Affiliates Go Deep for Super Bowl.

Broadcasting & Cable, January, 2007 by Malone, Michael

By Michael Malone WISH Indianapolis and WBBM Chicago cater to fans' cravings The Bears and Colts won't be the only teams in the spotlight this weekend. News crews from CBS affiliates WBBM Chicago and WISH Indianapolis will also be performing under the gaze of hometown fans. The Super Bowl means huge viewer spikes before, during and after the big game, so the stations are attempting to satisfy their markets' seemingly bottomless craving for gridiron gossip.

Some 141.4 million people in 45 million households saw at least some of last year's game on ABC, according to the NFL, while the broadcast averaged 90.7 million viewers-the biggest audience in 10 years. Advertisers will pay an estimated $2.6 million for a 30-second spot this year,...