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Should NBC Continue to Program 10/9pm?

I can't see the NBC affiliates in the Central and Mountain time
zones giving up their 6 PM local newscasts for network programming,
although I sometimes wonder why American networks, unlike those
in many countries including Canada, don't wait until 10 PM to do the
national news. But it's so ingrained, going back to the '40s, that people
expect their network news at 6:30/5:30 and local news at 6 regardless
of time zone.

And in answer to the question about ABC affiliates' pre-empting Friday
nights for movies in the late '60s, that practice did indeed end when
the lineup of The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Room 222, The
Odd Couple, and Love American Style became dominant in the early '70s.
Some affiliates were slower than others to abandon their movies; I remember
Ch. 11 in Atlanta didn't clear the whole night in pattern until the fall of 1970,
and I think WLOS did likewise. OTOH, WGHP Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High
Point, which also carried movies on Fridays dating back to 1964, was clearing
all of Friday night in pattern in the fall of 1969.

And if you want to know why pre-emptions were so common, take a look at
the fall schedules from the 1964-65 to the 1968-69 seasons. Spot the winners,
if you can:

1964-65 7:30 Jonny Quest
8 PM The Farmer's Daughter
8:30 The Addams Family
9 PM Valentine's Day
9:30 12 O'Clock High
10:30 (Local)

1965-66 7:30 The Flintstones
8 PM Tammy
8:30 The Addams Family
9 PM Honey West
9:30 Peyton Place (ill-fated attempt to expand the
popular primetime soap to three nights a week)
10 PM Jimmy Dean Show

1966-67 7:30 The Green Hornet
8 PM The Time Tunnel
9 PM Milton Berle Show
10 PM 12 O'Clock High

1967-68 7:30 Off To See The Wizard
8:30 Hondo
9:30 Guns Of Will Sonnett
10 PM Judd For The Defense

1968-69 7:30 Operation: Entertainment
8:30 Felony Squad
9 PM Don Rickles Show (comedy-variety)
9:30 Guns Of Will Sonnett
10 PM Judd For The Defense
 
Its funny this is a topic because I was just look at primetime lineups from the 90s and early 2000s last night. Its amazing how many hours of primetime, across all networks, were devoted to showing movies. Now broadcast has all but given this up to cable.

Plus, a quick glance at NBC's lineups from this era also shows that many 9pm and 10pm hours were devoted to the 18 million versions of "Dateline NBC" that were running at one time. Subtract out the news programming hours and the movies and NBC is probably airing the same if not more scripted programming now than 10 hours ago. In some instances, reality competition like "the Voice" and "Biggest Loser" have taken over where news programs once were- but its interesting that there is actually less "filler" programming now than back then. Not that news programming is filler programming, per se, but the 4 or 5 episodes of "Dateline NBC" weren't all journalistic homeruns back in the day.
 
Interestingly enough...
Brian Williams (God bless him) did sort of
a parody when the new time slot was
announced/decided upon....
for the Rock Center...


it was pretty funny..
 
How about an hour-long Nightly News at 10pm? In the 70's, NBC & CBS pushed for expansion, and ABC wanted 45 minutes to give Barbara Walters time for in-depth interviews. The affiliates didn't want to give up local time. But 10pm would be network time, and would mean prime time tv would be less of a vast wasteland.
 
KMCI stop carrying 9pm Newscast and repeat of KSHB 11am's at Noon because Ratings also don't carry one from 7am to 9am. Also if you want National News at 10pm go to CNN/MSNBC/Fox and so on. Daily Buzz from Orlando at 10pm.
 
retrothoughts said:
Given that NBC's programming, on many nights, finishes third amongst the "original three" networks during the 10 pm Eastern-Pacific/9 pm Central-Mountain hour unless it's football, the Olympics, the Golden Globes, the Emmys [every few years]
Click to expand...

You mean "every four years", as starting in 1995, the Primetime Emmys rotated between Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC.
 
johnnya2k6 said:
retrothoughts said:
Given that NBC's programming, on many nights, finishes third amongst the "original three" networks during the 10 pm Eastern-Pacific/9 pm Central-Mountain hour unless it's football, the Olympics, the Golden Globes, the Emmys [every few years]
Click to expand...

You mean "every four years", as starting in 1995, the Primetime Emmys rotated between Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC.
Click to expand...

With respect to NBC hosting the Emmys, the last two times they've done it (and presumably next time), the show has been held in late August as opposed to late September. The reason? NBC's Sunday Night Football.
 
sxld079 said:
justthenumbers said:
According to the article linked below - NBC is projected to finish 5th (among A18-49) in the February sweeps, behind Univision.

http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/nbc-sweeps-ratings-lastloses-to-univision/
Click to expand...

Ouch! Well I guess the big question now is... "Is NBC in danger of becoming extinct?" Is it? Or not?
Click to expand...

You know they're flailing when they bring back Trump's idiot "Celebrity Apprentice" and pay his some absurd amount of money for mediocrity.
 
mgsports said:
Also if you want National News at 10pm go to CNN/MSNBC/Fox and so on.
Click to expand...

At which time none of the listed networks have straight news, they are all showing news-based opinion programs at 10PM.
 
I would think that except for Sundays during the Fall (and the other exceptions noted i n this thread), NBC (and ABC and CBS for that matter), should stop feeding programs from 10-11 P.M. ET/PT, give that hour back to the affiliates, reclaim the 11-11:30 ET half-hour, and give back a half-hour overnights.

There are several compelling reasons, most of them could result in increased revenues for the traditional "big three" and their affiliated stations:

(1) While some of the drop-off in network viewing at 10 ET/PT is due to DVR use, people are commuting longer (in terms of time and distance) and are going to bed earlier. In fact, in many cities, local 10 P.M. ET/PT newscasts (usually, but not always) on Fox affiliates are quite popular, sometimes topping the local ratings (especially if "American Idol" is the lead-in).

(2) By reducing prime-time by seven hours a week (six hours a week in NBC's case during the NFL season), the number of prime-time commercial spots available is reduced. Since broadcast networks usually still pull larger audiences than cable networks, the scarcity of spots will mean each spot will sell for more money.

(3) Programming costs would be vastly reduced, even if the Saturday 8-10 P.M. ET/PT hours were to again have first-run scripted fare.

(4) Local stations, except in small markets, could easily expand their 30-or-35-minute 11 P.M. (10 CT/MT) newscasts to a full hour from 10 to 11 ET without incurring more than a minimal increase in costs. And with more commercial spots available, and at an earlier hour when more people are around to watch TV, local stations can make more money.

(5) Network late-night programming would start at 11 ET/PT, and will get more viewers because more people will be awake. Networks will be able to charge higher rates for spots. Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel would all conclude at 12 Midnight ET/PT, and at 11 in the Central and Mountain time zones. "Saturday Night Live" would conclude at 12:30 A.M. Eastern/Pacific; 11:30 P.M. elsewhere.

(6) Yes, Fox, CW and My Network TV stations which have had local news from 10 to 10:30 or 11 ET/PT may see local news ratings suffer in that time period with the local ABC/CBS/NBC stations doing local news at that hour.

But Fox/CW/My Network TV outlets could decide to counterprogram the 11 o'clock ET/PT network talk/variety shows with local news, moved away from 10, and instead schedule sitcom reruns from 10 to 11 Eastern/Pacific. For example, my hometown Fox station (Boston's WFXT-25) could promote it as "You Want Local News At 11? See A Full Hour Of Local News At 11 Every Night On Fox 25!".
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
I would think that except for Sundays during the Fall (and the other exceptions noted i n this thread), NBC (and ABC and CBS for that matter), should stop feeding programs from 10-11 P.M. ET/PT, give that hour back to the affiliates, reclaim the 11-11:30 ET half-hour, and give back a half-hour overnights.

There are several compelling reasons, most of them could result in increased revenues for the traditional "big three" and their affiliated stations:

(1) While some of the drop-off in network viewing at 10 ET/PT is due to DVR use, people are commuting longer (in terms of time and distance) and are going to bed earlier. In fact, in many cities, local 10 P.M. ET/PT newscasts (usually, but not always) on Fox affiliates are quite popular, sometimes topping the local ratings (especially if "American Idol" is the lead-in).

(2) By reducing prime-time by seven hours a week (six hours a week in NBC's case during the NFL season), the number of prime-time commercial spots available is reduced. Since broadcast networks usually still pull larger audiences than cable networks, the scarcity of spots will mean each spot will sell for more money.

(3) Programming costs would be vastly reduced, even if the Saturday 8-10 P.M. ET/PT hours were to again have first-run scripted fare.

(4) Local stations, except in small markets, could easily expand their 30-or-35-minute 11 P.M. (10 CT/MT) newscasts to a full hour from 10 to 11 ET without incurring more than a minimal increase in costs. And with more commercial spots available, and at an earlier hour when more people are around to watch TV, local stations can make more money.

(5) Network late-night programming would start at 11 ET/PT, and will get more viewers because more people will be awake. Networks will be able to charge higher rates for spots. Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel would all conclude at 12 Midnight ET/PT, and at 11 in the Central and Mountain time zones. "Saturday Night Live" would conclude at 12:30 A.M. Eastern/Pacific; 11:30 P.M. elsewhere.

(6) Yes, Fox, CW and My Network TV stations which have had local news from 10 to 10:30 or 11 ET/PT may see local news ratings suffer in that time period with the local ABC/CBS/NBC stations doing local news at that hour.

But Fox/CW/My Network TV outlets could decide to counterprogram the 11 o'clock ET/PT network talk/variety shows with local news, moved away from 10, and instead schedule sitcom reruns from 10 to 11 Eastern/Pacific. For example, my hometown Fox station (Boston's WFXT-25) could promote it as "You Want Local News At 11? See A Full Hour Of Local News At 11 Every Night On Fox 25!".
Click to expand...

All of these ideas are good. Even move Chicago Fire to Saturday nights and put another 1hr dram at 9pm and there is NBC's Saturday night schedule.
 
TVCOOL said:
Joseph_Gallant said:
I would think that except for Sundays during the Fall (and the other exceptions noted i n this thread), NBC (and ABC and CBS for that matter), should stop feeding programs from 10-11 P.M. ET/PT, give that hour back to the affiliates, reclaim the 11-11:30 ET half-hour, and give back a half-hour overnights.

There are several compelling reasons, most of them could result in increased revenues for the traditional "big three" and their affiliated stations:

(1) While some of the drop-off in network viewing at 10 ET/PT is due to DVR use, people are commuting longer (in terms of time and distance) and are going to bed earlier. In fact, in many cities, local 10 P.M. ET/PT newscasts (usually, but not always) on Fox affiliates are quite popular, sometimes topping the local ratings (especially if "American Idol" is the lead-in).

(2) By reducing prime-time by seven hours a week (six hours a week in NBC's case during the NFL season), the number of prime-time commercial spots available is reduced. Since broadcast networks usually still pull larger audiences than cable networks, the scarcity of spots will mean each spot will sell for more money.

(3) Programming costs would be vastly reduced, even if the Saturday 8-10 P.M. ET/PT hours were to again have first-run scripted fare.

(4) Local stations, except in small markets, could easily expand their 30-or-35-minute 11 P.M. (10 CT/MT) newscasts to a full hour from 10 to 11 ET without incurring more than a minimal increase in costs. And with more commercial spots available, and at an earlier hour when more people are around to watch TV, local stations can make more money.

(5) Network late-night programming would start at 11 ET/PT, and will get more viewers because more people will be awake. Networks will be able to charge higher rates for spots. Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel would all conclude at 12 Midnight ET/PT, and at 11 in the Central and Mountain time zones. "Saturday Night Live" would conclude at 12:30 A.M. Eastern/Pacific; 11:30 P.M. elsewhere.

(6) Yes, Fox, CW and My Network TV stations which have had local news from 10 to 10:30 or 11 ET/PT may see local news ratings suffer in that time period with the local ABC/CBS/NBC stations doing local news at that hour.

But Fox/CW/My Network TV outlets could decide to counterprogram the 11 o'clock ET/PT network talk/variety shows with local news, moved away from 10, and instead schedule sitcom reruns from 10 to 11 Eastern/Pacific. For example, my hometown Fox station (Boston's WFXT-25) could promote it as "You Want Local News At 11? See A Full Hour Of Local News At 11 Every Night On Fox 25!".
Click to expand...

All of these ideas are good. Even move Chicago Fire to Saturday nights and put another 1hr dram at 9pm and there is NBC's Saturday night schedule.
Click to expand...

They wouldn't waste first-run show on a night that's become a wasteland--unless live sports is plugged into the lineup.
 
Saturday nights in the 2010s are very different than the 1970s-early 2000s because the option is there to DVR it and watch it either later or on sunday afternoons.
 
(5) Network late-night programming would start at 11 ET/PT, and will get more viewers because more people will be awake. Networks will be able to charge higher rates for spots. Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel would all conclude at 12 Midnight ET/PT, and at 11 in the Central and Mountain time zones. "Saturday Night Live" would conclude at 12:30 A.M. Eastern/Pacific; 11:30 P.M. elsewhere.
Click to expand...
That would be the irony of ironies. In the backwards Paducah, KY, market, SNL didn't even start until 11:30 p.m. for many years! :eek:
 
May not hurt to move Leno and Letterman back a half hour since their audience is older and goes to bed earlier, they could also compete with Conan and the Daily Show and possibly Arsenio if he acutally does come back
 
nomadcowatbk said:
May not hurt to move Leno and Letterman back a half hour since their audience is older and goes to bed earlier, they could also compete with Conan and the Daily Show and possibly Arsenio if he acutally does come back
Click to expand...

I assume this plan would give the affiliates the 10 p.m. hour--otherwise it's a complete non-starter.
 
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