Upfronts are off to a quiet start

NEWS. It’s Upfront Week, the big broadcast networks’ annual tradition of announcing their new programming lineups for the fall television season and wooing advertisers with lavish parties. But post-writers strike, times are tough in TV land. Ratings are down significantly (shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy” hit some of their smallest viewership numbers after returning from the strike-induced hiatus), and networks are still trying to figure out how to benefit from new media, such as DVR technology and the streaming of shows online, both of which allow viewers to watch programs on their own time and essentially negate the idea of a traditional primetime schedule.

In such a climate, the TV game is changing. Belts are tightening, and presentations typically held at Radio City Music Hall or Carnegie Hall have been scaled back; the post-presentation booze no longer flows freely. The fourth-place network, NBC, which traditionally kicked off Upfronts with a Monday meeting, decided to forego the hoopla altogether and held an “Infront” last month. In its place, a conference on the “NBC Universal Experience,” including the company’s cable networks, Web sites and amusement parks, was held yesterday. The week continues with presentations by ABC and The CW tomorrow; CBS on Wednesday and Fox on Thursday.