McPherson Plans Robust Fall, Criticizes Nielsen

TCA -- ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson says his network needs to continue taking programming risks despite the economic downturn and plans a robust development slate for the fall.

McPherson told critics at the winter press tour that he plans to shoot 10 comedy and drama pilots for next season.

"We have to take swings at the plate, and we still have to be bold," he says, noting the shows that have worked best for the network such as Lost and Desperate Housewives creatively broke new ground. "We want to grow our brand and build off the success we have ... I don’t want to do a total departure and do CBS-like shows."

The entertainment president also criticized Nielsen, saying the ratings measurement company contracted by networks doesn't take into account enough forms of audience viewing.

"We’re talking about a different world now," says McPherson, whose network, like most broadcasters this season, has lost viewers.

"It’s not just people sitting at a single television at home," he says. "We have to get as much of that viewership measured as possible. Anything in hotels; anything in bars. I mean, there's tons and tons of television that is watched that is not counted. When we get our fast nationals, it is not in there."

A critic noted that Nielsen has recently added college students to its database, and asked how attentive McPherson thought viewers in bars really are.

"You know what, in watching sports, I think they would be unbelievably attentive," he says. "I think in a hotel people are unbelievably attentive."

Later, McPherson adds, "[Audiences are] watching on their iPods, on their phones ... and to me we have to get as much of that viewership measured as possible because you want to make sure that we all know what we're reaching so that we can reach them better and understand what they're really compelled by and attracted to and what they are not."

McPherson says he is "pleased" about NBC’s decision to cede 10 p.m. dramas and air a Jay Leno talk show instead.

"We think it opens up beachfront real estate to less bidders," he says. "For [CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler] and I, we have different brands so we’re both looking at it and excited that there are viewers who have been left by the wayside that we can take advantage of."

Critics asked about the fates of Wednesday night dramas Dirty Sexy Money and Pushing Daisies, which were knocked prematurely off the schedule last year because of the strike and returned to fatally low ratings.

"I really loved the shows. The producers delivered what they promised," he says. "For us it was a frustration that we couldn’t get a larger audience – or that Nielsen says we couldn’t get a larger audience."

McPherson adds that ABC still wants to make remaining episodes of both shows available, though producers were not able to craft satisfying series finales.

"We’ve like to air the ending of those shows," he says. "I wish we had been able to give the producers series-ending notice so they could really have a finale."

After the panel, McPherson says the network hopes to put the episodes online.

Mike Judge's unscheduled animated comedy The Goode Family is still on track for a midseason rollout, McPherson says, though may debut as late as May. McPherson confirmed ABC will not pick up Judge's last animated series, Fox's canceled King of the Hill, as a companion.

Asked about the performance of transplanted comedy "Scrubs" so far,McPherson says he’s generally pleased, yet that it’s too early to drawany conclusions.

"We saw one week with no competition and another week with the biggest competition you can have (‘American Idol’)," he says.

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