Did you hear some people were laid off/had their jobs eliminated at Discovery nets? We heard last week, but out of respect for the afflicted and those remaining, we sat on it. C21 actually just picked up the story this morning. Nothing official and details are sketchy as to how many might be leaving, but [...]
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Charismatic leadership and why no one is a “natural seller”
Work is more fun when the skills you hone on the job are transferable. That is, you develop skills on the job that can help you with another job or even, another non-professional part of your life. Over the past few years I’ve learned that the skill of “sales” is one of the most important, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Coverage and Analysis of the TBS / TNT Upfronts
TBS and TNT continue to forge the great broadcast / cable divide. They stepped up to the plate this year, proving they could play on the same stage. They tried to show advertisers that Turner’s star power, reach and quality are all on par. It was Turner’s chance to show off all the new stuff [...]
After These Messages, We’ll Be Right Back … With More Messages
Over the weekend, I found it amusing that Lady Gaga (and Beyonce’s) song, Telephone was on three different radio stations at the same time. Less amusing is the fact that when I watch TV, it seems that commercials are airing on Every. Single. Channel. At the same time. Yes. I think I remain one of the final [...]
The Best And Worst Network Taglines
Network taglines are an interesting marketing tool, and they’re not one thing to all networks. Most use it to define how they want us, the viewers, to think of their programming: Way More Than Cooking (Food Network), We Know Drama (TNT), Very Funny (TBS), Not Reality. Actuality (TruTV). Others go in a more lifestyle-defining direction, [...]
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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 [...]