NBC Unveils Upfront Plans

NEW YORK, February 19: NBC
Universal will unveil a full 52-week prime-time programming schedule to
advertisers in April and is planning a series of one-on-one meetings with
clients in May, preceding what it is calling a “spotlight event” on May 12 to
“showcase the platforms and capabilities” of the company.

NBCU’s Upfront plans have
been in doubt for several weeks, after president and CEO Jeff Zucker revealed
in several speeches that he wasn’t sure if the annual Radio City Music Hall
event was necessary in a time when broadcasters need to cut costs. “Do we need
the big show?” Zucker said during his NATPE keynote last month. “We’re not so
sure anymore. We believe the big show is a vestige of the last decade.”

The company said today
that its plans reflect a new “client-centric approach” to the Upfronts. "A
business-as-usual approach no longer applies in today's multiplatform media
environment," said Zucker. "The traditional prime-time presentation
shines a light on only one piece of what our company has to offer. This new
approach gives our clients an early look at NBC's scheduling strategy and
allows us to showcase the full suite of creative advertising solutions and
customized services that NBC Universal is uniquely positioned to provide to the
marketplace."

NBC Entertainment will
unveil a full, 52-week prime-time programming schedule in early
April—well before its competitors. Over a three-day period in New York,
Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, the co-chairmen of NBC Entertainment and
Universal Media Studios, will meet with advertisers and agency partners to
discuss advertising opportunities presented in the schedule. Silverman said:
"There is an insatiable desire for new content year round, and we want to
satisfy that need and be efficient at the same time." Graboff added:
"By getting a jump start on the season we can start the dialogue now and
continue it throughout the year, ensuring a productive process with our clients
that allows for more robust, integrated campaigns."

Following the network's
schedule presentation, NBC Universal's sales team will begin a series of client
meetings in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to discuss the new slate as well
as detail the opportunities across the NBCU portfolio. "This marks the
next step in the evolution we began with our partners one year ago, to create a
more powerful connection between our clients and consumers through innovative,
targeted and custom marketing solutions," said Mike Pilot, the president
of NBC Universal Sales and Marketing. "The new Upfront process allows us
to continue our 'customer-first' approach, as we work together to create new
advertising models, define more effective metrics and provide a better return
on our clients' investments."

The various initiatives
culminate May 12 with a so-called “spotlight event” for advertisers, where NBCU
executives will present the breadth of the company’s portfolio, including
broadcast, cable, news, out-of-home, digital, wireless and mobile, sports and
Olympics, Telemundo, international and the eco-friendly initiatives.

The NBC Universal Cable
Entertainment networks will continue their Upfront presentations, holding a
series of special events showcasing each network's programming lineup, followed
by one-on-one meetings with individual clients and agency partners.

—By Mansha Daswani