Broadcasting Magazine

[johnnya2k3]

In fact, wasn't the 90-91 season the start of the ratings downturn that would eventually cost Combs his job?

I think it was 91-92; Combs Feud was still the #3 game show behind Wheel and Jeopardy, but by then, Studs, American Gladiators, and even Hard Copy were already attracting more eyeballs in the 18-49s (Star Trek: TNG still led the demo), and Feud was losing in both that and 25-54s...not to mention being nowhere among the top 20 overall.

Compare that to when Dawson Feud started the 1980’s still #1 among all demos (18-49, 25-54, and even kids and teens (which has been absorbed into total households)), with Tic Tac Dough or PM Magazine at a cozy #2.

[parliboy]

(pages 56-57, October 15, 1990)

Wait... doesn’t this ad compare 1989 Feud to 1990 other things?  I’m not in industry, and I don’t have the history of reading this stuff that some of you guys do, but this comes off like a literal Apples-to-Oranges comparison.

[aaron sica]

Besides, it's pretty common knowledge here that the rookie shows (including TRUMP* Card) flopped.
*Not a fan of the guy, but censoring his name in this context is just silly.

Yes, but the great Jonathan Allen is hopeful that there is one person that might not know, so that he can show off how much he (thinks) he knows.

And fully agreed on the censoring of the show, although I also agree with Mr. Eberle - asterisks in the entire post would also be an improvement.

[Scrabbleship]

In fact, wasn't the 90-91 season the start of the ratings downturn that would eventually cost Combs his job?

I think it was 91-92; Combs Feud was still the #3 game show behind Wheel and Jeopardy, but by then, Studs, American Gladiators, and even Hard Copy were already attracting more eyeballs in the 18-49s (Star Trek: TNG still led the demo), and Feud was losing in both that and 25-54s...not to mention being nowhere among the top 20 overall.

Compare that to when Dawson Feud started the 1980’s still #1 among all demos (18-49, 25-54, and even kids and teens (which has been absorbed into total households)), with Tic Tac Dough or PM Magazine at a cozy #2.

Didn't Combs Feud have a massive downgrade of timeslots come 91-92? I know some markets were airing it in odd time slots starting that year and the number of stations airing it in Access and Early Fringe tumbled never to recover.

[Jimmy Owen]

There were a couple of things that caused downgradesof Feud in 88-89.  The show didn't live up to expectations in fall 88 and then LBS carved out an extra national :60 in place of fee plugs.  Stations got upset with the clutter and moved it to post-midnight slots.  When the replacement shows got about the same ratings, the stations slowly moved it back to better slots.  Remember, because of the CBS version, stations were limited to airing the show between 4pm and overnight.

[PYLdude]

(pages 56-57, October 15, 1990)

Wait... doesn’t this ad compare 1989 Feud to 1990 other things?  I’m not in industry, and I don’t have the history of reading this stuff that some of you guys do, but this comes off like a literal Apples-to-Oranges comparison.

I think the point was that the stations that dropped Feud in favor of one of the new entries saw a dropoff in their numbers and the ones that kept it saw it continue to perform solidly.

There were a couple of things that caused downgradesof Feud in 88-89.  The show didn't live up to expectations in fall 88 and then LBS carved out an extra national :60 in place of fee plugs.  Stations got upset with the clutter and moved it to post-midnight slots.  When the replacement shows got about the same ratings, the stations slowly moved it back to better slots.  Remember, because of the CBS version, stations were limited to airing the show between 4pm and overnight.

Yeah, I call BS on a good two thirds of that. Especially the last one.

[tvmitch]

I gave up trying to set up the quotes right for the previous comment there. The "after 4pm" for syndicated Feud, I do think that might have been a thing? In our market, the ABC affiliate had the show, and they aired it at 7pm. I believe the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia had the syndicated show also, and they aired it in access. Not 100% sure on this without cracking open some TV Guides.

[Jimmy Owen]

There were a couple of things that caused downgradesof Feud in 88-89.  The show didn't live up to expectations in fall 88 and then LBS carved out an extra national :60 in place of fee plugs.  Stations got upset with the clutter and moved it to post-midnight slots.  When the replacement shows got about the same ratings, the stations slowly moved it back to better slots.  Remember, because of the CBS version, stations were limited to airing the show between 4pm and overnight.

Yeah, I call BS on a good two thirds of that. Especially the last one.

Here's a story from Broadcasting about the fee plug substitution from summer 89www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/89-OCR/BC-1989-07-03-OCR-Page-0023.pdf#search=%22family feud lbs%22
BC-1989-07-0

[aaron sica]

I gave up trying to set up the quotes right for the previous comment there. The "after 4pm" for syndicated Feud, I do think that might have been a thing? In our market, the ABC affiliate had the show, and they aired it at 7pm. I believe the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia had the syndicated show also, and they aired it in access. Not 100% sure on this without cracking open some TV Guides.

I'll help. WHTM aired the show at 7:30pm, from the time that USA Today's TV version tanked (early 1989?) up until fall of 1994, at 7:30pm. WCAU began airing the show from the outset, at 7pm. I believe in early 1991 it moved to 7:30, but found its way back to 7 not long after. Not sure how long WCAU aired it.

[PYLdude]

I gave up trying to set up the quotes right for the previous comment there. The "after 4pm" for syndicated Feud, I do think that might have been a thing? In our market, the ABC affiliate had the show, and they aired it at 7pm. I believe the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia had the syndicated show also, and they aired it in access. Not 100% sure on this without cracking open some TV Guides.

At first, WNBC carried it in access as well, opposite Wheel at 7:30.

I just don't buy the idea that LBS and/or Goodson still had restrictions on timeslots like the 1985 syndie PIR did. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but I would figure by then they'd have realized their error.

[BrandonFG]

I dunno how much this adds to Jimmy's comment, but I'll try to piggyback.

In 1990-91, there was an Entertainment Tonight-style show called Premiere that (I think) replaced Feud at 7 or 7:30 on WTKR. I'd have to look up some old microfiche*, but I was an avid Feud watcher back then, and remember being disappointed that a different show had replaced it.

Premiere was gone by that fall, and Feud returned to the 7:00 hour (I think it was at 7). So, I dunno if it aired in a different slot in early-1991, or if WTKR took it off temporarily.

*/What's a guy gotta do to get his local paper in the newspapers.com archive?
//Microfiche is soooooo 1993

[aaron sica]

In 1990-91, there was an Entertainment Tonight-style show called Premiere that (I think) replaced Feud at 7 or 7:30 on WTKR. I'd have to look up some old microfiche*, but I was an avid Feud watcher back then, and remember being disappointed that a different show had replaced it.

Premiere was gone by that fall, and Feud returned to the 7:00 hour (I think it was at 7). So, I dunno if it aired in a different slot in early-1991, or if WTKR took it off temporarily.

*/What's a guy gotta do to get his local paper in the newspapers.com archive?
//Microfiche is soooooo 1993

I believe the show you're talking about was "Preview" (the best of the new)....I remember them taking out an ad in TV Guide. Yeah, it didn't last long.

[BrandonFG]

You're right. Preview. Now I hear the theme song playing in my head.

[JasonA1]

I just don't buy the idea that LBS and/or Goodson still had restrictions on timeslots like the 1985 syndie PIR did. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but I would figure by then they'd have realized their error.

I'm not sure why you decided to call such decisive BS on Jimmy's post. I think it was (and is) standard operating procedure not to have a syndicated version of the same show compete with the network version of said show. It might not have been LBS or Goodson's doing anyway - it could have been something with CBS (blocking out all the times their affiliates chose to air it).

-Jason

[TLEberle]

I'm not sure why you decided to call such decisive BS on Jimmy's post. I think it was (and is) standard operating procedure not to have a syndicated version of the same show compete with the network version of said show. It might not have been LBS or Goodson's doing anyway - it could have been something with CBS (blocking out all the times their affiliates chose to air it).

At the very least, that's exactly how it worked for Wheel of Fortune or The Price is Right.