DSA Online | New Media Updates

CTV came to our offices today to give an intimate session featuring their new shows and Fall programming schedule. While the CTV parties were starting to become known as “the” summer event for the industry out west, I can never hear anything at those presentations and I liked being able to have a face-to-face discussion with our reps. Furthermore, CTV is the only conventional TV network that really has the broadband down.

You are watching your CTV online right?To geek out for a moment, with Heroes being a little weak this past season and Dollhouse no where to be found, CTV is the PLACE to go if you’re a nerdy-niche online. Naturally, my husband and I are glued to Fringe (when I’m not hiding behind my hands), horrified by Lost (but secretly loving it) and excited to see 2 more new sci-fi entertainment shows coming out this year. If you’re young, smart and connected, the CTV network has been paying attention to you.

*ahem*

CTV has a pretty solid performing schedule, both on-air and online. For this reason, you will see very few programming changes in their line up this year. In fact, only 2 additions are being made to the schedule. A Twilight knock off based on a book series written by L.J. Smith is a sure win with a younger crowd salivating for more and with the True Blood craze snowballing on HBO, I believe that the debut will probably do quite well (F12-24). The other addition is to their daytime lineup. Another spin-off launched by Oprah, Dr. Oz will have a one hour show during CTV’s daytime rotation.

A channel is in a very unique position. I am sure that the execs at CTV/Bell are doing a bit of a happy dance now that E! (Global’s sister station) is going black for the Fall as CanWest tries to sell it. This means that in secondary markets (such as Victoria or Red Deer), they will be the only local guy in town. With a HUGE line-up of new shows this fall, I think that A stands to see a good year. While I could geek out and only talk about Flash Forward (OMGWTFBBQ), I would also like to bring your attention to the TV series version of the movie “Witches of Eastwick” entitled Eastwick, the Canadian cop-hero story The Bridge, Kelsey Grammer’s return to TV “Hank”, the Malcolm in the Middle ripoff “The Middle”, the remake of V (following the success of Battlestar Galactica) and the story of 2 superficial models and how hard it is to be beautiful and paid not to eat in “The Beautiful Life”. Glad to see that I am keeping these posts as unbiased as possible…

Once the reel was done, we were all chatting about our favs. The CTV team seemed very confident in their schedules. When I brought up broadband, their digital guy Kevin Curtis, stepped up and talked about how CTV has continued to push their content online. With much of their online content being sold out 2 months in advance, they are increasing their online line up from 20% to 50%. A channel will continue to host their broadband properties on the CTV site, rather than having their own branded player. Seeing as they were the only group to have their digital team at the table during their Fall presentations, I am not afraid to award CTV with my priceless “gold star sticker” award. This is a team that has taken stock of the current situation with both the economy and consumer trends and are moving forward, rather than sideways or backwards.

Ok – enough professional “impartial” details. FLASH FORWARD!! Not only does it have Jon Cho of recent Star Trek fame and Joseph Fiennes from…everything, but it’s also written by Canadian Sci-Fi author Robert J. Sawyer (who in my opinion is a jerk – but his books are brilliant!!). Head over to the ABC site and put in your 6-month from now predictions. In the past, I would joke with my team that if I liked a show, it was generally a good idea to buy the least amount of spots in that program as it was likely to fail after the first season (or partial season). If case studies like Dollhouse and the viewing numbers of niche/cult shows online are any indication of the future of TV, for once, my nerdy and fan-girl opinions might actually count.