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'The real story
behind the real thing'

CNBC promises to reveal secrets about Coca-Cola

By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Nov 11, 2009

It sounds almost like an "E! True Hollywood Story," only it's aimed at business people rather than tabloid readers.

CNBC's "Coca-Cola: The Real Story Behind the Real Thing" debuts tonight at 9 p.m., promising to expose some secrets at the soft drink giant as it struggles to stay relevant in an age where sugar-free and energy drinks are gaining more traction.

The special focuses on Coke's search for the next big thing in the beverage industry. It aims its cameras on the company's Innovation Lab, the till-now secret headquarters where Coke tests and plots the marketing strategy behind its latest products, such as sponsoring the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to gain a foothold in the African market.

Those new products include the Freestyle Jet Machine, which allows users to create their own beverage by blending the 104 variations of Coke products.

This is one in an occasional series of CNBC specials on large corporations, which have also included documentaries on Walmart and eBay. They usually include some dirt, such as tonight's revelation that the Coca-Cola bottlers and the company's executives don't always get along, but they're also good illustrations of why certain companies succeed while others don't.

CNBC will repeat "Coca-Cola" three more times tonight and twice over the next few days, giving viewers an ample time to see it if they missed the premiere.

The bulk of CNBC's viewership, of course, is concentrated in the daytime business hours. During third quarter, the network averaged 193,000 total viewers during the day, according to Nielsen, off 45 percent from last year, during the height of the nation's financial meltdown. Among adults 25-54, the loss was much less steep, off 15 percent to 71,000.

A look at this week’s top TV draws
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	NBC	“Today” (N)	Andre Agassi guests and Bon Jovi performs. Again.
8 p.m.	ABC	“43rd Annual CMA Awards” (A)	Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood host.
8 p.m.	CW	“ America’s Next Top Model” (R)	The final four learn a hip-hop version of the hula.
8 p.m.	ESPN	“NBA Basketball” (S)	Eastern Conference finals rematch between the Cavs and Magic.
9 p.m.	CBS	“Criminal Minds” (D)	A killer seems to follow a rock star’s tour.
9 p.m.	Fox	“Glee” (C)	The school tries to pay for a wheelchair-accessible bus.
10 p.m.	FX	“Nip/Tuck” (D)	Julia shows up to help Matt recovery from surgery.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	Dolly Parton and Kate Walsh both guest.
8 p.m.	Fox	“Bones” (D)	The crew looks into the death of a small wrestler.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Grey’s Anatomy” (D)	Kim Raver plays a new cardiothoracic surgeon.
9 p.m.	CBS	“CSI” (D)	Final part of the three-way “CSI” crossover.
9 p.m.	NBC	“The Office” (C)	Michael starts acting strangely after rumors spread about the company.
10 p.m.	ABC	“Private Practice” (D)	Addison and Sam run into a couple trapped inside a car after an accident.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	CBS	“Ghost Whisperer” (D)	Melinda is led to a murdered body by its ghost.
8 p.m.	CW	“Smallville” (D)	Clark gets in trouble with the law.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Ugly Betty” (D)	Daniel brings Amanda to one of his support group meetings.
9 p.m.	CBS	“Medium” (D)	Ariel has a new boyfriend, but Allison thinks he’s a killer.
9 p.m.	USA	“Monk” (D)	Monk looks for someone who’s trying to ruin a wedding.
10:30 p.m.	ESPN	“NBA Basketball” (S)	The Lakers face off against the Nuggets in Denver.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Time	Network	Program	Description
3:30 p.m.	ABC	“College Football” (S)	Hugely important Big Ten game between Iowa and Ohio State.
8 p.m.	Fox	“Cops” (R)	Cops in California look for a man wanted for domestic violence and burglary.
8 p.m.	Telemundo	“Soccer” (S)	Mexican league match between Chivas and Cruz Azul should draw a good Hispanic audience.
8 p.m.	Nickelodeon	“iCarly” (C)	Carly tries to get Lewbert and his ex-fiancée back together.
9 p.m.	Hallmark Channel	“Flower Girl” (M)	A florist gets caught up in a love triangle.
11:30 p.m.	NBC	“Saturday Night Live” (C)	January Jones hosts and the Black Eyed Peas perform.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Time	Network	Program	Description
3:15 p.m.	ABC	“NASCAR Racing” (S)	Sprint Cup race from Phoenix.
8 p.m.	Fox	“The Simpsons” (C)	Marge poses for a calendar for charity and some racy photos are leaked. To Playboy, apparently.
8:15 p.m.	NBC	“NFL Football” (S)	AFC rivals New England and Indianapolis square off.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Desperate Housewives” (D)	Gaby does all she can to get Juanita into a Catholic school.
9 p.m.	Fox	“Family Guy” (C)	Quagmire becomes a father and realizes it’s not his thing.
9 p.m.	Showtime	“Dexter” (D)	Dexter thinks the Trinity Killer is heading out of town.
10 p.m.	E!	“Girls Next Door” (R)	Hef and the girls head to Italy for a music festival.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.