If this catches on, the practice of introducing new shows in the fall will go the way of the dodo bird and the passenger pigeon.

NBC Universal took a big step toward undoing one of the television industry’s oldest traditions by announcing Tuesday that it would move to a year-round schedule of staggered program introductions. The move is intended to appeal to advertisers, who crave fresh content to keep viewers tuned in.

And if it succeeds — and leads other broadcast networks to shift from their focus on a mass introduction of new shows — it could alter an American cultural cycle that extends all the way back to the days of radio, when families gathered around the Philco every September, as the school year began, to sample the new entertainment choices.

NBC plans to announce a 52-week schedule in April, a month before ABC and CBS will unveil their fall lineups at splashy presentations known as upfronts. The decision means that NBC will be committing to a new lineup of shows earlier than any of its competitors, while also inviting advertisers to build marketing plans around specific shows and perhaps to integrate brands and products into the plots of the shows themselves.

We've been seeing a move this direction for some time. For example, the show 24 has always debuted in the winter (well, prior to this strike-plagued year). And there have been a number of limited run series that are shown during the summer. But as a rule, the fall has been the time to roll out the new product line, just like the auto industry. But there really isn't any solid business reason for doing so, especially as some shows die an ugly death at mid-season, or even earlier, and need replacements. This will also do away with the rerun desert that is the summer months -- we will always have something new on network TV.