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RIP Eugene Polley, a real American hero

Couch potatoes everywhere have lost a true hero. Eugene Polley, inventor of the first wireless remote control, died on May 20 at the age of 96. As an engineer at Zenith Electronics in 1955, Polley created the Flash-Matic remote control, a device that, for the first time ever, gave viewers the ability to change channels without leaving the comfort of their couches and recliners.

Read the full obituary in The New York Times.

Read my post about remotes "Clicking into the Future."

Visit our Remote Control Gallery on The CBS Attic.

The experts agree

Here is Ed Martin's review:

CBS (5 Jacks)
Anyone who might wonder why CBS usually takes top honors for the week need only have walked through Carnegie Hall before its presentation even began to understand why it remains the network to beat for upfront effectiveness. For the better part of a half-hour before the show started, a vivid display of glamorous and exciting images and videos featuring all of CBS' stars filled the massive screen above the stage. It was so well-conceived and executed that it was mesmerizing to watch. The rest of the presentation was similarly impressive, from more

Putting the 'show' in showbiz

And we're off! On May 16, we held CBS's 2012 Upfront presentation, the annual show-and-tell at Carnegie Hall where we introduce our new fall schedule to advertisers. The upfront is a tremendous source of pride for us at CBS. It's a celebration of broadcast television and the fun and important business of entertaining America. (See my post from May 2010 for a full description of how the upfronts work.)

In addition to bringing in the stars of CBS's numerous hit shows, we often feature surprise appearances and performances from special celebrity guests. This year, hip hop more

In entertainment marketing, what's past is prologue

That wise old marketing philosopher Yogi Berra said: "I don't make predictions, especially about the future." By looking back at some of the history of entertainment marketing and how people have responded to it over time, we can gain perspectives that help us in the present and future.

We're heading into the Upfront season -- the time each year when television networks host presentations in New York to introduce our new shows and fall schedules to the advertising community. Now is a good time to look back at our collection of vintage CBS print ads from the 1950s more

Eye on the show: The art & science of the TV promo

Even with all of the media choices available to viewers today, on-air promotion continues to be the single most effective way for TV marketers like CBS to get the word out about our shows. Yes, we also advertise on every media platform in every format -- print, digital, outdoor, radio, mobile, social. But nothing has the same creative impact as the running our promos on the first screen.

Promos give people a free sample of the show. Research tells us that viewers like promos -- they view them as entertainment content and program information that helps them decide what to more

First screen first:
Big event TV and social media

First screen first: <br>Big event TV and social media

In a world of limitless choice, the appetite for big event television continues to grow. And as exciting and pervasive as social media chatter about television has become, it simply reflects -- and often magnifies -- the enduring power of what happens on the first screen.

For example, with more than 13 million viewers, the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS delivered a 4 percent increase over last year's ratings. That's the result of a vibrant country music community looking to connect with their favorite artists and each other during the live broadcast.

Together with more

A tradition of hoops history

Thirty years ago this week, CBS broadcast the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game for the first time. As a freshman at the University of North Carolina, Michael Jordan hit the game-winning basket for the Tar Heels' 63-62 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas. Take a look.

While today we have giant flat screens, HD video, and social media to give us a vastly improved Final Four viewing experience, it's all still about the content. No amount of technological innovation can change the fact that we all just want to see a good game.

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Truth in advertising

Here is one of my favorite vintage ads from our collection on TheCBSAttic.com. Created under the direction of the legendary CBS Creative Director Lou Dorfsman, it ran as a trade ad in 1963.

The ad married words and imagery with wit and simplicity. What makes this so special and meaningful is that the elements of the Eye's success are as true today as they were then.

While there are many more ways to win the nation's applause today using technology to gather and amplify attention, it all still begins with developing the best shows.

This piece serves more

On a roll

One of the most important platforms for marketing new television programs is a successful schedule with established audiences. We show previews of new programs to fans of our established ones as a means to gain awareness and get people excited.

The more successful a broadcast schedule, the fewer programming holes it has to fill when the new season comes around. And the ones that get picked benefit from strong leads-in--they get to stand on the shoulders of giants.

As we get deeper into development season--the time each year when TV networks select scripts, cast, produce, and pick new pilots that more

The Madness is coming

Players, teams, and fans across America eagerly await the announcement--broadcast live on CBS--and the analysis that ensues. Why? Because come the next morning, they'll either be practicing for their big shot at basketball greatness or filling out a bracket to take a crack at the office pool. A victory in either ensures eternal bragging rights!

Watch the 2012 NCAA Basketball Championship Selection Show on Sunday, March 11, from 6-7 p.m. (ET) on CBS.

Bracket Monday
Because fans love brackets almost as much as the games themselves, the Monday following Selection Sunday is "National Bracket Day," aka "Bracket Monday." more