B&C BEYOND: MAY 21, 2012

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USA! USA! CBS will be deciding once and for all whether America is the land of the...best commercials, and will call on viewers to make the final judgment. The network's annual Clash of the Commercials: USA vs. the World special, hosted by Insider host Kevin Frazier and supermodel Heidi Klum, pits the 10 best international commercials against the 10 best from the USA. Viewers can now vote for which commercial of the 10 from each country is their favorite. The winning commercial from each category will be revealed during the show May 21 at 10 p.m., and viewers will once again get to partake in a live online vote to determine whether the U.S. or international spot is the overall victor.

Click here to view the commercials.

From the Web

Affiliates' Reactions to Upfront Presentations Is Mixed

NBC Affiliates Applaud Fall's Comedies
NBC affiliates, used to loooong upfront presentations and schedule overhauls, seemed encouraged by what they saw, including a batch of comedies. The phrase "guardedly optimistic" pops up a lot from NBC affiliates, and 2012 was no different in that regard. Jordan Wertlieb, the new affiliates board chairman, called it a "very solid strategy," and credited Comcast for spending big on development. More

Fox Affiliate Board Says Reverse Comp Well Spend
Fox's upfront presentation showcased a Tuesday comedy block, among other things. Steve Pruett, chairman of the Fox affiliates board, said the new comedies, and more live sports in Saturday primetime, show that the network is making good use of the escalating affiliate fees that caused such grief at the local level in the recent past. "They do what they say they'll do," said Pruett. "[Fox] needed to reinvest in the network to compete with more sports and build a comedy block, and they've done all that so far." More

ABC Affiliates Want Improvement From Net
ABC also showed off a new batch of comedies, with hopes that one might replicate the success of Modern Family. The affiliates would love to see that-and some improvement among the dramas on at 10. "There was not enough forward movement at 10-11 p.m.," said Bill Hoffman, the outgoing ABC affiliates board chairman, "and that has been an area we have been laser-focused on for improvement." Hoffman saw some potential in the sitcoms, but lamented that "we did not move up like we wanted to this year." More

CBS Affiliates Believe New Slate Will Keep Them on Top
CBS' annual presentation is more about tinkering than overhauling, and the affiliates appeared to believe those tweaks will keep the network's primetime on top in their markets. Newbies at the presentation included the dramas Vegas and Elementary and the comedy Partners, along a shift from Monday to Thursday for Two and a Half Men. "I'm very pleased with what I saw," said Wayne Daugherty, chairman of the CBS affiliates board. "We've got four new shows launching behind strong, winning shows. I'm impressed with a very strong-looking lineup." More

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