On Apr 8, 8:54 pm, "Steven L." <sdlit...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> David wrote:
> > from the new york times
>
> > DirecTV Deal Will Subsidize 'Friday Night Lights'
> > By BRIAN STELTER
>
> > For television networks, it is a common quandary: what do you do about
> > a show that critics adore, that has a passionate base of fans, but
> > that consistently gets mediocre ratings?
>
> > NBC, for one, thinks it has a creative solution. Last week, it
> > announced a deal with DirecTV, a subscription satellite television
> > service, that would keep "Friday Night Lights" on the air for a third
> > season. DirecTV will help defray NBC's production costs and in
> > exchange will receive the right to show "Friday Night Lights" first.
>
> > Television executives say this model could help keep other sentimental
> > favorites on the air. For instance, CBS Paramount Network Television
> > has held talks with Comcast, the cable provider, about finding new
> > life for "Jericho," the low-rated drama canceled by CBS last month,
> > according to two people briefed on the talks who requested anonymity.
>
> > And Katherine Pope, the president of NBC's production arm, Universal
> > Media Studios, said that other television distributors had also shown
> > interest in licensing the rights to specific shows.
>
> > From NBC's perspective, "Friday Night Lights" did not draw enough of a
> > crowd to be continued. On average, about 6.1 million people tuned in
> > to it this season, but fans were loyal enough to send thousands of
> > mini-footballs to NBC to lobby for the show.
>
> > NBC knew it needed a partner, and an op****tunity arose in January when
> > Eric Shanks, the executive vice president for entertainment at
> > DirecTV, struck up a conversation with his friend Ben Silverman, the
> > co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. DirecTV licensed the rights to the
> > "first window" of the show, meaning that DirecTV subscribers will see
> > the new episodes four months before the broadcast audience.
>
> > A past DirecTV-NBC deal, the purchase of exclusive rights to the soap
> > opera "Passions," fizzled after 12 months.
>
> > Executives would not disclose the new deal's value, except to call it
> > "significant." Each episode costs about $2 million to produce;
> > Universal Media Studios will produce 13 episodes this year.
>
> > Referring to the next season's numbers, Mr. Silverman said: "If our
> > rating was just 15 percent lower, we would be doing so much better
> > through the way we structured this deal."
>
> > NBC, part of the NBC Universal unit of General Electric, had several
> > cable channels seeking similar deals for "Friday Night Lights," but
> > Mr. Silverman said they would have "cannibalized 90 percent of our
> > audience." DirecTV, by contrast, is available in only 16.8 million
> > households, about 15 percent of NBC's reach.
>
> > The show will have its debut on DirecTV on Oct. 1. It will move to NBC
> > sometime after the Super Bowl in early 2009. Mr. Shanks said DirecTV
> > hoped to sign up "tens of thousands of subscribers" through the
> > partner****p.
>
> > "If fans are passionate enough to ditch cable and come to DirecTV, we
> > can help keep shows alive," Mr. Shanks said.
>
> I wish CBS would find a way to do that with Kid Nation. There has to be
> room for Kid Nation on some satellite children's channel.
>
> --
> Steven L.
> Email: sdlit...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Was Kid Nation cancelled? I thought they were already recruting, etc.
for the next season?
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