Dispatches from the Hollywood Radio & Television Society luncheon (DH, VAR, LAT, THR)

By Nancy Tartaglione-Moore

The annual Hollywood Radio & Television Society luncheon was held on Tuesday with network chiefs weighing in on the recent TV selling season.

Deadline reports that Fox's Kevin Reilly, summing up the marketplace, said: "(NBC) got cash, (ABC) got competitive against that cash, and we took the bait."

Per Deadline, he added: "We all think we were played a little bit. Agents are doing very well this year as a result."

CBS' Nina Tassler concluded: "It's been very, very frantic this year."

Reilly also shared his disdain for the traditional development cycle. Deadline quotes the exec as saying: "The fact that we are in lockstep and choreographed from the same dance backing up from the upfront is stupid, highly inefficient, wasteful and not good for anyone in this room."

The Los Angeles Times says ABC's Paul Lee noted that with the current system, the broadcast networks all compete against one another for actors and writers under an extreme deadline.

Per Variety, Lee said: "If we can buy at different times so you don't have to cast 60 pilots at the same time, we can get better. We can do a better job."

VAR:

The programming chiefs spoke with new confidence about harnessing digital platforms to help marketing efforts, as evidenced this season by Fox and NBC's move to make selected shows available online prior to their broadcast preems. While online ad revenues aren't close to what can be achieved on air, there was optimism that dot-com viewers will be more accepting of heavier ad loads, which will in turn generate more revenue for the nets.

"You're going to see a world that can watch (online shows) with a full load of commercials," said CW president Mark Pedowitz. "It will transition eventually."

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Lee and others said there was an influx of talent from the film business into TV which has added a new level of creativity. NBC's Jennifer Salke noted it has also meant taking even more show pitches as they look for new product.

The LAT also noted that the only area off limits was the new television season:

There were no questions to NBC about why "The Playboy Club" flopped or to CBS about how nervous they were about "Two and a Half Men" falling off a cliff without Charlie Sheen. No one asked any network chiefs which of their rival's shows they wish they had, an old reliable chestnut at these rubber chicken luncheons.