Author Topic: GSN's July ratings (Read 5065 times)

CaseyAbell · « **on:** August 11, 2006, 03:32:08 PM »

Nothing much different in GSN's July prime time ratings: 0.4/235K, 42nd on CableWorld's very own top-fifty list. That represents an itsy-bitsy-bit of statistically meaningless improvement over June. The network's ratings have basically flatlined this year, with the exception of a worrying drop in May.

The monotony looks to be the product of the almost all-traditional schedule, which won't wow the system operators but can at least produce stable numbers. I haven't seen any glowing press releases about the ratings performance of the top-fifty countdown, so I assume its numbers are pretty much in line with previous programming. The network is expanding Playmania to a fourth night and reupping the private-game poker series for a third season.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 11, 2006, 05:56:50 PM »

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' post=\'127077\' date=\'Aug 11 2006, 02:32 PM\']
The monotony looks to be the product of the almost all-traditional schedule, which won't wow the system operators but can at least produce stable numbers. [/quote]
Any suggestions on how to make it better?

clemon79 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 11, 2006, 06:23:29 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'127093\' date=\'Aug 11 2006, 02:56 PM\']
[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' post=\'127077\' date=\'Aug 11 2006, 02:32 PM\']
The monotony looks to be the product of the almost all-traditional schedule, which won't wow the system operators but can at least produce stable numbers. [/quote]
Any suggestions on how to make it better?
[/quote]
I saw this shot, too, but really, they're not paying Casey to know how to make it better, so I don't expect him to have an answer to that. Nor should he.

CaseyAbell · « **Reply #3 on:** August 12, 2006, 01:36:25 AM »

Wasn't a shot, just a statement of fact. Not too many system operators will get their knickers wet over a niche network that skews old and has shown little if any consistent growth in its overall audience. GSN has tried to use non-traditional competition shows to break out of this jail, with indifferent success. Short of a complete overall to make the channel into a much more general-interest operation (like the Nashville Network morphing into Spike) there doesn't seem to be much that GSN can do except pinch pennies and live with the traditional game show niche.

I can't say how this approach is currently faring on the bottom line because Liberty no longer breaks out GSN's relatively tiny financials in its quarterly or annual reports. The network has managed to fight off attempts, like the latest from Time-Warner, to reduce its household availability, and recently went past the 60 million mark. For now it looks like GSN is content with average prime time ratings in the low 200K household range, which its current traditional game show lineup is producing. That's not a huge or advertiser-friendly audience, but at least it's been a stable audience over the past several months.

PYLdude · « **Reply #4 on:** August 12, 2006, 02:02:21 AM »

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' post=\'127132\' date=\'Aug 12 2006, 01:36 AM\']
Wasn't a shot, just a statement of fact.[/quote]

Um, I think he was talking about Mark's statement from before.

'Course if I'm wrong, I withdraw this.

clemon79 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 12, 2006, 05:43:58 AM »

[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'127133\' date=\'Aug 11 2006, 11:02 PM\']
[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' post=\'127132\' date=\'Aug 12 2006, 01:36 AM\']
Wasn't a shot, just a statement of fact.[/quote]

Um, I think he was talking about Mark's statement from before.
[/quote]
Nope, what I meant was Casey's usual jab at the "traditional" lineup not getting the job done.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #6 on:** August 12, 2006, 08:39:13 AM »

The bulk of the weekday primetime schedule in July was "Millionaire," "Weakest Link," "Greed," "Dog Eat Dog," "High Stakes Poker" and "World Series of Blackjack." Not a lot that is traditional in that bunch. In mid month we got the "50 Greatest," which did include some "traditional" shows. I don't think we can call this a failure of the "traditional" shows.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #7 on:** August 12, 2006, 11:52:52 AM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'127141\' date=\'Aug 12 2006, 08:39 AM\']
The bulk of the weekday primetime schedule in July was "Millionaire," "Weakest Link," "Greed," "Dog Eat Dog," "High Stakes Poker" and "World Series of Blackjack." Not a lot that is traditional in that bunch. [/quote]
As always (and must we take cheap shots on this topic every month?) it depends on how you define "traditional". A great many people (myself included) consider a traditional game show to be contestants in a studio doing what a host tells them to do, while an audience (or at least a pretend audience) roots them on. "Traditional" as in "in the tradition" of how game shows used to be done, not "actual old shows". By that standard, four of those six examples are "traditional", though I'd certainly understand if people didn't want to consider Dog Eat Dog traditional.

Also as always, splitting hairs over definitions serves no purpose except to get everybody testy.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #8 on:** August 12, 2006, 12:55:45 PM »

My thought is that when the shows first aired WL, Greed, and DED were touted as departures from the norm, a new dark and dangerous type of game show where the host is not your friend and mob mentality strategies were employed and the consolation prize a slap in the face. So, I guess with the passage of time, what was once "non-traditional" is now "traditional."

clemon79 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 12, 2006, 02:01:12 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'127151\' date=\'Aug 12 2006, 08:52 AM\']
As always (and must we take cheap shots on this topic every month?)
[/quote]
As long as Casey's posting his monthly ratings reports? Yeah, I'm thinking you can expect cheap shots every month.

CaseyAbell · « **Reply #10 on:** August 14, 2006, 12:08:31 PM »

If it's a cheap shot to point out the obvious (system operators aren't crazy about cable networks that skew old and don't show much audience growth) then I plead guilty. But there's a reason Time Warner tried to shove GSN into premium-tier limbo.

Anyway, there's no reason to irritate people needlessly, so I'll stop posting GSN's ratings. Anybody who's interested in the numbers can drop by the CableWorld site each month.

As for the ancient "traditional" argument, the twenty-two hours of prime time this week (Monday 8/14 through Sunday 8/20) offer seventeen hours of what just about anybody would consider traditional game shows: Millionaire, Greed, Chain Reaction, Starface, Lingo, and whatever goes into the top-50 special.

clemon79 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 14, 2006, 12:43:16 PM »

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' post=\'127350\' date=\'Aug 14 2006, 09:08 AM\']
If it's a cheap shot to point out the obvious (system operators aren't crazy about cable networks that skew old and don't show much audience growth) then I plead guilty.
[/quote]
Is pointing that out a cheap shot? In and of itself, no. Is doing it OVER and OVER and OVER again as an I-told-you-so a cheap shot? Yeah.

Quote

Anyway, there's no reason to irritate people needlessly, so I'll stop posting GSN's ratings. Anybody who's interested in the numbers can drop by the CableWorld site each month.

I don't think anyone minds you posting the numbers. I think several of us are just getting a little tired of the "traditional" programming editorial every single time.

But if you want to play martyr instead, hey, go nuts.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #12 on:** August 14, 2006, 01:23:13 PM »

The difference between last month and this month is now they have the originals CR, Starface and Lingo in prime time, so it would be interesting to see if this helps GSN. Not expecting it to beat Square Bob Sponge Pants reruns in households, but it might increase the numbers somewhat.

What irks me is that Casey blames traditional shows for the ratings malaise, when it probably can be attributed to too many reruns of recent network castoffs that most people have had ample opportunities to see. How many times have they rerun each DED episode? With each showing, the number of people to whom it is new dwindles.

Brandon Brooks · « **Reply #13 on:** August 14, 2006, 10:23:54 PM »

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' post=\'127350\' date=\'Aug 14 2006, 11:08 AM\']
If it's a cheap shot to point out the obvious (system operators aren't crazy about cable networks that skew old and don't show much audience growth) then I plead guilty. But there's a reason Time Warner tried to shove GSN into premium-tier limbo.
[/quote]
Whenever I read your commentary, I always end up thinking "who the hell cares." "Traditional's not working... it's skewing old... you all should be fortunate for this traditional schedule." I got the point the first fifty times. Don't you have anything else to say other than browbeating us with your idea of the "traditional game show?"

Quote

Anyway, there's no reason to irritate people needlessly, so I'll stop posting GSN's ratings. Anybody who's interested in the numbers can drop by the CableWorld site each month.

Awwww... what a Debbie Downer. "If I can't play the way I want, then I'll leave!!!" Okay.

Quote

As for the ancient "traditional" argument, the twenty-two hours of prime time this week (Monday 8/14 through Sunday 8/20) offer seventeen hours of what just about anybody would consider traditional game shows: Millionaire, Greed, Chain Reaction, Starface, Lingo, and whatever goes into the top-50 special.

There you go again. You're right, you shouldn't post ratings anymore.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 15, 2006, 12:41:27 AM »

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' post=\'127350\' date=\'Aug 14 2006, 11:08 AM\']
As for the ancient "traditional" argument, the twenty-two hours of prime time this week (Monday 8/14 through Sunday 8/20) offer seventeen hours of what just about anybody would consider traditional game shows: Millionaire, Greed, Chain Reaction, Starface, Lingo, and whatever goes into the top-50 special.
[/quote]
Blah blah blah.
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