Allen Weiner

As USA Today reports, NBC will be debuting a number of its new and returning fall shows online before they hit their scheduled broadcast debuts. Great quote from NBC’s John Miller: We want to make (programs) available in as many ways as we can so we
can get fans. If you don’t embrace
people’s behavior, you can be lost by it.” Miller gets it.

But is debuting the shows online enough? Let’s hope NBC spends the money and time to apply careful metrics to measure how well these shows perform in their online screenings as well as monitor the Web buzz on these shows. TV audiences and advertisers will be thankful to be spared another “Emeril” which aired seven times before being excised from NBC’s 2001 Tuesday night lineup.