For you there off to the side with the question about what the creative branches of the broadcast network television machine are up to throughout the year, here’s an overview of the cadence.
This one was created for a UCLA marketing seminar I guest lectured circa 2003, so it’s a little dated particularly on the program development side where it’s more on a year-round schedule now. Marketing and Current are pretty similar to today though.
The weird start date is to correspond with the television “Season” traditionally from September – May.
MONTH
CURRENT PROGRAMMING
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
MARKETING
AUGUST
Production Begins
Studio Pitches
Network Pitches
Talent/Lit Scouting
Summer Image Campaign
Producer Meetings
Fall Pre-Launch
SEPTEMBER
Premieres
Studio/Network Pitches
Fall Launch!
OCTOBER
Cancellations/Pickups
Studio/Network Pitches
Story Outlines
New Episode Promos
NOVEMBER
Sweeps Events
Studio Draft/Notes
Sweeps Promotions
DECEMBER
Holiday Specials
Holiday Hiatus/Gifts
Network Draft/Notes
Winter Image Campaign
Holiday Specials
Midseason Pre-Launch
FEBRUARY
Sweeps Events
Pilot Production
Sweeps Promotions
Affiliate Teleconf.
Kids’ Upfront
MARCH
Production
Pilot Production
Pre-Upfront Dev. Meetings
APRIL
Production Wraps
Pilot Production
Pilot Post Production
Spring Image Campaign
MAY
Upfront Schedule
Sweeps Events/Finales
Staffing (Mid-May)
Upfront
Staffing (Mid-May)
Upfront
Sweeps/Finales
Summer Pre-Launch
Affiliate Teleconf.
JUNE
Staffing
Summer Hiatus
Retreat
Summer Launch
Fall Focus Groups
Fall Mktg. Retreat
JULY
Summer TCA
Retreat
Agency Meetings
Concepts/Packages
Talent/Lit Scouting
Summer TCA
Affiliate Teleconf.
*TCA in this context is not the Teen Choice Awards, rather the Television Critics Association where the press gather in Pasadena in the winter and the Beverly Hotel in the summer to get the dog and pony show from all the network brass about their latest entertainment offerings.
May and September are nutzo. Midseason has become the same. Also summer. Also January. Also Spring. So yea, it’s all-around-nutso nowadays.
Cheers!
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