Up Close and Personal

The most important part of programming is understanding the audience.

Quite simply, audiences want to be entertained and they want to be informed.

These two elements comprise the whole of programming

Programming is a unique product in that it is used to lure the attention of consumers so advertisers can show those consumers commercial messages that help sell other products.

Its ease of delivery allows it to be simultaneously delivered to nearly every consumer Television beckons a national audience

through▪ Broadcasting▪ Cable▪ Satellite Delivery

The low cost of programming to viewers is key to creating audiences large enough to sell to advertisers

Evaluation

Audience HabitsCostCompatibilityTalent AvailabilityDifferentiationTrendinessNovelty

HammockingBlockingCompatibilityRankingInherited ViewingCompetition

ClutterLocationPositionConstructionDistanceFamiliarity

Tolerance levelsAudience ShareGenre TrendsDesign StylesTechnologyStock Values

Target a demographically desirable audience. Choose appropriate programs for that audience. Evaluate reasonable costs for program types

and time slots. Evaluate competition to determine scheduling

strategy. Make sure a program fits with neighboring

programs. Employ talented performers who are liked by

the public. Hire producers/directors/writers with a record of

success. Deal with currently topical subject matter. Emulate comparable high-rated series.

Broadcast Network programs

Syndicated Programs

Local programs

Homemade programs

Off-Network Series Two and a Half Men King of Queens Bones

First-run syndicated series and specials Oprah Entertainment Tonight

Feature Films

Yet, it is possible for some programmers to start small and build a national audience.

Say thank you to Oprah Winfrey for giving hope to newcomers. She started at a small station doing

a local talk show before achieving national television prominence and creating her own production company.

Each network will review two thousand program ideas a year. About 250 of these will be judged good enough to go on into the script form. About thirty or forty of the scripts will move along into pilot production. About ten pilots will make it into series form. Perhaps two or three series will survive a second season or longer. Each year, program development costs $50 to $60 million. In other businesses it is known as Research and Development. In television it is called failure, or futility, or a wasteland.

--Gene Jankowski,Former president of CBS

National Advertising Rep

Situation Comedies (or Sitcoms)

Dramas Action-Adventures Dramatic

Talk Magazine Reality Games Children’s

Animation Live action Reality Theatrical cartoons

Weeklies

Sample of Syndicated Programming Types

Off-Network: Friends, Frazer, King of the Hill, Two and a Half Men, The Office

First-Run: Oprah, Entertainment Tonight, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune

Feature Films: all theatricals that leave movie theaters and go into syndication

The Executive Producer Oversee on-air talent, directors, writers,

technical crew, line producers, production managers, production assistants, and researchers.

Deal with talent agents, personal managers, union officials, the press, and lawyers.

Answerable for everything: Program concept Program content The tone or mood of the program, and Overall production

Responsible for “fixing” or improving a program that is not delivering satisfactory ratings.

Responsible for delivering program on time, on or under budget, and is directly accountable for contacts with the production company and syndicator that finance the program.

The Production Company

Finances and produces television programs

Hires the producer and the staff

May propose program ideas or finance producers who bring the ideas

Based on a pilot or merely a written presentation, the production company sells programs directly to broadcast or cable networks or, alternatively, strikes a deal with a syndicator.

Sometimes the production company is the syndicator itself and distributes the programs it has created.

The Syndicator All syndicators, also called distributors,

supply programming to local stations on a market-by-market basis throughout the nation.

Unlike a network, a syndicator does not have a single “affiliate” in any particular market.

Instead, syndicators sell their programming to any and all stations in a market.

Depending on the kind of programs offered by the syndicator, certain stations in a market may be more frequent customers than other stations.

Syndicators “sell” or license for a fee, the telecast rights to a program to the local station for a certain term and for a set number of plays.

During the license term, the syndicator grants the station exclusive rights to broadcast the program then rights revert back to the syndicator.

The Rep Programmer Outside party in the syndication mix or

chain. Works for the national sales representative

firm that sells national advertising time for the station.

The rep programmer acts as an ally and consultant to the station.

Reps work for station representatives, or national sales organizations selling commercial airtime on behalf of local market television stations.

Rep also provides additional services to client stations including marketing support, sales research, promotion advice, and programming consultation.

Helps stations improve programming performance in terms of audience delivery, increased advertising rates and increased profitability.

Services are includes in reps sales commissions

TELEVISION or RADIO STATION

Syndicator

Producer/

Production

Company

National Advertising Rep

Program

The program director is the station executive primarily responsible for developing the program schedule, establishing a relationship and conducting business with the syndicator, managing the station’s program inventory, dealing with viewers and community interest groups, and generally implementing and overseeing the station’s programming policies.

For most stations, the money spent annually to acquire syndicated television shows is their single largest expense.

The station that buys a syndicated program that turns out to be a dud, or the station that overpays for a syndicated show, may be in financial trouble for years to come.

The station that makes several mistakes (not uncommon) has serious problems.

PROGAM TYPE: Off-network situation comedy EPISODES: Minimum of 96, maximum of 168 if

the program runs seven years on network RUNS: 6 YEARS: 3 to 5 (depending on number of

episodes produced) START DATE: Fall 2010 FORMAT: Cut for 6 ½ minutes PAYMENT: Cash DOWN PAYMENT: 10 percent PAYOUT: 36 equal monthly installments ASKING PRICE: $12,500 per episode for the

first five network years plus an additional 10 percent per episode beginning with the sixth production season with a maximum of eight production years.

TitleDescription of the programCast, host, or other participantsDurationNumber of episodesNumber of runsStart and end datesCommercial formatPricePayment methodDown paymentPayout

Determining Need How well is the station’s current schedule performing? Has there been audience growth, slippage, or

stagnations since the previous ratings report? Since the same period a year ago? Two years ago?

Is current programming delivering targeted audience demographics that advertisers and the reps want?

Are older shows exhibiting signs of age? What schedule changes has competition made? What programs are on the shelf and can they be used

to replace weak programming. Selection Options

Do nothing at all. Change the batting or programming lineup (swap

shows). Go to the bench. (Use “on the shelf” programming). Hire a new player. (Buy a new show!)

Each programming decision is different from any other. Each show is different; each deal is different. Markets and competitive situations differ; corporate philosophies and needs not only differ but may also change over time. The personalities and opinions of the syndicator, the station general manager and program director, and the rep programmer all enter the decision. The basics of the decision-making process involve an assessment of need and an analysis of selection options.

The Art of the Deal Highest purchase price offered Size of down payment Length of payout Ability to make payments Best time period Strength of station Most compatible adjacent programming

Cash

Barter

Cash-plus-barter

Network carriage is important in giving a

program high visibility, but syndication is

where the profits lie…

6 to 9 a.m. 9 to 12 noon 12 noon to 4 p.m. 4 to 7 p.m. 7 to 8 p.m. 8 to 11 p.m. 11 to 11:35 p.m. 11:35 to 2 a.m. 2 to 6 a.m.

Early morning Morning Afternoon Early fringe Prime access Prime time Late fringe Late night Overnight

Morning: (9 a.m. to 12 noon) Talk shows—Live with Regis and Kelly Game shows—Let’s Make a Deal

Afternoons: (12 noon to 4 p.m.) Talk shows— Bonnie Hunt, Rachel Ray Court shows—Judge Joe Brown, People’s Court

Early Fringe: (4 to 7 p.m.) Strong Shows with popular personalities—Oprah, Ellen, Dr. Phil,

Judge Judy Prime Access: (7 to 8 p.m.)

Game—Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy Magazine—Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood

Late Fringe: (11 to 11:35 p.m.) Counterprogramming to network newscasts—The George Lopez

Show

Here is a look at the arguments currently in vogue when the topic of ethical standards are discussed: It’s just entertainment. If you don’t like it, turn it off. Parents have the responsibility to

monitor programming. Censorship, even voluntary censorship,

violate First Amendment rights.

Innovative deal structuring Syndicators and stations will become more creative. Syndicators will make deals more attractive to stations while

still finding ways to increase their revenues. Cost control

Syndicators and stations share the common goal: the need for efficiency, streamlining, mutually beneficial dealing, and utilizing all assets.

Consortiums/coproduction/coventures Station groups will continue to join forces with one another in

noncompeting markets to develop and launch first-run programs to meet specific station needs.

Syndicators will join these coventures. Coproduced shows will get a better chance at succeeding

because of cooperative promotion.

Cable Increased cable penetration by syndicated programs. Cable and broadcast have created coventures.

Increased role of reps As costs escalate and programming ventures become riskier,

the programming reps expertise becomes more valuable. To control costs, many stations have eliminated the program

director position and are using rep programmers instead. Increasing role of networks

With the demise of the FCC’s financial and syndication rules, the networks have become actively involved with the production and distribution of syndicated shows.

The End