CBS executive has a bone to pick with NBC

PASADENA, Calif. — On the one hand, CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler is clearly thrilled that NBC tried its failed Leno-in-prime time ploy. Because it clearly benefited her network.

"(Nine) o'clock is great business for us," she said. "Our shows are successful there. They win their time periods. So when we looked at that opportunity, we saw we could get a bigger share of the advertising revenue, which we have."

Not only have "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY" thrived against the low-rated "Jay Leno Show" on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m., but "The Mentalist" moved to Thursdays at 9 p.m. and dominates the time period. And CBS launched a new hit, "The Good Wife," on Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

Only the flagging "Numb3rs" on Fridays has been a disappointment.

Tassler does, however, have a bone to pick with her counterparts at NBC. When the failed Leno experiment was announced, it came with the pronouncement that network television as we know it was dying, if not dead.

Such has not been the case for the other broadcast networks, which have all launched new hits this season.

"What I have the most trouble with is for their decision to do what they did — to sort of turn that and say that this is a reflection on the whole network business," Tassler said. "I think (that) is misguided. Our business is thriving right now. We are enjoying success with new hit shows, as is ABC, as is Fox. ... We've all fared, I think, very well during this experimental phase for NBC."

She recalled that, just a couple of years ago, NBC Universal Chairman Jeff Zucker made a Grand Pronouncement that his network would do things differently in the first hour of prime time. Nothing but low-cost reality and game shows, essentially.

However, that Big Plan never came to fruition.

"And then along came (9) o'clock, and they were going to have a whole different strategy for (9) o'clock," Tassler said. "I think, ultimately, there is no substitute for developing great shows, working with great talent, and getting your program on the air.

"So I think at the end of the day, it was an experiment that obviously did not work, but for us, like I said, there's no substitute for just developing and producing and launching great shows."

If that sounds like Tassler was gloating a bit and sticking it to her NBC counterparts, well, she was. But just a bit.

A lot of people in her position would have done it with a great deal more gusto.