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Despite new CBS President Amy Reisenbach’s announcement Thursday that “broadcasting is not dead,” the industry has shifted its focus. And it looks more likely than ever that NBC will give its 10 pm hour of programming back to its affiliates, an idea that was first teased in August.
Back in NBC’s “Must See TV” of the 1990s, network president Warren Littlefield and many others in the industry thought of the 10 pm slot as “Malibu real estate,” a prime area that no one in their right mind would want to give up. “But that was 30 years ago,” Littlefield told TheWrap in a recent interview.
While he still believes in the value of broadcast networks, Littlefield sees their role now as “a valuable part of a larger ecosystem,” favoring distribution. The networks “generate buzz and attention, but these are all pieces of the big media companies. It’s the growth of these platforms. The network is the platform. It’s not anymore i platform, and that’s fine,” he said.
Tom Nunan, a former Littlefield colleague who helped build UPN and Fox, said the writing is on the wall for all cable broadcasters. “Network television is on its way out and I think we all know that,” he said, adding that the idea of ditching the 10 pm slot is the latest proof that broadcasting is the future.
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“It’s not the end of the world”
While the mere idea of combining seven hours of prime time seemed unthinkable, it has already been done – not in the US. , he told TheWrap.
The 1982 change was considered “the biggest gamble in Canadian television history,” according to CBC archives, but listeners were fine with getting their news an hour earlier. In fact, they were so used to watching the nightly newscast of “Sizwe” at 10 pm that when it was changed to a time after 11 pm in 2006, the viewers were angry.
Littlefield expects that the US industry will also take a step change. He said: “It’s not the end of the world.
What does this mean for the future of broadcast television?
Beyond the loss of the program’s late-night hour, the withdrawal from primetime shows a willingness to rethink the entire business model of network TV. “I don’t think it’s a big deal if they drop the 10 o’clock slot or not,” Nunan said, “but I think it’s a red light that says NBC might be getting out of the network business, and they might be doing it incrementally.”
While Noonan thinks it’s “unlikely” for NBC to give up a 10 p.m. slot yet, he suspects the network will rethink its programming choices — doubling down on cheaper unscripted and reality programming to create the same kind of content that anchors can offer. hour. “It will be games, it will be game shows and reality shows. Low-cost sticky programs for the mature viewer who loves broadcast television,” he said. “And then the written content, I think, will move into the appropriate distribution umbrella.”
Littlefield, however, argues that the network’s content will not be neatly divided between scripted and unscripted, pointing to ABC’s success with its sophomore comedy series “Abbott Elementary.” “All of a sudden, bam, a new, amazing, big-tent comedy is coming to network television,” Littlefield said of the Quinta Bunson series, which airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. you still have these examples of network success, it will continue.”
He also noted ABC parent Disney’s decision to move its biggest unscripted hit, “Dancing with the Stars,” to Disney+ for its 31st season in the fall. “There’s a lot of temptation,” he said. “But I hope not [the case that] Network airwaves can only do one thing and that is unscripted shows.
Despite the fact that network viewership continues to decline as viewers continue to cut the cord and the buzz is shifting to streaming like Netflix and Hulu, network TV continues to drive huge ad revenue given its wide reach. But with the decline in mass media and the rise of technology, this trend is on the decline.
In October, CBS CEO George Cheeks told TheWrap that his network is “committed” to the 10 p.m. slate and isn’t considering airing shows like “Blue Bloods” and “FBI: Most Wanted.” Paramount/CBS’ TV Media revenue was down 6% in Q1, 1% in Q2, and, as reported on November 2, saw a 5% dip in Q3.
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NBCUniversal’s media division saw a 6.9% increase in revenue in Q1 (excluding the Olympics and the Super Bowl), a 3.6% increase in Q2 – and then a dramatic 22.7% dip in Q3.
Disney-owned ABC saw no change in revenue in Q1, but reported a 13% loss in operating income. “On a sequential basis, you may recall that we led to a decline in operating income of nearly $500 million in Q1 compared to a year ago,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said in February. The ABC line in Q2 increased by 3%, but decreased again by 5% in the last quarter.
While most of the affiliate distribution networks are not yet profitable, this is where the owners of their companies are focusing their attention and money: The 2022-23 season saw a record low of operators and new written programs for the network, Forbes reported.
The question is, ‘Will the network survive?’ “I think the question is more, ‘How long will the network survive to start broadcasting, which is the future?'” Nunan said. “I don’t think we’ll ever take off the iron. Made up. We will live in the world of streaming for the rest of our days until the new platform arrives. “
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The change will be beneficial, not painful, for those who work together and for the night
If NBC (and other networks) are behind the primetime hour, the partners will be responsible for scheduling that time – and collecting all ad revenue generated. That can mean different content, depending on the station (and market).
“I would guess that most stations will go to the 10 o’clock news. “They’re going to have an extra hour of local news and that’s attractive to them,” Littlefield said. “They will get income and talk about their news. And then late at night you’ll come in at 11pm, so you get the maximum number of eyes, so that’s an advantage. And the audience will adapt to that. They just got their local news early, then they go to 11 at night and it should be more interesting. “
And that can be a win-win for both sides. “You lower the cost of the network, the partners increase the revenue, and you have the opportunity to increase your profit in the overnight franchise,” said Littlefield.
Also Read:
5 Reasons NBC’s 10 PM Hour Move Could Mark the Death of Scripted Drama on Broadcast Television.
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