Complete Coverage:NAB Show 2013
CBS This Morning
is hardly set to overtake Good Morning
America or Today, but the
affiliates like where the network show is heading, and shared this enthusiasm
with network reps at the affiliates board meeting in Las Vegas April 9.
Chris Cornelius, chairman of the CBS affiliates board, said
enthusiasm among the board in Vegas regarding the long underperforming morning
show was higher than it's been in years. "We've got a wonderful advantage
in that we do [hard] news in the morning," he said.
ABC and NBC are poaching viewers from each other, he added,
while CBS is attracting viewers seeking something more substantial in the a.m.
The morning show was also a focus of last year's affiliates
board meeting, when then-chairman Wayne Daugherty acknowledged that the network
was basically building CBS This Morning
from scratch.
CBS News president David Rhodes addressed the affiliates
board on the latest from the network news department, as well as developments
within the CBS Newspath arrangement the network and the affiliates share.
"We're looking at how we can improve efficiency and delivery and
quality," said Cornelius, president/COO of Barrington Broadcasting.
"It's essential to all our newsrooms."
Diana Wilkin, president of affiliate relations, spoke to the
board, as did Gordon Smith, president and CEO of the NAB. Steve Lanzano,
president and CEO of the trade association TVB, spoke on the merits of live
plus same day ratings, and of working with Nielsen to deliver more accurate
measurement.
While live streaming is an increasingly hot topic among
other networks and their affiliates, Cornelius said it did not come up at the
CBS meeting.
With CBS's primetime continuing to thrive, complaints among
affiliates are minimal.
"All in all, there's work to do ahead of
the May [upfront] meeting," said Cornelius. "We're working hard with
the network to make sure we accomplish it."
