I'm surprised more hasn't been written about the catastrophic failure of MNT. Considering that top News Corp/Fox brass were deeply involved from the very beginning --particularly Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes, who staked their reputations on this concept -- someone should be held accountable for the dismal results which have left many affiliates (including their o & o's) in financial chaos.
Unfortunately, the ideas being bandied about to turn around this mess will probably make it worse.. if that's possible.
The numbers are miniscule, and show not even the tiniest sliver of growth when one looks at them under a microscope. The only bright spot was that over the Christmas-New Years holiday, the MNT network numbers remained a solid bedrock 0.5 HUT and 1% share even while the big four and The CW all saw significant dips in their numbers.
Another point of praise for MNT is their creative execution. Based on the winter telenovellas ("Wicked Wicked Games" and "Watch Over Me"), the product they're putting up on the screen ranges from quite good to exceptional...it seems such a waste to burn off six hours a week of Wicked Wioked Games to such scant audiences. (I saw a report of some recent numbers from an MNT affiliate that measured 0.3 HUT for Wicked Wicked Games and 0.0 HUT for Watch Over Me. That means less than half a person in a thousand.) If I was the new MNT head, I would find a way to stretch some of these 65 episode novellas over an entire sesson.
It's unfortunate that many MNT affiliates are losing financially. However, all of them were left in a bad position early last year when they were cut loose from the new WB-CBS Team CW, and I think many of them would have struggled to put up six nights of programming as inexpensively as the MNT affiliate arrangement allows them to. They were left high and dry by the WB-CBS merger crew, and at least News Corporation came to the table with an alternative network arrangement. News Corporation has behaved nobley as a network-builder, and many MNT affiliates across the country are riding their dollar. I hope they can find a new programming formula that works, and that contains at least some nights of telenovellas. The MNT English-language telenovellas have been the most overlooked programming breakthrough of the 2006-07 season.
And one final practice that I admire MNT for. In an era where the other five networks precipitously yank programming off the air after a few mere episodes have aired, MNT has shown resolve and pluck for standing behind their serials 100% and playing them out in full.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by dumont demo: The numbers are miniscule, and show not even the tiniest sliver of growth when one looks at them under a microscope. The only bright spot was that over the Christmas-New Years holiday, the MNT network numbers remained a solid bedrock 0.5 HUT and 1% share even while the big four and The CW all saw significant dips in their numbers.
Another point of praise for MNT is their creative execution. Based on the winter telenovellas ("Wicked Wicked Games" and "Watch Over Me"), the product they're putting up on the screen ranges from quite good to exceptional...it seems such a waste to burn off six hours a week of Wicked Wioked Games to such scant audiences. (I saw a report of some recent numbers from an MNT affiliate that measured 0.3 HUT for Wicked Wicked Games and 0.0 HUT for Watch Over Me. That means less than half a person in a thousand.) If I was the new MNT head, I would find a way to stretch some of these 65 episode novellas over an entire sesson.
It's unfortunate that many MNT affiliates are losing financially. However, all of them were left in a bad position early last year when they were cut loose from the new WB-CBS Team CW, and I think many of them would have struggled to put up six nights of programming as inexpensively as the MNT affiliate arrangement allows them to. They were left high and dry by the WB-CBS merger crew, and at least News Corporation came to the table with an alternative network arrangement. News Corporation has behaved nobley as a network-builder, and many MNT affiliates across the country are riding their dollar. I hope they can find a new programming formula that works, and that contains at least some nights of telenovellas. The MNT English-language telenovellas have been the most overlooked programming breakthrough of the 2006-07 season.
And one final practice that I admire MNT for. In an era where the other five networks precipitously yank programming off the air after a few mere episodes have aired, MNT has shown resolve and pluck for standing behind their serials 100% and playing them out in full.
Courage, MNT. Courage.[/QUOTE)
I disagree.
By and large, the stations would have been much better off --from an audience and financial point of view -- by playing movie and program inventory for the 12 hours a week.
So far as Fox's 'resolve and pluck' for staying with the serials, I suggest they had no replacement programming to draw upon and were forced to stay with what they had (or face major legal problems from their affiliates).
One of the major failures of My Network TV (and the CW, for that matter) is the total lack of planning ahead. MNT started this season with only one programming model – two 65-episode serials presented back-to-back on six nights on a week – and nothing to launch in case they failed.
Without any real alternatives, MNT is forced to run this low-rated fare for the rest of the season. While the Fox owned & operated affiliates would have suffered from having no network affiliated from the WB-UPN merger, if News Corp. had waited until this spring or even the fall to launch MNT, perhaps it may have had a better chance at success. MNT has the look and feel of a network that was rushed onto the air – which it was. Would these affiliates have suffered any worse running movies and syndicated fare from 8-10 p.m. Monday thru Saturday for six months instead of the MNT serials? That’s impossible to say, but they surely couldn’t have done any worse.
Bottom line is that nearly six months after its launch, MNT has failed to show any sort of growth in viewership, putting it on a playing field closer to the much-maligned I Network (formerly Pax) and cable networks than to the struggling CW.
News Corp. wasn’t so much interested in providing a “sixth broadcast network” as in providing its affiliates (and those also left out by the WB-UPN merger) inexpensive fare. That was the first, and most crucial, mistake. The powers that be at News Corp. must now decide whether to totally revamp MNT and its approach to programming or throw it into the dustbin of history to join the likes of DuMont, WB, and UPN.
Many valid points, Jay. I do agree with almost all your observations It would have been nice to do the deliberate, careful network building thing, however, I believe News/FOX had to fast-track assembling the new MyNetworkTV network, or face the long, slow, show-me, prove-it type of build that UPN and WB slogged through for 10 years. Gathering up and signing stations to affiliate agreements is akin to herding squirrels. News/FOX had a window of opportunity as there were 190+ WB and UPN affiliates out there weeping with self-doubt at having not made the team and killing themselves with incessant silent wondering of "why me?" All were going through the brochures from the most recent NATPE, trying to piece together a primetime schedule and resigning themselves to five-night-a-week strippings of dusty off-network dramas/comedies (which never perform that well in primetime) or more expensive talkshow-court skeins.
Then, along comes News/FOX to the rescue, like Mighty Mouse, and with a new network to save the day. Their programming choice has a proven history on Spanish-language networks, but was a gamble for English-language stations, where the attention span is much shorter. They already had a few of these serials in early stages of production, so they fit into the six-nights-a-week slot very snugly. Creatively, they are superb if "Wicked Wicked Games" and "Watch Over Me" are indicative of quality (I didn't see the earlier "Fashion House" or "Desire" serials).
My understanding is that they are now looking to reduce the telenovellas to two nights (a good move, because it's exhausting keeping up with 10 hours of drama a week). And its going to re-formulate the other nights with a mix of a movie night mixed with some gameshows, reality and sports programming. Latest media reports indicate that the new programs are fairly derivative in nature (not as much of a gamble as the telenovellas were):
* My Games Fever, which is getting a test-run on FOX o&o's as we speak * International Fight Club (2 hour bouts, modelled on Smackdown) * Celebrity Love Island (sounds very Temptationy) * Catwalk (a Top-Model soundalike) * On Scene (an AMW-Cops soundalike).
One of the advantages of being a last place network, is that you can take more creative gambles than the larger, well-rated networks. I hope that MNT keeps enough coin in the budget purse to do a few pilots of the types of shows that elevated the WB, UPN and even the long forgotten DuMont:
* science fiction, perhaps told as a telenovella. The best science fiction in the last 10 years came from the weblets. * gothic drama, again, a telenovella format in the vein of DArk Shadows. * variety...both WB and UPN put their toes in the water with variety, but couldn't find the right host(s). * anthology...I applauded that UPN brought The Twilight Zone back, even though it's episodes didn't measure up the sixties versions. * western...again, a telenovella could work in this format where weekly episodic failed. The WB did a great pilot-reinvention of The Lone Ranger a few years back. The only difficulty in westerns as programmning is that I fear very few of todays young actors know how to ride a horse.
I feel empathy for the people running MNT, who are beset by angry affiliates, indifferent newsmedia, angry shareholders (Mr Murdoch is a patient businessperson, but can you imagine the stress of having his furrowed brow look over your sales estimates) and sparse viewership. However, as one of the sparse five in a thousand religiously watching the network and buying their products (I went to see that Hilary Swank movie), I say, carry on MyNetworkTV, keeping wowing me with your product. Others will follow. Numbers will grow.
The first shall be last, and the last shall be first!
quote:
Originally posted by Jay: One of the major failures of My Network TV (and the CW, for that matter) is the total lack of planning ahead. MNT started this season with only one programming model – two 65-episode serials presented back-to-back on six nights on a week – and nothing to launch in case they failed.
Without any real alternatives, MNT is forced to run this low-rated fare for the rest of the season. While the Fox owned & operated affiliates would have suffered from having no network affiliated from the WB-UPN merger, if News Corp. had waited until this spring or even the fall to launch MNT, perhaps it may have had a better chance at success. MNT has the look and feel of a network that was rushed onto the air – which it was. Would these affiliates have suffered any worse running movies and syndicated fare from 8-10 p.m. Monday thru Saturday for six months instead of the MNT serials? That’s impossible to say, but they surely couldn’t have done any worse.
Bottom line is that nearly six months after its launch, MNT has failed to show any sort of growth in viewership, putting it on a playing field closer to the much-maligned I Network (formerly Pax) and cable networks than to the struggling CW.
News Corp. wasn’t so much interested in providing a “sixth broadcast network” as in providing its affiliates (and those also left out by the WB-UPN merger) inexpensive fare. That was the first, and most crucial, mistake. The powers that be at News Corp. must now decide whether to totally revamp MNT and its approach to programming or throw it into the dustbin of history to join the likes of DuMont, WB, and UPN.
I have watched a few minutes of that My Games Fever crap, and it is quite possibly the stupidest, most annoying thing I have ever seen on television. Not only are the games RIDICULOUSLY easy, but the personalities are grating, the sets are incredibly cheap, and I couldn't imagine ANYONE watching TWO hours of that unless changing the channel was deemed illegal.
Posts: 1237 | Location: Brookline, MA | Registered: 25 September 2006
Why haven't any of the "new" ever networks tried a slower launch of shows like what FOX did back in the day. They had one night of programming and then added as they could afford to (or find something worthy).
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Posts: 5946 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: 20 September 2006
Originally posted by xwiseguyx: Why haven't any of the "new" ever networks tried a slower launch of shows like what FOX did back in the day. They had one night of programming and then added as they could afford to (or find something worthy).
Both WB and UPN started out with only one or two nights of programming back in the mid-90s.
I believe WB started out with a two-hour bloc of four comedies (included the "Soap"-esque comic soap "Muscle"). UPN of course launched with much fanfare - and its highest ratings ever - with "Star Trek: Voyager".
Concerning MNT's new programming options...
I believe both "On Scene" and "Catwalk" were mentioned when MNT launched as midseason replacements before the all-serial all-the-time decision was made.
"Celebrity Love Island" sounds familiar. Perhaps it is an American version of a foreign reality series.
"IFC" may be the most popular and most likely to succeed on MNT given the success of the WWE on USA Network and the Ultimate Fighting Championship of Spike TV.
I do agree that MNT needs to diversify its programming in order to succeed (after all, could they possibly post lower ratings than they are already getting?), and some of the ideas that dumont demo mentioned sound very promising.
The long-term future of MNT (hopefully that isn't an oxymoron) will largely hinge on how patient those non-Fox owned affiliates are going to be as News Corp. attempts to miss the iceberg looming just ahead.
It appears MNT has forgotten the adage "Garbage In, Garbage Out".
They started out with garbage, & insteada "recycling" some of it into a quality product, they simply added more garbage.
I realize a new net cannot start out with all hits, but to start out with a whole passel of shows that COMMON SENSE shoulda told'em no one would watch more than once, is driving a lotta nails in the coffin before death.
Speaking of DuMont....I'm old enuff to remember it well!
Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour was a huge success; I believe I'm safe insaying it was the grandfather of AI.
I liked Cavalcade Of Stars before I knew what a 'cavalcade' was. I associated it with "Cavalcade of SPORTS".
Captain Video & His Video Rangers could be the American daddy of Dr. Who. And I also liked Tom Corbett, Space Cadetand Rocky King, a detective show....not to mention the numerous fights & rasslin' matches they showed.
Unfortunately, most DuMont show films were not preserved. Therefore, it'd be hard to revive any of their shows.
Originally posted by xwiseguyx: Why haven't any of the "new" ever networks tried a slower launch of shows like what FOX did back in the day. They had one night of programming and then added as they could afford to (or find something worthy).
Both WB and UPN started out with only one or two nights of programming back in the mid-90s.
I believe WB started out with a two-hour bloc of four comedies (included the "Soap"-esque comic soap "Muscle"). UPN of course launched with much fanfare - and its highest ratings ever - with "Star Trek: Voyager".
Oh yeah - I was one of the 5 people who really enjoyed Muscle and then it was the first one cancelled.
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Posts: 5946 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: 20 September 2006
Robycop3, I would like to put in a good word for the quality of the current telenovellas. Both "Wicked Wicked Games" and "Watch Over Me" are very watchable and entertaining if you enjoy serial dramas. I give "Wicked Wicked Games" my highest recommendation, and everyone who I've persuaded to watch it has reported back with a favourable impression.
The problem, and I think you touch on it with MNT's going for 12 hours of telenovellas to begin with, is the almost oppressive scheduling. People have told me just watch a few episodes and catch the re-cap shows on Saturdays, but I'm a completist, and I've been trying to watch as many episodes as I can, and it's exhausting...they pile up on the DVR faster than I can watch them. I don't think MNT realized how much breaker training is involved in changing one's viewing habits for a telenovella.
And it was a pleasure to read your reminiscences about the pioneering DuMont Television Network. By the end of the 50s, every genre had been been tried and proven successful or failed, and the networks have spent the last 45 endlessly re-inventing old genre successes. I really enjoy programs today that try to breakthrough with innovative programming (Arrested Development comes to mind) or re-inventing a previously failed genre, but it's so rare. Television executives find too much comfort in endlessly repeating past successes.
I really hope that the new MNT President, Mr. Greg Meidel, seizes the opportunity to go innovative with new programming. However, his background is very extensive in reality programming (newsmagazines, talkshow, crime reality, A Current Affair), so I won't hold my breath on that hope.
quote:
Originally posted by robycop3: It appears MNT has forgotten the adage "Garbage In, Garbage Out".
They started out with garbage, & insteada "recycling" some of it into a quality product, they simply added more garbage.
I realize a new net cannot start out with all hits, but to start out with a whole passel of shows that COMMON SENSE shoulda told'em no one would watch more than once, is driving a lotta nails in the coffin before death.
Speaking of DuMont....I'm old enuff to remember it well!
Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour was a huge success; I believe I'm safe insaying it was the grandfather of AI.
I liked Cavalcade Of Stars before I knew what a 'cavalcade' was. I associated it with "Cavalcade of SPORTS".
Captain Video & His Video Rangers could be the American daddy of Dr. Who. And I also liked Tom Corbett, Space Cadetand Rocky King, a detective show....not to mention the numerous fights & rasslin' matches they showed.
Unfortunately, most DuMont show films were not preserved. Therefore, it'd be hard to revive any of their shows.
