GSN wasn't the first to "pitch the niche"

[GS Warehouse]

While persuing the Yahoo! Entertainment page this afternoon, I landed across a Variety article that says with a few expections, niche networks all over the dial have been abandoning their brand in order to those who'll buy any old junk they see on TV.  What was once Game Show Network was among those mentioned.  Here's a brief excerpt:

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OK, you've seen enough.  Of course, you can click here to see the full article.

[Don Howard]

MTV still stands for what it always did? Sorry. I remember MTV from Day 1. Commercial free with videos around the clock with occasional informative segments with the VJs with some interviews sprinkled in for good measure.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 06:16 PM\'] MTV still stands for what it always did? Sorry. I remember MTV from Day 1. Commercial free with videos around the clock with occasional informative segments with the VJs with some interviews sprinkled in for good measure. [/quote]
 MTV was NEVER commercial free, I don't think. But it did play videos once.

[adamjk]

Nickolodean isn't the same as it once was either. They don't do game shows at all anymore. Back in late 80's, they did a ton.

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 09:20 PM\'] Nickolodean isn't the same as it once was either. They don't do game shows at all anymore. Back in late 80's, they did a ton. [/quote]
 But Nickelodeon hasn't gone through a major change in focus in the way other networks have.  In contrast to when it started, Nick now has commercials and produces most (all?) of its own programming, but it's always been focused on kids and it's always been a mix of animation and live-action shows.

Oh, and Nick didn't always do game shows either -- so adding those was a change of sorts.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 08:16 PM\']MTV still stands for what it always did? Sorry. I remember MTV from Day 1. Commercial free with videos around the clock with occasional informative segments with the VJs with some interviews sprinkled in for good measure.[/quote]
What Lowry was referring to is that although MTV may not be exactly Music Television--and hasn't for so long now that complaining about it as fruitless--it's still for the 12-to-24 audience that it focuses on like a magnet and reflects as accurately as humanly possible--including the fact that they weren't really wild about music videos as they were when the channel started.

Lowry's not the first to point it out--he just does an excellent job of doing it.  The LA Times' loss was Variety's gain (and he can even get away from Variety-ese, something that I thought only Peter Bart could get away with).

ObishGameShow:  Scott Sternberg produces Peter Bart and Peter Guber's "Sunday Morning Shootout" show on AMC, the one good thing about AMC's rebranding.

[TheInquisitiveOne]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 08:18 PM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 06:16 PM\'] MTV still stands for what it always did? Sorry. I remember MTV from Day 1. Commercial free with videos around the clock with occasional informative segments with the VJs with some interviews sprinkled in for good measure. [/quote]
MTV was NEVER commercial free, I don't think. But it did play videos once. [/quote]
 In actuality, MTV was commercial free up until the point they aired that Monkees Marathon sometime around 1986.

One can argue that they do monkeys marathons on this channel today: Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson, Nick Lachey, Andy Dick...the list is endless.

Now that Grokster is no longer liable in downloading music (read the full story here), there is even LESS incentive to watch MTV.

The Inquisitive One

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'TheInquisitiveOne\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 08:59 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 08:18 PM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 06:16 PM\'] MTV still stands for what it always did? Sorry. I remember MTV from Day 1. Commercial free with videos around the clock with occasional informative segments with the VJs with some interviews sprinkled in for good measure. [/quote]
MTV was NEVER commercial free, I don't think. But it did play videos once. [/quote]
In actuality, MTV was commercial free up until the point they aired that Monkees Marathon sometime around 1986.[/quote]
Until I finally got cable, the only time I saw MTV was at a demonstration at ChicagoFest in 1982--I know I saw commercials when I was there.  There were just fewer of them--or more direct response ads, including the totally inappropriate Big Band compilation albums.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'TheInquisitiveOne\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 06:59 PM\'] In actuality, MTV was commercial free up until the point they aired that Monkees Marathon sometime around 1986.
 [/quote]
 In actuality, you're wrong. MAybe they were commercial free in their inception, but I guarantee you they started running ads a damn sight before they pickup up The Monkees. I remember watching (well, listening to, since the audio was clear) the scrambled signal as early as 1983, and they definitely were running ads then.

Now that Grokster is no longer liable in downloading music (read the full story here), there is even LESS incentive to watch MTV.

Wow. Spoken like a kid who never grew up on MTV when it was wall-to-wall videos. Some of us APPRECIATE video music as an art form.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 08:18 PM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 06:16 PM\'] MTV still stands for what it always did? Sorry. I remember MTV from Day 1. Commercial free with videos around the clock with occasional informative segments with the VJs with some interviews sprinkled in for good measure. [/quote]
MTV was NEVER commercial free, I don't think. But it did play videos once. [/quote]
 It did?  Why that must've been decades ago.

Brandon Brooks

[TheInquisitiveOne]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 09:41 PM\']

Now that Grokster is no longer liable in downloading music (read the full story here), there is even LESS incentive to watch MTV.

Wow. Spoken like a kid who never grew up on MTV when it was wall-to-wall videos. Some of us APPRECIATE video music as an art form. [/quote]
Unless I missed a hidden message, I do appreciate videos as an art form, from the A-ha's to the Princes, and from the Lionel Richies to the Jamiroquais (Virtual Insanity, 1997). Videos from the past are always a sight to behold, for they did more than just provide background to the music; they enhanced the music.

It's TODAY'S videos (the very few that MTV plays) that I have a problem with. Seems to me like today's directors take the same linear route with the videos: dancers in the background while the so-called artist in question lip synchs to pre-recorded, computer enhanced drivel. Rap and pop music rule the day, while the more sophisticated and tasteful material gets phased out of the picture. Of course, there are exceptions, as I have taken kind to Outkast's "Roses" and "Hey Ya!" as well as John Mayer and a few others. Worse, most of the music contained in these  videos are made by people who pollute the radio stations and serve as the real reason why music industries as slowly and surely losing the Benjamins. In my opinion anyway, more than half of the music played today sucks.

That's why I made that Grokster comment. I do enjoy videos, but not today's. If it serves as a reason to do self-service in the bathroom, then have at it.

I just am not buying into it.

The Inquisitive One

(By the way, Mr. Lemon, if I were in error about commercial-free MTV, then I apologize. Serves me right for using jumptheshark.com as a reference.)

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'TheInquisitiveOne\' date=\'Aug 22 2004, 10:27 PM\'] That's why I made that Grokster comment. I do enjoy videos, but not today's. If it serves as a reason to do self-service in the bathroom, then have at it. [/quote]
 Now I understand your position. That's somewhat more tolerable.

(By the way, Mr. Lemon, if I were in error about commercial-free MTV, then I apologize. Serves me right for using jumptheshark.com as a reference.)

Ah, that explains it. Yes, it does.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'TheInquisitiveOne\' date=\'Aug 23 2004, 12:27 AM\'] Unless I missed a hidden message, I do appreciate videos as an art form, from the A-ha's to the Princes, and from the Lionel Richies to the Jamiroquais (Virtual Insanity, 1997). Videos from the past are always a sight to behold, for they did more than just provide background to the music; they enhanced the music.

It's TODAY'S videos (the very few that MTV plays) that I have a problem with. Seems to me like today's directors take the same linear route with the videos [/quote]
 Relive those older videos(at least some of them) on VH1 CLassic. They now have a 12 hour programming cycle as opposed to eight, and they do play some videos as often as GSN repeats some short run shows into the ground, but still one of the best things going on digital cable these days.

[CaseyAbell]

I've got more video channels than any sane person (or even me) could want: MTVS, VH1CL, VH1SOUL, VH1CNTRY, GAC...PDQ, XYZ...

I've got one (1) channel that's showing eighteen hours of game shows for grown-ups today (Monday 8/23) out of twenty programming hours:

http://tvlistings2.zap2it.com/grid_one.asp...ner_id=national

Okay, if you wanna argue Blackjack, which Zap2it (correctly) calls a game show, we'll make it seventeen hours. This is getting rid of the niche? Did this Variety writer bother to look at a schedule? I know it's hard work, clicking on a couple links...

[Jimmy Owen]

You get PDQ?