The ABC Entertainment Television Group encompasses ABC Entertainment and Touchstone Television.

Last season, ABC Entertainment introduced several successful new comedies that returned the network to its traditional strength in family programming. Added to strong returning favorites My Wife and Kids and According to Jim were four new series: 8 Simple Rules, George Lopez, Less Than Perfect and Life with Bonnie. The results of this strategy were impressive. For the 2002-03 primetime television season, ABC was up across the board from the previous season, most significantly in two key demographics, six percent in adults 18-49 and 10 percent among adults 18-34, more than any other major network. In fact, excluding the Who Wants To Be a Millionaire phenomenon of the 1999-2000 season, last season saw ABC’s best year-to-year improvement in over 22 years. Another promising development was that, as ABC rebuilt its traditional audience base, it got younger in the process. ABC’s audience is now the youngest of the big three networks, with a median viewer age of 44.8.

This year, ABC has maintained its strong viewer base by remaining committed to this programming strategy. Four more comedies were added to ABC’s strengthened line-up – I’m with Her, It’s All Relative, Married to the Kellys and Hope & Faith, and, for the second year in a row, all four new comedies received full-season orders. Over the past two years, ABC has achieved unparalleled success in the comedy arena, and this success not only strengthened the network’s performance throughout the week, but also allowed ABC to re-launch its TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Funny) franchise on Friday nights.

In the drama arena, new entries Threat Matrix and 10-8 joined audience favorites and established performers Alias, NYPD Blue and The Practice. On the reality front, ABC continues to deliver with The Bachelor and Extreme Makeover proving to be strong franchises for the network.

ABC was able to capitalize on its momentum in primetime to successfully launch a new late-night franchise, Jimmy Kimmel Live. The show continues to deliver solid ratings and already bests CBS’ established late-night show The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn among young adults.

As perhaps the best reflection of confidence in ABC’s new programming strategy, the network was able to write approximately $2.4 billion in advertising commitments (including sales for Monday Night Football and The Academy Awards), in the 2003-04 Upfront advertising marketplace. ABC was second only to NBC, and achieved double-digit price increases of 14-16 percent, more than NBC or Fox.