CBS News has decided to make some changes that could finally raise its perennially last-place morning program to a more competitive location in the ratings. The plan is to abandon the current format that lets Affiliate stations interrupt with local news between 7 and 8 a.m.
NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" both include national news and segments for most of their program, with two five-minute inserts for local news from 7-8 a.m. CBS has largely the same format but it's reversed at 43 local Affiliates, and this costs the Network 20% of their potential audience to whom the show is only visible for an hour at 8 a.m.
The new format and other "significant changes" will bow January. 1st, 2008, according to CBS News President, Sean McManus.
So let's see if we get this right; They're so desperate to improve ratings [and profits,] they're going to twiddle their thumbs for six months before making the changes. Somehow, I don't see that as the best solution.
The big problem is not the Affiliate interruptions, the problem is an unrelentingly bland format, fronted by people so mind-crushingly vapid they make storefront Mannequins look like crack-heads. It's the television equivalent of warm oatmeal. It's CBS pandering to the 'cardigan' demographic...Again. Lose the oats and change the cast. Now! Then drop the local news as soon as you can get the Affiliates to play ball.
Problem solved.
What's your view? What would you do today to stop the slide?
NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" both include national news and segments for most of their program, with two five-minute inserts for local news from 7-8 a.m. CBS has largely the same format but it's reversed at 43 local Affiliates, and this costs the Network 20% of their potential audience to whom the show is only visible for an hour at 8 a.m.
The new format and other "significant changes" will bow January. 1st, 2008, according to CBS News President, Sean McManus.
So let's see if we get this right; They're so desperate to improve ratings [and profits,] they're going to twiddle their thumbs for six months before making the changes. Somehow, I don't see that as the best solution.
The big problem is not the Affiliate interruptions, the problem is an unrelentingly bland format, fronted by people so mind-crushingly vapid they make storefront Mannequins look like crack-heads. It's the television equivalent of warm oatmeal. It's CBS pandering to the 'cardigan' demographic...Again. Lose the oats and change the cast. Now! Then drop the local news as soon as you can get the Affiliates to play ball.
Problem solved.
What's your view? What would you do today to stop the slide?
No comments:
Post a Comment