With the economic crisis hitting broadcasters hard is there a possibility we may see some of the smaller niche cable networks either merging or going dark? I know many people are beginning to scale back on non necessity services such as the 200 channel digital cable with every niche network possible.
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Smaller Networks Going Dark
- Thread starter Fieldtech1
- Start date
It seems at times there are only five or six primary sponsors adverting on the niche channels. Geico, Progressive, Nutrisystem, Allstate, and a host of tax/credit repair companies. It's almost as bad as the Dodge truck ads which ran ad nauseum during the NFL playoffs on Fox. Reminds me of the captive advertising the major personal products companies once had with their daytime soaps.
My guess is if these few primary advertisers can continue to pay the freight the niche channels will keep on keeping on. If they go away then it will quickly be lights out. I don't see programming being strong enough to go to any sort of subscription model.
Of course, if John McCain ever gets his "de-tier" bill through then the channels that are not paying their own way will shut down overnight as they don't have enough of an audience. John.....you still out there? Hello????
My guess is if these few primary advertisers can continue to pay the freight the niche channels will keep on keeping on. If they go away then it will quickly be lights out. I don't see programming being strong enough to go to any sort of subscription model.
Of course, if John McCain ever gets his "de-tier" bill through then the channels that are not paying their own way will shut down overnight as they don't have enough of an audience. John.....you still out there? Hello????
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
as long as ShamWOW!, Mighty Putty and FreeCreditReport.com are out there, I think they have a
fighting chance.
fighting chance.
FreddyE1977 said:
Then again, we remember the old "WWOR EMI Service", which was seen over WWOR's syndexed programming from 1990 to 1996. During programming that EMI placed over WWOR's own shows, all ads were direct-response. Don't know for sure if lack of regular ads caused the EMI Service's closure, though it seems that EMI never bothered to try getting advertisers for the shows.
The smaller niche markets are hard to substain without big financial backup and a solid belief.
Look at FOX, without Rupert Murdochs BILLIONS he poured in, it would've failed. As late as 1993 Murdoch was almost going under. In 1993 his bridge was called in and he, in typical Murdoch style went to Mellon Bank and said "Extend my credit for a year or I'll just let it go under and you'll get nothing."
Not many people will do that now. Or have enough control over their companies to do that.
As it turns out, Mellon extended and got lucky. The risk paid off, FOX got Football and you all know the rest.
Look at FOX, without Rupert Murdochs BILLIONS he poured in, it would've failed. As late as 1993 Murdoch was almost going under. In 1993 his bridge was called in and he, in typical Murdoch style went to Mellon Bank and said "Extend my credit for a year or I'll just let it go under and you'll get nothing."
Not many people will do that now. Or have enough control over their companies to do that.
As it turns out, Mellon extended and got lucky. The risk paid off, FOX got Football and you all know the rest.
azumanga said:
Direct-Response was also what kept TBS/TNT alive for awhile in their early years.
So, it is possible for the smaller networks to still go on, even during these bad times. I believe there was an article recently about how the ShamWow/Billy May's-type commercials are thriving during these bad times. Networks can survive, if they play thier cards right.
I have noticed a lot of direct-reponse ads on some of the channels that I watch, such as BBC America.
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