Posted on 07/26/2020 11:26:19 AM PDT by Signalman
Cable television ratings for A&E Network have plummeted since it canceled the hit police reality show, “Live PD” on June 10, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Following the death of George Floyd and riots led by “Black Lives Matter” across the country, A&E Network capitulated to demands to cancel the law enforcement show saying in a statement:
“This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD. Going forward, we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them. And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments.”
The woke move turned out to be a devastating financial mistake. Average prime-time viewership for A&E between June 11 and July 19 of this year was 498,000 people, which is down 49 percent from the same period last year. Additionally, for key demographics of adults 18-49 and 25-54, the declines are 55 percent and 53 percent, respectively. Before A&E pulled the show, its prime-time viewership was up 4 percent from the same period in 2019.
Ironically, the show promoted police transparency, one of the reforms championed by BLM and others, by following officers on their rounds in cities across the country. “Live PD” averaged about 1.9 million viewers for its Friday and Saturday night episodes and re-aired episodes on other days. It inspired several successful spinoff shows, which A&E also canceled.
When you include the now-canceled sister shows of Live PD, “Live PD: Police Patrol” and “Live PD Presents: PD Cam,” the Live PD universe accounted for more than 85 percent of A&E’s daily programming.
In 2019, the “Live PD” empire brought in $292.6 million in advertising, according to ad-tracking firm Kantar Media. For the first quarter of 2020, the programs sold $95.8 million in advertising.
A&E told the Journal they expected this “temporary hit in the ratings” given the success of “Live PD” and that it has been mostly replaced by reruns. The network expressed its confidence in being able to “find new hits and reinvent ourselves.”
“Live PD” fans, self-named “Live PD Nation,” have been actively encouraging a boycott of A&E until “Live PD” and it’s spin-offs return to the network.
Last month, Paramount Network canceled “Cops,” another police reality show following officers. There are even cries to cancel “Paw Patrol”, one of the most popular kids cartoons of our day, a show about six pups including Chase, a German Shepherd police dog. The show’s intent, according to Nickelodeon, is to promote safety, heroism, and show children what it’s like to work together with a team. However, critics expressed concern about the positive image of law enforcement projected by the kids animated series.
Networks and production companies have become hyper-aware of their portrayal of law enforcement since the BLM riots. Media reinforcing positive perceptions of law enforcement are now seen as dangerous by the woke leftist mob’s narrative of systemic racism, particularly regarding criminal justice.
The movement to defund and even abolish police departments has gone from a radical, fringe idea to a culturally acceptable, if not mainstream idea in progressive cities and in the Democratic party.
I had seen every episode of Yellowstone until this year when Paramount canceled Cops. I have not watched the network since.
“Maybe they can teplace police docs with shark and fighter plane docs.”
It’ll soon be all black and queer and feminist programming. You know — accurately reflecting America.
My favorite show. Shame on them.
All great shows.
Loved Rockford Files and Columbo.
Live PD and COPS reruns are all available on youtube - for now, anyway.
this isn’t the first program A&E has dropped. They used to have some worthwhile Arts (not only Entertainment) shows. we used to watch A&E but its programming has gotten really stupid. maybe its the Disney influence, I don’t know but we turned it off.
we liked it when it was its former self, it had some good shows
“Get Woke, Go Broke.”
Cannot be said often enough. It needs to be a familiar phrase to every board member in every corporation in this country. They need to know the consequences of their actions.
Perhaps the best WW2 documentary series ever. Remarkable because of the interviews with living participants of the war not even 30 year past.
IF you have not watched this 28 episode series you are missing a Gem.
I remember when “Air Power” was on and my Dad commenting on how he remembered watching that one as a youngster back in the ‘60s.
I mentioned this on another A&E discussion thread but I would not mind seeing other ‘70s titles like Switch, Harry O, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, and Police Woman brought back if A&E were to go back to showing classic police and detective series.
What ticked off SJW snowflakes was an accurate depiction of joggers in their natural habitat. Maybe Mutual of Omaha can fill in the void.
Highway Patrol. Always like that one.
It would be great if they did, but I doubt if they will. Too darn woke.
Maybe A&E can do a show on Antifa thugs partying at Mom and Dad’s penthouse apartments - whining about how bad the country is... whining and bitching for each show... every week... the whole hour. On and on and on...
Broderick Crawford. 10-4.
“this isn’t the first program A&E has dropped.”
Like “Longmire”. When they cancelled that, we got Netflix specifically to see new episodes. Then when the Obamas went to Netflix we dropped that, which was OK, since Longmire was gone forever by that time.
2150 by.
yes. i really think A&E was close to a very successful programming mix, before it fell apart
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