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CNN Live At Daybreak
Prime Time Dollars
Aired May 23, 2003 - 06:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time for a little business buzz right now. The upcoming fall TV season is shaping up as a major moneymaker. That's music to the ears of everyone who works in television.
Live to Susan Lisovicz in New York for more on that.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol.
You know last week the broadcast networks presented these big lavish shows. They fly in their -- you know some of their biggest stars to places like Radio City and Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. And what they try to do is seduce the advertising community to commit up front money for the upcoming fall season.
Well now we're starting to count the money, which is a pretty good forecast of what some of the nation's biggest companies think will happen in the next year or so. And it looks like it's pretty rosy because the forecasts are that the advertising community will spend over $9 billion in broadcast television for the fall season. That would be a record, a substantial increase from last year.
Now next year the fall season is expected -- was expected to be pretty good anyway, because it carries into 2004. That includes both the Olympics as well as a presidential election year. And you can count on a lot of political advertising as well as a lot of advertising overall. But so far the signs are very good, and we all like that because the cable networks go next -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, that's why I was so happy to hear.
LISOVICZ: We'll see if there is any money left over.
COSTELLO: Exactly. So which network, though, had the best sales?
LISOVICZ: Well no surprise there, it's the No. 1 network in prime time, it's NBC. Expected to get about $3 billion in sales. It has the highest ratings for that coveted viewership of 18 to 34. CBS is second with an estimated $2.2 billion and ABC is third, about $1.6 billion.
Carol, real interesting little tidbit is that last week ABC flew in members of "The Practice." You know the stars from "The Practice." And then a few days later, half of the principals were fired for creative and economic realities.
COSTELLO: Well weren't they...
LISOVICZ: You kind of don't see that happen very often.
COSTELLO: No, but weren't they rehired or something?
LISOVICZ: Well they were there -- you know one would think that the cast would be returning. The show hadn't been doing that well when the time slot was changed, but then a few days later, after they flew back to Los Angeles, they got a different kind of...
COSTELLO: Yes.
LISOVICZ: ... notice from David Kelley the creator.
COSTELLO: It's just like a soap opera.
Hey, I hear that you're doing some weekend duties this week so tell us about them.
LISOVICZ: I just can't -- I just can't get enough, Carol. It's "In The Money" with Jack Cafferty and gang, and I'm part of the gang. And we talk about all sorts of interesting subjects, everything from the tax cuts, which you were just talking about, the Middle East peace situation, stock of the week and you know, it's a lot of laughs, a lot of fun.
COSTELLO: So what time is it on?
LISOVICZ: One o'clock on Saturday and 3:00 on Sunday.
COSTELLO: You mean you argue with Jack Cafferty.
LISOVICZ: No, I try to mediate, actually.
COSTELLO: Yes, that's true.
Thank you, Susan, we'll get back to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 23, 2003 - 06:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time for a little business buzz right now. The upcoming fall TV season is shaping up as a major moneymaker. That's music to the ears of everyone who works in television.
Live to Susan Lisovicz in New York for more on that.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol.
You know last week the broadcast networks presented these big lavish shows. They fly in their -- you know some of their biggest stars to places like Radio City and Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. And what they try to do is seduce the advertising community to commit up front money for the upcoming fall season.
Well now we're starting to count the money, which is a pretty good forecast of what some of the nation's biggest companies think will happen in the next year or so. And it looks like it's pretty rosy because the forecasts are that the advertising community will spend over $9 billion in broadcast television for the fall season. That would be a record, a substantial increase from last year.
Now next year the fall season is expected -- was expected to be pretty good anyway, because it carries into 2004. That includes both the Olympics as well as a presidential election year. And you can count on a lot of political advertising as well as a lot of advertising overall. But so far the signs are very good, and we all like that because the cable networks go next -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, that's why I was so happy to hear.
LISOVICZ: We'll see if there is any money left over.
COSTELLO: Exactly. So which network, though, had the best sales?
LISOVICZ: Well no surprise there, it's the No. 1 network in prime time, it's NBC. Expected to get about $3 billion in sales. It has the highest ratings for that coveted viewership of 18 to 34. CBS is second with an estimated $2.2 billion and ABC is third, about $1.6 billion.
Carol, real interesting little tidbit is that last week ABC flew in members of "The Practice." You know the stars from "The Practice." And then a few days later, half of the principals were fired for creative and economic realities.
COSTELLO: Well weren't they...
LISOVICZ: You kind of don't see that happen very often.
COSTELLO: No, but weren't they rehired or something?
LISOVICZ: Well they were there -- you know one would think that the cast would be returning. The show hadn't been doing that well when the time slot was changed, but then a few days later, after they flew back to Los Angeles, they got a different kind of...
COSTELLO: Yes.
LISOVICZ: ... notice from David Kelley the creator.
COSTELLO: It's just like a soap opera.
Hey, I hear that you're doing some weekend duties this week so tell us about them.
LISOVICZ: I just can't -- I just can't get enough, Carol. It's "In The Money" with Jack Cafferty and gang, and I'm part of the gang. And we talk about all sorts of interesting subjects, everything from the tax cuts, which you were just talking about, the Middle East peace situation, stock of the week and you know, it's a lot of laughs, a lot of fun.
COSTELLO: So what time is it on?
LISOVICZ: One o'clock on Saturday and 3:00 on Sunday.
COSTELLO: You mean you argue with Jack Cafferty.
LISOVICZ: No, I try to mediate, actually.
COSTELLO: Yes, that's true.
Thank you, Susan, we'll get back to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
