Interesting article on GSN

[cmjb13]

From tvgameshows.net

Game Show Network President/CEO Rich Cronin told TVgameshows.net Tuesday afternoon: "Game Shows Will Always Be a Part of Us"
     
Game Show Network President/CEO Rich Cronin told TVgameshows.net Tuesday afternoon: "Game shows will always be a part of us. They will always be an important part of the programming of this network."
     
Cronin spoke to webmaster Steve Beverly in the wake of a Multichannel News report Monday which suggested traditional game shows will be de-emphasized on the soon-to-be-renamed network.
     
Asked if reformatting the network to include casino and video games-style programming means the end of the game show era on GSN, Cronin said: "Absolutely not."
     
The network will retain Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Match Game, its most successful shows, and is expected to continue classic programming in its daytime lineup.
     
A new lineup, effective in March, will include Millionaire and a stronger bent toward casino and gaming-style programming.
     
Cronin said: "If we could get The Price Is Right (reruns) today or tomorrow, we'd be very interested in it. We wouldn't put it on in prime time but you can be assured, we would have a prominent place on our schedule for it."
     
The Multichannel News report stirred a furor in online reaction from the network's hardcore fans. Cronin said GSN will proceed slowly with the changes. "This is an evolution, not a light switch change," he said.
     
Cronin added the current commitment to a new 65-episode round of Lingo episodes "is a testament to our continued commitment to game shows. Now, we are adding other kinds of games to the mix. They’re all games, they’re all competititons and they all have the same elements of the rooting factor and winners and losers. They’re not studio game shows. Those other types of games will become a bigger part of the mix."
     
Cronin also said he has no plans to eliminate the Black and White Overnight hour of vintage Goodson-Todman classics.
     
The executive will not reveal the network's new name or logo until the January Television Critics Association meeting in Pasadena. The full interview with Cronin will be available late tonight.

[PeterMarshallFan]

We wouldn't put it on in prime time but you can be assured, we would have a prominent place on our schedule for it."

That sounds a little bit silly to me. TPiR would be THE show for them to have, and the best place to put your most important shows is primetime, no?

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Dec 16 2003, 05:55 PM\']

We wouldn't put it on in prime time but you can be assured, we would have a prominent place on our schedule for it."

That sounds a little bit silly to me. TPiR would be THE show for them to have, and the best place to put your most important shows is primetime, no? [/quote]
 Who says CBS would even allow it, given CBS's own recent success with TPIR specials in prime time?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Dec 16 2003, 03:55 PM\'] That sounds a little bit silly to me. TPiR would be THE show for them to have, [/quote]
 ...if they were programming towards a group of hard-core game-show nuts. Which they clearly aren't.

and the best place to put your most important shows is primetime, no?

...if they were programming towards a group of hard-core game-show nuts. Which they clearly aren't.

The state of denial around here is amazing.

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'cmjb13\' date=\'Dec 16 2003, 05:48 PM\'] From tvgameshows.net

Game Show Network President/CEO Rich Cronin told TVgameshows.net Tuesday afternoon: "Game Shows Will Always Be a Part of Us"
     
Game Show Network President/CEO Rich Cronin told TVgameshows.net Tuesday afternoon: "Game shows will always be a part of us. They will always be an important part of the programming of this network."
     
Cronin spoke to webmaster Steve Beverly in the wake of a Multichannel News report Monday which suggested traditional game shows will be de-emphasized on the soon-to-be-renamed network.
     
Asked if reformatting the network to include casino and video games-style programming means the end of the game show era on GSN, Cronin said: "Absolutely not."
     
The network will retain Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Match Game, its most successful shows, and is expected to continue classic programming in its daytime lineup.
     
A new lineup, effective in March, will include Millionaire and a stronger bent toward casino and gaming-style programming.
     
Cronin said: "If we could get The Price Is Right (reruns) today or tomorrow, we'd be very interested in it. We wouldn't put it on in prime time but you can be assured, we would have a prominent place on our schedule for it."
     
The Multichannel News report stirred a furor in online reaction from the network's hardcore fans. Cronin said GSN will proceed slowly with the changes. "This is an evolution, not a light switch change," he said.
     
Cronin added the current commitment to a new 65-episode round of Lingo episodes "is a testament to our continued commitment to game shows. Now, we are adding other kinds of games to the mix. They’re all games, they’re all competititons and they all have the same elements of the rooting factor and winners and losers. They’re not studio game shows. Those other types of games will become a bigger part of the mix."
     
Cronin also said he has no plans to eliminate the Black and White Overnight hour of vintage Goodson-Todman classics.
     
The executive will not reveal the network's new name or logo until the January Television Critics Association meeting in Pasadena. The full interview with Cronin will be available late tonight. [/quote]
 Am I the only one whose breathing a sigh of relief when reading this ?

Basicly, GSN is not totally getting rid of game shows, just being regulated to daytime and they'll gladly adding something if the mood catches them right.

But since I'm equalliy guilty of whining, I'll gladly take my seat at the Rapping Dragon Concert.

-Joe R.

[gameshowguy2000]

I read the article. Very good indeed. Let's just hope our wishes have been granted!

[snowpeck]

I think this actually could be a step in the right direction for the network formerly known as GSN.  The wider variety of programming that seems to be popular for other networks could bring in more viewers.  More viewers mean more advertising dollars.  More advertising dollars mean more money that GSN has to spend on its originals and acquisitions.  To get better programming in the daytime would be worth forfeiting primetime in my opinion.


Greg

[Terry K]

There's another reason GSN isn't giving up the classics they have...the fear someone could start a competitor.  Notice that TV Land holds a lot of stuff they don't air, as does GSN.  

There's also the very good possibility that they could be wanting to start up a second channel down the road (a-la Boomerang, the VH-1 suite, and so on)

Not that I'd hold my breath for it.

[Gromit]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 16 2003, 04:12 PM\'] ...if they were programming towards a group of hard-core game-show nuts. Which they clearly aren't.

The state of denial around here is amazing. [/quote]
Are you really saying that the audience of TPIR is hard core game show nuts?

I think PMfan is exactly right. Price is the perfect show for GSN. A game show, yet it crosses all demographic lines, young-old, male-female, black-white, professional-stay at home, hard core game show nut-casual fan, you name it.

[Ian Wallis]

More advertising dollars mean more money that GSN has to spend on its originals and acquisitions. To get better programming in the daytime would be worth forfeiting primetime in my opinion.

I have a feeling we won't be seeing anything different in daytime that we do now.  I also wonder if GSN will be acquiring any other "game show" libraries at all - especially if game shows are going to be de-emphasized.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 17 2003, 09:16 AM\']

More advertising dollars mean more money that GSN has to spend on its originals and acquisitions. To get better programming in the daytime would be worth forfeiting primetime in my opinion.

I have a feeling we won't be seeing anything different in daytime that we do now.  I also wonder if GSN will be acquiring any other "game show" libraries at all - especially if game shows are going to be de-emphasized. [/quote]
 I have a feeling that if Lingo gets renewed for cycle four, they might move first-run episodes to daytime rather than in primetime, but we will see.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Gromit\' date=\'Dec 17 2003, 02:07 AM\'] [quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 16 2003, 04:12 PM\'] ...if they were programming towards a group of hard-core game-show nuts. Which they clearly aren't.

The state of denial around here is amazing. [/quote]
Are you really saying that the audience of TPIR is hard core game show nuts?
 [/quote]
 I am saying that if GSN puts out a press release saying they are moving away from game shows in prime time, why in the blue hell do you think they're going to take you seriously when you suggest they air a game show in prime time?

Further, it's become pretty obvious that to acquire Price, CBS is gonna make you pay SO much that it would not be a financially wise move to air it anywhere but prime time, when you could charge sufficiently for ad rates to make a profit.

And GSN has said that's a nonissue. So wrap yer head around that, accept it, and move ON.

[snowpeck]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 17 2003, 10:16 AM\'] I have a feeling we won't be seeing anything different in daytime that we do now.  I also wonder if GSN will be acquiring any other "game show" libraries at all - especially if game shows are going to be de-emphasized.

 [/quote]
 
Well, as far as I can tell, they are only being de-emphasized in primetime.  They will still be the main focus of daytime.


Greg