Guiding Light Gone?

[bostonmediaguy]

According to an article at Daytime Confidential (http://daytimeconfidential.com/2008/12/will-cbs-turn-off-wheelers-light-by-april-2009), Guiding Light has until April to raise ratings or face cancellation.

While stations would previously be eager to gain back airtime from the network, I wonder, if in the current economic climate, they would be unable to take-on additional commercial inventory. I'm interested in what the R-I community thinks about this.

 

[andreajesus]

sad - but especially with the current economic climate, can this show go sensational enough for it to raise the bucks and the ratings? after 60 years?? "It's gonna take a miracle...." ???

 

[SteveRichards]

Well, as I've stated before...even if CBS cancels "Guiding Light," I don't see the time slot immediately being turned over to the affiliates.
Networks haven't traditionally given up on programming time periods in daytime that are cleared by 99 percent of the affiliates. Chances are that if CBS brought out a new show to replace GL (be it a talk show, game show or whatever), KOVR would probably come on board, and perhaps even WNEM could be persuaded to run the new show (at least initially) on its main channel rather than its digital subchannel. CBS isn't just going to lay down and give up if the network has a chance to make some money during the time period. When CBS can't sell advertising and/or get a majority of affiliates to clear the time period, that's when they give up.

 

[imhomerjay]

If CBS should turn the hour back over to the affiiliates, there is good syndicated product for the fall out there that could strengthen the schedules more than GL has any chance to at this point. Dr. Oz's show comes out, and that alone would help stations make up ground from GL.

 

[imhomerjay]

Well, as I've stated before...even if CBS cancels "Guiding Light," I don't see the time slot immediately being turned over to the affiliates.
Networks haven't traditionally given up on programming time periods in daytime that are cleared by 99 percent of the affiliates. Chances are that if CBS brought out a new show to replace GL (be it a talk show, game show or whatever), KOVR would probably come on board, and perhaps even WNEM could be persuaded to run the new show (at least initially) on its main channel rather than its digital subchannel. CBS isn't just going to lay down and give up if the network has a chance to make some money during the time period. When CBS can't sell advertising and/or get a majority of affiliates to clear the time period, that's when they give up.

True; also consider that CBS could dangle the hour as a bargaining chip for something else. Odds of a game show filling the hour are zero (though the possibility of Price sliding into the 10 am feed could be interesting, but no new game is coming to CBS daytime, I'd bet the house on it). A talk show is possible given GL already airs in the a.m. in many if not most major markets, and CBS could use a new "View" of its own to bring the demos down a notch below "one foot in the grave."

 

[bostonmediaguy]

Well, as I've stated before...even if CBS cancels "Guiding Light," I don't see the time slot immediately being turned over to the affiliates.

CBS currently has more daytime network programming than any broadcast network, though (6.5 hours). ABC (GMA, The View, AMC, OLTL, GH) has 6; NBC (Today, DOOL) has 5.

I guess the larger question is, are CBS stations eager for more "local" time?

If CBS should turn the hour back over to the affiiliates, there is good syndicated product for the fall out there that could strengthen the schedules more than GL has any chance to at this point. Dr. Oz's show comes out, and that alone would help stations make up ground from GL.

Absolutely; except for the fact that Dr. Oz, among numerous other syndicated offerings, has already been sold to stations in large and medium markets.

 

[anotherguyTN]

If CBS dooes turn the time over to local stations, it looks like it would make sense to time it to where local stations could fill it starting in the Fall for the new season. Otherwise a lot of stations will just stick more infomercials in the time slot.

 

[Rick Rose 2.0]

I have read comments that NBC wanted to dump Day's of Our Lives since it is only soap opera. Or it could have been that the producers of Days wanted to move it to CBS or ABC to be paired with their soaps. I think it would be smart for CBS to put Days in the Guiding Light slot.

 

[arnoldevns]

Will any daytime "soaps" be on the air on broadcast network television in ten years?
They're named "soaps" because soap makers used to sponsor the daytime dramas on radio when they knew women at home would be listening. The name stuck on TV for the same reason.
The problem is that most of the women who used to stay at home are now working outside the home. The people watching TV at home in the daytime now are older and more evenly split between men and women. Guiding Light will be gone as soon as possible.

 

[Studio20]

"Soaps" were the fantasies of the everyday housewife. Now, no matter how bizarre or dysfunctional the storyline, you can be sure Dr.Phil, Maury and the other Tabloid Talkers will out sleaze them.

The attention span of the 25-45 generation is much shorter than its predecessors. Microwavish. Each US Soap plot..even the marriages/affairs are seemingly over in a year or two.

We've also diversified. Hispanic Tele-novelas draw millions of viewers. I wish they'd use English subtitles or English SAP so I could get a grip on the plots.

I've watched Light off and on for years (former early am gig meant going to bed before primetime, so late afternoon daytime was my primetime) . Would be sad to see it go. Perhaps its only long shot is to throw something together in syndication.

 

[easttxtv]

I have read comments that NBC wanted to dump Day's of Our Lives since it is only soap opera. Or it could have been that the producers of Days wanted to move it to CBS or ABC to be paired with their soaps. I think it would be smart for CBS to put Days in the Guiding Light slot.

Days got renewed, but not for long, and with strings, according to

http://deidrehall.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=5353

 

[MarcB]

We've also diversified. Hispanic Tele-novelas draw millions of viewers. I wish they'd use English subtitles or English SAP so I could get a grip on the plots.

While true the Tele-novelas are ratings grabbers on Telemundo, Univision, etc the concept bombed when it was Americanized. Remember when My Network TV launched they showed nothing but English Language Tele-novelas.

 

[kenglish]

With stations looking for something to put on those multi-cast channels, maybe an all-Soap channel would be a good idea. Lots of older folks are getting DTV Converters, so the audience might be there. Just have to find the right mix of sponsors for that demographic.

 

[imhomerjay]

Will any daytime "soaps" be on the air on broadcast network television in ten years?
They're named "soaps" because soap makers used to sponsor the daytime dramas on radio when they knew women at home would be listening. The name stuck on TV for the same reason.
The problem is that most of the women who used to stay at home are now working outside the home. The people watching TV at home in the daytime now are older and more evenly split between men and women. Guiding Light will be gone as soon as possible.

Never doubt for a minute that there are quite a number of male soap fans. Stereotypes aside, they do exist.

That aside, obviously there are more working people than in the genre's heyday, but there are still a fair number of the 'younger' (i.e., not retirement age) folks advertisers want to reach. That audience has fragmented to be sure with the explosion of viewing choices, but there are still millions of stay-at-home parents, work-at-home folks, etc. NBC was the weakest in the genre, and is getting out sooner than the others. Can the networks sustain three and four soaps long-term? Probably not. But General Hospital, Y&R and B&B probably have a bit of a longer shelf life at this point. They're not immune to erosion and budget cuts, but they'll likely be here for quite some time to come, more than a decade.

 

[gr8oldies]

What's the difference between a telenovela and a soap? (Not a smart aleck question..i really don't know, I had assumed they were the same).

 

[tothedj]

All the comments regarding "Guiding Light" are interesting, i'm not a watcher
of these "daytime dramas", but keep in mind GL is the longest running show
in the history of broadcasting, radio and television, logging close to 72 years
on the air, when this does end, it could be the beginning of these programs
starting to disappear, but keep in mind there is a cable channel called "SoapNet",
although it is owned by ABC/Disney, that could purchase the rights to continue
production of them, and possibly "Days Of Our Lives" should NBC choose to raise
their prices, oddly enough, this show already has a place in SoapNet's lineup, so
this may be a future trend.

 

[liradioisbad]

What's the difference between a telenovela and a soap? (Not a smart aleck question..i really don't know, I had assumed they were the same).

Telenovelas are like soap operas, only that they are set up to last for a few months. That's why it is a "tv book." Soaps, unless they are short-lived, last longer.

 

[imhomerjay]

All the comments regarding "Guiding Light" are interesting, i'm not a watcher
of these "daytime dramas", but keep in mind GL is the longest running show
in the history of broadcasting, radio and television, logging close to 72 years
on the air, when this does end, it could be the beginning of these programs
starting to disappear, but keep in mind there is a cable channel called "SoapNet",
although it is owned by ABC/Disney, that could purchase the rights to continue
production of them, and possibly "Days Of Our Lives" should NBC choose to raise
their prices, oddly enough, this show already has a place in SoapNet's lineup, so
this may be a future trend.

Though SoapNet has already ventured into some original production with the General Hospital spin-off, I wouldn't hold my breath for them taking cast off by one of the broadcasters (like GL, if it turns out to be about to dim) and continuing it. They seem to be--smartly--focused on building on successful franchises. (And they expanded beyond the ABC family by acquiring Y&R and Days). The economics of daily original soap production for a cable outlet would seem daunting to be exceedingly optimistic.

 

[retrothoughts]

What's the difference between a telenovela and a soap? (Not a smart aleck question..i really don't know, I had assumed they were the same).

Telenovelas are like soap operas, only that they are set up to last for a few months. That's why it is a "tv book." Soaps, unless they are short-lived, last longer.

Put another way--Telenovelas have a conclusion; soaps do not [and thus are "continuing stories"].

 

[brian4]

I was a huge Guiding Light fan from the late 1970's to the early 1990's. If I'm at home I will watch it and will DVR a Friday episode every couple of weeks.

72 years is incredible and I'm surprised that CBS doesn't tout that fact more. However, that is a double-edged sword: you want to show your history but not seem ancient.

And there lies the problems with soaps in general. They have to cater to the long-time viewers while trying to attract new ones. Normally the most vocal fans are the permanent watchers who want to see their favorites and can barely tolerate a youth movement. While newest viewers want people and situations that are close to their age. All My Children's Susan Lucci looks great but is Erica actually 62 years old? And will 12-17 year-olds identify with a female who could be their grandmother?

I hope GL doesn't get canceled. I think they will see a ratings increase when Grant Aleksander's Phillip Spaulding returns but not enough to take it out of last place.