News Round-up: NBC, Strasser, AMC, ASW

TCA: Bromstad, Telegdy Say New NBC Era To Focus On Reviving Brand
In the first NBC network executive Q&A since last week's shake up giving Jeff Gaspin oversight of all NBC Universal's TV assets-including the broadcast network-the NBC network's top execs say the focus of the new era is improving NBC's brand.

"HEROES, THE OFFICE and SVU are all on-brand," Bromstad said, appearing with Telegdy in the network's morning exec Q&A session. "I think we have fallen short in the past couple of years and it's our goal to bring back high quality sophisticated dramas, and a brand of alternative that falls into that."

She said cutting programming costs is the top priority in changing the way NBC's broadcast network model works. "We have to find a way to bring costs down. We should be taking advantage of the success of the cable properties. Jeff [Gaspin] is going to be looking at all those things," she said.

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz Dishes on MELROSE PLACE
On her character, Violet: “She is a little weird,” the actress told PEOPLE Tuesday. “I have a so-called innocent side, but I think it’s just the persona that I’m giving to people. I’m only setting people up.”

Robin Strasser on the AMC and OLTL moves
"They've got some great real estate they're moving to in LA. And there's a lot of great opportunities for renting and buying the personal residences. And then our show apparently is going to get at least 30-50 percent more studio space so that our big concept productions and efficiency can be ramped up. Frank has found better and better ways to make a great show but does it cost effectively because if we don't do it that way we'll be joining GUIDING LIGHT. I'm so proud to be part of that solution."

Deep Soap: L.A. Story
Sara Bibel takes a look at the winners and losers from the news that ALL MY CHILDREN is moving to Los Angeles and OLTL is taking over AMC's larger studio.

Web Ads Get More Intrusive
The Web has long relegated advertising to the sidelines as part of a do-not-interrupt mandate that separated cyberspace venues from traditional media. That's slowly changing.

A group of top-tier publishers, including The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, has signed up to test a new initiative that plops commercials in front of users as they arrive at Web sites, blocking the content. They will have the option to close the ads after 10 seconds. The spots then retreat into traditional banner placements. The video placements are designed to appear when users arrive at sites through links on social networking sites or via search engines. For content sites, that means access to high-priced video ads even when their content is text.