CBS' Nina Tassler on TV Violence: "Nothing That is On the Air is Inappropriate." - Ed Martin Live

Pasadena, CA -- Not surprisingly, the first question directed toward CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler during her session Saturday at the Winter 2013 Television Critics Association tour was about her network's approach to responsible programming in the aftermath of the mass murders last year in Aurora and Newtown. Violence in the media has been the dominant topic at this tour, eclipsing just about everything else.

"I don't think there's anyone on this planet whose life hasn't been changed and/or affected by the recent course of events," Tassler said. "I'm a parent. I'm a mother. What happened has shaken meand all of us to our core.

"To the extent that the people we work with have a renewed sensitivity towards what we do – absolutely," she continued. "We are parents, and we respect the jobs that we have; we respect the relationship we have with our audience. So I can only tell you that in looking at our pilots, first and foremost, it is picking and selecting the very best material we can. We are fortunate in that we have an extraordinary roster of all-star players developing pilots for us this year. They, too, have a similar level of awareness and sensitivity. The reality is that we have to pick the best material. We have to continue to make decisions about supporting great quality shows on television.

"Nothing that is on the air is inappropriate," Tassler insisted. More than one critic in the room would later grumble otherwise, mainly because of the more extreme episodes of the network's long-running procedural "Criminal Minds," which has on occasion veered into exceedingly twisted and depraved territory with its storylines about serial killers and other real-life monsters.

When one critic suggested that the issue for parents is not so much the intensity or appropriateness of violent content, but rather the sheer volume of violent material, Tassler gently asserted that parents must play a role in what their kids watch.

"The conversation that we are now a part of, that all media conglomerates are a part of, it's an ongoing conversation," she replied. "So I think for parents -- and I include myself in that -- there is comfort to be taken. There is a level of communication going on right now that is certainly dealing with how we're going to handle the situation. In terms of parents and their concerns about content on television, ultimately that's still our decision. That's still my decision. What my child does or doesn't watch is my prerogative.

"Our shows are appropriately rated on television. We provide that for our audiences and for parents. [As to] the extent that there will be further conversations and discussions about helping educate parents as to the kinds of controls that are available, absolutely, we'll be a part of that as well."

Once the violence issue was addressed, it was on to programming matters as usual. Tassler was brimming with facts and figures about CBS' many successes this season, from the growing audience for "Elementary" and "Person of Interest" to "The Big Bang Theory" scoring the highest ratings of its six seasons and passing "Modern Family" as television's top comedy in the 18-49 demographic.

When a reporter asked about problems concerning audience measurement in the multiplatform environment – the other issue that has come up repeatedly during this tour, though a distant second behind violence on television -- Tassler was happy to note that, "Right now our core business, our ad supported business, is still doing very well. We're very successful in that business model. Once the measurement expands and we are accurately recording, we'll see what the ad model is and how that flourishes and how it grows.

"We're looking for that ancillary revenue that will come from a good strong measurement," she continued. "Live +7 adds [approximately] 3 million viewers per show -- that's a pretty hefty number."

But CBS isn't getting paid for Live +7, the reporter asserted.

"No, we are not," Tassler agreed. "Ultimately we will [be]. And, you know, when [CBS Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer] Leslie [Moonves] is on a mission, he usually accomplishes that. And he is on a mission to get this done!"

Tassler informed the group that the network's big new midseason drama "Golden Boy," which will tell the story of a young beat cop's meteoric rise to police commissioner over a period of seven years (and, ideally, over seven real-life seasons), has been altered a bit to reflect the strong chemistry in the pilot between the show's stars, Theo James and Chi McBride. "It's turned into a two-hander between these two actors," she explained. "It's extraordinary."

Tassler also announced a summer series based on the Stephen King novel "Under the Dome," about an idyllic small town whose residents are suddenly trapped beneath a giant invisible barrier of some kind. A preview reel for the series seemed to play very well, but one critic was moved to ask if the townspeople in the show try to escape their new prison simply by digging an underground tunnel.

"You know, it's not too early to have that addressed," Tassler replied amid gales of laughter. She later said she would like to see "Dome" become an ongoing summer series for the network.

CBS offered only an abbreviated day at TCA, turning over its afternoon to cable sibling Showtime. But it packed a lot into its morning. In addition to Tassler's press conference there were sessions for the new drama "Golden Boy," the new reality series "The Job" (from executive producers Michael Davies and Mark Burnett), and the upcoming Grammy Awards (which will be hosted once again by rapper and "NCIS: LA" star LL Cool J). The morning ended with a panel for the 2012-13 broadcast season's most successful new hour drama, "Elementary." Series stars Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu were on hand to talk about the fast success of the show and the special episode that will be telecast immediately following CBS' presentation of Super Bowl XLVII.