Abstract

The case describes how Leslie Moonves, the President and CEO of US-based CBS Television, revived the CBS television network. Earlier, the television network aired shows that appealed only to old people and those in rural areas, and with such limited audiences, it was often ranked at the bottom in television rankings. The case examines in length the reasons for the fall of CBS from one of the leading television networks in the 1960s. It discusses the various steps taken by Moonves to attract younger audience, increase the network's viewership and regain the #1 position in television rankings. The case also describes the competition that CBS faces from other channels such as NBC, ABC and FOX, cable and satellite channels, and the Internet.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Examine the efforts made by a leader to revive a television network in trouble
• Study and analyze the nature of competition among the television networks in the US
• Critically analyze the trends in the US television broadcasting industry in the recent years
• Study the impact of cable television and the Internet on the US television industry.

Keywords

CBS Television, Leslie Moonves, US Broadcasting Industry, Television Network, FOX Broadcasting Company, NBC Television Network, American Broadcasting Company, Corporate Growth Strategies, Corporate Turnaround Strategies, Reality Show, Survivor, Television City, Prime Time Network, US Television Industry