Complete Coverage: NAB Show 2013
As it has been at the other affiliate board meetings, live
streaming of network content took up a chunk of the NBC affiliates board
meeting in Las Vegas.
Jordan
Wertlieb, chairman of the board, called the TV Everywhere initiative a
"work in progress." He would not share details, but said both parties
are going about it aggressively, and in good faith. "The network
recognizes the important part the affiliates bring to the table," he said.
The network and the affiliates are also working out a mobile television
framework; Wertlieb stressed that live streaming and mobile TV are not mutually
exclusive. Both efforts show the broadcasters' desire to be there for users at
all times, on all platforms.
NBC Broadcasting Chairman Ted Harbert and Jean Dietze, executive VP of
affiliate relations at NBC, addressed the board, which includes Dave Lougee of
Gannett, Jim Yager of Barrington and Vince Sadusky of LIN,
among others. Gordon Smith, president and CEO of the NAB,
made an appearance, while Steve Lanzano, president and CEO of the trade
association TVB, spoke on ratings measurement and the merits of live plus same
day ratings in the marketplace.
The network reps updated the board on primetime, which sparkled on the backs of
The Voice and Sunday Night Football in the fall, but promptly slid to the bottom
when those series wrapped for the season. NBC is bullish on its new Michael J.
Fox program, and shared clips with the affiliates board, which Wertlieb said
went over well. The board is hopeful for some hits. "NBC is very pragmatic
[about primetime]," he said. "They know our expectations and we have
confidence in the leadership team. I think we're on our way."
Hot network topics such as Today's
prolonged slump and the pending host switch at Tonight Show did not get substantial play in the meeting. Since NAB
is a technology show, said Wertlieb, tech topics dominated the meeting.
"We're all on the same page," he said.
