An Anonymous TV Exec Takes on the TCA

Everybody on the business side of the business is again really looking forward to the press tour over the coming days. That's because we get to see all our friends from the Television Critics Association, a proud organization that once had something to do with television criticism but now seems to be up to something completely different. As those over 35 may recall, the original intent of the event used to be pretty clear: drink, schmooze, eat free food and work like dogs to churn out stories about programming for the benefit of happy viewers everywhere. Now the function is far more subtle, if not mysterious. The marketplace has fragmented. Everything has changed. And the TCA has changed, too, to the point where the designation "reporters who cover television" is spoken only in irony by one of the last remaining serious practitioners of the art. Who are these people? An industry type might be forgiven for being a little confused. Here's a handy guide: