Why CBS Needs EliteXC

Phil Rosenthal makes the case:

But Moonves' CBS, whose five-year reign as America's most watched network ended this season with Fox taking both that title as well as its customary claim to the 18-to-49 demo, can ill-afford to leave any stone unturned in these challenging times, no matter what that upturned rock reveals.

In this case, it's a heavyweight named Kimbo Slice (ne Kevin Ferguson) headlining the first-ever CBS-EliteXC event against James "Colossus" Thompson, a former British debt collector. CBS actually put "debt collector" in quotes in its promotional material.

Maybe if there hadn't been a taxing writers strike, if Katie Couric were a hit, if CBS Radio still had Howard Stern, Moonves would take the high ground and continue to air real-life murder mysteries and the gore of "CSI" reruns on Saturday nights.

Instead, things are a little rough, so he's going to see if he can poach the audience of a successful cable mixed martial arts show called "The Ultimate Fighter." It runs on Spike, part of the Viacom half of Redstone's empire.

I've never believed CBS was in this because they're really behind the MMA product. But that doesn't mean they can't be converted in real time if the EliteXC show(s) is successful. They can and will if the numbers are right. Now all we can do is wait.