[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'156751\' date=\'Jul 5 2007, 07:31 PM\']
[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'156749\' date=\'Jul 5 2007, 04:23 PM\']
I do think that slapping a $1,500 space on the wheel somewhere opposite the $5,000 would be noticed by the viewers
[/quote]
"noticed by the viewers" <> "attract a bigger audience."
[/quote]
I think this is a bit of a strawman and, more importantly, misses the point. Not every production expense is considered in the interest of "attracting a bigger audience." This type of subtle change wouldn't be made to grow the audience; its intent would be to keep the show fresh for current viewers. And not necessarily on a "wow, that's new!!" level, simply in a general aesthetic sense.
This seems to be the point that Scott and Robert are making, and it's a valid one. Production isn't such a black-and-white exercise as "will it attract a bigger audience or not?" -- it's a value proposition. Nobody rational claims that adding a $1500 space would create a Nielsen bump for Wheel. The argument is just that it would freshen the show up a bit. Producers do that.
Looking through the Nighttime Round 1 wheels in the photo gallery, you can even see a few examples of changes that wouldn't have happened if they had to pass the "Joe Sixpack" test: converting one of the $150 spaces to $500 in 1991, converting the $200 spaces to $250 in '96, etc. Robert's $500 Jackpot space example was another good one.
Do I think the producers are going to add a $1500 space to the Round 4 wheel? Probably not -- in recent years they have shown a preference for broader strokes. But it's possible. These adjustments aren't outside the realm of sanity like, say, a gold-plated 3-D video wheel.