Could NBC legally cancel DAYS before March 2009?

[RuAsRuAnAu]

I think the top 3 shows would be Y&R, GH, and AMC, to the general population.

[Toups]

OR......

What if SONY tells CBS and NBC that both DAYS/Y&R come in a package deal! Whoever wants the #1 show has to take DAYS!! Ooohhhhh.......

I really believe if Sony threaten CBS to take away Y&R, they would so take DAYS and dump the P&G soaps.

[Wendy]

Sure, maybe. But that is called a suicide mission. Because you can damned well be sure that viewers of GL/ATWT won't tune in to support them. And with Days having such a different style, the risk of alienation is great, anyway, since CBS soaps tend to skew older.

And add in the expected loss of ratings upon a soap switching networks, and Days would be lucky to hit a 1.5.

[MichaelGL]

Toups I would love that if it was true.

[Kubla Khan]

Days probably won't move to another network in 2009. If it did, it'd be a drastically scaled-back version, i.e. not resembling anything like it is today.

Sony would have some cojones to threaten CBS like that, because, seriously, the networks would love to get rid of their soaps. They bring more problems than profit at this point. (And, frankly, soaps are not going to go through a ratings renaissance anytime soon. Can you see the ratings two years from now? A 1.9 would be like a pipe dream). So, CBS could easily say to Sony: "Fine, take Y&R with you. We'll get rid of the two P&G problems and let B&B die and be done with everything."

The daytime climate will not be able to support acquisitions like that (Days moving elsewhere), it'll only be able to support cancellations.

[PhoenixRising05]

Toups is right about one thing...Sony is not going to let Days die and either is Corday.

It's going to end up somewhere but where is the question. I am choosing not to think about it. I just want Days to do well creatively, get some good buzz, maybe see some increases (not getting my hopes up), and then, hopefully, someone will see that with network support the show can surge.

[JackPeyton]

Days moving somewhere else and being cut back... i think it could work. and id love to see it. cut the cast in half, make the show 1/2 hr. it may work out.

besides, the days of today is not the days we all loved. this week aside.

[Wendy]

Nope, because Frons/ABCD would want complete ownership, as ABC/Soapnet owns their soaps. Sure, Soapnet also runs Y&R/Days, but that is after the first airing on CBS/NBC. In terms of outright first-run broadcast/ownership, Frons would demand ownership, and you know Corday/Sony won't sell. And ABC would not want other companies dictating how to run its shows.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

Now, would this not be a great thing?

[JackPeyton]

B&B is one of the most watched shows in the world. its not going anywhere. and as much as Y&R sux, nither is it.

I could actually see CBS letting ATWT & GL go and bringing days on as a 1/2 hr after B&B

[JER Soaps Fan]

What I don't get is the comment of how much money "Days" makes for Sony. Hell, I don't get this about all the soaps that air in other countries, to be honest. If it has all these sources of revenue, why would the budget be SO low ? It wouldn't need to require on American networks alone for money, right? Or sweeps periods, no? Does Sony, for instance, just suck up all the money without giving a good percentage to -- HELLO! -- the show that helped them earn that money?! And if so, that's SICK and frankly, EVIL.

[JackPeyton]

I could be wrong here but i think soaps need the american networks money/support in order to sell it off to overseas places. but idk. could be wrong.

[Ponz]

Does SONY have a controlling stake in Y&R? I doubt Bell Productions would be happy having their show used as a bargaining chip.

In dollar terms, the revenue from foreign syndication wouldn't go very far to finance a US-based show. Most foreign networks buy 3-4 year old episodes, which are much cheaper than original programming. I'd imagine SONY does contribute some of this to production costs but DAYS is still heavily reliant on NBC's license fee.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Sony is biggest share holder when Y&R is concerned, the Bells are second, and Corday has like 1%.

However, Sony can never pressure CBS into taking Days, since Y&R's contract with CBS is up for negotiation in 2010, a full year after NBC would've canceled Days. It would be empty threats if Sony tried to pull some crap like that on CBS in 2009. Also, I don't see Sony pressuring CBS either, especially since they have a much better reputation with CBS, than NBC. Days' contract negotiations have always gone bad, even when the show was generating high ratings. I hear Days has a long history of going over budget too. Y&R, on the other hand, has a history of smooth contract negations and handles its budget better than the other soaps.

Honestly, CBS has vested interests in GL and ATWT, and soaps that switch networks have a history of losing over half their original audience. It's not likely that Days will find a home on either CBS or ABC.

[aMLCproduction]

What does Sony have to loose if Days is canned?