Left Coast Bias

• The Reason Conan Really Went to TBS

  By Ben Grossman, April 19, 2010
  The whole “Team Coco” thing is cute. The cross-country tour of live shows was a fun idea to keep Conan O’Brien’s name in the news.  More

• Left Coast Bias: Relax, the Cavalry Is Here

  By Ben Grossman, April 12, 2010
  It’s sad to say out loud, but everything gets old and loses its usefulness. Well, everything except Betty White, Brett Favre and ’80s music. But that trio of power aside, everything eventually hits its sell-by date.  More

• Do It Live!

  By Ben Grossman, March 29, 2010
  That's my advice to television networks and studios hoping to help make a middling show into a hit, or turn a hit into a monster. I don't mean airing a show live; I mean finding a way to take the brand on tour to let viewers get a little closer to the action.  More

• Go Ahead, Kill Your Business

  By Ben Grossman, March 22, 2010
  If you are connected to a sports property and you are even considering streaming any of your games in a market where there is live television coverage of it, enjoy murdering your business.  More

• How to Fix ‘American Idol'

  By Ben Grossman, March 15, 2010
  I don’t mind admitting that I have been a big American Idol fan for a long time. I remember where I was when Carrie Underwood sang the Tiffany song. I got excited every week to see what Adam Lambert would do—and wear—next. And as I have said before, I truly believe my life would be better if the host of the show would go back to closing it every night with those two words that used to send me warmly into the night: “Seacrest out.”  More

• CBS Research Chief's Theory: TV Still a Big Bang

  By Claire Atkinson, February 22, 2010
  CBS Corp. Chief Research Officer David Poltrack is on a mission to correct misapprehensions that TV is any less effective than it’s ever been, or the assumption that marketers are dropping it in favor of other media. And while that is a predictable stance from a company so dependent on TV advertising, Poltrack is adamant that he has the numbers to prove it. And CBS’ solid earnings report last week didn’t hurt his cause, which he is hardly shy about sharing.  More

• Left Coast Bias: Bird and Magic Conquer the Divide

  By Ben Grossman, March 1, 2010
  HBO's fantastic new documentary on basketball's greatest rivalry also explores the underlying story of race relations in American sports 30 years ago.  More

• Why You Should Learn From Fox News

  By Ben Grossman, February 8, 2010
  Fox News is not on top of its competitors and throwing off mounds of cash because there is a Democrat in the Oval Office or any other political issue. Fox News' success is based on one thing alone: It makes good television.  More

• My Optimism Gets Fumbled Away

  By Ben Grossman, January 31, 2010
  Last week was supposed to be great. It was set to start off with a trip to New Orleans to see the mighty Vikings crush the Saints; followed by a flight to Las Vegas for a couple of high-profile, onstage NATPE chats about how our world is looking up; then finally back to Los Angeles in time to catch the Apple announcement that would change the universe.  More

• What Scares Me Most About Leno's 10 P.M. Flop

  By Ben Grossman, January 23, 2010
  Jeff Zucker called it “a mistake.” Jeff Gaspin said it was probably “too soon.” So, it would seem now that universally, NBC's move to strip Jay Leno's show at 10 p.m. will be remembered right up there with New Coke and the XFL. Why exactly it tanked will be debated. I think a big part of it, from watching the show and actually sitting down with Leno one-on-one for an h...  More

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