NBC Considering Giving 10PM (9PM Central and Mountain Time) Back to Local Stations (1 Viewer)

[Garysb]

Soonest it would happen would be in one year. I could see local stations putting on a one hour local news show at 10 PM and start the Tonight Show at 11PM.

NBC Could Give Third Hour Of Nightly Primetime Back To Local Affiliates

NBC is considering giving back the 10 p.m. hour of primetime to local affiliates, a potentially significant tipping point for the legacy broadcast TV model. Internal discussions have been going on …

deadline.com

 

[Garysb]

I don't think network programming will ever disappear but I believe there will be less scripted programing with more reality and game shows. The cost of scripted shows is just becoming too expensive with viewership continually declining.

 

[Matt Hough]

NBC has had trouble programming 10 p.m. for years, and with the overall decline in viewership, this wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

[David Weicker]

Dick Wolf would not be happy

40% of the proposed cuts would be his shows. (show that I currently watch).

 

[jayembee]

That was my immediate thought. I can't imagine the two 10pm shows (Chicago P.D. and Law & Order: Something or Other) just going away, or being relocated to another night. Well...maybe NBC would change things up by having one Chicago show and one L&O show paired up together on three nights. I'm not sure how well that would fly.

 

[Jake Lipson]

40% of the proposed cuts would be his shows. (show that I currently watch).

I don't think NBC would actually be getting rid of shows. Chicago and L&O obviously work for them. The only difference is that he would not be able to stack three shows in a row anymore. But I don't think any of them would be cancelled just because the 10pm hour would be gone. Crossovers between shows could always stretch across multiple nights.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Law & Order: Something or Other

Genius!

 

[Matt Hough]

That was my immediate thought. I can't imagine the two 10pm shows (Chicago P.D. and Law & Order: Something or Other) just going away, or being relocated to another night. Well...maybe NBC would change things up by having one Chicago show and one L&O show paired up together on three nights. I'm not sure how well that would fly.

Absolutely. They are both solid ratings gatherers so NBC would simply schedule his six network offerings over several nights. The great thing about his shows is that, other than the occasional crossover, they can play just about anywhere on any night.

 

[B-ROLL]

Unless things have changed since I worked for an NBC affiliate, most local stations count on the money the network pays them for running their programming (with their commercials). This could be a cost-cutting measure in that regard, but as I recall from skool the affilation agreements state the Network Must provide X hours of programming. If that is still true, they would need to re-negotiate each affiliation agreement. I suspect they may just give the local stations the option of not carrying programming and run what NBC has called "it's new to you!" programming (AKA reruns) as the available programming.

 

[Malcolm R]

As Bryan says, I'm not sure NBC can just cease providing programming for that hour and expect the affiliates to pick up the slack at their own expense. Seems like there would need to be some significant compensation to the affiliates, or NBC would need to program reruns for the hour if the local station didn't want to program locally, or didn't have the ability.

Seems like some stations may welcome the time, but other smaller stations may not have the resources to fill another hour on the schedule. I'd think most would just program more news, as it seems like our local stations keep expanding the local news. What used to be an hour from 6-7pm, now starts at 4pm and runs until 7pm.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Variety’s coverage of the story indicates contractual obligations mean that if they decide to implement such a plan, it wouldn’t happen until September 2023 at the earliest.

It also suggests that NBC has had a version of this internal deliberation every year for the past decade, so this could simply be a nothingburger about routine due diligence.

On the other hand, maybe it makes sense. Cut an hour of programming each night, keep only the shows that are proven to generate ratings/revenue and/or are cost efficient to produce, instead of developing extra shows each year that don’t bring in enough of an audience to turn a profit and are quickly canceled anyway.

 

[jcroy]

It also suggests that NBC has had a version of this internal deliberation every year for the past decade, so this could simply be a nothingburger about routine due diligence.

(More generally).

This sounds a lot like the type of standard "busywork" that is inflicted upon the junior/middle level MBAs in the financial / accounting office of any large company.

Nowadays it is easy to run a computer program/spreadsheet going through every possible prime time show lineup configurations (and then some), and calculating whatever relevant "metrics" are for each configuration. Basically playing through "what if?" scenarios.

 

[B-ROLL]

(More generally).

This sounds a lot like the type of standard "busywork" that is inflicted upon the junior/middle level MBAs in the financial / accounting office of any large company.

Nowadays it is easy to run a computer program/spreadsheet going through every possible prime time show lineup configurations (and then some), and calculating whatever relevant "metrics" are for each configuration. Basically playing through "what if?" scenarios.

Without modern computers "Greatest Common Denominator" was generally how networks determined which programs were aired - going back to radio days. Star Trek (Classic) was somewhat of anomaly as it consistently brought in lower ratings but had a higher than normal number of highly intelligent/affluent viewers which was a market sponsors wanted to get.

 

[Garysb]

Unless things have changed since I worked for an NBC affiliate, most local stations count on the money the network pays them for running their programming (with their commercials). This could be a cost-cutting measure in that regard, but as I recall from skool the affilation agreements state the Network Must provide X hours of programming. If that is still true, they would need to re-negotiate each affiliation agreement. I suspect they may just give the local stations the option of not carrying programming and run what NBC has called "it's new to you!" programming (AKA reruns) as the available programming.

Networks have given time back to local affilliates before though at that time it was government regulated. Until 1970 the then 3 networks programed the 7 PM to 8PM hour. Usually with the network news at 7 PM and a sitcom at 7:30PM. The local stations filled the hour much like they do now with reruns , game shows, and programs like Entertainment Tonight. In the early days there were local lifestyle shows like PM Magazine, which was a format sold to individual stations who hired local hosts. More of this type of programming will become available if NBC programs fewer hours. As for payments by the networks to the affilliates, that has been greatly reduced and may even be elimenated by now. I know it was elimenated in radio many years ago. Local stations have some local spots to sell in network programming.

 

[B-ROLL]

Networks have given time back to local affilliates before though at that time it was government regulated. Until 1970 the then 3 networks programed the 7 PM to 8PM hour. Usually with the network news at 7 PM and a sitcom at 7:30PM. The local stations filled the hour much like they do now with reruns , game shows, and programs like Entertainment Tonight. In the early days there were local lifestyle shows like PM Magazine, which was a format sold to individual stations who hired local hosts. More of this type of programming will become available if NBC programs fewer hours. As for payments by the networks to the affilliates, that has been greatly reduced and may even be elimenated by now. I know it was elimenated in radio many years ago. Local stations have some local spots to sell in network programming.

Local stations have always had the minute after the mid/station break every half hour or so - it varies during live events.

 

[Guardyan]

I wouldn't expect something like this to happen with one of the 3 big networks. But if it is happening, wow, times are changing and changing fast. Live TV seems the way to go but I still hope premieres happen on TV. Plus OTA has a much better quality than cable.

 

[John*Wells]

Forget reality tv, they should make it the golden age hour and show leave it to beaver or something wholesome

 

[Garysb]

Does NBC’s Potential Primetime Retreat Foreshadow More Changes To Legacy Broadcast Network Model?

When Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav wanted to make a forceful first impression at the company’s upfront last spring, he used words designed to dazzle the audience of ad buyers. The ne…

deadline.com

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Forget reality tv, they should make it the golden age hour and show leave it to beaver or something wholesome

At 10pm?