Another fourth-place ratings finish has meant another hellish upfront ad sales session for NBC. In fact, about the only positive thing that NBC execs are saying about sales this year is that it’s a good thing 50% of NBC U’s (GE) revenue comes from cable TV.
But as the nothing-to-lose network, NBC has the opportunity to try some new things — like year-round scheduling, and now a ratings experiment with Nielsen.
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Sadly for NBC, Ben Silverman is no Brandon Tartikoff.
Sadly indeed.
So what happens when NBC is still fourth even with the new metric? NBC's problem isn't the ratings system, it's the series it programs. Sadly, it's highest rated series last year was SVU, and that's entering it's 10th season this fall. That was fine in the case of Friends, which was still drawing 20 million plus, but when your higest rated series is one that doesn't consistantly top 12 million viewers, you're in trouble.
I'm surprised that GE hasn't lowered the boom on NBC primetime yet. With their recent troubles, you'd think they'd be trying to shore up weak parts of the business, like NBC.
NBC needs to revamp their primetime schedule. They have to find out why FOX,CBS, and ABC succeed. NBC's comedies are not as funny as when they had Seinfeld, Frasier, and Friends on the air? ABC basically did away with sitcoms. They have created the use of the primetime dramedy. That's why Desperate Housewives beat CSI. They also need to have a night with all gameshows. If Notre Dame has a better season, they need to move their games to nighttime. They also need to try to get the Victoria's Secret Winter Lingerie Show. They should move Law and Order to another night. They need to cancel ER. They need to find a drama that will compete with CBS and ABC on that time slot. They have not publicized their schedule on their website. It bugs viewers because the other networks have already put it out 3 weeks before the finales. They also need to pick up Moonlight or Shark that CBS cancelled. They need to do a lot of research and work to improve in the ratings. I wish good luck to them.