CTV and CBC are dialing down the glitz on this year’s fall launches, which traditionally feature a parade of U.S. stars and lavish parties to promote primetime plans to advertisers.
The annual spring events are being curtailed by the tough economy, with the CBC dispensing with the ritual altogether in favour of a road show-style promotion in which they’ll pitch advertisers in a series of visits in the coming weeks, said executive director of network programming, Kirstine Layfield.
Ratings leader CTV traditionally offers the most outlandish event, with past parties featuring visits from screen legend Sophia Loren and Donald Sutherland. Last year’s gala was lighter on American talent, but still offered some flash, closing with a Jully Black performance.
This year, the network says it’s holding a series of “Up Close” events instead, in which advertising agencies and buyers will be invited to a series of small presentations over two days. It will be followed by an informal parking lot barbecue, said spokesman Scott Henderson of CTV, where the schedule is packed with powerhouse imports including Lost, American Idol, and Grey’s Anatomy.
CTV honcho Rick Brace said the move is just one way the broadcast industry is grappling with the economic downturn.
“We think it’s the responsible thing to do but we also think it’s very important to get our message out to our clients to let them know that we are very much open for business,” said Brace, CTV president, revenue, business planning and sports.
Over at CBC, a May sales launch will take the place of a combined media/sales presentation in the CBC studios. The media blitz will be held in September, said Layfield.
“Like everybody, people are all cutting back on upfronts and those kind of things,” Layfield said in an interview, noting similar steps taken south of the border by U.S. networks.
“The sales event will just be done in a different format that doesn’t really allow a lot of people to show up—it’s going to be more of a road show thing where we go out to the agencies.”
CBC’s scaledown actually began last year, when The Hour’s George Stroumboulopoulos hosted a fall launch with guests that included Natalie Dormer from The Tudors, the cast of Little Mosque on the Prairie and comic Rick Mercer.
The CBC has already announced a slew of new shows slated for the fall, including Battle of the Blades, an elimination-style competition that will pair hockey players with figure skaters for a Dancing With the Stars-type performance.
Other new shows include Canada’s Super Speller, hosted by Evan Solomon, 18 to Life, a comedy about a couple that gets married at 18, and The Republic of Doyle, about a father-son team of private investigators plying their trade in Newfoundland.
Layfield said the delayed launch should offer a more dramatic event come fall, noting that one of the CBC’s most anticipated new series has yet to begin shooting.
“Shows like Blades and stuff, it’s not like you have a pilot you can show people. When we actually are shooting it will be a fun time to have a media event so we’re going to wait until September.”
