When I am dealing with producers on developing their projects, it usually come down to a final question: How is this going to be funded? The answer is on this order: Cable networks, cable networks, cable networks, PBS or maybe a benefactor with little expectation of a quick return. The long-tail theory says that in [...]
Archive | Programming RSS feed for this section
3D Programming – Friend or Foe?
3D is seen by many companies as the next frontier in entertainment. Manufacturers are busy developing and producing new HDTV’s in 3D. As of right now, the viewer will have to wear special glasses to watch the programs. In-fact, there are many hurdles: a third of viewers may be physically unable to watch 3D; movie [...]
Good Reality Programming Contains Documentary
What has happened to the traditional documentary? As extinct as a Discovery Channel dinosaur. Maybe. On occasion you see documentary series, based upon archive, interspersed with interview and maybe a bit of reenactment to boot. Or even a straightforward, fly on the wall or verité program — which is usually a special or a simple [...]
The New Reality of Reality
So, you’re reading your trade magazines last spring and you see that the 2010 EMMY nominees for Outstanding Reality series are: JAMIE OLIVER’S FOOD REVOLUTION, DIRTY JOBS, MYTHBUSTERS, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST and … UNDERCOVER BOSS. And the next thing that occurs to you is “What do UNDERCOVER BOSS and [...]
Candid Confessions of a Programmer: “I time shift”
I’m writing this week’s column while watching the 2010 Emmys on NBC. Nothing unusual about that. I watch television all the time. Almost every night in fact. Actually, come to think of it, there is. No, not multitasking while watching television. That’s been around since I began watching television as a kid. And not because [...]
How “Adversity” Creates Opportunity for Clever Producers
As the summer winds down, cable’s competitive winds shift direction. ESPN, which has been dealing with the slack time in summer following the World Cup event, picks up speed dramatically with Monday Night Football. And it won’t be long before college and pro football begin to play games that matter. That always means trouble for [...]
In Defense of Networks
Networks are often unfairly criticized for programming decisions. The criticism comes from those who lament that “everything on television is rubbish.” My response: 1) There’s plenty of great programming on television 2) To the extent that there are also base, valueless programs on television, it’s not really the networks’ fault. This all came to me [...]
Thoughts on USA’s MODERN FAMILY deal and GLEE to Oxygen
Television is cyclical. What’s in today, is out tomorrow but eventually comes back again. USA Network hasn’t acquired a major sitcom in years, mainly because its strategy has been focused on one hour dramas. Then again, it wasn’t until recently when the focus has been on such a strong sitcom in years since the reality [...]
World Cup 2010 – How do American TV habits translate to soccer?
Encouraging news for American soccer fans this weekend … team USA’s first game in the World Cup was the highest rated first round match ever with 13 million viewers! Could it be that soccer (the most popular sport in the world) will finally catch on in America? Should Major League Baseball be concerned? Uh not [...]
About
CABLEU.tv, a leading independent cable television research company, regularly publishes reports and analysis concerning the major U.S. cable networks. Utilizing the latest Nielsen data, CABLEU.tv delivers actionable insights and opinions on key trends that thousands of industry professionals have come to depend on daily.
Learn More
Discovery Channel’s Ratings vs. Disc. Communication’s Stock Price
Click on graph to see a larger version in a new window. Read analysis and chronology of events below graph. I love the way Google Finance can output a chronology of a company’s major press stories against its stock price over time. Examining some of the major conglomerate television / media stocks I became curious [...]