June 2007 News

ABC ordered the variety-game show "Wanna Bet" from producer Phil Gurin, sources close to the deal said.

The series is based on the hit German production "Wetten dass...?" and is hosted by U.K. comedy duo Ant & Dec. ABC has ordered six episodes of the series, which will debut sometime next season.

The series marks the third recent greenlight for Mr. Gurin, whose "Singing Bee" debuts on NBC this fall and whose "Do You Trust Me?" was recently ordered by CBS. Mr. Gurin's prior track record includes GSN's "Lingo" and NBC's "The Weakest Link."

"Wetten dass...?" combined sketch comedy, celebrity interviews and musical numbers. For the U.S. version, Mr. Gurin, along with fellow executive producer Marc Jansen ("Lingo"), have tweaked the format to focus on celebrities betting whether ordinary people can perform extraordinary stunts.

Ant & Dec, short for Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, are popular British comedians with a lengthy track record of both adult and children's comedy programming. ABC did not return a call seeking comment.

(Editor: Baumann)

The premiere of USA Network's "The Starter Wife" powered the network to its best ever Thursday night.

"Starter Wife" drew 2.875 million viewers in the 18-49 adult demographic and 2.76 million adults 25-54.

USA said "Starter Wife" was its biggest launch since "The 4400" three years ago, and that it was the top rated original scripted show on cable since the "Nip/Tuck" season premiere last September.

Just days after potential presidential candidate Fred Thompson announced he was departing "Law & Order" next season, creator and executive producer Dick Wolf has tapped Jeremy Sisto to join the series.

Mr. Sisto previously had a guest appearance on "Law & Order." He also starred in NBC's short-lived "Kidnapped" last season. He will play a new detective on the show.

Last month, NBC announced the return of "Law & Order" for an 18th season despite modest ratings, in return for some budget cost-cutting by Mr. Wolf. The series will return in January on Sundays at 8 p.m.

(Editor: Horowitz)

Crown Media, which owns the Hallmark Channel, said it extended the employment contract of Bill Abbott, executive VP of national advertising sales.

The new deal is one year longer, expiring in August 2009.

Under the deal, Mr. Abbott, who drew a salary of $520,139 and a bonus of $148,079 in 2006, will be eligible to take part in the company's ad sales commission plan, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mr. Abbott will earn half the commissions of other people in the plan, which is based on the network hitting ad revenue targets, but he could still make as much as 15 percent of his base salary.

Crown last month reported that first-quarter advertising revenue increased 20 percent to $46 million, reflecting higher advertising rates.

(Editor: Horowitz)

The debut of CBS's "Pirate Master" couldn't plunder its time period Thursday night, placing second to Fox's "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"

"Pirate" pillaged a 2.3 rating among adults 18 to 49, according to preliminary Nielsens, down 51 percent from the season average of "Survivor: Fiji" in the time period. CBS followed the premiere with repeats and was overall in second place for the night in the demo, though it did snag first place among households.

Fox was first in the 18-49 demo with "Fifth Grader" (3.1) and the time-period premiere of "So You Think You Can Dance" (4.3), the highest-rated show of the night.

ABC was t-h-i-r-d with the "2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee" (1.9), down 24 percent from last year's broadcast.

Airing only repeats, NBC and The CW were fourth and fifth, respectively.

(Editor: Horowitz)

The Federal Trade Commission tossed a bombshell into the debate over the role TV food ads play in childhood obesity with its report that the number of TV ads kids see is far lower than some recent estimates—and decreasing.

"Our data do not support the view that children are exposed to more television food advertising today," FTC staff said in a report issued today.

Several senators and three of the five Federal Communication Commissioners have been pressuring food advertisers to rein in their ads. But the FTC report could diminish the likelihood of any legislation or regulation affecting TV ads.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and commissioners Michael Copps and Deborah Taylor Tate have questioned whether food ads increase childhood obesity; they suggested the FCC might take action if the food industry didn't voluntarily rein in its ads.

Today's FTC study cited the amount of time children view ad-free content on public TV and cable channels as one reason for the lower numbers, and the amount of time they spend watching general entertainment as another. The report said that in 2004, kids 2-11 saw 25,629 TV ads, including 7,300 "ads" promoting other programming or public service announcements. Without the PSAs or programming, kids saw 18,300 ads annually.

That number is significantly less than some recent reports. In March, the Kaiser Family Foundation said kids of some ages see 30,155 TV ads annually, not including PSAs or promotional announcements.

The FTC said kids 2-11 saw 5,538 food ads—about 40% less than Kaiser's 7,600 food ad estimate for 8- to 12-year-olds. The FTC said food ads are 21.6% of all the ads kids see, but that the exposure is down 9% from 1977.

Victoria Rideout, VP of the Kaiser Family Foundation, who headed up the Kaiser study, said the differences in numbers in the FTC's report reflected Kaiser's breaking the kids into age groups with younger kids seeing fewer ads and older kids seeing more. She said that if results of different age groups cited in Kaiser's study were combined, the numbers would show "a remarkable similarity."

The report said the commercials aren't for a balanced blend of products, but there was no indication kids "are seeing more advertising for low-nutrition foods" than they've seen in the past.

"While the foods advertised on children's programming in 2004 do not constitute a balanced diet, that was the case as well in 1977, before the rise in obesity," the report said.

(Editor: Horowitz)

Fox reality programming executive Kary McHoul has joined UTA as co-head of its alternative television department.

Ms. McHoul will manage the division with Brett Hansen, who has been running the department for the past year. For the past three years, Ms. McHoul has worked under Fox reality chief Mike Darnell, overseeing development of series such as "Nanny 911," "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

Prior to her stint at Fox, Ms. McHoul was VP of development for E! and Style Network, where she oversaw development of shows such as "The Anna Nicole Smith Show" and "Who's Wedding is it Anyway?"

"Kary is a huge get for our team," Mr. Hansen said in a release. "Not only is she an exceptional strategist with big creative ideas, but she's also a long-time friend, and this is a rare opportunity to work together. It's been the agency's priority for a long to bring her here, and I'm really excited about all that she will contribute to the vision and growth of our alternative and format business."

(Editor: Fees)

Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will end after this season, the show's fourth, concludes.

Season four is currently in production and the producers will use the 22-episodes to bring their tale to a close.

"This show was always meant to have a beginning, a middle and finally, an end," said executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. "Over the course of the last year, the story and the characters have been moving strongly toward that end and we've decided to listen to those internal voices and conclude the show on our own terms."

Sci Fi executive VP of original programming Mark Stern said he respected to producer decision. "We have always known that Ron and David had a plan for 'Galactica' and trust that fans can look forward to a truly amazing final season."

An extended two-hour episode of the show called "Razor" will premiere in November, setting the stage for the rest of the season to commence in 2008, the network said.

Former NBC development executive Katherine Pope will be named the new head of NBC Universal Television Studio, sources said.

The news comes after a week of rumors about her future and the tumultuous ouster of her boss, entertainment president Kevin Reilly. She replaces Angela Bromstad, who is expected to take another position within NBC Universal.

The 34-year-old Ms. Pope is considered a rising star in the company and credited with helping develop NBC series such as "Heroes," "Friday Night Lights," "30 Rock" and "Boomtown."

During an executive shakeup last weekend, independent producer Ben Silverman was named co-chair of NBC Entertainment and NBC Universal TV Studio along with Marc Graboff, while Mr. Reilly left the company.

An NBC Universal TV Studio spokesman had no comment.

(Editor: Baumann)

A&E pulled reruns of some episodes of "Flip This House" off the air after learning of claims against an Atlanta businessman who had been featured on the program, the Associated Press reported.

Businessman Sam Leccima presented himself as a successful real estate investor during the 2006 season of the home-renovation cable show, the AP said. The program depicted him buying, refurbishing and selling Atlanta-area homes at a profit.

Some of the claims against Mr. Leccima allege some of those projects were ruses, the AP reported. The Georgia Better Business Bureau has recorded four complaints against Mr. Leccima, the AP said.

Contacted by the AP, Mr. Leccima said his lawyer advised him against talking about the claims. An A&E spokesman said the network no longer is working with Mr. Leccima.

NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly was replaced last week after three seasons programming the network. In the end, the hits he engineered didn't outweigh the misses that kept NBC from emerging from the ratings cellar.

Hits

"Heroes": The hit that some say should have saved Mr. Reilly, "Heroes" is a complicated, big-budget, serialized show that debuted alongside a host of other complicated, big-budget, serialized shows last fall. Yet "Heroes" stood out and became the top-rated breakout drama of the season.

"The Office": During its initial five-episode run, "The Office" averaged an anemic 2.5 rating among adults 18 to 49, lower than "30 Rock" this year. Yet Mr. Reilly stuck with the show (executive produced, ironically, by his successor, Ben Silverman), which has since blossomed into a critical hit and relatively strong performer.

"Deal or No Deal": Game shows were passé in prime time for several years following the burnout of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," but "Deal" became an instant hit when it premiered in 2005 and spawned several imitators. "Deal" has since helped NBC to fill scheduling gaps with a reliable ratings driver.

Misses

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip": Far from the lowest-rated performer during the Reilly era, "Studio 60" nonetheless became an albatross around his neck, symbolizing industry complaints about NBC's most recent season -- expensive, critic-pleasing projects that don't draw enough viewers.

"Surface": Like "Studio 60," not the least-popular effort, but this 2005 title was dismissed as NBC's pricey me-too attempt to jump on the "Lost" bandwagon.

"Grease: You're the One That I Want": NBC successfully revived Sunday nights last fall with football, then fumbled passing viewers to replacement programming in January, headed by this reality effort, which was paired with "The Apprentice."

The affiliate meeting in Las Vegas was awash in talk about the National Association of Broadcasters, CBS' promotional campaign, digital plans, regulation and the network's fall lineup. Among the news heard at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas:

Unconfirmed reports that CBS is in discussions to rejoin the National Association of Broadcasters, the leading trade organization, after six years, is welcomed by the affiliates. "Broadcasters need a coalition on the Hill," said Dave Lougee, executive VP of Belo Media Operations, attending his first CBS affiliate meeting.

CBS' John Orlando, Washington senior VP, urged the affiliates to consider many brewing regulatory issues as First Amendment and local fights, whether the question is about content or advertising of pharmaceutical products or so-called unhealthy foods. "Every attack on advertising is an attack on the foundation of our industry," he said.
Mr. Orlando also urged affiliates to continue to run public service announcements that remind viewers they can prevent objectionable programming from coming into their homes. Even if the 18-month, $300 million campaign doesn't sway the regulatory mood, proof of carriage will be "invaluable" in the inevitable court battles, he said.

CBS Marketing Group President George Schweitzer and Senior VP and Creative Director Ron Scalera previewed their 2007-08 promotional campaign, whose elements range from the downright traditional (a new on-air look) to the most trendy (a "buzz marketing" campaign designed to influence the influencers, the 15 percent of people and outlets that determine what the rest of us watch, listen and talk about).

Under the "CBS Outernet" plan, every possible real and virtual square inch of digital surface will be considered for promotional spots. Under a deal with TiVo, when a subscriber deletes a recorded show, a promo for CBS' fall lineup, which includes five new series, will pop up. CBS also has purchased space on TV Guide's navigator—some of which affiliates can rent. Everything is "a marketing device to drive people to one place: your air," Mr. Schweitzer said.

Network and affiliate executives expressed quiet confidence about the CBS lineup, which on four out of five weeknights does a better job of delivering the most productive 10 o'clock lead-in to late local newscasts than do ABC's and NBC's lineups.
Affiliates laughed raucously throughout the screening of the pilot for "The Big Bang Theory," the new Monday night comedy from Chuck Lorre about one beauty living next door to two geeks, and seemed intrigued by "Viva Laughlin," the Sunday night hour that's a drama with music about a man trying to live the American dream in a gambling town in Nevada.

TV Land, a network looking to make itself over as a home for baby boomers, has acquired off-network rights to "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

The addition of a reality show is a departure for TV Land, which has been known for its lineup of classic sitcoms and dramas. But the Viacom-owned channel has been looking to launch original reality programming and switch its focus to serving viewers in the 40- to 54-year-old demographic—an older group than most television networks court.
"In a world where there's so many choices out there, they're choosing different kinds of shows and different kinds of programming to entertain them, and that's really what we're going after," said Larry W. Jones, president of TV Land, the 21st-ranked ad-supported cable network in terms of average viewers over the course of a day during the first quarter.

TV Land's viewership was down among viewers 18-49 and 25-54 in 2006 and showed double-digit declines in both demos in the first quarter of 2007. In May, while the network was down again in the traditional demos, it was up 4 percent in the target 40 to 54 demographic.

"Our ratings are up in what we see as our sweet spot," Mr. Jones said.

TV Land is aiming for those viewers in hopes that ad buyers will recognize that baby boomers are a growing population group with the biggest chunk of disposable income.

TV Land will begin airing "Home Edition" on Tuesdays at 11 beginning Aug. 7. The network will use the show to promote its Wednesday night schedule of original programs.

It will be able to strip the show in prime time beginning in September 2008.

"It's gong to be a really nice bridge between what people expect of us and what we are beginning to offer," said Jaclyn Cohen, senior VP of programming and acquisitions. She negotiated the deal for 160 episodes with Disney ABC Domestic Television, but declined to discuss financial details.

While most reality shows have not drawn strong ratings as reruns after a winner has been crowned or a bachelorette has been chosen, Ms. Cohen expects "Home Edition" to be different.

"This is more like a drama, with a beginning, a middle and an end. It repeats well because the stories are so satisfying and because each episode is so self-contained," she said.

Shari Anne Brill, VP of program services at Carat said that while most reality shows don't repeat, "Home Makeover" was more of a transformation show. Still, she said it was a "strange" acquisition for the network.

"I do not consider something less than 5 years old a classic," she said. "Classic TV is the hits of yesterday, which were scripted series. I'll never wax nostalgic for 'Home Edition.'"

But TV Land's plan to use a popular acquired show to promote original programs was the right idea, she said.

"Every network builds on acquired programming," Ms. Brill said. "It's your originals that define your network, not an acquired show."

Some of TV Land's originals will be kicking in next month, including a second season of "TV Land Confidential" and the launch of "Back to the Grind," a program that shows actors from classic TV shows going back to work in the jobs they had on the air. In one episode, Loni Anderson works as a receptionist; in another Harry Anderson takes a seat on the bench at night court.

The network has wrapped production of its show "High School Reunion," which brings together more than a dozen alumni from a school's class of 1986, Mr. Jones said.

Other projects, such as one reuniting Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams from "Laverne and Shirley," a boomer dating show and a beauty contest are still in development, he said.

With an eye toward building on the channel's most watched quarter ever, VH1 has ordered eight episodes of the reality show "Click" from "America's Next Top Model" producers 10 X 10 Entertainment.

The series will join an expanding roster of pop culture-based series on the Viacom-owned cable outlet.
The premise for "Click" is essentially "Top Model" in reverse. The upcoming series gathers aspiring photographers and challenges them to collaborate and create provocative images "worthy of specific, demanding high-fashion campaigns" within a limited timeframe in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings.

Fashion photographer Russell James will host as well as present the challenges and lead the judging.

The production company behind "Click" is led by Ken Mok, whose credits include The CW's "Top Model" and "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll," as well as VH1's own "White Rapper Show."

"Click" is expected to debut in the fall.

"When this show came along, even with Russell James attached to the project, we weren't sure how interesting the process of photography would be to viewers," said Brian Graden, president of entertainment for MTV Networks Music Group, which comprises VH1. "But what we saw was visually fascinating. In addition, anything dealing with pop culture and paparazzi can be interesting to us. For all these reasons, this show made perfect sense for VH1."

The channel is heading into the summer on a roll. During the first quarter of 2007, VH1 scored its highest-rated quarter ever in prime time in the key 18-49 demo, marking a 25 percent improvement over year-ago numbers. In addition, the network averaged 839,000 total viewers in prime time for an improvement of 16 percent over first quarter 2006, marking the channel's most watched quarter ever, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Leading the ratings charge this year was "I Love New York," which drew 4.8 million total viewers to its season finale on April 2. Adding to that success, on the digital front the finale pulled nearly 1 million video streams on VSPOT during the first 48 hours following the finale. Show-related content on VH1.com hit 3 million page views during the two-day period, and more than 40,000 mobile text messages were received during the hourlong telecast.

Mr. Graden said he expected the channel's growth to continue, especially with the amount of investment the network has committed to cultivate shows that matched VH1's brand.

"I see the upside of VH1 as unlimited, and this can be seen not only through the audience growth but through great growth and interest on the ad sales side as well," Mr. Graden said. "We obviously wouldn't have such an aggressive development slate if we didn't believe that this channel would continue that trend."

He designed the network's summer programming slate so there would be no lull in series launches. Among the series slated are "Rock of Love With Bret Michaels" and "Scott Baio Is 45 ... and Single," both of which will follow the love exploits of the '80s icons. Both series debut July 15.

"Mission: Man Band" will premiere Aug. 6 with four "boy band" veterans—Chris Kirkpatrick (N*SYNC), Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees), Rich Cronin (LFO) and Bryan Abrams (Color Me Badd)—living together for a month, creating new music, developing a stage show and performing as a new pop group.

Scripted comedy "I Hate My 30s," also debuting Aug. 6, is an ensemble series about struggling with the end of prolonged adolescence and the responsibilities associated with the start of one's 30s.

Other series and specials lined up include documentary "Monterey Pop" on June 16, "Rock Doc: 1977" on July 21, "Rock Life" on Aug. 6 and the return of "The World Series of Pop Culture" on July 9.

CBS is deploying state-of-the-art TV technology to answer a question that dogs its viewers on any Sundays when a football game or a golf match delays the start of prime time.

CBS will launch a digital viewer alert system this fall that will tell all who have signed up for the service, via e-mail or text message, just how late Sunday's prime-time shows will start on nights that have been delayed by sports or other live programming.
That will let them know when to be in front of their sets or how to adjust their recording times for programs that will be affected by the delay.

For a particularly lucky million or more viewers who have TiVo's broadband service, no manual adjustment will be necessary, because TiVo will zap an instantly adjusted schedule to its recorders so that those viewers' devices capture the programs—and only the programs—they want. (No such adjustment is possible with TiVo's other service, which updates recorders nightly via phone.)

To expand the instant reprogramming strategy will require separate arrangements with each cable carrier in each market, CBS Marketing Group President George Schweitzer told TelevisionWeek at the CBS affiliates convention in Las Vegas.

"Everyone's got their own system. There's not one signal that could be sent out everywhere," he said. "It's complicated, but it's not impossible, and we're working on that."

The viewer-alert initiative was inspired by a night last season when a football run-over delayed "The Amazing Race" by about a half-hour.

"I was on the message boards that night—I go on TV.com and Meevee and all these places—and [the chatter] was really vehement. The people were really pissed, because they had set their VCRs and DVRs," Mr. Schweitzer said. "I had been talking to our engineers and our digital people for a while about program alerts.

"We put crawls on. We've got that down pat and we know how to do that, but that's only speaking to the people who are watching."

There will be a publicity blitz about how to sign up for the viewer alert service before the start of the football season.

"We're going to tell you there's a delay, so if you're at the dinner table and you're not planning to watch TV until 8 o'clock, when you want to see 'Viva Laughlin,' you get the e-mail saying it's going to be 15 minutes delayed, please reset your VCR," Mr. Schweitzer said. "That's a good thing. We're helping you because you want to be helped. I think people will be happy with that."

Since Susanne Daniels joined Lifetime in August 2005, The WB's former entertainment president has been reaching out to proven writer-producer hitmakers to add edge to the heartfelt Lifetime brand and broaden the network's appeal.
The effort is taking root in the form of a bolstered slate of series from big prime-time names.

"Whether it's been with the reality shows 'Cheerleader Nation' and 'Gay, Straight or Taken,' or the half-hour comedy 'Lovespring International,' we've attempted, little by little, to change our image, upgrade it, make it feel more contemporary and have a sense of progress," said Ms. Daniels, president of entertainment at Lifetime Entertainment Services.

This summer, Lifetime kicks off major changes with a new block of original prime-time Sunday series: "Side Order of Life," "State of Mind" and "Army Wives." The latter show is scheduled to premiere June 4, the others in July.

By summer's end, ratings will measure whether Ms. Daniels' strategy is a success, but she's projecting confidence. "These shows are a first step in establishing a contemporary Lifetime brand and making people see that Lifetime has more to offer than the Lifetime movies it's always been known for."

One of Ms. Daniels' first actions at Lifetime was to track down the brains behind some of her favorite shows and get into business with them. While at The WB, she earned a reputation for luring writer-producers including Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek") and J.J. Abrams ("Felicity"), whose now-classic series shaped that fledgling network.

"My very first call on my first day here at Lifetime was to Greer Shephard and Michael Robin, because I was a big fan of both 'Nip/Tuck' and 'The Closer.' I took them out to lunch and said, 'What's the one that got away?'" Ms. Daniels said. "I remember they looked at each other and said, 'Yeah. We have one. It's a script we developed several years ago for NBC -- 'State of Mind.'"

They sent Ms. Daniels their script about a therapist dealing with not just her peculiar patients, but her own crumbling marriage. Ms. Daniels—the daughter of a psychologist—loved it.

"I have no ego when it comes to these things," Ms. Daniels said. "'Dawson's Creek' was a busted script from Fox that I saw and loved when I was at The WB. I thought 'State of Mind' was a great script and understood why they were so passionate about it, and I was so happy we were able to get Lili Taylor to play the lead."

"Army Wives" executive producer Mark Gordon, who's also an executive producer on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and CBS' "Criminal Minds," said Ms. Daniels made it clear early on that Lifetime "wanted to do more series."

"Army Wives" was originally developed at ABC, he said. "For whatever reasons, they didn't feel it was right for them. ABC is half-owner in Lifetime, so we took it over there, to their sister company, so to speak, and they fell in love with it," he said.

"Side Order of Life" met a similar fate.

"It got really close at ABC, but ultimately did not get made," says Margaret Nagle, the show's creator-executive producer. The timing was ideal, ABC passed on it about the same time Ms. Daniels joined Lifetime.

"My agent, Sue Naegle, in her foresight, knew Lifetime and Susanne had this mandate to create exciting new TV series, and thought this script that was on the shelf at ABC could be something Susanne would really take a shine to." She did.

"Army Wives" is an ensemble drama starring Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell.

"It's very contemporary and deals with the problems wives—and husbands—have when their spouses are overseas in a war," Mr. Gordon said. "It also deals with the community of these people in a way I don't think we've seen before. It's funny and it's moving. Like any good drama, it has comedy and drama in it, but it's very emotional."

"Side Order of Life," starring relative newcomer Marisa Coughlan, is a quirky dramedy evoking memories of former Lifetime series "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd."

"When I thought about what I wanted to write about, I thought, 'Who's the Ally McBeal for the new millennium? Where's Molly Dodd? Where's my Mary Richards?'" Ms. Nagle said. "I wanted to follow somebody, a girl who's full of hope, that incredible optimism despite everything. Hope is something we can never get enough of."

Narrowing it down to these three series was a challenge for Ms. Daniels.

"As much as I want to bring new viewers into Lifetime, I certainly don't want to alienate our core viewers," she said.

"Army Wives" is an attempt to please core viewers, whereas "Side Order of Life" and "State of Mind" might attract fresh audiences, she said.

Lifetime offers producers free rein creatively, which makes cable's tighter budgets easier to deal with.

"They're great partners," Mr. Gordon said of Lifetime executives. "They have good ideas. They listen. That's all you can really hope for in a network situation—mutual respect and mutual appreciation."

"I feel really lucky to be at the beginning of something," Ms. Nagle said. "It's an incredible opportunity Lifetime is giving us, and the other shows as well. Maybe we're guinea pigs, but that's not such a bad thing to be."

TelevisionWeek is trawling video-sharing Web sites to find the hottest clips spreading on the Internet. Visit TVWeek.com to view the latest.

The setup: Give Miss USA Rachel Smith some credit for mucho composure during the Miss Universe pageant. After slipping and falling on her butt during the evening gown competition, she got right back up, turned on a smile and raised a seductive eyebrow as she struck a pose. She kept her cool during the interview portion, too—even when the crowd in Mexico City jeered her. (Pageant co-owner Donald Trump surmised they were booing the United States, not her.). She finished the interview with a wave, saying, "Buenas noches, Mexico. Muchas gracias," a move that won over some of the audience. That's grace under fire from a gal who was on her rear moments before.

The source: The video clip came from NBC's May 28 broadcast of the Miss Universe pageant.

The hits: The video hit YouTube on May 28 and amassed more than 860,000 views by May 31.

NBC's new creative chief, Ben Silverman, inherits a fall lineup that television advertising buyers say won't turn the network around overnight. The real test for Mr. Silverman, they say, will come next fall.

The fourth-rated network, which lost viewers each of the three years that NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly ran the shop, in 2006 posted flat upfront sales commitments. That lackluster performance followed an $800 million decline in commitments the year before.
"At the end of the day, NBC had to do something," said Jason Maltby, president and co-executive director of national broadcast at MindShare North America. "They had to shake the tree somehow. I don't think their vision was to still be in fourth place."

Enter Mr. Silverman, who was brought on board so quickly he didn't have time to watch all of the pilots Mr. Reilly had set for the fall 2007 schedule. The transition isn't likely to affect the network financially this season, Mr. Maltby said.

"If it costs them anything, it's with somebody who was wavering between being confident about whether or not they had a strong schedule," Mr. Maltby said. "It might cause people to [ask], if NBC doesn't have that much confidence in the schedule, why should I?"

Still, Mr. Silverman's creative successes, which include "The Office" and "Ugly Betty," has given some ad buyers confidence in the new NBC chief.

"Most of the reaction has been pretty positive for Ben Silverman," Mr. Maltby said.

Mr. Maltby said the timing of Mr. Silverman's installation as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and NBC Universal Television Studio may have been awkward, but not unprecedented. He noted ABC installed Steve McPherson as head of programming a month before the 2004 upfronts. That year marked an upswing in the network's fortunes, signaling that management upheaval doesn't necessarily spell difficulty.

"The development is what it is and the schedule is what it is," John Swift, managing director at PHD, said of NBC. "In reality, the first real test for this new regime is going to be next March," when NBC shows ad buyers its program development for the 2008-09 season. He said Mr. Silverman's entrance and Mr. Reilly's departure won't affect the current upfront.

While ratings success hasn't come to NBC as quickly as one would hope, Mr. Swift said the network had begun to establish a reputation for putting better shows on the air.

"I felt really good as a buyer as to the commitment we saw from the previous regime in terms of a quality programming environment for messages," Mr. Swift said. "The thing I think we're all going to be looking for next March is, are we going down the same path or is it going to be something different?"

Shari Anne Brill, VP-programming services for Carat, said she thought most of the new shows in NBC's upfront presentation would be competitive in their time slots.

"I think 'Journeyman' has potential on Monday at 10 p.m. against 'The Bachelor,'" Ms. Brill said. "I think this will match up far better with 'Heroes' than what was there previously."

She also liked "Bionic Woman," but acknowledged that sentiment was not universal.

Mr. Reilly's schedule didn't seem to have any real disasters, she added.

"I can't say there was anything that made me say, 'What were they thinking?' They don't have a 'Caveman,'" Ms. Brill said, referring to the ABC comedy that grew out of a series of commercials for Geico.

She said NBC also avoided efforts like "LAX," "Joey" or "Father of the Pride," some previous NBC failures.

"Kevin was doing a decent job," Ms. Brill said of Mr. Reilly. When network programmers take the job, "you have to deal with the sins of your forefathers."

When he took over in 2004, NBC was headed downhill with aging hits like "Friends" and "ER."

"You don't turn a network around in an hour," Ms. Brill said.

Some shows that NBC canceled this season, such as "Kidnapped," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "The Black Donnellys," weren't bad, just flawed or too nichey, she said.

"I think the shows this year may have somewhat wider appeal," Ms. Brill said.

Joining the roster of television executives moving to digital companies, veteran producer Peter Schankowitz is spearheading online video venture VideoJug.

Based on a successful U.K. site with the same name, VideoJug features 15,000 nonfiction short films on subjects ranging from how to change a tire to what cancer patients can expect during chemotherapy.
"It's the definitive encyclopedia for life," said Mr. Schankowitz, its CEO and executive producer, who left his position as president of worldwide development at Vin Di Bona Productions to join the company in January. "We want to become the one-stop repository for all online video."

VideoJug is among the companies rushing to produce Web video as marketers' demand for advertising opportunities connected to Web video outstrips supply.

Unlike user-generated depositories such as YouTube, almost all VideoJug content is produced by the company and shot in high-definition. Most of the videos are how-to topics taught by experts. Current popular titles include "How to Eat Sushi," "How to Fold a Shirt in 2 Seconds" and "How to Undo Her Bra With One Hand." The site also features more serious topics, such as prominent physicians giving advice about treating various ailments.

The videos can be viewed online or downloaded to portable devices such as mobile phones and iPods.

Mr. Schankowitz hopes the site's professionally produced videos will attract advertisers who are put off by the mish-mash of amateur content elsewhere.

"I don't know how you monetize a guy playing with his foot, but if you're a bank and you have your ad on a mortgage advice video, you're probably being seen by somebody who's in the market for a mortgage," he said.

Mr. Schankowitz joins former television executives such as Herb Scannell, Andrew Heyward, Lloyd Braun and Jordan Levin who have joined or lent their names to online ventures. Mr. Schankowitz said he has found growing an online business more rewarding than "banging on the door of MTV to sell another dating show."

"We could really impact people's lives for the better," he said.

The U.S. site was launched with $30 million in financing raised in the U.K. In the past three months, the Los Angeles office has grown from two employees to 50 as the group has worked overtime to produce 11,000 new videos.

The player: Ted Briscoe, CEO of Vibe Solutions, parent company of video service Pyro.TV

The play: Vibe Solutions recently introduced Pyro.TV, a site that organizes, aggregates and syndicates Web video. Online video creators can pair up with Pyro.TV via its publishers program, which provides additional distribution for videos as well as the tools to track consumer viewing habits. "We aggregate Internet video and organize it into channels and provide management service for the publishers of the content and distribute it back out," Mr. Briscoe said. Pyro.TV organizes channels for its site, but also lets users customize video channels from a range of Web sources. Vibe Solutions provides rich-media tools to consumers.
The pitch: Pyro.TV is operating in a sector of the Web video business that's growing quickly-the organization of online video. As online video proliferates, it becomes harder to sift through it, heightening the need for services such as Pyro.TV. "We think TV online will be more like a channel experience than a passive experience," Mr. Briscoe said.

In the mix: Pyro.TV features Web video on its site and also syndicates content to broadband service providers for their online destinations. In its library, Pyro.TV features content from programmers including NBC, ABC, CBS, VH1, MTV and others. "For publishers, it's giving them an opportunity to get greater distribution and make money on their content, rather than just throwing it into a video-clip sharing site," Mr. Briscoe said.

The money guys: Vibe Solutions launched Pyro.TV in late March. Vibe Solutions started in 2005 and secured $4.8 million in funding from Highland Capital and ComVentures in 2006. Pyro.TV plans to make money by splitting advertising revenue from video ads with its publishing partners when it introduces the promotional spots in the fall.

The competition: Pyro.TV competes with online syndicators such as Brightcove, online video guides and video search sites such as ClipBlast.

Background: Mr. Briscoe was born and raised in Little Rock, Ark. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., and landed a job at IBM after graduation. He worked at iOmega and Apple and was president and chief operating officer of Ask Jeeves. The 44-year-old has three children and lives in St. Louis.

Who knew: When Mr. Briscoe was in college, he painted Bill Clinton's garage in between his gubernatorial stints. "He would come out every morning while he had his coffee and talk. He was a talker," Mr. Briscoe said.

Random observations and opinions from the CBS affiliates convention last week in Las Vegas:

CBS Interactive President Quincy Smith, CBS Corp.'s fast-rising, fast-talking new-media star, may finally be the casually dressed, running-shoe'd dude who can get the network and its affiliates on the road to digital partnerships.

The CBS affiliates futures committee already is set to meet with Mr. Smith, who works without a teleprompter -- not to mention without a pause for breath.

CBS should get T-shirts printed up that say "I only understood about 1/3 of what you said up there. But it sounded good."

The percentage changed from person to person, but that inevitably summed up the reaction from affiliates and network executives alike in Las Vegas.

Gil Schwartz's snapshot from his perspective as exec VP of corporate communications for CBS Corp. is an annual must-see.

In the past he's played such characters as Rocky, a Johnny Carson-like swami and Johnny Cash.

This year, he turned Las Vegas lounge lizard, to warble droll verses about what's happening at CBS.

The Insider's favorites included an ode to Jennifer Love Hewitt, whose "Ghost Whisperer" will be paired with the vampire love story "Moonlight" come fall.

Cue the melody for "Witchcraft."

"Who sees what isn't there, in flimsy underwear/that makes us stop and stare/it's Jennifer Love Hewitt," he sang.

For the hurting fans of the canceled "Jericho," Mr. Schwartz had this ditty (to the tune of "I'm Sorry"):

"We're sorry, oh oh ... that we canceled ... Jericho!/You've sent us millions of nuts, it's really a pain in our butts/But it would have been better if you got together/Before the big upfronts in May/When development season gave reason to send you away/ And made you as righteously pissed off as you are today."

The niche affiliates audience got a kick out of "Pennies From Retrans" (you can guess the tune):

"Every time it rains, it rains pennies from retrans./Don't you know each cloud contains many pennies from retrans./Though now it's just a trickle, just tell yourselves.../It should be a tsunami by 2012..."

He even put the aforementioned Mr. Smith to music, to the tune of "That's Why the Lady Is a Tramp":

"He doesn't tremble when Google gets rude/He'll talk for hours when he's in the mood/He's charming and alarming and calls Les Moonves 'Dude'/That's why our Quincy is a champ/He don't like newbies or boomers or droids/Linear thinking is what he avoids/Sitting still for too long gives him hemorrhoids/That's why our Quincy is a champ."

See for yourself:

Where's Mr. Smith when we need him?

Mr. Schwartz also is at least two-thirds of the way to qualifying as patron saint for gamblers. The Insider testified to his power as a good-luck charm last January at NATPE when she won $600 on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine after an encounter with Mr. Schwartz.

She gave him a noogie in hopes of keeping her win-streak alive, but then didn't have time for even a brief spin before leaving Las Vegas last week.

But it appears a little bit of Schwartz kibitzing may have helped "CBS Evening News" executive producer Rick Kaplan pick up $1,000 at roulette, which he joked "is a skill game." He bet on numbers that included his and his two daughters' birthdates, and Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks' jersey number, 14. He also got a couple of "how ya doin's" from Mr. Schwartz.

When the nominations for the 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards are announced July 19, will we see the usual suspects garnering all the recognition or is this the year the newcomers break through and dominate the news?

"It's hard to say, because the Emmys are always so full of surprises," said Michael Ausiello, columnist for TV Guide. "Last year was such a departure from previous years, when you saw an actor like Christopher Meloni from 'Law & Order: SVU' get a nomination from out of left field. And then 'Desperate Housewives' got shut out, which was a big surprise.

"But I think the surprises this year might be the newcomers getting recognized. New blood. Shows like 'Ugly Betty' and '30 Rock.'"

If surprises are in order for the Primetime Emmy nominations, one of the biggest may be Fox's hit drama "24" being shut out. "I predict that last year's winner, '24,' will not be among the nominees," said Wesley Hyatt, author of "Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948-2004." "There is a definite backlash to serialized dramas in general this year, and this one took its fair share of lumps as being a letdown from last year."

"This will be a really good test to see how closely Emmy voters pay attention to what is actually going on on TV," said Mr. Ausiello, agreeing with Mr. Hyatt. "'24,' in my opinion, shouldn't get any nominations this year. It doesn't deserve it. Last year, it deserved to win. Kiefer [Sutherland] deserved to win for best actor. He was on the top of his game. But this was probably the weakest season yet for '24.' I don't think it's going to get any nominations."

Part of the problem facing Emmy voters may be the volume of excellent programs to honor with nominations. Goldderby.com lists more than a dozen dramas that could vie for the drama series Emmy this year: "Boston Legal," "Brothers and Sisters," "The Closer," "Deadwood," "Dexter," "Grey's Anatomy," "Heroes," "House," "Law & Order: SVU," "Lost," "Medium," "Rescue Me," "The Riches," "The Shield," "The Sopranos," "The Tudors" and the aforementioned "24." Highest-rated on the Web site is the Peabody Award-winning NBC newcomer "Friday Night Lights."

"My main expectation and hope is that 'Friday Night Lights' sneaks in," said Mr. Ausiello. "That's a show that to me is producing some of the best TV anywhere, but it's low-rated. I always root for the shows that I have a feeling aren't going to get recognized. It's not a blockbuster by any means and it's a new show.

"The Emmys, traditionally, take a few years to catch up and recognize those newer shows, but I'm really pulling for it, and [for] Kyle Chandler, who I think has given the performance of the year as the coach, [and] also Connie Britton, who plays his wife."

Three of the most talked-about shows from the past year have been NBC's comic book success "Heroes" and two former drama series winners, "Lost" and "The Sopranos." How will they fare in the nominations?

"'Heroes' is a lock for Masi Oka as supporting actor, but shows like this with very large casts generally wind up with fewer nominations than you would think. I do believe it will get a drama series nomination," said Mr. Hyatt. "However, it is a drama with fantasy elements, which rarely does well with Emmy voters. 'Lost' in 2005 was the only time a show in the genre won."

"Because it's so unique and so different, I can see the Emmys giving 'Heroes' a best show nomination. It's a very well-produced show," said Mr. Ausiello. "They could get writing and directing nominations as well. But I think 'Lost' has been much better than people have made it out to be. ... Yes, the ratings have been down, but creatively 'Lost' is as strong, if not stronger, than ever. The two-hour finale may be some of the best television I have ever seen."

"Nominations for writing and directing look certain, as well as a few for actors, like Matthew Fox and Terry O'Quinn," said Mr. Hyatt. "And as disappointing as the show could be at times this season, when 'Lost' is great, there are few shows on TV that can match it, and I think Emmy voters will be more likely to give it a shot."

For HBO, this year marks the end of "The Sopranos," a perennial Emmy favorite. Will Emmy shower the show with a plethora of nominations? "I think it will probably win drama series, and its reputation as one of the greatest TV series remains intact," said Mr. Hyatt. "The other likely competition are shows that have been on the air only a couple of years at most ("House," "Grey's Anatomy," "Brothers and Sisters," "Heroes"), giving it an edge in seniority that often works with Emmy voters. Also, lead actor James Gandolfini, lead actress Edie Falco and, if she is listed as supporting, Lorraine Bracco are likely nominees."

Mr. Ausiello concurs. "You can expect 'The Sopranos' to do pretty well," he said. "The tough part for them has been turning the nominations into wins as far as the show goes. The actors have won a lot, but the show has only won once. I really don't believe that the Emmys will give the show an award just because this is the last season. It'll come down to the work."

Come nomination day, one thing for sure is that there'll be some head scratchers, like "House" getting a drama series nomination last year when its star, Hugh Laurie, was overlooked.

"The Emmys will always have a couple of embarrassing nominations if not wins, like last year, with Ellen Burstyn's 11-second, two-line role in the TV movie 'Mrs. Harris' getting a supporting actress in a movie or miniseries nod," said Mr. Hyatt.

"Hugh Laurie is a slam-dunk for a nomination. He'll sneak back in there this year," said Mr. Ausiello. "Still, the Emmys always frustrate me. I remember last year I didn't understand how a show like 'The Shield' got completely shut out, which I think is one of the best shows on TV. But I always go into it optimistically. The real gauge for me this year is if 'Friday Night Lights' puts up a good showing."

In anticipation of the 2007 Emmy nominations for drama series, cable shows are getting the buzz this year, from the hotly anticipated final season of "The Sopranos" to FX newcomer "The Riches."

"Cable shows are the ones that tend to be the most unique," said Bill Carroll, VP and director of programming at Katz Television. "What they bring to the table is an ability to explore without having the concerns of commercial restraints that the networks have. The cable shows tend to be, for lack of a better word, more adult."

"The Sopranos," which made its final comeback this year after an 18-month hiatus, has already accumulated a huge number of awards. But insiders are divided in their opinion as to whether this Emmy season will cap the HBO show's illustrious run. Brad Adgate, senior VP of research at Horizon Media, said Emmy voters could tap "The Sopranos" in recognition of its end.

Mr. Carroll agreed. "You have to assume that in the final year, 'The Sopranos' will get a nomination," he said. "That's almost a given. You get the nod that last year as a salute or sendoff."

But showbiz expert Bill Tush, retired CNN senior entertainment correspondent, thinks otherwise. "'The Sopranos' this year will be overlooked," he said. "I still feel that it is an entertaining show to watch, but they've gotten awards for so many years."

Mr. Carroll was bullish on "The Riches," starring Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard, which centers around a clan of crooks who assume the identities of an upper-middle-class family. "Usually there is one nomination that falls into the area of the new, edgier kind of show," he said. "And 'The Riches' falls into that category."

"The Shield" is an FX network favorite for Mr. Adgate. "It defines the network," he said. "It's always good for some industry recognition."

Jill Rosengard Hill, vice president at Frank N. Magid Associates, pointed to Showtime's "The Tudors" as "the only strong new cable show that might be considered for best drama."

Other industry experts see TNT's "The Closer" as a sure thing. "It's unbelievably hot," said Mr. Tush.

Other cable shows mentioned as possibilities include FX's "Nip/Tuck," which won a 2005 Golden Globe Award for TV series-drama, the ever-popular "Rescue Me" and, more of a long shot, HBO's "Big Love," which garnered a 2007 Golden Globe nomination for TV series-drama.

Despite the proliferation of cable shows in the top picks, a handful of network shows are strong contenders. Industry experts were unanimous in pointing to Fox's "House" as a shoo-in.

"'House' is very critically acclaimed," said Mr. Adgate. "It's become a real destination program for a lot of people, and ratings are way up."

Mr. Tush agreed. "'House' is fantastic," he said. The quirky medical drama, which has garnered a long list of awards for lead actor Hugh Laurie, was nominated for a 2006 Emmy as outstanding drama series.

Other medical dramas include ensemble shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "ER." Insiders believe that "ER" will be passed up, with the sole possibility of Forest Whitaker grabbing a nomination as guest actor, drama.

"Grey's Anatomy" is another story. "I don't think they'll ignore it, given its success," said Mr. Carroll.

A newcomer that's high on everyone's list is ABC's "Brothers and Sisters," an ensemble focusing on the interactions of adult siblings. "It is a compelling, relevant, fun show to watch," said Ms. Rosengard Hill. "I don't think it's as smart as '24' or 'The West Wing,' but I think it has mass appeal."

Another newcomer, NBC's "Friday Night Lights," hasn't excelled in the ratings, but it comes in strong on critical acclaim.

NBC's "Heroes," which got a Golden Globe nomination, may also get a nod, although some experts point out that sci-fi shows usually are ignored by Emmy voters.

"I think 'Battlestar Galatica' will get cold-shouldered," said Ms. Rosengard Hill. "But 'Heroes' has mass appeal."

The year is notable for the shows that industry experts believe will be ignored, including any of the "Law & Order" series; the once-hot "24," which many critics found to be less than original; and "Lost."

"'Lost' is ... lost," said Mr. Tush. "I think people got tired of watching where everyone came from and where they were going."

Even the popular "CSI" franchise didn't light a fire under our critics, except for a lone voice of approval. "'CSI: Miami' will be nominated," said Mr. Tush, pointing to lead actor David Caruso's successful comeback.

One of the toughest tasks of this year's Emmy nominating committee will be simply to be aware of and watch all the TV drama series. "There used to be three networks and maybe six dramas," said Mr. Tush. "Today, even the Emmy voters probably don't know what to vote on, because I guarantee you they don't know all that's out there."

At a Glance

Leading Contender

The Sopranos (HBO)

Other Likely Nominees

House (Fox)

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

The Closer (TNT)

The Shield (FX)

Hot Newcomers

Heroes (NBC)

Friday Night Lights (NBC)

Brothers and Sisters (ABC)

The Riches (FX)

The Tudors (Showtime)

Deserves a Nomination But Won't Get One: Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)