For 'Gossip Girl,' Modesty Is So Last Season

Fledgling CW Network Uses Racy Ads to Create Blogosphere Buzz

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The CW network really needs to succeed in tempting viewers back to watch the first new episodes of its flagship program "Gossip Girl." To that end, ads, online video promotions and outdoor billboards will feature characters from the program locked in passionate embraces, with the text message "OMFG" superimposed on top. FULL ARTICLE

A Week of Comebacks and Givebacks

Rash Report: NCAA Final Four and 'American Idol'

MINNEAPOLIS (AdAge.com) -- Comebacks and givebacks backed up many of the prime-time programs in this week's Top 10. Or both, as in the case of Monday night's "NCAA Basketball Championship," as Memphis' misses at the charity stripe gave back the momentum to Kansas, which came back to win in overtime. It was also something of a comeback for CBS, as the network rebounded from the tournament's lower ratings (and two big blowouts on Saturday) to deliver a 7.1/20 rating and share in the ad-centric adult 18-49 demographic. This was about even with last year and good enough to be the second highest-rated show of the week. FULL ARTICLE

'Project Runway' Sponsorships Could Unravel With Network Shift

Brands Will Return for Season Five on Bravo but With Move to Lifetime Planned, Deals Could Change

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- There's no doubt the departure of "Project Runway" from Bravo will be closely watched, and not just on TV, when it makes the official move to Lifetime in November. In addition to the high-profile lawsuit NBC Universal filed April 7 against the Weinstein Co., the show's producers, a sponsorship war could be afoot as well. FULL ARTICLE

Who Wins in a Yahoo-AOL Deal? Time Warner

But Analysts Aren't Sure It's Yahoo's Best Move

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The marriage of AOL and Yahoo could be Christmas come early for Time Warner. One motivation for Time Warner to set up AOL up with Yahoo is to save its once high-flying internet brand from being a distant last place player in the giant portal space; but even more, this is the perfect opportunity for the company to rid itself of its Achilles heel. FULL ARTICLE

New Balance Consolidates With PHD for Global Account

Media Shop's New York Office to Handle Planing and Buying

NEW YORK (Adage.com) -- Omnicom media agency PHD has grabbed its first global account since appointing a new worldwide CEO this October. Footwear marketer New Balance has consolidated its global media operations with the agency after making PHD its North American media agency in October. FULL ARTICLE

What You Should Have Read, April 11, 2008

CW nixes upfront for cocktail party

Variety reports on The CW's decision to ditch its traditional upfront presentation for a cocktail party. The CW had been planning to hold its normal advertiser powwow May 15 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, the same Thursday that Fox presents to advertisers. Instead, it has opted for a more casual party and presentation the night of May 13. Event will move uptown to a tent just outside of Lincoln Center. Party will start at 5:30, and the presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. CW is timing its event to be adjacent to ABC's upfront, which is still set for the afternoon of May 13. FULL ARTICLE

What You Should Have Read, April 11, 2008

Couric's Fate Was Topic A in CBS Suite

The New York Times weighs in on the Katie Couric leaving CBS story today, noting that a meeting on Feb. 28 sparked the talk of her exiting the anchor chair after the November presidential elections. The meeting involved four people: Ms. Couric; her agent, Alan Berger of the Creative Artists Agency; Sean McManus, CBS News president; and Leslie Moonves, CBS chairman, and took place in his office. The conversation included what one participant said was some "idle talk and musings" about the big question hanging over CBS News: should Ms. Couric leave her position as the news anchor after the presidential election, a development that had long been rumored. Now that wide-ranging discussion threatens to turn her into a virtual lame duck in the job. Though some people close to Ms. Couric, as well as some professional associates, said Thursday they believed that it was now likely she would not remain as anchor through the election, and might even leave in the next few weeks, that point was adamantly denied by the senior executives closest to the decision. FULL ARTICLE