Note: Ed Hersh is currently the SVP of Strategic Planning at Investigation Discovery. Formerly, he was the founder and Chief Creative Officer of StoryCentric, a programming/production consultancy providing insights to both networks and content creators. His experience as an executive and producer includes Court TV, A&E, and ABC News.

In my consultancy, StoryCentric, I worked with networks that were looking to define, articulate, and execute a unique programming strategy that would grow their audience, their reach, and their brand identities; and producers and production companies that were looking to come up with unique ideas that could develop, sell, and produce successfully for those networks.

As someone who has spent three decades as both a producer and a network programming executive and decision-maker, I know first-hand how hard it is to stay current in a competitive environment that is changing daily, sometimes hourly. Media companies are bought and sold; executives move in and out of their jobs and their offices rapidly; names, brands, and target demographics are constantly being rethought and redefined. With so much at stake, understanding the marketplace and having both quantitative and qualitative insight are critical for success for both producers and networks, and so knowing how to use CableU to your best advantage can provide a competitive edge no matter what side of the table you sit on.

For Networks

Most network programmers, production executives, and PR/marketing teams have access to their own research departments with mountains of information, but CableU can be an important complementary resource to what their own in-house staff can provide; a kind of “Cliff Notes” to the mountains of detailed reports and ratings information that we all receive, but rarely have the time to sift through.

Having this info distilled and organized in a readily digestible form by the team at CableU allows you to access it in a really useful, “top line” way. So to keep current, I’d recommend visiting CableU at least twice a week, in three steps:

1) Go Wide

Start with the homepage, which synthesizes the latest news. Then move on to the “Network Needs” section, which is updated often. See what’s new that you want to explore further, need to know more about, or requires further context.

2) Go Deep

If there’s information on a network that interests you, visit that network’s section at Cable U. Check out “In Development,” “Press Archives,” and “Network Analyses.” CableU provides important context to what you are reading in the trades, what you think a competing network is interested in, or how another network is touting itself and its needs. And don’t forget CableU’s powerful search function that allows you to enter keywords and find related entries on the site.

3) Follow Up

For those broader or more granular questions, take what you’ve learned and any questions that your reading has raised and follow up with your network’s own ratings and research team.

For Producers

It’s not easy staying on top of competitive trends, coming up with original ideas, figuring out what networks might be interested in them, determining how to frame that pitch, or even who to pitch it to in a world of constant churn. And there’s SO much information contained in CableU it can be daunting. So whether you have a programming idea, or are looking to come up with one, here’s a hand 7-step plan for making the most of CableU:

1) Take the Tour

Put aside an hour or two to go surfing through the “Network Profiles” section… it’s like taking a quick guided bus tour through the landscape of cable television. You’ll learn quickly which networks produce original programs, cater to young, old, male, female audiences, and how widely the channel is distributed. You’ll begin to get a sense of the marketplace and where channels are placing their bets, so you can begin to figure out where to place yours.

2) Create your Shortlist

Next, start narrowing your prospects. If you have an idea that you are thinking about pitching, you’re likely to figure out the 5 to 7 channels that are the most logical places where your idea might fit. And if you’re looking to develop an idea, you’ll also see 7 or 10 networks that might be looking for original ideas that dovetail with your experience and/or expertise. Note them or bookmark them on your browser.

3) Dig Deeper

Now that you have a list, start exploring each of those networks in depth, starting with the “Network Analyses” section: What’s working? How are the ratings? What has been said about them in the press? Has their focus or strategy changed? Using the relevant sub-sections, you can drill down into many of these areas. And don’t forget the links to the network’s own website, which is an important way for you to learn more about what the network is saying about itself.

4) Answer a Need

Networks are always looking for good ideas, but the ideas that get sold most often are the ones that answer a specific demographic or scheduling need. So with your now (probably even shorter) shortlist in hand, start looking closely at the “Network Needs” section, along with “Strategic Opportunities.” This will allow you to see if the idea you have is a fit for what a network wants, and if not, how you can shape it to meet that need. And if you are trying to come up with an idea that a network wants, it will allow you to brainstorm specific pitches that are the right fit.

5) Know Who To Talk To

The most frustrating part of my job as a network executive was getting cold calls and unsolicited pitches from producers who heard my name somewhere (maybe on the credits). I never took those calls, because program development wasn’t my job. If they had used CableU, they would have known that, and been able to direct their pitches to the right person… which is critical in getting your idea submitted in the right form and getting it the consideration it deserves. Don’t call the president, GM, etc, unless you know him or her. DO use the “Network Profiles” section to find out who is in charge of program development and/or acquisitions, and direct your inquiries to them.

6) Know what else is out there

Networks have dozens of projects in development at any given time, and only publicly announce a few of them. Still, nothing can be more embarrassing or demoralizing than carefully crafting a pitch for a show and discovering that the network already has it in development, or even worse, already on the air! Use the “In Development” section to see if they have announced they are working on a similar idea; it doesn’t mean don’t pitch it, it means you will have to explain how it can and will be different. But it will also tell you if your idea can be complementary to other programs on their slate. Use the “Network Overview” and “Performance/Schedule Analysis” sections to see what else is actually on the air… and of course, use the links to that network’s own site to scour their schedule for similarities. Again, CableU’s search function is powerful way to quickly cross-reference everything from broad genres to names of specific programs or even competing producers.

7) Stay Current

Remember, whatever you learn on your visits to CableU and in your discussions (hopefully) with the network are only a snapshot taken at that moment. In a business that changes so rapidly, bookmark CableU and visit and revisit and revisit regularly, especially the home page, with its headlines and breaking news, and the “Network Needs” section, which reflects the latest market intelligence.

There’s never enough time in the day to do all the reading, listening, and thinking that you need to do to stay successful. Whether you are buying, selling, or making programs, I find that knowing how to use CableU efficiently can put critical information at my fingertips – and those of my clients — and that can make our decisions that much smarter. Happy Hunting!

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