TV Online: A Glimpse of the Future at the 'Upfronts'

May 17, 2007 — -- It is the biggest week in network television, yet television must share the spotlight.

It is "upfront" week, the time each year when ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and others preview their shows for the new fall season. The name comes from the goal: to dazzle advertisers and secure "upfront" as big a chunk as possible of the $9 billion they will commit to ads for the fall lineups.

While the upfronts always answer what the networks plan to put on television, the question that got more attention than ever at this year's previews was where else the programs would show up.

The growing popularity of video on venues other than television has the networks rolling out major initiatives this week involving programming on the Internet, cell phones and hand-held video devices.