Desperate Networks

In the executive offices of the four major networks, sweeping changes are taking place and billions of dollars are at stake. Now Bill Carter, bestselling author of The Late Shift, goes behind the scenes to reveal the inner workings of the television industry, capturing the true portraits of the larger-than-life moguls and stars who make it such a cutthroat business.

In a time of sweeping media change, the four major networks struggle for the attention of American viewers increasingly distracted by cable, video games, and the Internet. Behind boardroom doors, tempers flare in the search for hit shows, which often get on the air purely by accident. The fierce competition creates a pressure-cooker environment where anything can happen . . .

• NBCs fall from graceOnce the undisputed king of prime time, NBC plunged from first place to last place in the ratings in the course of a single season. What will be the price of that collapseand who will pay it?

• CBSs slow and steady race to the topUnlike NBC, CBS, under the leadership of CEO, Leslie Moonves, engineered one of the most spectacular turnarounds in television history. But in this ruthless world, youre only as good as last weeks ratings . . . .

• ABCs surprising resurrectionLost and Desperate Housewiveshave brought ABC the kind of success it could only dream of in the past. So why dont the executives responsible for those hits work there any more?

• The end of the news as we know itIn a stunningly short period of time, all three of the major network news anchorsDan Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Peter Jenningssigned off, leaving executives scrambling for a way to keep network news relevant in an era of 24/7 information.

• Crazy Like FoxTheyre outrageous, unconventional, and occasionally off-putting, but more and more people are watching Fox shows. Most of all they keep watching American Idol. How did Simon Cowell snooker himself into a huge payday? Stay tuned . . .

In Desperate Networks Bill Carter digs deep inside the industry, delivering utterly irresistible “dish” that you wont find anywhere else. Its the perfect book to read when theres nothing on TV.

"The power relationships of network television have turned topsy-turvy in the last five years. Carter, who covers the industry for the New York Times, reveals as one example how NBC was muscled out of its first-place standing as the other networks developed hit after hit. The shows he chooses to showcase are instantly recognizable — American Idol, Survivor, Desperate Housewives — and in every case, the show's path to the airwaves is at least as dramatic as its content. Though Carter is primarily concerned with prime-time hits, his reporting spreads out from the Today Show to the nightly newscasts and, harking back to his bestselling The Late Shift, the negotiations that cemented Conan O'Brien as Jay Leno's successor on The Tonight Show. Despite multiple narrative threads, the story never gets confusing or bogged down. Though some clear heroes emerge, like Housewives creator Marc Cherry, most of the key figures, from Idol's acerbic Simon Cowell to network execs like CBS head Les Moonves and NBC's Jeff Zucker, are depicted ambiguously, reflecting failures as well as successes. And it's Carter's insider access, illuminating the players' states of mind, that makes this backstage drama so riveting." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

In a time of sweeping media change, increasingly demanding actors, and pressured executives, the four major networks struggle to become number one. In the process, they provide Carter with a fascinating picture of what really happens on the set and behind closed boardroom doors.

As media reporter for The New York Times, Carter knows just where to look during this critical year in the world of prime time. He takes readers behind:

·NBC’s fall from grace—Once the undisputed king of prime time, NBC will likely fall from first place to last place in the ratings in the course of a single season. If Martha Stewart’s two new shows are hits, that would be a very good thing indeed for NBC.

·CBS’s slow and steady race to the top—Unlike NBC, CBS could be poised for one of the most spectacular turnarounds in television history. Now if only they didn’t have to deal with Dan Rather…

·ABC’s surprising resurrection—writing a bizarre twist ending for how to succeed in television, ABC is climbing toward salvation after firing the executives who provided its deliverance. And will Teri Hatcher and the other residents of Wisteria Lane stir the pot by asking for salaries way beyond a housewife’s allowance?

·Crazy Like Fox — They’re outrageous, unconventional, we know we should hate them, but (mostly) we don’t. We keep watching American Idol. How did Simon Cowell snooker executives into a huge payday? Stay tuned….

In DESPERATE NETWORKS, Bill Carter uses a single year of television to expose and celebrate America’s fascination with our most-watched form of entertainment. It’s the perfect book to read when there’s nothing on TV.

Never before has anyone revealed the inner workings of the television industry or captured the true portraits of the larger-than-life moguls and starts who make it such a cut-throat business. Competing with hundreds of cable up-starts and down from the days when the big three networks ruled the air waves, Bill Carter, best-selling author of

Bill Carter reports on the television industry for the New York Times and has written about television for almost 30 years. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a native of Brooklyn, New York, he currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and children.