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A look at some amazing entertainment technology

In the category of "one day people, will ask, 'How did you ever exist with just an iPhone?'," I recently visited the Old Town Music Hall, a little movie theater built in 1921 in El Segundo, Calif., which is near Los Angeles, and marveled at the technology and talent that went into playing live music for silent films.

That technology was the mighty Wurlitzer. That's right, before talking pictures, audiences were entertained by silent films that used title cards and, in many theaters, live music accompaniment. The Wurlitzer is a brand of organ, but also much more. … Read more

Where were you when the lights went out?

Where was I when the lights went out?

I was at my post for the game in the CBS operations center inside the Superdome, sitting next to our head of NFL sales and our director of operations. As with every Super Bowl, we stayed in constant communication with the production truck to make sure all the commercials and promo spots played as scheduled. There are formats, rules, and procedures, and our job is to oversee them. We are there for quality control, and usually it all goes right.

Nothing prepared us for what we heard over the director's intercom: &… Read more

Want another look at the promos that aired during the big game?

The final numbers are being tallied, but based on overnight ratings, it looks like Super Bowl XLVII had record viewership. We're thrilled to know that tens of millions of people saw our promos.

In case you missed them, here they are for your viewing pleasure:

"2 Broke Girls - Spectacular"

The making of the "2 Broke Girls - Spectacular"

"Under the Dome"

David Letterman and Andrew Luck

"The Big Bang Theory"

CBS comedies

"We are the Champions"

"Thank you"

Super Bowl from the sidelines: Tech readiness is priority No. 1

It's always a treat to watch the game coverage by the peerless NFL on CBS team, which is the very best in the business. And backing up our amazing group of analysts and experts in front of the camera is a trained crew of CBS Sports production and technical pros behind the scenes.

Their No. 1 priority is to deliver the perfect angle of every play, along with the sophisticated replays, zoom, and hyper-broadcast detail that TV viewers have grown to love. The production logistics and technical complexity associated with broadcasting the Super Bowl are astounding. This year, CBS … Read more

Getting ready for Super Sunday

We're on the ground in NOLA gearing up for Super Bowl XLVII. Many of our shows, crews, and talent have been here for days. Now it's a whole lot of buildup and anticipation for super Sunday -- the biggest day of the year in television, sports, advertising, and marketing.

For many people, it's a national celebration -- a day of fun, cheering, bonding, eating, and drinking in front of the TV. For teams it's an epic battle, the single biggest day of the year for sports. For advertisers, it's a rare and valuable opportunity to … Read more

Marketing 101: Know your audience

One of the ways to know your audience is through research. My never-ending quest as a TV marketing guy is to understand viewer behavior and how to influence that decision-making process. We study why TV viewers choose what they choose.

Recently, I traveled with members of my team to Las Vegas to ask these questions and more at our world-class CBS Television City research facility at the MGM Grand Hotel. The 9,000-square-foot space is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge technology, and an expert research staff. This is where we test audience response to new TV shows as well as … Read more

The new year is in gear

Welcome to 2013. We're getting ready to welcome America to a trifecta of supersize TV events in the next 40 days:

January 20: AFC Championship Game February 3: Super Bowl XLVII February 10: The 55th Grammy Awards

We call these "tent pole" events because they get most of America watching CBS, bringing them under our "big tent." The value of big event TV is more than just the audience gathered and the advertising dollars collected; it's the hugely valuable exposure we get for marketing our shows and building awareness for millions and millions of … Read more

In the spirit of holiday promos!

'Tis the season for holiday promos.

To spread the cheer and allow our shows and stars to make a special connection with viewers, each year we create a new holiday campaign. The 2012 CBS holiday promos feature some of our biggest stars showing their playful sides and wishing health and happiness to the people who tune in to CBS night after night.

This year we also adapted our on-air promos into images that can be viewed and shared online. You can view all of the images here and watch the video below. Take a look, happy holidays, and, as always, … Read more

Gearing up for New Orleans

The Super Bowl is two months away, the teams still to be decided, but our CBS team is deep in development on all the coverage, events, and promotions that come with being the game's broadcaster.

It is the biggest "show" of the year, every year. A galvanizing event that brings all of the country together, in front of the screen. Some come for the football, some come for the commercials, others come for the snacks. We love being part of the tradition.

While the Super Bowl is a marketer's dream, the game itself is a self-promotional … Read more