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Global News, Local Delivery - &ltdiv,class="content_sharing">&ltstrong&gtNews,Portfolio.&ltbr/>&lta,="://www.portfolio./TID=wiredpartner">&ltimg,src="://www.wired./images/article/full/2008/03/logo_portfolio.jpg",class="portfolio_img">&ltbr,clear=""/>&ltdiv,class="content_sharing_txt">&ltp>&ltstrong&gtAlso,Portfolio&ltp>&lta,="://www.portfolio./executives/features/2008/08/13/Profile--NBC-Universals-Zucker/TID=wiredpartner">Can,Jeff,Zucker,Reinvent,Broadcast,TV&ltp>&lta,="://www.portfolio./news-markets/top-5/2008/08/13/Best-Buy--Sell-iPhones/TID=wiredpartner">Best,Buy,Starts,Selling,iPhone&ltp>&lta,="://www.portfolio./careers/features/2008/08/13/Managing-a-Talent-Driven-Business/TID=wiredpartner">What,a,Former,Hockey,GM,Can,Tell,Music,Industry&ltdiv,class="content_sharing_sub">&lta,="https://w1.buysub./pubs/N3/FOL/self_fol_control_TVL.jspcds_page_id=39267&ampcds_mag_code=FOL&ampid=1205777661443&amplsid=80771311187037701&ampvid=2&ampcds_response_key=I8CNAAA9&ampcds_mag_code=FOL"&gtSubscribe,Portfolio,magazine&ltp&gtFor,20,years,Ted,Harbert,worked,ABC.,He,started,right,college,1977,network,along,CBS,NBC,game,town,hit,factory,responsible,&ltcite&gtHappy,Days;,Charlie's,Angels;,Rich,Man,Poor,Man,&ltcite&gtRoots.,By,1996,Harbert,running,ABC,glory,days,ending.,All,networks,colossal,Fox,established,beachhead,cable's,market,penetration,complete.,The,'80s,seen,rise,MTV.,And,CNN,a,big,deal,incinerator,Ted,Turner's,extra,cash.,ESPN,competing,aggressively.,Individually,none,channels,a,rating,time,damage,starting,add,.&ltp>"People,'Oh,',nibbling,away,',nibbling,away,'",Harbert,recalls.,"And,always,'Well,nibble,',gonna,.',And,."&ltp&gtToday,Harbert,president,C.E.O.,Comcast,Entertainment,Group.,He,oversees,The,Style,Network,G4—a,-year-old,channel,aimed,young,men,love,videogames—,C.E.G.'s,recognizable,offering,E!,features,celebrity,news.,E!,ranks,31st,among,-watched,basic-cable,channels,general,less,1,percent,America's,112,million,TV,households,watching,during,prime,time.,Yet,Harbert,probably,sleeping,better,days,former,colleagues,broadcast,networks.&ltp&gtWhen,Harbert,talks,television,'s,sober,clarity,someone,looked,life,sides,seen,business,model,working.,Cable,networks,target,viewers,offer.,Broadcast,networks,everyone.,And,business,wanting,everyone,worse.,At,end,last,season,ABC,CBS,NBC,reported,smallest,combined,audience,ever,event,become,a,gloomy,yearly,occurrence.,Meanwhile,cable—counting,basic,channels,pay,services,HBO,Showtime—,receives,55,percent,total,viewership.&ltp&gtIt,time,perform,autopsy,network,TV,pronounced,officially,dead,age,60,victim,a,lifetime,big,spending,hard,living,bad,planning.,Here's,coroner's,report:,The,evening,newscasts,mowed,down,cable's,heat,spin,round--clock,immediacy.,In,prime,time,nobody,watches,reruns,anymore—,reruns,along,syndication,comedy,drama,series,heart,a,network's,prime-time,business,made,money.,The,money,...,networks,back,soon,figure,.&ltp&gtSpeaking,old-school,half-hour,sitcoms:,Once,50,air,a,time.,Today,',gone.,Suddenly,people,stopped,liking,.,Prime-time,news,magazines,Barely,holding,.,"Protected",time,slots,Viewers,accustomed,Web,surfing,channel,flipping,hyperspeed,aren't,watch,a,new,show,',lazy,change,channel,&ltcite&gtThe,Biggest,Loser.,The,audience,daytime,soaps,a,profitable,staple,TV's,infancy,shrunk,dramatically,form,vanish,a,few,years.,This,bad,news,a,medium,hasn't,a,fresh,format,2000,CBS,launched,&ltcite&gtSurvivor,gold,rush,reality-TV,competitions.,P.S.:,&ltcite&gtSurvivor,isn’t,either.&ltp&gtIt's,unlikely,a,broadcast,network,ever,create,a,megahit,&ltcite&gtThe,Cosby,Show,mid-â€㰔s,peak,drew,50,million,viewers,episode.,For,years,TV's,top,event,Fox's,&ltcite&gtAmerican,Idol.,Last,season,drew,28.8,million,viewers,a,week.&ltp&gtConversations,future,television,tend,vault,past,next,week,next,year,a,world,schedules,don't,exist,10,000,programming,options,available,moment,half,fully,interactive.,Not,enjoying,episode,&ltcite&gtLaw,&,Order:,Moonbase,That's,OK—,change,plot!,&ltp&gtIt,sounds,fun.,But,reality,number,cable,channels,topped,.,And,number,households,subscribe,basic,cable—,65,million—hasn't,budged,a,decade.,That's,roughly,58,percent,American,TV,households,'s,a,higher,percentage,total,households,advertisers,actually,care,.,People,sell,attracted,viewers,demonstrated,willingness,buy,cable,TV.,The,cable,business,booming:,Annual,advertising,revenues,jumped,$8.1,billion,1997,a,projected,$28.6,billion,year.,&ltp&gtSo,death,knell,tolls,let's,consider,ways,broadcast,TV,reborn.&ltp>&ltstrong&gt1.,Accept,fact,niche,new,normal.&ltp&gtThe,popular,cable,networks,average,fewer,3,million,viewers,a,night.,But,add,little,niches,audience,left,Even,TNT,USA,cable,channels,whose,original,programming,closely,resembles,broadcast,networks,carving,distinctive,spaces,themselves.,Turner,Networks,president,Steve,Koonin,successfully,promoted,TNT,a,network,drama,TBS,a,home,comedy—,old-school,broadcast,mainstays.,But,"Within,wide,berth,comedy,drama,prospective,brands,',looking,underserved,audiences,',finding,family,viewers,African,Americans,women,action,lovers."&ltp&gtWhen,groups,vast,won,cable,broadcast's,claim,reaches,everyone,starts,ring,a,little,hollow,especially,cable,networks,shows,broadcast,series,except,a,little,better.,To,fair,networks,playing,field,isn't,level:,Small,cable,channels,impress,advertisers,simply,growing.,Networks,'t—,a,show,a,viewership,4,million,a,hit,USA,a,flop,CBS.,But,differences,diminishing.,In,spring,Koonin,aggressive,gamble,clear:,He,scheduled,Turner,Networks',upfronts,cheek--cheek,broadcast,networks.&ltp>"Koonin,brilliant,",Brian,Terkelsen,brand,consultancy,MediaVest.,"In,opinion,turning,point.,We'll,look,back,riff,onstage,week,shifted,everything,cable,broadcasting.,What,'If,I,tell,story,networks,a,talking,car,a,steroid,a,unitard,beating,average,guy,a,game,show,Academy,Award-winning,actress,second,season,a,Golden,Globe,winner,fourth,season,think,'",Koonin,unveiled,slides,cheesy,shows—NBC's,&ltcite&gtKnight,Rider,&ltcite&gtAmerican,Gladiators—,classy,ones:,TNT’s,&ltcite&gtSaving,Grace,&ltcite&gtThe,Closer.,Point,made,brutally.,"If,anybody,room,didn't,think,'Holy,shit!,It's,changed,'",Terkelsen,"’,morons."&ltp>&ltstrong&gt2.,Know,brand.&ltp>"There,awful,lot,channels,available,people,average,digital,home,",FX,president,John,Landgraf.,"So,don’t,stand,stand,nothing.",FX,"appeals,people,a,certain,taste,edgy,innovative,quality.",He,established,brand,material,'s,positioned,exactly,halfway,networks,pay,cable,offer.,Its,signature,shows—&ltcite&gtRescue,Me,The,Shield,Damages,Nip/Tuck—tend,hard-driving,adult,dramas,big,step,raunchier,bloodier,sexier,cooler,rougher,broadcast,networks',cop/lawyer/doctor,equivalents.&ltp&gtIt,wasn't,a,smooth,road,network,founded,1994.,"FX,toyed,earlier,incarnations,various,branding,strategies,",Landgraf,recalls,",live,television—,original,motto,'TV,made,fresh,daily'—,a,time,explicitly,appealing,men.",Back,looked,NASCAR,channel.,To,redefine,itself,FX,casual,viewers,expendable,order,build,rep,committed,ones.,"We,somebody's,favorite,show,",Landgraf,",everybody's,10th-favorite,show."&ltp&gtRebranding,degree,isn't,without,risks.,Several,years,ago,Bravo,became,a,haven,young,hip,gay-friendly,consumers,lots,disposable,income.,That,meant,walking,away,few,viewers,knew,a,poor,man's,PBS,a,repository,dusty,filmed,productions,&ltcite&gtSwan,Lake.,If,-,punch,&ltcite&gtQueer,Eye,Straight,Guy,&ltcite&gtProject,Runway,hadn't,succeeded,channel,gone,down,count.,Similarly,Turner,Koonin,canceled,TNT's,popular,offering—wrestling—,order,metamorphosis,a,drama-driven,cable,network,credible.&ltp&gtThose,gambles,paid,off,Bravo,FX,TNT,followed,swiftly,build,initial,hits.,Likewise,AMC,specializes,old,movies,didn't,waste,a,minute,critics,acclaimed,first,season,original,show,&ltcite&gtMad,Men:,It,began,developing,dramas,knowing,newfound,audience,needed,reasons,stick,.,Without,moves,a,rebranding,effort,quickly,give,rise,skepticism.,A&ampE,spent,big,money,buy,reruns,HBO's,&ltcite&gtThe,Sopranos,wanted,seen,kind,network,air,a,show,&ltcite&gtThe,Sopranos.,But,'s,;,'s,kind,network,air,reruns,&ltcite&gtThe,Sopranos,bad,words.,&ltp&gtIn,ways,networks,themselves,specific,brand,identities;,don't,admit,.,For,decades,CBS,elderly,demographic,among,major,networks.,ABC,specializes,comedies,light,dramas,strong,female,appeal,&ltcite&gtDesperate,Housewives,&ltcite&gtGrey's,Anatomy,&ltcite&gtUgly,Betty.,Fox—,exception,&ltcite&gtAmerican,Idol—,largely,aimed,guys,action,dramas,&ltcite&gt24,&ltcite&gtPrison,Break,Sunday-night,cartoons,-ending,shaky-cam,glimpse,night-shift,squalor,&ltcite&gtCops.,The,fledgling,CW,building,&ltcite&gtGossip,Girl,&ltcite&gtAmerica’s,Next,Top,Model,chase,young,women.,NBC's,struggles,unrelated,fact,'s,trying,people:,When,offer,programming,&ltcite&gt30,Rock,a,smart,affluent,audience,rely,diet,contests,game,shows,&ltcite&gtTo,Catch,a,Predator,fill,prime,time,'t,blame,viewers,knowing,expect.&ltp>&ltstrong&gt3.,Don't,count,"flow",unless,programming,aimed,audience.&ltp&gtZip,FX's,schedule,point,episode,&ltcite&gtRescue,Me,followed,episode,&ltcite&gtRescue,Me,.,And,Bravo,hard-selling,hits,word,overkill,vocabulary.,"The,great,shows,people,",Andy,Cohen,Bravo's,senior,vice,president,original,programming.,"A,lot,times,'ll,premiere,episode,&ltcite&gtTop,Chef,rerun,episode,right,'s,.,And,people,stay,tuned!,Some,shows,crack,",laughs.&ltp&gtThis,practice,makes,sense,ways:,It's,cost-efficient,builds,loyalty.,The,tactic,dismissed,killing,goose,laid,golden,eggs,until,people,noticed,goose,kept,thriving.,Now,'s,a,matter,Cohen,puts,"feeding,beast."&ltp&gtSince,embracing,episode-marathon,strategy,years,ago—,a,pump,life,&ltcite&gtProject,Runway,struggling,first,year—Bravo,seen,ratings,flagship,shows,grow,season.,The,fourth,cycle,&ltcite&gtTop,Chef,aired,spring,outperformed,third,beat,second,outdid,first.&ltp&gtThe,broadcast,networks,count,kind,steady,growth,first,few,years,hits.,But,recently,scripted,series,&ltcite&gtUgly,Betty,&ltcite&gtHeroes,started,losing,viewers,season.,Given,alarming,turnabout,'d,think,networks,everything,power,build,equity,a,potential,new,hit.,But,.,Their,schedules,set,stone,decades,ago,remain,inviolable:,news,chitchat,noon,soaps,talk,shows,afternoon,local,national,evening,news,infotainment,later,day,talk,shows,bedtime.,Some,programming,blocks,justify,themselves,economically,others,aren't,cost-effective.,Daytime,soaps,occupy,a,large,swath,airtime,occasionally,repurpose,a,network's,prime-time,schedule,cheaply,efficiently.,&ltp>&ltstrong&gt4.,Content,counts.&ltp&gtDiscussions,networks,'s,depleting,viewership,tend,focus,familiar,culprits:,YouTube.,The,internet.,Xbox.,The,iPod.,Too,options.,Capitalism,unfair!,This,leads,brainstorming,sessions,TV,internet,resulting,a,lot,overexcited,press,releases,announcing,-minute,"minisodes",favorite,shows,exclusively,available,a,network,website,Twittered,line,line,',written,beamed,directly,cerebral,cortex,Bluetooth.&ltp&gtEnough,.,Competition,media,real,'s,a,convenient,excuse,focus,programming.,You,don't,hear,&ltcite&gtAmerican,Idol's,producers,whining,internet,draining,audience,audience,internet.,Viewers,talk,read,kvetch,gossip—,&ltcite&gtAmerican,Idol.&ltp&gtCreating,substance-free,shows,think,audience,attention,span,a,sucker's,game.,And,streaming,shows,free,far,a,lot,viewers,a,network's,balance,sheet.,Instead,networks,try,TV,shows,people,watch,TV,shows.,There,seems,shortage,viewers,:,For,hand-wringing,new,media,sapping,television's,audience,average,viewer,online,video,April,watched,fewer,minutes,a,day.,By,contrast,average,household,TV,hours,14,minutes,daily.,That's,a,record.,One,rear,back,horror,'s,story.&ltp>&ltstrong&gt5.,When,TV,season,52,weeks,mean,.&ltp&gtMadison,Avenue,fond,old-fashioned,idea,fall,a,launchpad,a,new,TV,season,viewers.,But,mean,networks,continue,taking,summers,off,Sure,run,original,programming,July,August,"original",context,generally,a,series,odd,couldn't,find,a,place,regular,season,&ltcite&gtCelebrity,Circus,85,variations,foreign,game,shows,summer's,flavor,moment.&ltp&gtIt's,a,bind,a,real,commitment,top-quality,original,programming,during,summer,costs,money,broadcast,networks,don't,right,a,diet,reruns,cut-rate,schlock,cost,viewers.,According,Comcast's,Harbert,broadcast,execs,ask,new,shows,year-round,",finance,guys,'You',killing,!',And,programming,guys,'Yeah,I,put,repeats,',terrible,ratings,'ll,promo,base,fall.',And,everybody's,right."&ltp&gtBut,investing,shows—,thus,audience,building—,a,smarter,long-term,strategy.,It's,accident,cable,hits,Lifetime's,&ltcite&gtArmy,Wives,USA's,&lticte&gtBurn,Notice,TNT's,&ltcite&gtThe,Closer,launched,summer,allowing,cable,perform,annual,raid,broadcast,viewers.&ltp>&ltstrong&gt6.,Don't,break,faith,audience.&ltp&gtBroadcast,networks,routinely,spend,months,promoting,a,show,cancel,airings.,Or,a,few,million,viewers,hooked,a,serialized,drama,drop,midway,a,season,leaving,fans,hanging.,This,simply,happens,cable,a,series,a,13-episode,order,13,episodes,damn,air,'s,’s,nothing,place.,Every,time,networks,reshuffle,grid,a,spasm,quick-fix,panic,disenchant,viewers.&ltp>&ltstrong&gt7.,If,'t,beat,'em,eat,'em.&ltp&gtBen,Silverman,NBC's,head,programmer,fret,network's,shows,struggles,against,a,basic-cable,hit,Bravo's,&ltcite&gtTop,Chef,Sci,Fi,Channel's,&ltcite&gtBattlestar,Galactica.,But,boss,NBC,Universal,C.E.O.,Jeff,Zucker,rest,easy,company,owns,Bravo.,And,Sci,Fi,Channel.,And,a,whole,lot,.,The,notion,"500-channel,universe",a,pie,cut,ever-tinier,slivers,ignores,fact,vast,majority,watch,fills,coffers,a,small,handful,megaliths,always,.&ltp&gtTake,a,closer,look,pie:&ltul,class="list1">&ltli&gtBesides,Bravo,Sci,Fi,NBC,Universal,owns,USA,highest-rated,ad-supported,cable,channel;,MSNBC;,CNBC;,ShopNBC;,Oxygen;,Telemundo;,-third,A&ampE,Television,itself,a,conglomeration,includes,A&ampE,History,Channel,Biography,Channel.&ltli&gtDisney,owns,ABC,ESPN,SoapNet,ABC,Family,-third,share,A&ampE,half,Lifetime.,It,course,owns,Disney,Channel,top-rated,basic-cable,outlet,kind.&ltli&gtViacom,CBS,though,traded,separately,Wall,Street,controlled,man,Sumner,Redstone.,CBS,owns,Showtime,Movie,Channel,half,CW.,Viacom’s,list,properties,includes,MTV,VH1,Nickelodeon,Spike,TV,BET,Comedy,Central.&ltli&gtRupert,Murdoch's,News,Corp.,owns,Fox,Fox,News,FX,everything,word,Fox,Fox,College,Sports,Fox,Reality,Channel.&ltli&gtTime,Warner,owns,half,CW,CNN,TNT,TBS,TCM,HBO,Cinemax,Cartoon,Network,TruTV,formerly,CourtTV.&ltp&gtSo,a,half-dozen,companies,broadcast,networks,a,majority,cable,channels,anyone,actually,watches—,10,prime,time's,highest-rated,cable,networks,together,accounted,18,million,viewers,a,night,last,year.,To,anyone,worried,network,viewers,gone:,They,left,building,haven’t,escaped,compound.&ltp>&ltstrong&gt8.,Lowered,expectations,best,friend.&ltp&gtThe,current,chaos,TV,a,silver,lining:,In,era,-demand,options,streaming,video,full-season,DVD,releases,latecomers,multiple,airings,show,inexorable,march,DVRs,definition,success,slippery,.&ltp&gtEventually,a,modernized,ratings,system,capture,aggregate,viewers,primarily,help,series,appeal,a,young,I----I--,audience.,By,contrast,a,show,whose,viewers,AARP,convention,isn't,benefit,brave,new,world.,The,ratings,60,Minutes,example,grow,3,percent,DVR,factored,.&ltp&gtBut,until,'s,sorted,'s,plenty,room,spin.,In,a,TV,universe,without,a,center,nothing,a,hit,everything,.,If,'t,crack,Nielsen's,top,10,tell,Madison,Avenue,wildly,overperform,among,viewers,lots,disposable,income—,a,40,percent,jump,audience,account,DVR,case,&ltcite&gtThe,Office.,AMC's,&ltcite&gtMad,Men,counts,a,hit,'s,great,wins,awards,critical,raves,until,recently,show,kind,channel,nothing,compare,.,&ltp&gtThe,History,Channel's,&ltcite&gtIce,Road,Truckers,a,reality,series,devoted,entirely,truckers,driving,across,large,expanses,ice,a,hit,outperformed,anything,History,Channel,ever,aired,demolished,image,channel,a,musty,attic,full,newsreel,footage,Hitler.,A,show,claim,hit,status,magazine,covers,text-message,traffic,internet,buzz,generates:,From,amount,attention,paid,CW's,teen,soap,&ltcite&gtGossip,Girl,last,season,wouldn't,ranked,150th,161,shows,drew,2.4,million,viewers,a,week.,&ltp&gtSo,good,news,networks,possible,stop,bleeding.,The,bad,news,patient,'t,cured.,For,50,years,pop,culture,moved,direction—toward,options,fewer,mass,phenomena,greater,consumer,control.,And,'s,turning,especially,a,generation,viewers,sees,meaningful,distinction,a,broadcast,network,a,cable,channel.&ltp&gtWhat,isn't,end,a,few,old,business,models,end,TV,',known,.,America's,unifying,cultural,medium,past,60,years,followed,music,movies,surrendering,mass,appeal,order,cater,a,populace,organized,entirely,self-defining,niches.,Welcome,new,era,post-popular,culture,'s,anyone,nothing,everyone.,What,earth,talk,tomorrow,morning&ltbr,style="clear:,;"/>,&lta,style='font-size:,10px;,color:,maroon;',='://www.pheedo./hostedMorselClick.phphfmm=v2:2ce15958a48d7e6fd7472b2c49e77113:RXFXR3NLNrHIMLF3OItopkWpHbOK2bbJKWJ8nsuZgBI6q2uZ10tOY9X7AKLEHR2fDN4+J8Mb6OFQwyFEsvo8NtgAS+eRU1pVpiBS9wH8gAI='>&ltimg,border='0',title='Add,Facebook',alt='Add,Facebook',src='://www.pheedo./images/mm/facebook.gif'/>,&lta,style='font-size:,10px;,color:,maroon;',='://www.pheedo./hostedMorselClick.phphfmm=v2:de09f609213106ec994739f781675b6f:/WThalJNeHuV29bhRLsWEFJfs7ghB/qrwFoI60IVkXrpYfFwya0qWaktJu6X3TQXESt9MByTbuxdaz0DcxXBcmyd58Wd5SipH7iR697RaJs='>&ltimg,border='0',title='Add,Reddit',alt='Add,Reddit',src='://www.pheedo./images/mm/reddit.png'/>,&lta,style='font-size:,10px;,color:,maroon;',='://www.pheedo./hostedMorselClick.phphfmm=v2:fb5a88261388d216ef30df4e4b314ad3:qRzGLQoL0go6r/HB/oNBJpJ5lcQ5/muAfG+qxItHXnwQ3OrrYh7E06GQjyebi1pXI3Nct7zl0ZJbce6KNf+n8gXk7gjgqTWVr8bYT1cm694='>&ltimg,border='0',title='Add,digg',alt='Add,digg',src='://www.pheedo./images/mm/digg.gif'/>,&lta,style='font-size:,10px;,color:,maroon;',='://www.pheedo./hostedMorselClick.phphfmm=v2:d52b9f0d8156590beac9526d0f8b7814:h14Ce4GxmvB5yxeBFTjEGTeXkayqwR+8xuXXgF8Td8qDfFGQ6UnAy7dYhPJceMR5Q8I5B1ehn5GQvF/SoFx38HZX6zXQfOqWfDE09jpKg+o='>&ltimg,border='0',title='Add,Google',alt='Add,Google',src='://www.pheedo./images/mm/google.png'/>&ltbr,style="clear:,;"/>,&ltimg,alt="",style="border:,0;,height:1px;,width:1px;",border="0",src="://www.pheedo./img.phdoi=24adb66eaa93e7367cb927137a39206b",height="1",/>&ltimg,src="://www.pheedo./feeds/tracker.phpi=24adb66eaa93e7367cb927137a39206b",style="display:,none;",border="0",height="1",alt=""/>&ltp>&lta,="://feeds.wired./~a/wired/indexa=8DKGb3">&ltimg,src="://feeds.wired./~a/wired/indexi=8DKGb3",border="0">&ltimg,src="://feeds.wired./~r/wired/index/~4/364064723",height="1",/>
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