Latest `breakthrough' from CBS another setback for its viewers.

Advertising Age, January, 2000 by Donaton, Scott

Memo to cbs marketing executives: If you're looking for a new network slogan, here's a suggestion.

Eye Wide Shut.

Once again the Tiffany network has proved that, when it comes to programming decisions, viewers come last. Money comes first.

Our story actually begins in 1996, when CBS staged a promotional stunt to boost sales of Elizabeth Taylor's Black Pearls perfume. La Liz appeared in four of the network's sitcoms on a Monday night in February. The common string that ran through the plots of each show was a string of pearls. Black pearls.

Clever, no? No.

Crass is more like it. By linking the product to the programming, CBS clearly signaled that entertainment of its viewers was not a top priority. The focus was on keeping...

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