Soaps On The Ropes

Ratings keep falling but buyer demand remains high

John Consoli

APRIL 02, 2007 -

Daytime soap operas on the broadcast networks have continued their steady audience decline this year, and media buyers are concerned about the dropoff, since many of their clients want to reach the shows' largely female viewership. But some nets are, at least, taking steps to boost ratings.

NBC announced earlier this year that after eight years it will pull the plug on Passions this fall, though the network will stick with Days of Our Lives. And both CBS and ABC insiders say they are committed to keeping their combined seven soaps on the air. But despite the networks' commitments, the audience shortfalls, combined with advertiser demand, have tightened the avails and driven up prices.

"We always hate paying more for less," said Andy Donchin, executive vp and director of national broadcast for Carat USA.

"Daytime ratings are bleeding and it's a problem for advertisers," added Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer for GroupM, who said he wants soaps to survive. "It's an efficient way to reach women, and if they go off the air, I can't think of any efficient alternatives."

Donchin agreed. "Even though I am concerned about audience falloff, it hasn't reached a point where our clients would abandon the daypart," he said. "The total number of viewers each day is still substantial when compared to alternatives like cable or syndication."

And a look at Nielsen Media Research data shows that the viewers daytime broadcast is losing are not defecting to cable or syndication.

The nine soaps that air each afternoon on the three broadcast networks are averaging a cumulative 29.6 million viewers, although that total is down 1.1 million from the same period last year. And women 18-49 ratings are cumulatively down 6 percent to a 1.5; women 18-34 ratings are down 21 percent to a 1.1, and women 25-54 are off 7 percent to a 1.7.

The only soap to add viewers this season was CBS' The Young and the Restless, which is averaging 5.5 million per day versus 5.3 million last season.

Meanwhile, Nielsen's measurement of college student viewing outside the home has not had much of an impact on soap-opera ratings. The Young and the Restless gained the most from college viewing, rising 0.3 of a rating among women 18-24, representing a 30 percent increase to 1.1, according to an analysis by Magna Global USA; ABC's General Hospital gained 0.2 of a rating in the demo, and CBS' Guiding Light, Bold and the Beautiful and As the World Turns, each gained 0.1 of a rating. ABC's One Life to Live and All My Children showed no increase, while NBC's Passions and Days of Our Lives both saw a 0.1 rating decline.

The networks are well aware of the need to reach new soap opera viewers, and both CBS and ABC have added digital extensions, as well as contests targeting college-age students.

CBS offered an original, online reality show, Inturn, on its broadband channel, innertube, where contestants on the show competed for a 13-week contract role on As the World Turns. More recently, The Young and the Restless and As the World Turns joined forces to produce an innertube series called L.A. Diaries, which will feature a backstory involving characters on both TV soaps.

SoapNet, owned by ABC parent Disney Co. and committed to supporting the entire soap opera genre, recently announced a new prime-time soap, General Hospital: Night Shift, which is a spinoff of ABC's long-running General Hospital. And in its latest version of I Wanna Be a Soap Star, contestants will vie for a 12-week contract role on NBC's Days of Our Lives. SoapNet exec vp and general manager Deborah Blackwell said airing shows like this drives reality show viewers who may not be regular soap viewers to begin watching the soaps.

Blackwell said SoapNet also has a college outreach program where students can submit their own soaps for a chance to win a $20,000 development deal on SoapNet.com and to visit the production set of an ABC soap. "We are committed to growing the genre by creating buzz on college campuses," she said.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/current/articl...t_id=1003565868

This makes me so sad!!

I wonder what the problem is. Are the Soaps running out of material, since they recycle stories constantly? There are so many stories, now more than ever that the soaps could use.

SoapNet, owned by ABC parent Disney Co. and committed to supporting the entire soap opera genre

That is total bull [!@#$%^&*]. If that were true, SN wouldn't have gotten rid of AW and cutting back on PC and RH. They would have came up with a way to fit those shows in their lineup with the addition of OTH and The OC. But what do I know. I am 31 so I am too old for SN and the ABC soaps. They only want college kids.

I do think that the soaps have really hurt themselves by the lack of good quality and writing. They re-hire writers who have previously been fired several times, ie McTavish. They obviously were fired the first time for a reason and yet they continue to be used over and over again!! Makes sense to me. And the shows have focused too much on the newer, younger characters and backburnered the vets or fired them. There isn't enough balance.

I do think soap fans have been a very loyal audience but they can be pushed too far. And I think it takes a lot for them to reach their breaking point but when they do, it is very hard to gain them back. I also think that because they are aiming for the younger viewers with stunts, sweeps, big events, etc., they don't have the loyalty that they used to have. Once the stunt is over and the show doesn't have the quality to back it up, the viewers that tuned in for that little bit are going to leave in droves or switch over to the next show.

It is sad about what is happening to soaps. I wonder if in three years there will only be three or four shows left. Probably two CBS soaps and maybe two ABC. People's lifestyles have changed but the poor management (Frons) of the soaps has definitely contributed to their decline. Those idiots will never admit to that though.