markets smaller than the top 99 markets across the country. CW Plus...(read more)

The CW Lives!

News — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:35:00 GMT

OMFG: Three years and nearly 1,000 days after it launched, The CW finally seems to have found its identity—and, more importantly, questions about its viability are fading away. Building on the momentum of 2-year-old pop culture sensation “Gossip Girl...(read more)

Q&A: CBS, Warner Bosses Talk About Their Baby, The CW

News — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:30:00 GMT

The CW is sticking with the script. That’s the word from CBS Corp.’s Nancy Tellem and Warner Bros.’ Bruce Rosenblum, the executives responsible for overseeing their companies’ interests in the 3-year-old network. While broadcasters such as NBC and MyNetworkTV...(read more)