As predicted, MNTV opens to very terrible ratings

[genius]

From Media Week:
MyNetworkTV Off to Slow Start With Desire, Fashion House

Marc Berman

SEPTEMBER 06, 2006 -

As expected, serialized dramas Desire and Fashion House limped out of the starting gate on the launch of MyNetworkTV, with double-digit percent losses from both the lead-in and year-ago time period averages (WB, UPN and other outlets).

Based on prime-time periods only, Desire at 8 p.m. debuted with a mere 1.1 rating/2 share (in 46 metered markets), according to Nielsen Media Research data. Comparatively, that was a loss of 42 percent in the overnights and one share point from the lead-in average, and a more significant 56 percent in the overnights and two share points from the year-ago time period average.

Take a look:

September 2005 time period: 2.5/ 4
Lead-in average: 1.9/ 3
Desire: 1.1/ 2

Although campy lead-out Fashion House picked up some steam at 9 p.m., a 1.3/ 2 in the overnights (also based on 46 markets in prime time) was still off by a staggering 43 percent in the overnights and one share point from the year-ago time period average.

September 2005 time period: 2.3/ 3
Lead-in average: 1.0/ 2
Fashion House: 1.3/ 2

Both Desire and Fashion House aired opposite predominantly repeat programming last night.

Ouch, that's worse that Veronica Mars' worse rating. Yet I think it's better than i/Pax has ever gotten...

 

[KML0224]

The difference here is that I and a few other people actually do care about "Veronica Mars" and I will continue to watch it on CW shortly.

 

[arnoldevns]

A 1.1 was about what I expected for this thing on opening night. It was actually the same rating that the WB got last night (according to zap2it.com) Of course, many WB affiliates didn't air WB programming due to the debut of My Network. I didn't see any ratings for UPN last night on zap2it.com.

It probably didn't help that Fox was running the season premiere of House opposite the debut of this network.

My guess is that you'll see this number drop some whenever Nielsen reports the national numbers. That will apparently be in a week since they'll only report the Monday-Friday average of the shows. The 46 metered markets generally had coverage by full power affiliates that are well-established in their markets. Many of the smaller markets will see these new networks on digital sub-channels and high number digital cable channels. Those markets will have very tiny numbers to add to the national total.

 

[dhett]

Ouch, that's worse that Veronica Mars' worse rating. Yet I think it's better than i/Pax has ever gotten...

To be fair, I don't think i/Pax ever got the volume of advance promotion that MNTV got, either. Let's wait a month or two and see how the MNTV shows compare.

 

[toby]

Veronica Mars is quality televison, with great writing, high production values, suberb acting, and critical acclaim - something these half arsed shows do not.

These shows make the Forman Mills and At Home Carpet ads that air between 2 and 5 AM look like they were penned and produced by Orson Welles.

Even Pax/i shows seem to have better production values!

 

[KML0224]

Not a fan of MY 17 Philadelphia are ya?

 

[DJKraze]

I asked if anyone here at work watched the new network and none of them were aware that this was going on, nor did they seem to care. I also got them impression that none of them were about to drop the standard TV watching habits they alreay have established to even think of adding a programs that are on every night when it would tend to interfere with the weekly shows they are already hooked on.

 

[MarcB]

I was thinking the same thing. Who in their right mind would stop watching what they have been watching to watch the same thing 5 nights in a row?

 

[Markxxx]

MyTV is getting a lot of promotion on our local FOX Channel. WFLD Channel 32. Infact I've heard more references to the two new shows on the FOX channel then I've heard toward the new shows on FOX debuting tonight.

 

[MarcB]

They've been promoting the heck out of it here in Hartford on their sister station News Channel 8 WTNH/ABC.

 

[arnoldevns]

From what I've seen My Network is doing well in some markets - terrible in others.
Generally speaking, in the markets where My bumped UPN or WB, it's doing about the same as UPN/WB programming did. (2 - 2.5 rating)
In the markets where it has appeared on a channel that did not previously have an affiliation with either of those networks, it has dismal ratings. (less than a 1.0 rating)

I suspect those stations with bad ratings may see a slight improvement when UPN and WB sign off for good.

 

[Garrett]

Ok....
Based on what I'm reading here, I give this DOG of a network 3 months, though I doubt that it will many affiliates by then.

 

[arnoldevns]

Nah, it'll last longer than that. They don't have any other programming to plug in that fast. I also figure News Corp will do something to improve the ratings before they'd pull the plug.

 

[Morgan Wick]

From what I've seen My Network is doing well in some markets - terrible in others.
Generally speaking, in the markets where My bumped UPN or WB, it's doing about the same as UPN/WB programming did. (2 - 2.5 rating)
In the markets where it has appeared on a channel that did not previously have an affiliation with either of those networks, it has dismal ratings. (less than a 1.0 rating)

I suspect those stations with bad ratings may see a slight improvement when UPN and WB sign off for good.

If you're basing that on the first night, that may be because of two factors: 1) curiousity and, more importantly, 2) people tuning in expecting UPN or the WB but getting this crap. Expect the ratings for those "inherited" markets to plummet fast.