@ CBS Upfront: A Symphony Of Radio, Outdoor, Digital, And, Oh Right, TV
This story was written by David Kaplan.
I'm seated on in a second-tier balcony at Carnegie Hall, a location that CBS Corp (NYSE: CBS). President/CEO Les Moonves references as metaphor for "the orchestra of media offerings" the company is presenting to advertisers. Given the impact of the dismal economy and the writers strike, the company is highlighting radio, outdoor and digital to buttress the upfront's traditional focus on TV. Late, Late Show host Craig Ferguson served as emcee after Moonves exited, and like Jimmy Kimmel at ABC's upfront yesterday, he took a few shots at NBC (minor laugh: "I was congratulated by a homeless guy for beating Conan O'Brien in the ratings, I asked him how he knew that and he responded, 'I'm president of NBC.'").
-- All Britney.com: Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive, took the stage to say he would be the one to introduce the network's fall programming lineup. "What's on in the fall? Whatever show you want. Anytime, anyplace any screen you want. " Smith then rattled off a set of stats meant to drive home the network's digital strength: the network is number one season pass on iTunes, number one app on Facebook. "We have the most content online of any other network. How I Met Your Mother had 9.7 million views when Britney Spears guest-starred. About 2.7 million views were shared. Those episodes are like liquid crack from my vantage point. We will ask Britney to be on every show we have. Coming soon: CSI: Britney. Her appearances are still melting servers." Lots more to come
By David Kaplan