From Mr. Hibberd:
1. The network isn’t broken. With ratings that often surpassed Athens four years ago, the Beijing Games proved that viewers return instantly for compelling content regardless of how many newfangled entertainment choices are available. Even during a severely depressed summer, NBC’s presentation of the opening ceremony took off in the Nielsens as if the network had been winning May sweeps.
This should be a cattle prod to NBC’s entertainment department: Although nobody expects a scripted drama in the throes of ultracompetitive fall to perform as strong as an international sporting event airing against repeats, constant ratings declines are not necessarily inevitable, either.
Amen! See the other five on THR’s live feed.
I totally agree Robert!
I think it is high time that the network executives stop treating the preferences of the public with contempt and start making programing that they know people will like.
I remember watching some of the “making of” featurettes of some of my favorite films, and one of the common denominators is that the creative people will ask themselves and each other what the audience wants to see.
I believe that the producers know what the audiences want to see, but don't want to give it to them. They would rather put in a load of un appealing political correctness, like they are nannies pouring cod liver oil down our throats.
I somewhat disagree with Hibberd on that point.
I *do* think that broadcast TV's overall audience share will continue its long term decline.
However, NBC has in the recent past declined much more rapidly than ABC, FOX and CBS. Their relatively bad performance isn't inevitable. They could certainly aspire to be at the top of the broadcast pile instead of simply just beating the CW.
while I'm with you on the longer-term decline, I will be surprised if aggregate broadcast is less for 2008-2009 than 2007-2008, especially on a live+7 vs. live+7 basis. Theoretically the networks should be able to gain ground in the short-run vs. a strike-impaired season. If there aren't increases over last year in the aggregate that'll be bad news for the networks.