ABC asked to reduce prime time (ABC affiliates want much less ABC! Another Disney liberal failure!)

Electronic Media ^ | December 2, 2002 | Doug Halonen

[Timesink]

ABC asked to reduce prime time

By DOUG HALONEN

David Barrett, who heads the company that has the most ABC affiliates in the country, has a message for the network: Slash your prime-time schedule from 22 hours a week to 15 so his stations can make some decent money.

"I would love to see the networks cut back to 15 [hours a week]," said Mr. Barrett, president and CEO of Hearst-Argyle Television, at a financial seminar hosted by Bear Stearns in Washington last week.

Mr. Barrett has already had discussions with ABC suggesting that it return to affiliates the 10 p.m.-to-11 p.m. prime-time hour, he later told ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Hearst-Argyle, with 12 ABC affiliates, would likely devote that hour to local news, Mr. Barrett said.

Clearly the idea is a long shot, but its significance stems from the fact that it comes from Mr. Barrett, whose company not only has the greatest number of ABC affiliates but also, with 10 NBC stations, is that network's second-biggest group owner.

But assuming the time were returned -- an eventuality that could be accomplished by a simple change in an affiliate's contract with a network -- affiliates could fill the slot with syndicated programs or other fare they felt would make more money for them. ABC had no comment.

But executives at CBS and NBC said they oppose the cutback on grounds that it's the more the merrier when it comes to airtime for developing hits.

"The more programs you put out there, the better chance you have of finding those few shows that hit it big and drive your networks," said David Poltrack, executive VP of research and planning for CBS Television.

"Most of those [22] hours, particularly for NBC, are very profitable," added Randy Falco, president, NBC Television Network.

Still, affiliate representatives said the plan, which would bring ABC, CBS and NBC into prime-time parity with Fox Broadcasting (Fox has long limited its prime-time schedule to 15 hours), could help the Big 3 focus their resources.

"If you can't produce credible product that's competitive, you should stand aside," said David Smith, CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Kevin O'Brien, president, Meredith Broadcasting Group, said, "It would be better for them [the networks] because they would be able to dramatically reduce their program costs."

Added Jerald Fritz, senior VP, legal and strategic affairs, Allbritton Communications, "Anything that gives us the ability to enhance our control is a good thing."

One well-placed affiliate executive said the crux of the problem is that in a 300-channel universe, consumers have so many viewing options today that affiliates are in a better position than national networks to judge what will appeal to their local audiences.

"The networks are always whining about losing money," the executive said. "They can cut their losses by getting out of certain dayparts and focusing their resources on getting better programming for the dayparts they continue to have."

A network executive said, however, networks have been providing the 22 hours in response to longtime affiliate demand, in an arrangement that frees affiliates from the expense of producing or paying for much of their best programming.

"[The Barrett proposal] appears to fly in the face of what appears to be a pretty good gig for them," the network executive said.#

[Timesink]

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people. There's a reason everyone used to call ABC the Almost Broadcasting Company.

[PatrioticAmerican]

bttt

hehe

[Recovering_Democrat]

bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Now watch ABC declare a "Treasure Planet" nightly series, and ABC franchise holders will jump ship faster than Drew Carey eats french fries.

Hey DISNEY: want some ideas? Here are a few......stay true to your founder's vision: Make money with a family-friendly business. Drop George Step-on-all-of-us and his "star vehicle" news show. Tell Jennings & Co. their news show needs to emulate the fair and balanced approach seen on "Special Report with Brit Hume."

You started down the right road by cancelling that godawful Maher's Politically Correct. Now do more.

[Timesink]

Another article on the same topic, from the New York Post:

ALPHABET SOUP
By PAUL THARP

---

December 3, 2002 --

TV stations in ABC's network are openly revolting over its lousy ratings and want to stop airing some of the prime-time shows.

Such an unprecedented move would be a severe blow to the bottom-rated broadcaster and could possibly start unraveling the traditional network structure at NBC and CBS as well.

The latest groundswell of unrest between station owners and networks resurfaced in remarks by the head of ABC's largest affiliate - David Barrett, president-CEO of Hearst-Argyle Television.

Barrett said his company can't make any decent money by carrying the entire ABC lineup, and wants to dump an hour of prime time on all seven nights, from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

It delivered another stinging slap at Disney chief Michael Eisner, who's under pressure to lift his ABC network from the cellar in one of its worst years ever.

Although ABC's ratings have inched up in recent days, ABC's weakest spot for attack from unhappy affiliates is the 10 p.m. time slot, which is bombing on most nights of the week, analysts say.

The battle is starting to escalate again over the rule that station owners carry at least 22 hours a week of ABC, CBS or NBC shows to remain in their network families. The stations are paid varying fees to air network shows, and get a small handful of blank time slots to sell during prime time.

But it's not enough when ratings are as low as ABC's, and don't justify carrying that last hour of prime time, the affiliates say.

"I would love to see the networks cut back to [15 hours a week]," Barrett told a Bear Stearns financial conference in Washington, D.C.

Barrett says he's formally had discussions with ABC officials on slashing back the prime-time lineup, according to Electronic Media, which first reported the affiliate backlash at ABC.

Other stations say they'd love to get their hands on the 10 p.m. slot to sell their own local news shows or other programs and keep all the ad dollars.

"We'd take that hour immediately, but it's unlikely the network would ever give it up," said Alan Bell, president-CEO of Freedom Communications, which owns three ABC affiliates.

Bell said a well-managed affiliate could easily triple its income in that hour with its own programming.

TV analysts say ABC is bombing in the last hour on most nights of the week. The main exception is on Sunday, with ABC's "The Practice."

That makes it harder for network brass to defend their last-hour dominance.

"If you can't produce credible product that's competitive, you should stand aside," said David Smith, CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Albritton Communication's senior vice president of strategic affairs, Jerald Fritz, said:

"Anything that gives us the ability to enhance our control is a good thing."

Analysts say it's an uphill battle for stations.

"The big three networks will keep doing what they've done for the last 50 years, and regardless of how bad the ratings, they'll never give up that last hour," said Marc Berman, a TV analyst with Mediaweek.

The smaller networks have lesser requirements. Fox supplies 15 hours a week, allowing affiliates to sell their own final prime-time hour; WB offers 13 hours; and UPN has 10 hours per week of programming.

[cake_crumb]

"Now watch ABC declare a 'Treasure Planet' nightly series, and ABC franchise holders will jump ship faster than Drew Carey eats french fries"

ROFLOL...well said! In fact, your whole post was well said...BUMP

[weegee]

Sounds the affiliates don't want to be forced to carry another ratings loser like Maher or another Leno-Letterman knockoff like Thicke Of The Night, The Rick Dees Show, Arsenio Hall, Magic Johnson, et al.

They could always choose to air the extra affiliate programming in the wee hours. Houston broadcasters delayed Letterman's program for awhile and have Conan O'brien's on an even later delay.

[weegee]

Locally (in Houston) Fox 26 uses the final prime time hour for a 1-hour news broadcast (the nightly hour newsbroadcast). They turn to syndicated reruns for later programming (while the alphabet networks are showing their newsbroadcasts and latenight talkfests/Entertainment Tonight).

[Timesink]

Locally (in Houston) Fox 26 uses the final prime time hour for a 1-hour news broadcast (the nightly hour newsbroadcast). They turn to syndicated reruns for later programming (while the alphabet networks are showing their newsbroadcasts and latenight talkfests/Entertainment Tonight).

Fox isn't really the same as the Big Three. From the day they launched, Fox only programmed from 8-10pm (7-9pm central, heh heh). That's because practically all of their affiliates were independent stations that had been running their news at 10 pm since the beginning and time, and weren't willing to give that up. They had to give up that hour to create the network at all, but of course it also saved them 1/3 the costs of creating new programs the Big Three have, and as a result are doing just fine.

[Timesink]

My ABC affiliate (as well as all other ABC stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcasting group) stopped running Bill Maher a few days after his infamous "our military are the cowards, not the terrorists" remark. And although his show was cancelled not long afterwards, replaced with a Nightline brand extension, Sinclair never gave that timeslot back to ABC. Instead, they run infomercials in the 12:05-12:35 slot. I suspect ABC is never getting that slot back from Sinclair, unless they end up with some true breakthrough hit for that time period.

[galt-jw]

you know, dang near all these shows are made for teenagers. Oh boy, another tawdry sex show. The networks are like the libs, they haven't figured out that no one is interested. Its been tried. I think CBS is the rock bottom, though I dont watch any network tv.

[perfect stranger]

"Thicke of the Night?! That show died so quick, I thought I was the only one watching it. LOL Don't forget Chevy Chase's show. That died after I believe 4 episodes.

IIRC there was a silly piece on Alan Thicke's show, some guy claiming to be Alan Alda said he was gonna hold the show hostage until America elected a black female whale for president.

[perfect stranger]

"Thicke of the Night?! That show died so quick, I thought I was the only one watching it. LOL Don't forget Chevy Chase's show. That died after I believe 4 episodes.

IIRC there was a silly piece on Alan Thicke's show, some guy claiming to be Alan Alda said he was gonna hold the show hostage until America elected a black female whale for president.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the good news.

I can't think of when we have watched ABC except for a sporting event, and they are the only station carrying the event.

This news, the news of Eisner trying Enron Disney re their balance sheet and other bad news for the Gay Rats in charge of Disney are great news for us.

I think that if this stuff really hits and some board members get removed by Disney family members, that in 2003, Disney may have to spin off ABC. That could be the end of Jennings and the beginning of the end of leftist news cartel of ABCNNNBCBS. Stock holders of the parent companies will start to pound the ceo's to make their tv and in particuliar their news programs profitable.