Washington, D.C. (December 15, 2008) -- Editor's note: Over the next few weeks, Swanni will make several predictions for HDTV in 2009. Here is his third prediction.
Is Julie Chen one of your 'favorite' CBS personalities?
CBS's promotional department seems to think so.
In a commercial airing now for the network's new primetime game show, Million Dollar Password, (debuting Thursday night) Ms. Chen is prominently featured as a celebrity contestant while a voice-over gushes that you can see "your favorite CBS personalities" on the program. Chen's cheery face and bouncy body is seen during the commercial even more often than the show's host, Regis Philbin.
Hmmmm....
Oh, did I mention that Julie Chen is the wife of CBS CEO Les Moonves?
Once again, the network chief apparently is using his influence to promote, protect and peddle his wife to an unsuspecting audience. Chen, of course, is also the host of Big Brother, CBS' lackluster summer fill-in, and the co-host of the network's dismal morning show, The Early Show.
Okay, nepotism is nothing new. I understand that. But Big Brother's ratings over the years have been up and down, to be nice, while The Early Show is still stuck in third place behind ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's The Today Show.
CBS CEO Les Moonves and wife Julie Chen.
If Chen was anyone else's wife, would CBS be so kind to her and her programs? Would she be featured so prominently on yet another program?
I sincerely doubt it. Big Brother probably would have been cancelled long ago (rather than go on now for 10 seasons) while The Early Show would have been blessed with a new set of hosts and hostesses.
Now, you may ask why a web site on High-Definition is writing about this. Really, you are probably asking yourself, what does Julie Chen have to do with high-def?
Well, interestingly, Big Brother is not in HD. The Early Show is not in HD. And Million Dollar Password is not in HD.
CBS has been a pioneer in delivering shows in HD, but for some reason, all three shows featuring the CEO's wife are not in high-def.
Hmmm...Wonder why...
So, here's my prediction: Thanks to the mainstream media totally ignoring this outrageous ethical snafu, Moonves will continue to find ways to put his wife ahead of the network. Regardless of how poor the ratings are, programs featuring Julie Chen will not only be renewed, but they will be promoted as if they are the Super Bowl.
And something tells me that they won't be in crystal-clear HD.
Hmmmm......
Also see:
Swanni Predicts: Home 3-D Fails In 2009
Is Julie Chen one of your 'favorite' CBS personalities?
CBS's promotional department seems to think so.
In a commercial airing now for the network's new primetime game show, Million Dollar Password, (debuting Thursday night) Ms. Chen is prominently featured as a celebrity contestant while a voice-over gushes that you can see "your favorite CBS personalities" on the program. Chen's cheery face and bouncy body is seen during the commercial even more often than the show's host, Regis Philbin.
Hmmmm....
Oh, did I mention that Julie Chen is the wife of CBS CEO Les Moonves?
Once again, the network chief apparently is using his influence to promote, protect and peddle his wife to an unsuspecting audience. Chen, of course, is also the host of Big Brother, CBS' lackluster summer fill-in, and the co-host of the network's dismal morning show, The Early Show.
Okay, nepotism is nothing new. I understand that. But Big Brother's ratings over the years have been up and down, to be nice, while The Early Show is still stuck in third place behind ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's The Today Show.
CBS CEO Les Moonves and wife Julie Chen.
If Chen was anyone else's wife, would CBS be so kind to her and her programs? Would she be featured so prominently on yet another program?
I sincerely doubt it. Big Brother probably would have been cancelled long ago (rather than go on now for 10 seasons) while The Early Show would have been blessed with a new set of hosts and hostesses.
Now, you may ask why a web site on High-Definition is writing about this. Really, you are probably asking yourself, what does Julie Chen have to do with high-def?
Well, interestingly, Big Brother is not in HD. The Early Show is not in HD. And Million Dollar Password is not in HD.
CBS has been a pioneer in delivering shows in HD, but for some reason, all three shows featuring the CEO's wife are not in high-def.
Hmmm...Wonder why...
So, here's my prediction: Thanks to the mainstream media totally ignoring this outrageous ethical snafu, Moonves will continue to find ways to put his wife ahead of the network. Regardless of how poor the ratings are, programs featuring Julie Chen will not only be renewed, but they will be promoted as if they are the Super Bowl.
And something tells me that they won't be in crystal-clear HD.
Hmmmm......
Also see:
Swanni Predicts: Home 3-D Fails In 2009
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Phillip Swann is
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