[opendtv] News: An un-fond farewell to prime-time TV reruns
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 08:04:07 -0400
An un-fond farewell to prime-time TV reruns
May 26, 2004 12:00am
Source: ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved.
Ohio, The Cincinnati Post: HOLLYWOOD -- It's=20
taken more than 50 years of TV evolution, but the=20
prime-time rerun is rapidly becoming an=20
endangered species.
With the six broadcast networks unveiling their=20
2004-05 schedules to advertisers this week, it's=20
become clearer than ever that TV bosses are=20
taking sledgehammers to the templates that ruled=20
nightly household viewing since the waning years=20
of the Truman administration. As they try to=20
stave off fierce cable competition and chase the=20
young adults prized by advertisers, networks are=20
loading up on high-concept "reality" shows and=20
rejiggering lineups at the last minute. As a=20
result, they're using reruns more sparingly than=20
ever or, in many cases, banishing them entirely.
Admittedly, this is one funeral that might not=20
attract many mourners. Indeed, viewers grew so=20
averse to repeats that a few years back, NBC=20
tried to reposition the encores with a chirpy=20
marketing slogan: "If you haven't seen it, it's=20
new to you!" But the decline of reruns signals=20
larger changes that are having enormous impact=20
for viewers as well as the TV industry itself.
In a rare act of public self-reproach, networks=20
are admitting that, if anything, they've waited=20
too long to nix the stale stuff in their=20
schedules. During the 1993-94 season,=20
broadcasters controlled a 60 percent share of TV=20
viewership. For the 2002-03 season, that figure=20
was barely 50 percent -- thanks in large part,=20
executives say, to too many network reruns.
"It's why cable has made its headway and why we=20
(broadcasters) have had significant audience=20
erosion," Fox's entertainment president Gail=20
Berman said. "If you're not giving the audience=20
what they want, they're going to go somewhere=20
else to get it."
NBC and Fox are casting aside the traditional=20
September-May season and aggressively touting=20
year-round schedules, with no repeats for such=20
series as NBC's "The West Wing." Since the White=20
House drama will produce only 22 episodes next=20
season, the network will help fill up the=20
remaining weeks of the 35-week TV season with=20
specials and eight episodes of the new drama=20
"Revelations."
Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, mired in fourth place in=20
the ratings, next season will show only first-run=20
episodes of its cop show "NYPD Blue" and the spy=20
drama "Alias." The WB Network will do the same=20
with its returning youth-oriented dramas=20
"Everwood" and "One Tree Hill." Meanwhile,=20
reality shows like Fox's hugely popular "American=20
Idol" seldom if ever air repeats because encores=20
of unscripted shows have usually tanked in the=20
ratings. The effect on prime time is dramatic. WB=20
executives say they will air a total of 470 hours=20
of original programming next season, a=20
year-to-year increase of 21 percent.
Network bosses say they have little choice: When=20
young viewers see reruns these days, they tune=20
out and flee to cable, the Internet or who knows=20
where else. Double-digit percentage declines in=20
the number of young male viewers watching TV last=20
fall led to hand- wringing in executive suites.=20
Many upscale viewers in their 20s and 30s are=20
buying digital video recorders, such as TiVo,=20
that can record and store episodes at the touch=20
of a button, thus making repeats redundant.
And with a growing number of series being rushed=20
onto DVDs, the need to catch repeats diminishes.
When repeats do appear these days, it's often for=20
strategic reasons. For example, Fox last summer=20
built awareness for its youth soap "The O.C." by=20
running new episodes twice in the same week, and=20
NBC earlier this year aired repeats of Donald=20
Trump's "The Apprentice" the Wednesday after=20
their initial Thursday airing. It's a model that=20
has long proved successful on cable networks such=20
as HBO, which repeats its series at least once=20
during the week.
But with both "The O.C." and "The Apprentice,"=20
the moves were designed mostly to build awareness=20
of new shows, not simply to fill up a time slot.
Cutting back on reruns this coming season marks a=20
sharp break with a well-established tradition.=20
=46or decades, episodes of comedies and dramas=20
aired two or even three times during the year,=20
especially during the slow summer months. No one=20
loved them, but they were, like car payments and=20
the common cold, an inescapable fact of life.
Even now, repeats of older shows such as=20
"Seinfeld" and "Friends" remain among the most=20
popular syndicated programs, but those typically=20
air outside of prime time on local stations, not=20
national networks.
NBC's "Law & Order" franchise and CBS' "CSI:=20
Crime Scene Investigation" still perform well in=20
repeats and are routinely used to plug holes in=20
their respective networks' lineups, but those=20
shows have broad appeal across age ranges.
It's still unclear whether banning reruns gives=20
the networks a potent weapon or merely represents=20
a late-inning act of desperation by broadcasters.=20
Advertisers, already restive about high prices=20
for ad time on broadcast TV, may balk at attempts=20
to change the traditional season, especially=20
because advertising time bought in bulk every=20
year around this time results in specially priced=20
packages that can favor buyers.
Meanwhile, Hollywood's creative community will=20
likely have to alter production calendars for TV=20
shows as no-repeat gambits spread. TV=20
writer-producers are already battling networks=20
and studios over DVD profits, health-insurance=20
costs and other thorny issues.
<<The Cincinnati Post -- 05/24/04>>
<< Copyright =A92004 ProQuest Information and=20
Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. >>
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