Sony Pictures Television President Steve Mosko confirms that Sony will again have a major presence at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, and will use the show to unveil a new set for iconic game show, Jeopardy.
Mosko, speaking at a CES press preview event in New York, said 11 episodes will be shot live-to-tape on the floor of the CES show in a customized 16,000-square-foot stage next to the Sony booth. The set will accommodate 600 audience members.
Mosko also said Sony will highlight a new, interactive gaming application develped with Airplay called "Play Jeopardy Live."
For the past few years, CEA has been pursuing major programmers, studios and cable companies to take a larger role in CES, which has traditionally been a tech-focused showcase for HDTV sets and other electronic gadgets. That effort paid off last year when SPT and NBC Universal decided to become show floor exhibitors.
Mosko also said that Dr. Oz, star of the eponymous show from Harpo Productions that is distributed by SPT, will be making appearances at the Sony booth, and that SPT ad sales people will be attending the show following their successful trip to CES last year.
"Last year was a huge win for Sony as a company," said Mosko.
George Kliavkoff, NBC Universal's outgoing chief digital officer, also highlighted the large booth that NBC Universal will have at CES this year. NBC will once again broadcast live from the show as CES' "official broadcast partner."
Some 9,000 executives from the broadcast and entertainment industries attended the 2008 CES show last year, said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of show organizer the Consumer Electronics Association. To build on the growing role of content companies at the show, CES 2009 will include the Global Media Awards, a program jointly produced by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and CEA and focusing on technology and content programming. The awards program is slated for day one of the show, Thursday, Jan. 8, at The Venetian.
The Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards will also be held at CES for the third year in a row, honoring achievements in two areas: Science & Technology for Television and Advanced Media Technology. Honorees will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, January 7.
