Upfronts 2012: CBS Affiliates Believe New Slate Will Keep Them on Top

Limited batch of rookies for fall, but they look like they'll play

By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/17/2012 12:14:15 PM

Complete Coverage: Upfronts 2012

Thanks to its perennial strength in primetime, CBS' annual fall schedule reveal typically represents more of a tinkering than the overhaul presented by other networks in New York's grand theaters.

The CBS affiliates may not have gotten to see a broad slate of rookies, but what they did see May 16, they seemed to be enthused by.

"I'm very pleased with what I saw," said Wayne Daugherty, chairman of the CBS affiliates board. "We've got four new shows launching behind strong, winning shows. I'm impressed with a very strong looking lineup."

The headline coming out of CBS' Carnegie Hall gala was the shift of Two and a Half Men from Monday to Thursday next season. The new shows include the comedy Partners and dramas Vegas and the Sherlock Holmes procedural Elementary. Midseason entries include the cop drama Golden Boy and 20-something laffer Friend Me.

CBS affiliates typically win primetime in their markets. The local execs appear to believe things are continuing in the right direction.

"I think CBS had a tremendous amount of momentum going into the upfront," said Steve Hammel, VP and general manager of WRAL Raleigh. "After seeing the presentation, I'm confident that momentum will continue."

Hammel noted that CBS News also appears to be moving forward. "In addition to programming, I'm pleased to see the significant progress on the content of CBS This Morning and the CBS Evening News," he added.

The CBS affiliates board met in Manhattan May 17.