Daytime TV.

[MGDForEver]

In a previous post when referring to a Memphis schedule from 1972, Ccmfan made these comments, "Seeing this lineup reminded me how much better daytime TV was at that time with lots of cartoons, game shows, and classic sitcom reruns, instead of nothing
but soaps, trash talk, and courtroom shows. I actually looked forward to days when I was out of school so I could watch TV most of the day. I think stations
like WMC that started dropping a big part of network daytime programming are the cause of the terrible state of daytime TV today."

I couldn't agree more that daytime TV is absolutely abysmal now and I am wondering what factors have brought this about. I grew up in the 70s and, as Ccmfan rightly points out, daytime TV used to be full of game shows, cartoons, classic sitcoms, and just a few talk shows. Children's programming, even on the networks, featured small segments with educational value: Schoolhouse rock, time for timer, In the News, Most Important Person, etc.

Ccmfan blames the current state of daytime TV on stations that dropped network programming in favor of more talk shows and courtroom shows. What I am wondering is, what were the reasons for doing this? why did these stations feel that it would be better to air these crappy shows instead of the type of programming that made daytime TV so wonderful before that? Any thoughts?

 

[ccmfan]

> In a previous post when referring to a Memphis schedule from
> 1972, Ccmfan made these comments, "Seeing this lineup
> reminded me how much better daytime TV was at that time with
> lots of cartoons, game shows, and classic sitcom reruns,
> instead of nothing
> but soaps, trash talk, and courtroom shows. I actually
> looked forward to days when I was out of school so I could
> watch TV most of the day. I think stations
> like WMC that started dropping a big part of network daytime
> programming are the cause of the terrible state of daytime
> TV today."
>
> I couldn't agree more that daytime TV is absolutely abysmal
> now and I am wondering what factors have brought this about.
> I grew up in the 70s and, as Ccmfan rightly points out,
> daytime TV used to be full of game shows, cartoons, classic
> sitcoms, and just a few talk shows. Children's programming,
> even on the networks, featured small segments with
> educational value: Schoolhouse rock, time for timer, In the
> News, Most Important Person, etc.
>
> Ccmfan blames the current state of daytime TV on stations
> that dropped network programming in favor of more talk shows
> and courtroom shows. What I am wondering is, what were the
> reasons for doing this? why did these stations feel that it
> would be better to air these crappy shows instead of the
> type of programming that made daytime TV so wonderful before
> that? Any thoughts?
>

I know that in the case of WMC in Memphis it was reported in the newspapers that the station management blamed low ratings for NBC's daytime programming, and that syndicated shows got better ratings, and presumably more money. But then NBC blamed low daytime ratings on stations like WMC that didn't carry the programs. So each side was blaming the other, but I personally think that stations like WMC were more at fault, and NBC finally caved in and gave back all but 2 hours of soaps to local stations in the daytime. It wasn't just daytime TV that WMC was bad about pre-empting or dropping network programs, but it was worst in the daytime. Things changed when they were sold to Raycom in the early 90's, but by that time the changes in daytime were starting to happen.

I also think that soaps that were a half hour expanding to an hour made less room for game shows on schedules, and kid's shows, classic sitcom reruns, and game shows moving more to cable as trash talk and courtroom shows took over at local stations probably played a major factor as well.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by ccmfan on 09/26/05 03:28 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[bpatrick]

> > >
> I know that in the case of WMC in Memphis it was reported in
> the newspapers that the station management blamed low
> ratings for NBC's daytime programming, and that syndicated
> shows got better ratings, and presumably more money. But
> then NBC blamed low daytime ratings on stations like WMC
> that didn't carry the programs. So each side was blaming the
> other, but I personally think that stations like WMC were
> more at fault, and NBC finally caved in and gave back all
> but 2 hours of soaps to local stations in the daytime. It
> wasn't just daytime TV that WMC was bad about pre-empting or
> dropping network programs, but it was worst in the daytime.
> Things changed when they were sold to Raycom in the early
> 90's, but by that time the changes in daytime were starting
> to happen.
>
> I also think that soaps that were a half hour expanding to
> an hour made less room for game shows on schedules, and
> kid's shows, classic sitcom reruns, and game shows moving
> more to cable as trash talk and courtroom shows took over at
> local stations probably played a major factor as well.
>
That probably sums it up quite well. WSB/2 Atlanta, just before
it switched from NBC to ABC, was carrying only one NBC daytime
show: Days Of Our Lives.

A lot of the problems with NBC daytime began when Lin Bolen
became head of daytime programming in 1973, canceling such
long-running favorites as Concentration and Jeopardy! in favor
of things like Jackpot! and Celebrity Sweepstakes (OK, she did
put Wheel Of Fortune on) that never approached the ratings of
some of the classic game shows.

Ancil Payne, longtime head of King Broadcasting, once said
that another major screwup was David Letterman's 1980 morning
show: "90 minutes gone when viewers want the excitement of
game shows," is the way I believe he put it.

And as for kids' shows, someone on another thread said that
the E/I requirement is ridiculous; the shows are more entertainment
than educational. It's the same mentality that gets teachers
fired when they try to educate rather than entertain.

But the bottom line is, literally, the bottom line. Stations
get more ad time to sell on syndicated shows. Judge Judy, Jerry
Springer, and their ilk are more demographically desirable than
game shows (which appeal mostly to kids and older people) and kids'
shows. Even the soaps are skewing older (except for Passions, number
one with 12-17-year-olds) and IMHO, I think their days may be
numbered. If you're a station programmer and you've got the
opportunity to increase your station's revenues and attract the
audiences advertisers say they want, what are you going to do?
For instance, if you're a CBS affiliate, do you run Guiding Light
or Dr. Phil at 3? The o&os have pretty much answered that question
(although several still carry GL in the afternoon: Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Dallas, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and
Green Bay, I know). Besides, look at Fox. Having the entire
day up to 8 PM to themselves is certainly an incentive NOT to
switch to the Big Three.

I predict that within five years CBS will be down to three
daytime shows: Price Is Right (depending on whether Bob
Barker is still there, or he has a replacement), Young And The
Restless, and Bold And The Beautiful. ABC doesn't seem to have
any shows in trouble. So the trend away from network programming
is going to continue.

 

[HomerJay]

> In a previous post when referring to a Memphis schedule from
> 1972, Ccmfan made these comments, "Seeing this lineup
> reminded me how much better daytime TV was at that time with
> lots of cartoons, game shows, and classic sitcom reruns,
> instead of nothing
> but soaps, trash talk, and courtroom shows. I actually
> looked forward to days when I was out of school so I could
> watch TV most of the day. I think stations
> like WMC that started dropping a big part of network daytime
> programming are the cause of the terrible state of daytime
> TV today."
>
> I couldn't agree more that daytime TV is absolutely abysmal
> now and I am wondering what factors have brought this about.
> I grew up in the 70s and, as Ccmfan rightly points out,
> daytime TV used to be full of game shows, cartoons, classic
> sitcoms, and just a few talk shows. Children's programming,
> even on the networks, featured small segments with
> educational value: Schoolhouse rock, time for timer, In the
> News, Most Important Person, etc.
>
> Ccmfan blames the current state of daytime TV on stations
> that dropped network programming in favor of more talk shows
> and courtroom shows. What I am wondering is, what were the
> reasons for doing this? why did these stations feel that it
> would be better to air these crappy shows instead of the
> type of programming that made daytime TV so wonderful before
> that? Any thoughts?
>
Well, in part, it's not just local stations dropping network shows. For the most part the networks themselves dropped game shows and children's fare due to sagging ratings. While I deplore the state of talk-show mania on the air today, it's the public's own fault.

Couple that with the rise of Fox/WB/UPN affiliates that wanted to make their daytime lineups competitive, and that opened the market for more talk and court shows--after all, one success tends to breed another.

There once was a time when the few talk shows around were quality affairs, be they the serious Donohue or the celebrity fluff of Merv Griffin. Donohue, despite what some people will insist based on his politics off the air, could put a guest of any political persuasion or opinion on the hot seat and play devil's advocate like no one else--exposing the strengths and weaknesses of EVERYONE'S arguments. Moreover, he put (until his later years when the show was trying to compete in the muck with Sally, Ricki et al) serious issues in the spotlight, not the Springer-esque slime. Would anyone today really seriously tackle prayer in schools? No, it's much more fun to talk about who slept with what farm animal. The only daily issue talk is of course on cable news, and there we have to have partisans like Hannity---so predictable it's laughable.

Kids' shows too--do you think if people watched, that Captain Kangaroo wouldn't have been demoted to weekends by CBS? I'm not saying it would last forever, but let's face it, there was a better audience for even those dismal attempts at a morning show CBS was doing than there was for the good old Captain.

At the end of the day, it's a business, and we the people have created the mess we see before us.