Syndie Price

[ITSBRY]

The other Price thread has me thinking...with the huge phenom that is TPIR, do you think that a syndie outing would work today?

With the success of the prime time specials last year, it would make sense to me to at least give it a go while the momentum is high.  This could be the PERFECT test ground for Newton or whatever other hopeful(s) Fremantle is priming for the big chair in the event that Bob either retires or passes away.   ...and you know they have to be thinking about it.  TPIR and Idol are big feathers in the Fremantle cap.

ITSBRY
itsbry@juno.com

[cmjb13]

As long as the Barker version is around, it will be tough.

[bulldog_06]

Do you mean do an hour-long version or 30 minutes like in the past? But besides that question, I think it could do well in syndication, it did in the past (1972-1980 nighttime version with Dennis James and Barker). It may not dominate Wheel and Jeopardy because of continuing success, but I think it could knock off Millionaire.

[TV Favorites]

I imagine for it to do well in syndication, it would have to be a half-hour program.  It's really hard to sell an hour long program in syndication because stations don't have as much flexibility in programming it.

If Bob Barker was the host, it would probably do well; with someone else, though, it would be hard to tell if it would work.

[Mike Tennant]

[quote name=\'TV Favorites\' date=\'Feb 10 2004, 02:16 PM\'] If Bob Barker was the host, it would probably do well; with someone else, though, it would be hard to tell if it would work. [/quote]
I would generally agree with this.  The fact that Dennis James successfully hosted the first few years of the '70s version doesn't prove that another host would work now.  The daily and weekly ones started at the same time, and TPIR was not at that point exclusively associated with Barker.  (In fact, there might have been just as many folks who associated it with Bill Cullen.)  If the nighttime version had started in, say, 1980 with James hosting, it would have stood a much smaller chance of succeeding since by then people had seen Barker host the show five days a week for eight years, with some of those years consisting of hour-long shows.  (Witness Tom Kennedy's attempt a few years later.)

Until Barker is gone from the show, I don't see any version without him succeeding.  On the other hand, it might not hurt to launch a nighttime version at such time as a new host takes over the daytime show so as to speed up viewers' familiarity with the host and their association of him with the show.

[uncamark]

Right off the bat, CBS would be against it.

Also, I really think that at this point a syndicated "TPIR" would not be *in addition* to the established network version, but *instead of* the network version.  Fremantle's probably long considered that they could make a lot more money out of syndication fees and national advertising than from a network license fee and the stations know that syndication could mean more money for them, since they would have the majority of the advertising.  Also, I would bet that if Fremantle, Tribune and the CBS O&Os hammered out a syndication deal, Tribune could send an E-mail to the GMs of the CBS affiliates, tell them that "TPIR"'s going syndication and get commitments from a majority of the stations without any more promotional expense.

However, CBS would not want to lose control of an hour of daytime (and let's not kid ourselves--if "TPIR" ever left CBS, 11 a.m. would go back to the affiliates).  Also, Tribune Entertainment's corporate bosses would wonder why they aren't initially offering the show to the Tribune-owned stations.  And then there's that demographic problem and the resulting advertising--the national spots for a good portion of the year could continue to be direct response, scooter stores and no-cancellation life insurance.  The stations would also probably demand the right to double runs.  And Viacom corporate seems to prefer that the O&Os only do their major syndication business with Paramount and King World.

To me, it's a real tossup--but if it does happen, there will still be only one "TPIR" version in production, not two.

[Jimmy Owen]

What's wrong with an hour in syndication?  Syndie talk shows are generally an hour long and people are so used to the hour-long Price that a half hour would seem too short.  I would have Barker host at least once a week with a newcomer the rest of the week.  The shows could be front loaded out of taping order the first week with five Barker shows to get the show off to a good start. Title: "Price Is Right PM" or "The Price Is Right at Night."

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Feb 10 2004, 02:58 PM\'] Right off the bat, CBS would be against it.

Also, I really think that at this point a syndicated "TPIR" would not be *in addition* to the established network version, but *instead of* the network version.  Fremantle's probably long considered that they could make a lot more money out of syndication fees and national advertising than from a network license fee and the stations know that syndication could mean more money for them, since they would have the majority of the advertising.  Also, I would bet that if Fremantle, Tribune and the CBS O&Os hammered out a syndication deal, Tribune could send an E-mail to the GMs of the CBS affiliates, tell them that "TPIR"'s going syndication and get commitments from a majority of the stations without any more promotional expense.

However, CBS would not want to lose control of an hour of daytime (and let's not kid ourselves--if "TPIR" ever left CBS, 11 a.m. would go back to the affiliates).  Also, Tribune Entertainment's corporate bosses would wonder why they aren't initially offering the show to the Tribune-owned stations.  And then there's that demographic problem and the resulting advertising--the national spots for a good portion of the year could continue to be direct response, scooter stores and no-cancellation life insurance.  The stations would also probably demand the right to double runs.  And Viacom corporate seems to prefer that the O&Os only do their major syndication business with Paramount and King World.

To me, it's a real tossup--but if it does happen, there will still be only one "TPIR" version in production, not two. [/quote]
 Translation: CBS wouldn't like it.

-Joe R.

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'JRaygor\' date=\'Feb 10 2004, 04:19 PM\'] [quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Feb 10 2004, 02:58 PM\'] Right off the bat, CBS would be against it.[/quote]
Translation: CBS wouldn't like it. [/quote]
 And three plus two equals five.

[davemackey]

Price already has a track record of not doing well in syndication, based on its last two attempts in 1985-1986 and 1994-1995. I think it's because people are more used to the hour format, and the half-hour format seems rushed.

[cmjb13]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Feb 10 2004, 05:09 PM\']based on its last two attempts in 1985-1986[/quote]
I'm actually suprised this didn't last much longer than it did. My feeling is that they tried to capitalize on the success of Price at the time (I think it was more popular back then). Barker v. Kennedy. I guess the choice was obvious.

Wonder if this version would have lasted longer as an hour show?

1994-1995

More due to a drastic difference from the Price we are used to.

[Tony]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Feb 10 2004, 05:09 PM\']people are more used to the hour format, and the half-hour format seems rushed.[/quote]
Given these, and the fact that many half-hour syndicated shows these days (especially in the larger markets) are prone to be double-run (largely because stations seem to prefer a given show take up a full-hour time slot, I would think that any syndicated post-CBS, post-Barker TPIR would have to be a one-hour show.

[Jimmy Owen]

One of the problems of today's syndication market is that national barter advertisers hold the cards in determining if a show continues.  In the 70's WML could get away with having just 40 or so stations on board because they didn't have to worry about selling barter spots.  TTTT could bypass NYC and Chicago as long as they had the hinterlands sewed up.  That could not happen today, as big markets are the key, even if a show gets good ratings in small markets, it's not enough. WOF didn't even get cleared in NYC when it started and in LA on Channel 13, but the smaller market successes allowed WCBS to be interested by mid-season.  Now of course, you have to have the top three markets cleared in order to even go forward.  The last two syndie TPIRs ended up in very bad time slots or on non-major stations, so they never had a chance.

[chris319]

Fremantle's probably long considered that they could make a lot more money out of syndication fees and national advertising than from a network license fee

Fremantle's market risk would go up exponentially.

Year after year the question is not so much "Will CBS renew TPIR?" but "Will Barker do another year?". TPIR is practically a shoo-in for renewal on CBS daytime, with the biggest variable being Barker himself. I don't think there is anything nipping at TPIR's heels for that time slot, either. We KNOW CBS is not developing game shows and I doubt they have anything else in development specifically to replace TPIR. If Fremantle took TPIR out of this cozy berth they have jumped from the crock pot into the inferno, metaphorically speaking. TPIR would have to COMPETE! A one-hour syndicated version would be a very, very hard sell against Oprah, Dr. Phil, Ricki, etc. with their more desirable demos, as well as the J!/WOF hour. If we rule out a one-hour version then there go all of the advantages of going from network to syndication due to the reduced inventory. With a half-hour version you'd be selling into a market where game shows are on the outs with the cancellations of HS and possibly Pyramid. Given Barker's penchant for not rocking the boat I don't see the above scenario happening. Yeah, maybe they could do a half-hour version with a different emcee but we know that buyers aren't going for game shows this year.

[chris319]

In the 70's WML could get away with having just 40 or so stations on board because they didn't have to worry about selling barter spots.

Not even. If Jerry Chester could sell just one station group, in those days just five stations, a show was considered a "go". Literally one sales call was all it took. This was the case with the Dennis James nighttime show on the NBC stations. Of course in those days they weren't paying the likes of Wally Bruner a Whoopi-sized $10,000,000 per year, either.