(Subscriber Report) Ed Martin Live at TCA: Fox at TCA: Dancing, Donuts, Paula Abdul and More

Fox programs onethird fewer hours than CBS NBC and ABC amp8211 and yet it always manages to cram twice as many activities into its time at TCA than any of the Big ThreeI have raved about Fox39 approach to the twice yearly Television Critics Association tours in the past and I can39t help but do so again At a time when many of the other networks are turning over several hours of their TCA time to corporate cable siblings or simply leaving big gaps in their schedule of press conferences and other events Fox continues to maximize every single minute of its alltoobrief time with hundreds of television critics reporters bloggers and tweeters Whereas some networks have begun to question the value of TCA Fox continues to treat it as a hugely important opportunity to promote its programming in as robust a manner possibleYou are receiving this email as a corporate subscriber to Jack Myers Media Business Report Redistribution in any form except among approved individuals within your company is prohibitedOne of the many great things about Fox39 TCA day is that the network takes time to promote a handful of veteran series in addition to its new product Yesterday began with a breakfast that celebrated the 20year anniversary of The Simpsons The menu included donuts or as Homer Simpson calls them quotnature39s most perfect foodquot egg sandwiches in Simpsonsyellow wrappers and orange juice in Simpsons cups People dressed as characters from the show posed for pictures with the pressThat session was followed by one for Fox39 summer hit and new fall entry So You Think You Can Dance Five dancers who stood out during the last two months but did not make the final four on last night39s season finale performed before a press conference with the show39s judgesAll this took place before 945 am the start time for a press conference with Fox Broadcasting Company Entertainment Chairman Peter Rice and Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly more on that below The day continued with highly effective sessions for new series Brothers Glee and Human Target and returning dramas Fringe and Lie to Me No other broadcast network has included a press conference with any of its returning shows at this TCA even those the press has embraced Lunch was built around a table read with the producers and cast of the Family Guy spinoff The Cleveland Show including guest vocal performers Glenn Howerton of FX39s It39s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Huffington Post editorinchief Arianna Huffington giving voice to a sexually aroused bear A midafternoon snack break also served as a press event for the summer reality series More to LoveAll of the networks put a lot of time and money into preparing for TCA tours and all of their efforts are appreciated But it seems to me that Fox knows how to get more out of its TCA investment than the other guys This was perhaps most evident in its executive session Every broadcast network has a session with its programming executives and it is no secret that many of the executives who take the stage at TCA tours for 30 minutes twice a year would rather have root canal than endure the hardship of fielding questions about their shows Some win over the crowd without having very much to say Others have almost nothing to say and bring out the worst in reporters who are charged with getting a story The really big gunners CBS39 Leslie Moonves NBC39s Jeff Zucker don39t even appear on stage at TCA anymore though Moonves always turns up at CBS39 evening parties and seems very happy to be thereDuring Fox39 executive panel one veteran TCA member who remembers the time when network chairmen regularly attended TCA actually thanked Peter Rice for taking part in this tour Dozens of critics and reporters happily applauded to show their appreciationIt was a good morning for Rice and Reilly even though they were stepping into the spotlight the day after American Idol judge Paula Abdul took to Twitter to announce that she would not return to the show next season Rather than hem and haw and bob and weave around the Abdul issue they tackled it head onRice confirmed that Abdul39s contract was up and that she was a goner quotWe39ve concluded the negotiation and Paula has announced she will not be coming backquot he said in response to expected questions about the story which broke on Wednesday He revealed that there would be a guest judge joining Simon Cowell Randy Jackson and Kara Dioguardi at each audition and said that if all went as planned a permanent fourth judge would be in place by the time of the show39s Season 9 premiere in JanuaryMany critics felt that Idol should revert to a threejudge format since the addition of a fourth last season caused so many production and timing problems but Rice was firm in his conviction that the fourjudge format would remain in place He might want to give that some more thoughtReilly proved that executive sessions can be upbeat and engaging and that a questionable comment need not be the end of the world if handled the right way In recalling other news and entertainment shows that lost or replaced stars and went on to continued success he mentioned NBC39s Tonight Show Law ampamp Order and Cheers and The CBS Evening NewsquotInteresting you just compared Walter Cronkite to Paula Abdulquot one critic mused to much laughterquotOh greatquot Reilly replied without missing a beat quotThere39s the leadquot

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