As Gannett's 23 broadcasting stations come off a record year for advertising revenue after the summer Olympics and general election, prime-time ratings for the Big Four broadcasters -- ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox -- together are dropping more precipitously than ever.
"Even their biggest hits, like 'American Idol' and 'Dancing With the Stars,' are fading fast," The New York Times reports this morning. "Advertisers are moving more cash to cable, cutting into the networks’ quarterly profits. New technologies are making it easier to skip those ads, anyway."
The NYT story continues: "The many pressures bearing down on the industry are casting a shadow over this week’s 'upfronts,' an annual tradition in New York in which the new sitcoms, dramas and reality shows are previewed at splashy, open-bar events and the networks try to capture their portion of an estimated $9 billion in advertising commitments."
The 23 hookups
Gannett's TV stations include 12 affiliated with NBC; six with CBS; three with ABC, and two MyNetworkTV.
The broadcasting division played an outsize role in GCI's finances last year: It accounted for 17% of the $5.4 billion in companywide revenue vs. 14% of $5.2 billion in 2011.
Related: Corporate hosts its first digital upfront
The NYT story continues: "The many pressures bearing down on the industry are casting a shadow over this week’s 'upfronts,' an annual tradition in New York in which the new sitcoms, dramas and reality shows are previewed at splashy, open-bar events and the networks try to capture their portion of an estimated $9 billion in advertising commitments."
The 23 hookups
Gannett's TV stations include 12 affiliated with NBC; six with CBS; three with ABC, and two MyNetworkTV.
The broadcasting division played an outsize role in GCI's finances last year: It accounted for 17% of the $5.4 billion in companywide revenue vs. 14% of $5.2 billion in 2011.
Related: Corporate hosts its first digital upfront
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ReplyDeleteTHe Nbc affiliation workd really well during the Olympics. This year, results will suck big time.
ReplyDeleteThe fascinating thing to see will be how ME-TV does in the coming ratings. Nielsen began rating ME-TV this Spring. As an "older" (mid-50s) person, I have to admit I LOVE watching ME-TV. Terrific old shows.
ReplyDeleteThey also are very agile. Jack Klugman dies, and a couple weeks later "The Odd Couple" is a regular show. Valerie Harper says she has cancer, and "Mary Tyler Moore" does a week of "Rhoda" episodes.
Go into a business that has an older clientele or workforce, and you'll likely see ME-TV on their television.