Broadcasting Magazine

[clemon79]

Y'all are putting way too much stock in yet another Jonathan Allen "Imma slip in this obscure unrelated fact to show off what I know" post.

[TLEberle]

His stock is on par with Enron.

[danderson]

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.

Was 1990 when American Gladiators got some good upgrades in time slots? It went from WNBC in New York to WNYW and it did quite well there, and in my area it swapped timeslots with WWF Superstars-did that happen across the board with AG in 90?

[PYLdude]

WNYW gave AG the post Superstars slot, so I would guess some paired them while others didn't.

Here they stayed paired for five years until WCBS grabbed it during the final season. Wasn't too long after that Superstars became cable exclusive; the Fox stations airing it would preempt it for baseball.

[johnnya2k3]

Another Studs ad, this time throwing shade at Personals, Night Games, and That's Amore among other relationship shows that came and later went that season. (pages 10-11; November 4, 1991)

/I watched Love Stories just for Kristian Alfonso
//Living in Rapid City at the time meant watching Personals and Night Games at 11:00 pm Mountain Time (the statewide CBS station is in Sioux Falls and on Central Time)

[danderson]

I'd be interested to see what AG's rating were like in the fall of '89, since it had some late night timeslots. Once AG got bumped up in New York from 2 A.M. to Saturday afternoons, the rating would have improved a bit.

[BrandonFG]

Over on the Video Clips board, there's a 1984 pilot called Flash Frame, hosted by Bob Eubanks. Apparently, the syndicators (Sun/Centerpoint) had been trying to sell the show as early as 1982. At the time, Firestone was going to syndicate the show.

By 1984, Centerpoint became the distributor. From what I've seen, Centerpoint produced a few TV shows and made-for-TV movies in the early-80s, but nothing memorable.

[Neumms]

By 1984, Centerpoint became the distributor. From what I've seen, Centerpoint produced a few TV shows and made-for-TV movies in the early-80s, but nothing memorable.

Anybody know anything about Deception? It sounds cool unless it's a TTTT ripoff or Balderdash.

[johnnya2k3]

Somewhat related; not from B&C, but two 1977 National Candy Wholesaler trade ads for Twizzlers and Nibs as they used nighttime TPIR, LMAD, Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, etc. to help sell their products:
https://flic.kr/p/7a4bvv (March)
https://flic.kr/p/71XiaD (October)

I know syndicated shows back then weren’t satellite-delivered (yet), but it was the closest thing to barter advertising.

[Jimmy Owen]

Somewhat related; not from B&C, but two 1977 National Candy Wholesaler trade ads for Twizzlers and Nibs as they used nighttime TPIR, LMAD, Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, etc. to sell their products:
https://flic.kr/p/7a4bvv (March)
https://flic.kr/p/71XiaD (October)

I know syndicated shows back then weren’t satellite-delivered (yet), but it was the closest thing to barter advertising.

Must have been fee plugs within the shows.

[johnnya2k3]

Somewhat related; not from B&C, but two 1977 National Candy Wholesaler trade ads for Twizzlers and Nibs as they used nighttime TPIR, LMAD, Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, etc. to help sell their products:
https://flic.kr/p/7a4bvv (March)
https://flic.kr/p/71XiaD (October)

I know syndicated shows back then weren’t satellite-delivered (yet), but it was the closest thing to barter advertising.

Must have been fee plugs within the shows.

And during that period, Tootsie Roll was advertised on Name That Tune (and of course, Saturday morning cartoons).

[Bob Zager]

Somewhat related; not from B&C, but two 1977 National Candy Wholesaler trade ads for Twizzlers and Nibs as they used nighttime TPIR, LMAD, Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, etc. to help sell their products:
https://flic.kr/p/7a4bvv (March)
https://flic.kr/p/71XiaD (October)

I know syndicated shows back then weren’t satellite-delivered (yet), but it was the closest thing to barter advertising.

When comparing the two ads, you'll notice changes to three shows.  In the later ad, Chuck Barris and Bob Barker are shown as hosts of the nighttime editions of The Gong Show and TPIR respectively.  By that fall, Break the Bank was no longer in production and Jack Barry is shown representing both BTB and TJW!

[johnnya2k3]

Somewhat related; not from B&C, but two 1977 National Candy Wholesaler trade ads for Twizzlers and Nibs as they used nighttime TPIR, LMAD, Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, etc. to help sell their products:
https://flic.kr/p/7a4bvv (March)
https://flic.kr/p/71XiaD (October)

I know syndicated shows back then weren’t satellite-delivered (yet), but it was the closest thing to barter advertising.

When comparing the two ads, you'll notice changes to three shows.  In the later ad, Chuck Barris and Bob Barker are shown as hosts of the nighttime editions of The Gong Show and TPIR respectively.  By that fall, Break the Bank was no longer in production and Jack Barry is shown representing both BTB and TJW!

One Gong Show episode from 1979 (which is on YouTube) also saw 5th Avenue during the fee plugs.

The ironic connection to this: Twizzlers, Twizzlers Nibs, and 5th Avenue are all currently owned by Hershey’s, whose products still make sweet impressions to this day...all 600 million of us!

[johnnya2k3]

One look at the Nielsen "Cassandra" syndication ratings on Page 66 (January 12, 1987) and you ask yourself...

How in the world did The Big Spin get up there...and beating Card Sharks and $100,000 Pyramid (given that it was in only nine markets, all of them in California)?!?!

/At least Roy Clark and Buck Owens had .2 more viewers than Geoff Edwards

[BrandonFG]

One look at the Nielsen "Cassandra" syndication ratings on Page 66 (January 12, 1987) and you ask yourself...

How in the world did The Big Spin get up there...and beating Card Sharks and $100,000 Pyramid (given that it was in only nine markets, all of them in California)?!?!

/At least Roy Clark and Buck Owens had .2 more viewers than Geoff Edwards

I'm guessing the same way SEC football ranks with only 19 markets, or the religious programming with five. If I had to put money on it, the shows came from a station group or something similar.

I also fixed your date.