fairness

Undercover Boss is the hot new reality series from CBS, so hot that the network is going to give the show a premiere after the Super Bowl broadcast. That pretty much guarantees a huge opening Nielsen rating. Having seen a screener of the program, I think it will be a hit. It's very effective. However, there's another reason the show will be a success. From the economic point of view, CBS will make a lot of money from Undercover Boss because most of the participants won't be paid. This is according to a story in the New York Post.

That's right, only the executives on Undercover Boss are paid for being on camera. All the workers shown in the program, the people who are unaware that the boss is by their side experiencing every aspect of the business, do not receive compensation for appearing on camera.

UPDATE: CBS has contacted TV Squad to report that... "No one in the company is being paid for their participation on Undercover Boss. Neither the employees, the executives nor the companies receive compensation for participating in the show."