While some of this promises to be interesting, one has to wonder about how much this move is to provide a continuous source of "war porn" to keep the public's interest in the military (and by extension, the "War" on terror) following 9/11. Yes, I'm sure there's a decent business motive to capitalize on such feelings, and I'm confident that DoD will continue to provide the best support it can for these new "reality programming" ventures. At least that's my initial reaction here.
Domestic IO, anyone? -rick Infowarrior.org Two New Military Channels Gear Up for Battle http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A61947-2005Jan9?language=printer By David Bauder Associated Press Monday, January 10, 2005; Page C08 NEW YORK -- Ten-hut! When the Military Channel reports for duty today at 2000 hours, it will be a boon for armchair generals -- and for fans of corporate warfare, too. The debut comes five days after the History Channel previewed its new channel, the Military History Channel, which will be launched officially in the spring. The two channels are targeting much the same audience with similar programming, and they're bankrolled by two of the cable TV industry's biggest and most successful players. Let the battle begin. The Military Channel is a repositioning of the aviation-centered Discovery Wings channel, already seen in about 35 million homes. It's the 14th domestic channel operated by Discovery Communications, including TLC. The Military History Channel is the sixth U.S. network started by A&E Television Networks. "They both see an opportunity in the marketplace and they each have considerable assets to throw at this," said Larry Gerbrandt, cable TV analyst for AlixPartners LLC. Considering that millions of Americans have military experience and the country is at war, it's such an obvious idea for a network that it's a wonder a version didn't exist before. There's also a track record: The History Channel has attracted some of its biggest audiences for wartime documentaries, particularly on the weekend. Military history will continue to be part of the History Channel's mix, but the network has been trying to broaden its reach with more programming on technological, social and religious history, said network President Dan Davids. "There is a group out there that wants to be able to see military history documentaries any time of day, 24 hours a day." The Military History Channel has come out with guns blazing. For its first three preview evenings, the channel ran four-hour documentaries recounting the battle histories of the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force. The Marines got three hours, the Coast Guard two. The network has also prepared programs on Navy SEALs and Green Berets, Hispanics who have received the Medal of Honor, the history of blacks in the military, and female combat pilots. In contrast to the Military Channel, the Military History Channel has built a large library of programming through its parent network, Davids said. "These are the programs that have really captured military history documentary viewers over the years, the same viewers who said they want to see more of them," he said. Those viewers tend to be male, often older. Viewership of Discovery Wings averages about 70 percent male, with an average age in the forties. So operators of Discovery's Military Channel set their sights on some younger viewers. To find them, it has packed the schedule with gadget-centered programming, including specials devoted to the greatest technological achievements in military history. Day-in-the-life programs on a Marine tank battalion as it pushed into Baghdad and Marine Corps reservists in Afghanistan are also in the works. A four-hour miniseries follows the Navy's flight group, the Blue Angels. The Military Channel will also have a recurring series, "Goin' Back," following veterans who return to visit battlefields that shaped their lives. The first installment, on Feb. 24, will be about Iwo Jima. Sticking to menus of documentaries and nonfiction specials, neither network has announced any live programming to explore current topics or up-to-date military news. "Viewers don't want us to do things that are already on the news networks," Davids said. Which one will survive? Is there room for both? "It's very hard to handicap the race at this point," Gerbrandt said. The Military Channel may have an edge because it's already in one-third of the nation's TV homes. In timing that was surely not coincidental, the Military History Channel was offered free to cable and satellite operators for three months last week. No deals have yet been struck for the official launch in April, when the company will begin expecting payment. � 2005 The Washington Post Company You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
