The Return of My Annual Fall TV Network Presidents Survey

It’s the return of my annual Fall TV Network Presidents survey! I asked 18 programmers — from Netflix, ABC/Hulu, NBC, CBS, Fox, The CW, TBS/TNT/TruTV, HBO/HBO Max, Showtime, FX, A+E, Freeform, AMC, Discovery, Paramount Plus, Epix all included — the think that irks them the most about the biz; what show they’d steal from a rival; their potential sleeper hit; their pandemic hobby and more. See all answers here.

And we got 13 of them on to this chart, which ran in the most recent issue of Variety. Click to make it larger:

CBS Considers Selling its Radford Lot in Studio City, Potentially Another End of an Era

ViacomCBS’ sell-off of its iconic real estate properties may next include the CBS Studio Center, popularly known as the “CBS Radford lot,” in Studio City. In a memo to staffers, CBS CEO George Cheeks confirmed that it had hired commercial real estate firm JLL to explore a potential sale of the Radford campus.

The news comes following last week’s sale of CBS’ iconic New York headquarters, the Black Rock skyscraper, for $760 million to real estate investment firm Harbor Group International. In Los Angeles, CBS Corp. sold its similarly iconic Television City property in the Fairfax district to real estate investment company Hackman Capital Partners for $750 million in 2018.

CBS’ entertainment division had long been based out of Television City, but moved to the Radford lot in 2008. KCBS, which had been based at Columbia Square, and KCAL, which moved in with KCBS when the stations became a duopoly, decamped for the Radford lot in 2007. In recent years, CBS Radford expanded and built new structures, including its CBS Television facilities, to handle the addition of the TV stations, the entertainment division and the addition of shows such as “Entertainment Tonight.”

Originally the Mack Sennett and then the Republic Pictures lot, CBS began leasing studio space in the early 1960s; by 1967, it had purchased the lot and renamed it CBS Studio Center. With 18 soundstages, CBS Radford has become particularly known for being the homebase over the years for some of the biggest sitcoms on TV, including “Seinfeld.”

CBS continues to lease production space at Television City (including the “Price is Right” and “Late Late Show with James Corden” stages), and per Cheeks’ memo, that would likely also be the case with CBS Radford. “I can tell you that regardless of whether Radford is sold, we will ensure we have the studio capacity to support our leading broadcast and production businesses,” he wrote.

It’s expected that even if some CBS departments move off the lot following the sale, KCBS/KCAL is expected to remain, given the specific utility of its broadcast center. Meanwhile, now that Viacom and CBS have re-merged, the combined company would still own the famed Paramount lot on Melrose, even as it sells off its other facilities.

Read more at Variety here.

Final Upfronts Wrap-Up: Priyanka Chopra, Mariah Carey, James Corden and Nicki Minaj Take Over New York

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Another week in New York for the annual network upfronts -- when the big dogs pimp their new TV wares to advertisers -- ended over a week ago. And as I wrote for Indiewire, the big story of the year was broadcast networks acting, well, like broadcast networks again.

It feels like a rather antiquated practice, yet the broadcast networks still pull in around $9 billion annually -- so it's still a pretty big deal. We don't obsess about the schedules quite as much as we used to, but it's still a fun part of the pomp and circumstance. The networks still put on a show for advertisers -- including Adult Swim's annual late-night Wednesday event, which this year featured Nicki Minaj (above). More highlights from the week:


James Corden does a "Hamilton" parody at the CBS upfront.


Priyanka Chopra opens the ABC upfront.


CBS gives us a sneak peek of the new "Star Trek" series' logo.


Fitz and the Tantrums performs at The CW upfront.


Mariah Carey makes a grand entrance at the NBC upfront.


Kiefer Sutherland introduces his new series "Designated Survivor" at the ABC upfront.


ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey introduces Jimmy Kimmel.


Fox jabs at CBS, notes that "Gotham's" new villain was "Lex Moonves."


NBC Universal stars at the upfront pose behind Kate McKinnon (as Ellen DeGeneres), parodying Ellen's Oscar selfie.


At the Fox upfront, Homer Simpson reminds us that "The Simpsons" will hit an astounding 600 episodes next year.


The "Downward Dog" looms over ABC stars.


"Hamilton" was hot this upfront. Jimmy Fallon did his own parody as well.


Rachel Bloom and Gina Rodriguez on stage at the CW upfront.


Stephen Colbert at Carnegie Hall for CBS' upfront.


The cast of "Empire" performs at Fox's upfront.


The cast of "The Big Bang Theory" offer up "Star Trek" suggestions to new CBS Entertainment president Glenn Geller.


"Supergirl" star Melissa Benoist hits The CW stage with stars of "Arrow," "The Flash" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow."

Retro Friday: CBS Gets "Strange" in 1978

CBS is getting back into the comic book business this year with "Supergirl." But the Eye network has dabbled in plenty of comics in the past, including "Wonder Woman" (which aired first on ABC) and "The Flash." Remember in the late 1970s when CBS when a bit comic book crazy? The network had "The Incredible Hulk" and, briefly, "The Amazing Spider-Man." And then, in 1978, was this TV movie (a.k.a. failed pilot) version of "Doctor Strange." Check out a young Jessica Walter! This looks hysterically bad.

Here's the first part of the movie here; follow the links on YouTube if you want to watch it all.

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: Meet the People Who Decide When and If Shows Live or Die

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I talk to two of the execs who help decide which shows live and which ones die -- and where they land up on the schedule.

Kelly Kahl is in charge of scheduling at CBS and Andy Kubitz heads up scheduling at ABC. Kubitz and Kahl tell us about the planning process for the new TV season and what goes into their decision making. As Kahl explains, "It's never an easy year."

Listen below!

From the Archives of TV Guide Magazine: The 1995 Launch of "The Late Late Show"

For TV Guide Magazine I recently spoke with James Corden, the new host of CBS' "The Late Late Show." We had a fun chat in his Television City office, and of course, his charm offensive worked beautifully. Self-effacing, quick-witted and a seemingly nice bloke, you can't help but root for the guy. Read my Q&A with him at TV Insider here.

Meanwhile, from the pages of TV Guide Magazine, here's how we covered the January 9, 1995 launch of the original "The Late Late Show," hosted by Tom Snyder:

MIKE ON KCRW: Discussing Cable's New Streams on "The Business"

On this Monday's episode of KCRW's The Business, Kim Masters and I had a lot to talk about:

- Major changes in the TV landscape in the past week.

- HBO announces a forthcoming over-the-top subscription service that will allow viewers to access some amount of HBO content online without a cable subscription.

- CBS then says they’ll do the same thing, and their service is available now, for around $6 a month.

- Warner Bros. announces 10 DC superhero movies will debut between now and 2020.

Listen below!



Or here:

MIKE ON KCRW: Curb Your Enthusiasm for HBO's and CBS' New Services

Are HBO's and CBS' new over-the-top digital services a revolution? Perhaps. And the world of program access is definitely changing. But that doesn't mean you're ultimately not going to be spending about as much as you do now on TV -- you're just going to be allocating that money a bit differently (when and if you "cut the cord," that is).

On Thursday's edition of KCRW's Hollywood Breakdown, Kim Masters and I discuss what it all might mean (or might not -- no one knows yet). A synopsis:

The TV landscape continues to shift and change, as evidenced by major changes announced by HBO and CBS this week. For those who love HBO but hate paying for all the other cable channels they never watch, there will soon be another option. HBO will be offering an online subscription service that will give access to HBO content without requiring a cable package. But the exact details--how much content will be available and how much it will cost--are yet to be revealed. And not to be left behind, traditional broadcast network CBS will also be offering a subscription web service, one that is already available now in several markets. These changes are not only a response to cord cutters--people who get rid of cable all together, but also to calls for cable offerings to be "unbundled" or be made available on an a la carte basis.

Listen by clicking below!

MIKE ON KCRW: Bantering About Fall TV, FX and NFL on "The Business"

On this week's episode of KCRW's The Business, host Kim Masters and I tackle in the showbiz banter:

- Fall TV is in full swing this week. Networks are hoping advertisers will pay attention to not just how many people tune in live, but also to viewers catching up a few days later on their DVRs.

- FX CEO John Landgraf says they’re probably doing away with the 10-90 plan.

- Rihanna’s version of “Run This Town” will no longer be a part of CBS’s Thursday Night Football.

Listen below!

Your Final Upfronts Recap: A Look at the Week in Pics, Including Outkast, Neon Trees, Alan Cumming's Nipples and Rizzoli & Isles' Selfie

Another week in New York for the annual network upfronts -- when the big dogs pimp their new TV wares to advertisers -- is now long over. But before it's a distant memory and we start watching pilots, here's a quick look at some snapshots from the week that helped coin "eventize" as a new catch phrase and ended several major TV streaks (Most notably: CBS will enter fall without a comedy on Mondays at 9 p.m. for the first time since 1948 -- with a bit of an asterisk in 1988, when the TV writers' strike delayed fall.) Above, Seth Meyers opens NBC's upfront


NBC sales chief Linda Yaccarino touts NBC's return to No. 1


Fred Armisen and the 8G Band perform at the NBC upfront


NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt at the NBC upfront


"The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon at the NBC upfront


Fallon awards Carson Daly the "Even Whiter Ryan Seacrest" title


Fallon also has a gag for NBC Universal boss Steve Burke


Pitbull, who will host Fox's New Years Eve special this year, opens the Fox upfront


Fox Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly proclaims Fox as "America's Next Generation Network"


Fox calls on Andy Samberg to provide a few yuks. First up: Fox's new research system, the "E.N.E.M.A.S."


Also, a few new shows on the horizon, according to Samberg: First up, CBS' "CSI: Mike & Molly." (Everyone's still making "CSI" jokes, 14 years later!)


Also: "CSI: CSI Production Offices"


At ABC, Samberg offers up "The Disney Butt Implant Funtime Hour"


CBS reveals its schedule at its annual morning breakfast, the Wednesday of Upfronts


Another tradition: Turner's annual Wednesday post-upfront lunch. Here, my table mates Eric McCormack ("Perception"), Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander ("Rizzoli & Isles") take a selfie.


At Carnegie Hall, Alan Cumming performs at the CBS upfront.


David Letterman gives his farewell at his final upfronts appearance.


Neon Trees performs at The CW's upfront.



And of course, you can see my whole collection of pics from Adult Swim's Outkast concert here.