[opendtv] Re: News: NBC, Touchstone Chiefs: Some Broadcast Nets Won't Survive
- From: "John Willkie" <JohnWillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:07:03 -0700
why is this news? It's been an open secret for more than half a decade.
The question is: which one(s)? Will news be the touchstone?
John Willkie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Craig Birkmaier" <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "OpenDTV Mail List" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2005 6:01 AM
Subject: [opendtv] News: NBC, Touchstone Chiefs: Some Broadcast Nets Won't
Survive
> Breaking News
>
> NBC, Touchstone Chiefs: Some Broadcast Nets Won't Survive
>
> By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/8/2005 10:51:00 AM
>
> NBC Universal Entertainment President Kevin Reilly and Touchstone
> Television President and ABC Entertainment EVP Mark Pedowitz predict
> that there will be fewer than the current six broadcast networks on
> the air five years from now.
>
> Those comments came during a joint Hollywood Radio & Television
> Society and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences panel discussion in
> L.A. about the state of the television industry, an event which
> moderator, film and TV producer Gavin Polone half-jokingly renamed
> "The Coming Television Apocalypse."
>
> On an equally ominous note, five of the six panelists predicted that
> the total dollar figure for next year's network upfronts will be flat
> or down from this year - with only NBC U's Reilly abstaining from the
> question. Most of the responses were in the down 1-2% range, while
> The Firm Chairman and former Disney Television President Rich
> Frank ventured it could drop 10%.
>
> A high-ranking SBC Communications executive on the panel,
> acknowledged having numerous discussions about "more strategic
> relationships" with content providers, though he declined to say
> whether the telco would consider acquiring a television network.
>
> Dan York, executive VP of programming for SBC, said when asked the
> question, "I'm not going to answer that straight out." Citing the
> "competitive landscape," he said, "It obviously makes sense to be a
> little more vertical and not just be a downstream provider."
>
> Polone took the position that increasing penetration of DVRs is going
> to lead to a "painful" restructuring of the TV business. Even so, the
> panelists predictably were ready to refute the end of the model as we
> know it.
>
> "Frankly, network television is here to stay," said Magna Global
> Worldwide Chairman and CEO Bill Cella. "But the reality is that more
> and more of our clients' dollars are being spread out and that's not
> a good thing for the networks."
>
> While the viability of the 30-second spot was a constant topic of
> conversation, Rich Frank said that DVRs will lead to new innovations
> in advertising.
>
> Reilly said networks, including his own, are not doing enough in the
> product integration realm. "I think we all should be doing a little
> more experimentation in that area," he said. "It becomes creatively
> a little challenging in the scripted arena. Somehow we have crafted
> the unscripted side to communicate the product a little better.
> Producers are able to do the dance better, but we're not doing enough
> of it."
>
> Polone also questioned whether Touchstone producing shows for a
> competing network devalues ABC. ABC's Pedowitz: "It's a good thing
> to have content that flows through many distribution channelsSI don't
> know if it devalues ABC, it may notSIt allows us as a studio to
> attract better talent, which may help ABC at a later point."
>
> After the event, NBC U's Reilly told B&C that while the event was
> entertaining, "It's not just a black-and-white issue and we just
> scratched the surface. But Gavin did a good job getting all of us to
> react to some very real and topical issues."
>
>
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