NBC Ditching Fall Debuts

NBC appears to have followed through on pledges to use the writers' strike as a springboard to changing the television industry, ditching traditional fall debuts of new shows for staggered introductions throughout the year. The move is designed so the network can keep things fresh, and work more closely with advertisers, the New York Times reports.

"We absolutely think this is going to change the industry," said an exec at NBC, which will announce its lineup in April, a month before the other networks. That will give NBC time to work with advertisers on marketing plans for each show—possibly incorporating products into plot lines. Media types seem cautiously optimistic. “It’s a step in the right direction,” says one exec. (More NBC stories.)