CBS Scales Back Meeting for Affiliates : Television: Lean economic times have forced the networks to take a closer look at the lavish annual affairs.

CBS, citing difficult economic times, said today that it is scaling back its usually lavish affiliates’ convention and is moving it from Los Angeles to New York.

Network conventions in past years have been three-day affairs, a mix of business, parties where guests include TV stars, and recreational events for station executives and their spouses.

NBC said it is reviewing its convention plans but has made no decision yet. ABC said its convention will be scaled back somewhat.

Next June’s CBS convention will last only 1 1/2 days and will concentrate on business, CBS spokesman George Schweitzer said. He said no spouses will be invited.

“We’ve substantially scaled it back and changed the venue,” he said. The usual convention business, including the screening of new series, will go on but “minus the embellishments,” he said.

“It will be more of a business meeting than a three-day adventure.”

The lean economic times were the main reason for the change, he said. “Absolutely. It (the cutback) is saving several million dollars that we don’t need to spend, money that we can put on the air instead.”

ABC will still hold its three-day convention in Los Angeles, and spouses of the executives will be invited, ABC spokeswoman Janice Gretemeyr said. But there’ll be “more stress on business” this time, she said.

“We are looking at the situation, trying to figure out if there is a better way to do things,” NBC spokeswoman Betty Hudson said.