MUMBAI: The number one US broadcast network CBS in its upfront presentation has announced five new comedies and three new dramas. The number of new shows is fewer than competitors as 20 shows have been renewed.

One of the big new shows touted was ?Hostages? from Jerry Bruckheimer. It is a suspense drama starring Toni Collette as a premiere surgeon thrust into a chilling political conspiracy when her family is taken hostage by rogue FBI agent Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott). Dr. Ellen Sanders (Collette) and her family are held captive in their home by Carlisle, who orders her to assassinate the president (James Naughton) when she operates on him.

This is the only new drama that will air during the fall. After the season finale of ?Hostages? in January, ?Intelligence? will occupy that time slot. It is about a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a super-computer microchip in his brain. CBS is also airing four new comedies in the fall - two on Monday, two on Thursday. This strategy has worked well for it. At the same time it puts it in direct competition with NBC which has also beefed up its comedy slate. Comedy CBS has said is a priority for it. One comedy is ?We Are Men? starring Kal Penn, Tony Shalhoub and Jerry O?Connell as a motley crew of neighbors of a young guy (Chris Smith) in an apartment complex.
 
Actor Robin Williams? comedy ?The Crazy Ones? will air on Thursdays at 9.00 pm. It also closed out the upfront presentation. Williams an co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar play father/daughter ad executives.

The 20 shows that have been renewed include ?The Big Bang Theory?, ?Mike and Molly? and ?2 Broke Girls?. ?How I Met Your Mother? will return for a final season, with viewers finally getting to meet and know the mother.

?Person of Interest? will move to Tuesdays at 10.00 pm. ?Hawaii Five-0? will move from Mondays to Fridays. After ?The Big Bang Theory? a new comedy ?The Millers? starring Will Arnett will air.

CBS president and CEO Les Moonves during the pre upfront press conference said that the broadcaster beats its broadcast competition by 4 - 5 million viewers and will finish the season as the number one network among adults 18-49 demographic for the first time in more than 10 years.
 
He took potshots at competitors saying, ""Anybody who spends 20 minutes talking about multiplatform at their upfront does not have much else to sell,"

Talking about drama he noted that the place for this genre is in primetime not at 7.00 am and at 11:30 pm. Midseason will see the premiere of a new legal drama ?Reckless?.

One of the surprises at the upfront was an appearance by talk show host David Letterman.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has announced that ?Criminal Minds? has been renewed for the 2013-2014 broadcast season.

The show is currently in its eighth season and it has become CBS?s 20th series to be renewed for the next year.
 
The show is about an elite team of FBI profilers who analyse the country?s most twisted criminal minds. It stars Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson and Shemar Moore.

MUMBAI: Big CBS Love has lined up a special treat for its viewers this summer - titled ?Friday Evenings with Oprah?.

Starting 10 May, the weekly special will include the best episodes from The Oprah Winfrey Show. It will air at 8 pm.

The idea behind these specials is to club together theme based shows which are topical in nature each month. Ensuring they resonate with audiences, the shows touch on a wide variety of topics from relationships, intimacy, sex, why men cheat, how foolproof is your marriage and more.
 
Big CBS Networks business head Anand Chakravarthy said, "It is a delight to bring back a personality like Oprah Winfrey to television screens. With this weekly special, we aim to provide our viewers with wholesome entertainment and touch upon universal themes which are sure to strike a chord with audiences. Oprah is an icon to millions and we are confident our viewers will appreciate our efforts to bring them the best of the most popular talk show. At the same time it is an exciting opportunity for marketers and advertisers to connect with their target audiences."

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate CBS has reported what it says is its strongest ever quarterly results, including revenue that exceeded $4 billion for the first time since it became a stand-alone company from Viacom in 2006. CBS also reported operating income of $800 million, which is an increase of 18 per cent.

CBS executive chairman Sumner Redstone said, "CBS has started the year with a terrific first quarter. Our premium content and multiplatform distribution strategy are leading to results that are better than ever. I am confident that this approach, under the guidance of Leslie and his team, will continue to propel CBS ahead in the years to come."

CBS president CEO Leslie Moonves said, "Across key financial measures-including revenue, OIBDA, operating income, and EPS-this was the most successful quarter in our company?s history. The value of our world-class content clearly continues to rise. In terms of big-event television, we had tremendous success during the quarter with the Super Bowl, the Grammys, the NCAA men?s basketball tournament, and more recently, the Academy of Country Music Awards. And our primetime lineup continues to dominate as well. The CBS Television Network is poised to win the season across all demographics, putting us in a very strong position as we prepare to unveil our new primetime lineup at the Upfront later this month."

"In the weeks that follow, we?ll be selling our schedule into an advertising marketplace that continues to improve, and we expect to once again lead the competition in pricing and volume. At the same time, our previously announced outdoor initiatives are well underway and, once complete, will solidify CBS as a company entirely centered on content." He further added.

"As the transformation of CBS continues, we are confident we will continue to create and distribute the best programming, drive earnings, and return value to our shareholders well into the future." He concluded.

The company posted its highest quarterly results in the following key metrics:

• Revenue of $4.04 billion
• Operating income before depreciation and amortisation("OIBDA") of $916 million
• Operating income of $800 million
• Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $.73

Revenues of $4.04 billion for the first quarter of 2013 increased by six per cent from $3.80 billion in the same prior-year period; this growth was led by an eight per cent increase in ad revenues, which was driven by the broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII on CBS. The timing of the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Men?s Basketball Championship, which aired during the second quarter in 2013 versus the first quarter in 2012, as well as one less week of NFL games broadcast during the quarter, partially offset the ad growth.

Affiliate and subscription fee revenues rose by 14 per cent driven by 62 per cent higher re-transmission revenues and fees from CBS Television Network affiliated television stations as well as growth at Cable Networks. Content licensing and distribution revenues were down by one per cent primarily because of the timing of theatrical releases and a significant syndication sale in 2012. At the same time, content licensing and distribution revenues benefited from a 19 per cent increase in streaming revenues.

OIBDA of $916 million increased by 15 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 from $796 million for the same prior-year period; operating income of $800 million increased by 18 per cent from $677 million in the first quarter of 2012, and the operating income margin rose two percentage points, to 20 per cent. The OIBDA and operating income growth and
margin expansion were primarily driven by higher affiliate and subscription fee revenues and the broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII on CBS.

Net earnings from continuing operations were $463 million for the first quarter of 2013, or $.73 per diluted share, up from $394 million, or $.59 per diluted share, for the same prior-year period.

Free cash flow was $576 million for the first quarter of 2013, compared with $620 million for the first quarter a year ago. The company generated operating cash flow from continuing operations of $610 million for the first quarter of 2013 versus $655 million for the first quarter of 2012, primarily reflecting increased investment in television content.

Entertainment (CBS Television Network, CBS Television Studios, CBS Global Distribution Group, CBS Films, and CBS Interactive) Entertainment revenues of $2.54 billion for the first quarter of 2013 increased by 10 per cent from the same prior-year period, driven by higher ad revenues from the broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII on CBS as well as growth in network affiliation fees. These revenue increases were partially offset by one less week of NFL games during the first quarter of 2013 as well as the timing of the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Men?s Basketball Championship, which aired during the second quarter in 2013 versus the first quarter in 2012.

Entertainment OIBDA for the first quarter of 2013 increased by 17 per cent to $480 million from $411 million for the same prior-year period, principally reflecting the segment?s revenue growth Cable Networks: (Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network, and Smithsonian Networks). Cable Networks revenues for the first quarter of 2013 increased by six per cent to $478 million from $452 million for the same prior-year period; the growth was driven by higher affiliate revenues from increases in rates and subscriptions at Showtime Networks (which includes Showtime, The Movie Channel, and Flix)

Cable Networks OIBDA for the first quarter of 2013 increased by 11 per cent to $231 million from $209 million for the same prior-year period, primarily reflecting the growth in Cable Networks revenues, which were partially offset by higher programming costs.