Critics convention.

TV NETWORKS ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET IN HOPES OF GOOD PRESS

The critics are coming.

For three weeks this month, more than 100 television reviewers from across the country will set up camp at the Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena for the annual Television Critics Association summer press tour.

It's the most important event of the year for network executives, who hope that favorable reviews will give new shows the boost they need to survive.

"This is when the (networks) do it the biggest way ... trying to create some possible buzz about the shows," said Tom Feran, television critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and president of the Television Critics Association.

"Any kind of attention, whatsoever, is better than being ignored," he said.

In journalistic circles, the appropriateness of the event is the subject of perennial debate. Some say the press tour is a throwback to the old days of Hollywood, with the networks "buying" favorable reviews with fancy parties and giveaways. One year, a network handed out cellular phones.

"Human nature is not so ungrateful as people would have us assume," says A.J. Langguth, professor of journalism for the Annenberg School for Communication at USC. "The fact of the matter is, of course you're influenced. The entertainment industry wouldn't do it if it didn't work."

Publicists say the giveaways are generally small, and are primarily designed as attention-getting devices.

"We want to get away from the crowd and get noticed," said Lance Webster, associate director of press relations for the Public Broadcasting Service - which is just as interested in good ratings as the other networks. "Whether it's through a coffee mug, paper-weight, t-shirt, book ... it's tradition and it's been going on since television began."

Feran says the gifts are a nuisance and that reviewers attend the event to "stock up on interviews and gather background on a hundred programs."

"You feed off the press tour notes for the next six months and beyond," Feran said. And the "fun," he added, is overrated.

"You're stuck in a hotel for three weeks," he said. And media outlets must cover their own costs for transportation, lodging, meals and other expenses.

So why do they come?

For critics like Feran who are not based in Southern California, the TCA summer tour is the only way to gain access to hard-to-reach celebrities, producers and entertainment executives.

In most cases the cast and directors for the upcoming fall shows are available for back-to-back interviews.

This year, CBS will bring in an array of stars, including Gregory Hines, Bob Newhart, Danny Aiello, Judd Hirsch and David Caruso.

Preparations for the press event begin a year in advance. Members of the critics association work with networks and cable companies in plotting out their schedules.

Each participating network is allotted a one- to three-day period to promote their movies, sitcoms and series. The major networks, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, are given the choicest time slots (middle of the month). Cable channels like HBO and USA are clumped together in a three-day period.

The smaller networks, like UPN and WB, tend to get what's left over.

Most critics stay about two weeks. Though the press tour began on July 9, reviewers come mainly for the major network's marketing campaigns, which begin this week.

Although studio publicists would not disclose their budgets for the event, participants estimate that the major studios spend $500,000 or more to promote their shows to the media at the summer tour, including the cost of lavish parties and other promotional events.

Whatever the cost, most agree it's a bargain if the payoff results in publicity for a new show.

"This is really important to promote your shows," said try Letofsky, a freelance critic for The Hollywood Reporter and San Diego Union Tribune. "You take somebody from the Chicago Tribune writing a nice story ... the value is a zillion dollars."

A typical day on the press tour consists of a back-to-back barrage of press conferences (about six daily) sandwiched in between grab and gab feasts, celebrity interviews, screenings, luncheons and fancy dinner parties at the Ritz-Carlton and nearby restaurants.

Studio publicists begin preparing for the event several months in advance.

"It's a colossal undertaking," says Chris Ender, vice president of West Coast publicity for CBS Entertainment. "You have 150 to 200 TV critics in one room. It's an extraordinary opportunity to inform the press and hopefully inspire them (to do favorable coverage)."

Standing out from the crowd iskey.

For the winter TCA tour, a smaller version of the summer tour, CBS held a "Last Don" feast to promote its mini-series "The Last Don." After a sit-down dinner with celebrities, critics returned to their hotel rooms where they were greeted by a chocolate horse's head on their pillows. Attached was a note that read: "Looking forward to reading your article on 'The Last Don.'"