Affiliates Get Summer Schooling From NBC

A nearly three-hour meeting of the NBC Affiliate Advisory Board and NBC executives on Tuesday was devoted almost entirely to discussing summer programming plans, according to NBC Affiliate Board Chairman Ralph Oakley.

While the development of TV Everywhere and over-the-top program-streaming services took center stage at the affiliate board meetings held with the other networks this week in Las Vegas during the NAB Show, summer primetime was “the primary subject” for the NBC meeting, Oakley told TVNewsCheck after the meeting had concluded.

“The primary subject today was talking about programs for the summer and the development as we go into the fall,” said Oakley, president-CEO of Illinois-based Quincy Newspapers. “That was really the long and short of what we did.”

Despite this emphasis on programming plans, no NBC programming executives attended the meeting. Instead, the NBC Affiliate Board heard from Jean Dietze, EVP of affiliate relations, and Scot Chastain, SVP of affiliate marketing and development.

Why all the emphasis on summer programming plans? Because nearly three-quarters of NBC’s summer lineup will likely be new programming, Oakley noted.

The board saw some clips of upcoming shows, Oakley reported, including a peek at Aquarius, an “event” miniseries due to air on NBC this summer starring David Duchovny as a detective investigating a series of murders in 1967.

As for program streaming, the subject did come up, however briefly, Oakley said. “We discussed TV Everywhere,” he said. “It didn’t really get a lot of time. They continue to work on it. We’re working on it as well. And I imagine there will be more discussion in the May affiliate meeting on that subject.”

He said possible time frames for the launch of NBC TV Everywhere in local markets with affiliate participation were not discussed.

Oakley characterized the meeting, which included a visit from NAB President Gordon Smith, as “congenial.”

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