Posted on 10/26/2006 7:20:25 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
NBC says it's dropping most scripted programs from the network's 8 p.m. time slot next season, replacing them with reality and game shows.
The unscripted fare, which is cheaper to produce, will not be broadcast in High-Definition TV. However, NBC Universal TV CEO Jeff Zucker says that's no big deal.
In an interview with The Washington Post, published today at washingtonpost.com, Zucker was asked if high-def viewers might be less interested in watching non-HD programming.
"It's hard to say if viewers will be less interested in unscripted programming that's not in HD when the rest of the programming is in HD," Zucker tells the newspaper. "I think it's a fair question, but I'm not overly concerned about it at this point."
While the HDTV audience is growing, some network executives have occasionally remarked that it's still too small to have an impact on network schedules and ratings. HDTVs are now in approximately 25 million U.S. homes, but slightly fewer than 10 million actually have the HD tuners necessary to watch high-def signals.
Zucker's NBC decided in 2004 not to air a separate HDTV channel for the Summer Olympics because it said the audience was too small. After being roundly criticized in the press and Internet message boards, NBC reversed that decision for its coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
The network's decision to restrict the 8 p.m. hour to unscripted shows, such as Deal or No Deal, is part of an overall effort to cut $750 million from its annual operating budget. Scripted programs, such as dramas and sitcoms, are more expensive to air due to actor salaries and higher production costs.
Producing a show in high-def also requires more expense, perhaps as much as 20 percent, according to some reports.
To NBC's credit, the network recently completed a $3.5 million renovation of The Today Show's studio and production facilities so it could air in HD.
Final note: After Zucker said last week that unscripted programs would not be scheduled in the 8 p.m. time slot, a NBC spokesman clarified his remarks, saying some comedies could still make the cut.
I'm not in any rush for HDTV, to put it mildly. But I do enjoy television. 10% of what I view is Fox News, the Weather Channel, and local news. The remaining 90% is comprised of dvd's of older series (like "Rawhide," "Combat," "I Spy," and such), as well as a few old classic films, here and there.
I view these on a 27-inch Sony Trinitron, and I'm quite happy with the results. No reason for me to go HDTV or anamorphic/widescreen, considering the vintage of the fare I tend to view. I haven't the slightest inclination to go for any of these upgrades. They really have nothing to offer me.
Oh dear. LOL That on a big screen with HD would give anyone the creeps.
You can see pores and wrinkles too!
We watch alot of foreign films, history and marine science on the 60 incher HD it is like being there.
Way cool for the home bound dayz when the body is needing some regroup/recharge time.
Hockey is great in HD, as well.
I will try it when it becomes available for my 5 to 6 hours of Nascar each week.
96% of the time my set is dark.
real deep.........real hard...........laughing my ass off stuff goin' on here.
And a better sport since the new rules and line placements.
Exactly...
Once you have had HDTV, you'll never go back......willingly.
It's a night and day diference from ordinary TV. You can see everything.
I agree. The standard definition ads just, look horrible on HDTV. They're a huge turn off.
So do I.
There are HDTV's that can be had for MUCH less than thousands of dollars. I got my 32" TUBE HDTV for $299 as a refurb. It's Fan-Freakin-tastic. I have a narrow family room, so 32" is just fine. I live West North West of DC and get all the DC OTA HD channels and most of Baltimore's as well.
HDTV and free HD programming for a grand total of $299. That's hard to beat.
You are telling me to buy a smaller, refurb HDTV.
Then, you are not considering an HDTV DVR box and the cost of programming. I don't have any free HDTV programming.
I don't want a smaller TV.
All they have to do is watch an episode of Miami CSI in HD or a show on Discovery HD and they will see what they have been missing. A huge difference.
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