| EVENT REPORT 09.10.09 12:46 PM |
|
Fox's Glee Premiere Is Kitschy Schoolyard Party, Bake Sale and Lunch Lady Included
|
 | A mock glee club car wash at Fox's Glee party
Photo: Kimberly Sue, Fox Broadcasting Company |
|
FROM LOS ANGELES
Fox's new series Glee concerns the ins and outs of daily life at a high school—so a themey screening and party at the Willows Community School in Culver City was in order to kick off the show's first season, which the network has aggressively marketed all summer long in anticipation of the premiere. Fox vice president of special events Tomiko Iwata oversaw the event, tapping Sequoia Productions to produce it.
The screening of an episode of Glee—which had the audience roaring with laughter at times—took place in the school's gym, where pom-poms sat on chairs and hand-painted posters with messages like "Fight, fight, fight" lined the walls. A squad of cheerleaders in outfits with Glee logos kicked off the screening with chants about the network and the show.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Fox, Glee, Chevy |
 |
| EVENT REPORT 05.19.09 3:50 PM |
|
Upfront Report Card: Solid Presentation and Ample Buffets Earn Fox a B
|
 | More than 2,000 guests hit Fox's upfront reception
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
|
It's Upfront Week—the television networks' annual series of sales pitches—and we're asking media buyers in attendance to grade the presentations and parties. Here's our first report.
Taking advantage of NBC’s decision to vacate its Monday night spot during Upfront Week, Fox moved its presentation up three days this year from its traditional Thursday slot. That move meant the network escaped fears that guests might skip the bash to leave town early for the long Memorial Day weekend, but it also halted the party's run as the end-of-the-week place to let off steam.
A crowd of more than 2,000 made the trip from Fox's presentation at the City Center to its Wollman Rink reception last night, where they posed for photos with network stars including Eliza Dushku, Kiefer Sutherland, and Wanda Sykes; grazed on ample buffets of sushi, pizza, and Mexican fare; and talked about an unusual smell that seemed to be lingering in the tent.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Upfront Week, Upfronts, Fox, NBC |
|
| NEWS 04.30.09 3:14 PM |
|
Upfront Update: Who's Doing What During the TV Networks' Big Sales Week
|
 | The 2008 Fox upfront party
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
|
Cable upfront presentations have been under way since mid-March, but May heralds the arrival of the network presentations, with their heavy delegations of out-of-town media buyers and—when it suits them—some fairly elaborate parties. Upfront Week itself is little more than two weeks off, starting with Fox on Monday, May 18, and concluding Thursday, May 21, with the CW. Although events look to be subdued once again, they’re looking up from 2008.
Last year NBC sent the already W.G.A. strike-addled upfront schedule into a tizzy by abandoning its long-established Monday presentation and opting for a series of meetings in early April. Sort of sticking to its guns, the network is still meeting with buyers early, but not as early as last year. After a small pitch at this year’s Super Bowl, NBC’s big sell takes place next week in its 30 Rockefeller headquarters, with a series of meetings and conference calls on May 4.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Upfronts, Upfront Week, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW, ESPN, Turner Entertianment, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim |
|
 |
|
| NEWS 11.04.08 1:33 PM |
|
Networks Bank on Big Election Night With Outdoor Broadcasts
|
Over the past two decades, election coverage on the major television networks has gradually moved from the newsroom to street-side studios and open-air stages. This year proves to be a culmination of sorts, with ABC, Fox News, and NBC all making a big push to incorporate the streets and people of New York into their national broadcasts.
ABC News takes over Good Morning America’s Times Square headquarters this evening, with reporters stationed outside, interacting with the public. In addition to using its own marquee screen above the studio, the network rented electronic signs from Reuters, Nasdaq, and the Hard Rock Cafe to broadcast live feeds of its coverage.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Election '08, Barack Obama, John McCain, ABC, ABC News, NBC, CBS, CBS News, Fox, Fox News |
|
| EVENT REPORT 05.16.08 5:54 PM |
|
Everyone at the Fox Upfront Party Thinks They Can Dance
|
 | Cover band Boogie Nights incited the Fox crowd.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
|
A long week of presentations and schmoozing culminated with last night's Fox upfront party at Central Park’s Wollman Rink. The current ratings winner brought in talent like David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel, Eliza Dushku, Paula Abdul, and about a half dozen So You Think You Can Dance contestants to meet and greet the extremely excitable 2,000-person crowd.
The 2008 Upfront Week ended up being a lot less different than most expected, but Fox staffers maintained from the start of their planning that they would not deviate from tradition. Vice president of special events Tomiko Iwata brought back the team at Angel City Designs, headed by president Mark Yumkas, to stage what many refer to as the wildest of the upfront parties.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Upfronts, Upfront Week, Fox |
|
| NEWS 05.16.08 5:25 PM |
|
Media Buyers' Diaries: Fox Closes Out Upfront Week, Time to Rest
|
 | | A cell-phone pic from the Fox party |
|
Upfront Week came to a close last night with Fox's annual drink-fest at Wollman Rink, held under a clear-ceilinged tent where some 2,000 TV execs came together to let off some much-needed steam after a long week of schmoozing. Our media buyer correspondents were no exception, dancing at Fox and networking at the Tribune party. Here's what they had to say.
"Alex P. Keaton," a 28-year-old supervisor in the broadcast department at Wieden Kennedy, caught Fox's presentation at City Center and stopped by the Wollman Rink party.
"Fox closed out the week with some promising new shows and another great party. It was noted that this past year was a challenge due to the writers strike, but Fox had a strong year even if you take out the ratings from the Super Bowl and American Idol. Very impressive.
"Luckily we had great weather as everyone strolled through Central Park for one last party. The setup was much improved this year, with what seemed like more bartenders and better locations for the serving stations. The food was really good, and just in case your nonalcoholic beverage of choice happened to be anything but Tab and Orangina, you were in luck. Fox rolls out the same band every year, and they did a nice job of keeping everyone's feet moving. A great night and strong finish to a busy week. Time for rest."
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Upfronts, Upfront Week, Media Buyers' Diaries, Fox |
|
|
|
|
| NEWS 05.13.08 2:21 PM |
|
Media Buyers' Diaries: NBC's Presentation Is Cool, But Not Educational
|
 | | A cell-phone photo of one media buyer posing with an American Gladiator |
|
With all the discussion around this year's upfronts—how are they different? are they extinct?—we've decided to get direct reactions from the week's target audience: media buyers. We found several buyers from different agencies, with varying job levels, who agreed to check in with us throughout the week and share their honest opinions of the previous day's events. Two of them stopped by the NBC Universal presentation yesterday. (They want to stay anonymous, so our buyers are going by names from their favorite TV shows.)
"Rudy Huxtable" is a 28-year-old broadcast department supervisor at Optimedia International US Inc., a subsidiary of the Publicis Groupe, where she has worked for the past two years. A six-year industry veteran, Huxtable represents a variety of clients, including one multimillion-dollar "big fish." This is her fifth year at the upfronts.
"We got to 30 Rock at 5:30 yesterday, and it was a little confusing at first because there were no signs of where to go. But then a security guard directed us up to the mezzanine level, which is where the tour started. I was definitely confused at first. It was totally sensory overload, with fun-house decor, tons of TVs, mirrors, and really loud noises.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Upfront Week, Upfronts, Media Buyers' Diaries, NBC, Heroes, The Office, American Gladiators, Saturday Night Live, SciFi Channel, Top Chef, Super Bowl, The Real Houswives of New York, MTV, Tonight Show, ABC, CBS, Fox |
|
| NEWS 05.08.08 6:41 PM |
|
TV Upfronts Schedule Takes Shape With Notable Lack of Parties
|
 | Fox's 2007 party
Photo: Mark Yumkas |
|
The upfronts are proving to be a hotter topic than usual this year, though most of the attention is focused on the presentations’ departure from tradition and not the content they plan to unveil. As we reported last week, there just aren’t as many pilots to announce in the wake of the writers strike.
The New York Times Magazine went so far as to call the upfront concept “kind of dumb” this past Sunday. Columnist Virginia Heffernan wrote, “They are overblown tributes to a bygone style of salesmanship, and from the point of view of advertisers, they are almost pointless.... Today, when media buyers can screen shows online and study a network’s demographics and ad platforms, the upfronts function chiefly as an ostentatious corporate week on the town.” Networks might be noticing this themselves, because this year’s schedule is even more pared down than previously expected. Here's a rundown of the week.
Monday, May 12: “The NBC Universal Experience,” which is rumored to be anything from a quiet branding initiative to an actual carnival, finally reveals itself at 30 Rockefeller Center throughout the afternoon. A limited number of media buyers are invited to the presentations that will take place in small groups and not one large event. A reception at Rockefeller Plaza’s Rink Bar will follow.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Upfronts, Upfront Week, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW, NBC Universal, MTV Networks |
|
| NEWS 04.30.08 4:05 PM |
|
Scaled-Back TV Upfronts Go On With Fewer Stars, Programming Details
|
 | The Ugly Betty cast at last year's ABC upfront
Photo: ABC/Donna Svennevik |
|
The WGA strike put a kink in the TV networks’ plans for a traditional Upfront Week, but all five of the major players are going ahead with some sort of event during the week of May 12. Variety reported yesterday that this year’s festivities will be largely symbolic, with many executives and talent staying behind in Los Angeles to work on the pilots that haven’t yet been produced.
Variety cited industry insiders who think this year’s efforts are “smaller,” “slim pickings,” and “a shame.” This is all a far cry from the upfronts of yore, or even last year, when the cast of Ugly Betty opened the ABC presentation with a musical number.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
Upfronts, Upfront Week, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW, NBC Universal |
|
| NEWS 03.18.08 1:14 PM |
|
Billboard Music Awards Profanity Case Headed to Supreme Court
|
In a decision that surprised many, the U.S. Supreme Court announced yesterday that it will hear arguments in the F.C.C.'s "fleeting expletive" case against Fox Broadcasting Company. The decision marks the first time the Supreme Court will hear a broadcast indecency case since 1978.
According to Variety, fleeting expletives are "single instances of certain profanities, uttered usually in live settings." Back in March 2006, the F.C.C. ruled that Fox had violated the organization's decency rules twice in recent years, including a comment by Cher during the 2002 Billboard Music Awards and a comment by Nicole Ritchie during the 2003 awards.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
F.C.C., Supreme Court, Fox, Billboard, Billboard Music Awards |
|
|
