On Apr 28, 9:20 am, Tom Wolper <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 1:47 AM, PGage <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The 7:30 idea, while the best, is also the hardest to implement, for the
> > reasons Kevin suggests - but not impossible. It would take pressure from the
> > FCC to find its balls and enforce the broadcaster's responsibility to serve
> > the public interest.
>
> This just isn't going to happen. As I participate in environmental
> grass roots work and observe government policy and private business in
> other spheres, it has become clear over the last number of years that
> large private businesses will make policy as they see fit and
> government agencies will not intervene unless there is already a long
> record of close oversight or a huge groundswell of public pressure to
> make a specific change. Since the FCC does not currently hold the
> networks to any meaningful effort to serve the public interest there's
> no long record of close oversight. And there is no indication that the
> public could ever get worked up enough or mobilized to press the FCC
> to order the networks to change how or at what time they present the
> news.
>
> We also have no idea if CBS will keep their savings from Couric's
> salary in CBS News. They might pay the new anchor $2 mil and use the
> rest in some other part of the company.
And let's not forget that CBS Distribution shows run in access on two
stations in almost every market ("ET"/"Insider"/"Wheel of
Fortune"/"Jeopardy!"). Even if the latter two shows are aging in
audience (and "2.5 Men" reruns have knocked "Wheel" out of the top-
rated slot in syndication for what I suspect is the first time since
"Wheel" began satellite distribution in 1985--and I think it's safe to
say which show has the younger demos), that's four profitable shows in
that time slot every night to one syndicator--and CBS would not put
network news on at 7:30 when "ET" still brings in viewers.
--
TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People!
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