Somebody's "Enamored" With GSN

[CaseyAbell]

Found a funny item on MultiChannel today. The article's not a freebie, but I'll quote the GSN-related part:

"Liberty also owns interests in dozens of networks and ITV concerns, which could be possible deal fodder.

"But [stock analyst Matt] Harrigan said at least three of those interests are off-limits: Liberty’s 50% interest in Discovery Communications Inc., its 50% of Court TV and its 50% stake in GSN (formerly the Game Show Network).

"Liberty has long expressed a desire to own more of Discovery. Time Warner Inc., its other partner in Court TV, would have the right of first refusal in any deal for that network.

"As for GSN, Harrigan said Liberty just likes the network. 'Game Show, they’re enamored with it,' Harrigan said."

So it looks like Liberty won't unload GSN any time soon. Kinda hard to understand why this 54-million-household network for an old-skewing audience would be considered such a crown jewel. It must be pretty cheap to operate.

[comicus]

GSN picks up <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/05-24-2004/0002180513&EDATE=" target="_window">Ian Valentine, late of the Sci-Fi Channel, as its new Executive Vice President of Programming[/url].  This means Kevin Belinkoff is no longer working in that capacity.

That can be nothing but good news for the network and its dwindling fan base, even if it means that Trekkie Trivia Showdown with Bob Eubanks gets green lighted.

[AH3RD]

Let's hope Ian does us all GS fans a favor by dusting off the majority of classic GS repeats and puts them back on in the future. I'd vote for devoting the weekends to showing the classics, since the regular daily schedule is already cluttered with reality nonsense as it is.

It's just a suggestion, but, you know...

[aaron sica]

I'm hoping there comes a time that, since GSN won't be making any more episodes of RR, Whammy!, or FoF, that they dust off some classics from the vault to put in their place. I also realize that's a pipe dream, too...

[CaseyAbell]

That can be nothing but good news for the network and its dwindling fan base...

"Dwindling"? That would have been correct late last summer, when GSN's ratings really hit the skids. Things then improved significantly, though I haven't been able to find much info on the last couple months. If you've got some hard numbers on GSN's recent performance, please post or link to them. I'd be interested.

[Jimmy Owen]

Perhaps the new guy at GSN can combine the sci-fi and game show genres with a long-form show that takes you on a journey back in time and shows you the game shows that aired in decades past.  You would only return to the present time during commercial breaks.

[CaseyAbell]

Perhaps the new guy at GSN can combine the sci-fi and game show genres with a long-form show that takes you on a journey back in time and shows you the game shows that aired in decades past.

In fact, you've got that already on GSN. It's called "most of the daytime schedule."

But the Mediaweek story makes it sound like the new guy is signing on for the same kind of brand-stretching job he did at Sci-Fi:

http://www.mediaweek.com/mediaweek/headlin...t_id=1000518620

Sure don't see any regret from anybody about the new programming. I realize that people won't buck the company line in public. But the sales guy sounds happy enough about the new advertisers. Maybe he's tired of selling time for arthritis drugs, Life-Alert, and Wilford Brimley's diabetes lectures.