General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC is getting edgy, I'll give the network that. Of course, it's not because execs there are feeling particularly brave -- no, they're just feeling the pressure of rising programming costs and ratings challenges. The networks owned by News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), Disney (NYSE: DIS), and CBS (NYSE: CBS) are stiff competitors, so NBC is looking for a new paradigm.
According to AdAge.com, NBC wants to test out some interesting theories during the next television season. NBC would like to ensure that viewers are exposed to only a minimal amount of repeat programming; to do this, it will rest shows and program them during specific time periods. NBC also wants to resist the temptation to be traditional by having all of its series premiere in the beginning of the season -- why not spread that event throughout the entire season? Then there's the "family hour", the "blockbuster hour", and the "adult themes and high-end drama" hour -- otherwise known as 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., and 10 p.m. to 11 p.m, respectively. As you can imagine, programming during these time slots will fit the theme. NBC wants to work more closely with its advertisers and encourage them to generate campaigns that are more organically integral to the shows as a way of keeping the attention of the eyeballs. And NBC seems to be wary of debuting a bunch of new shows -- only four new series were announced.
I gotta tell you, I find NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman's ideas to be pretty cool; I don't know if they'll work or not, but they're worth a shot. I should point out, though, that they aren't entirely original, and that, to one degree or other, they've been expressed by other media companies in the past. Nevertheless, NBC is doing what it can to view its brand in a different light, to not be the traditional network it's always been. Its ratings haven't been the best as of late, so it need not be afraid to challenge itself. I particularly like the lofty goal of minimizing repeats; to this end, I would suggest that Silverman find a way to cost-effectively place orders for a higher number of episodes per season for a hit show and then run them straight through -- say, 40 episodes or more. It would be a difficult economic feat to pull off, but perhaps it could be done with newer shows once they prove to be hits.
Disclosure: I own shares of Disney and GE; positions can change at any time.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-04-2008 @ 9:55PM
eliana said...
The programming schedule is pretty risque',if you ask me: http://www.236.com/news/2008/04/04/nbc_wants_to_be_the_network_yo_1_5633.php