Soapnet & ratings

[SalemPlace]

How much can it really cost Soapnet to air repeats? They are dropping soaps in favor of old movies I never wanted to see when they first came out and night time soaps. I just wonder why it's so cost prohibative for them to air repeats of the soaps. Why is it that other cable stations can survive on much lower ratings and still stay true to what they are about. Soapnet has dropped just about all of their original programming. I understand that they dropped the cancelled soaps years ago due to the ratings. Soapnet wasn't even available in my area until a couple of years ago so sadly I missed that era. Now the network is available in more markets and maybe it would work. Or maybe I'm just being too hopeful.

I know there are a lot of you on the board that understand this much better than I do and would love it if you could shed some light on this subject.

[JackPeyton]

the movies they show are hella cheap to get the rights to air and it seems as if they get better ratings than soap reruns.

its pretty much been confirmed that 90210 and oth and the oc get higher ratings than soap reruns.

i dont mind it. i watch soapnet for the same day soap reruns and shows like nightshift, so whatever they have to do to turn a profit and show them.

[MarkH]

I think you are exactly right. Your viewership patterns (same day) are the "norm". So, Soapnet has to fill the "off hours", and marathons/classic soaps/shows about soaps do not bring in the viewers/pay for themselves.

These cheap movies bring in enough of an audience AND desirable demographic to pay for themselves. In the end, I think the movies may be a bit short sighted (i.e., doesn't build a "prestige brand"), but they need to pay the rent.

As the recent decision not to broadcast the Emmys shows, the air is almost out of this balloon. I expect SOD/SOW will consolidate or fold soon. Just this morning I realized I better not renew my subscription, because when SOD goes bankrupt, I'll lose my money.

[Aaron]

The internet is the future for reruns of classic soaps. The AOL/Hulu model is the way to go, with a few bugs needed to be worked out.

[SteveFrame]

Ratings is the key to why. But I did want to comment again on the markets issue.

At the same time that Soapnet is going into more markets now - it is also being bumped off of basic cable and satellite. I know in our market that due to licensing fees from SoapNet that our Cable company had to stop offering it as a basic channel. It is now in the 2nd tier which is 15 dollars more per month.

Since then I have heard of 3 others who got moved either on cable or satellite.

So yes it is going into more markets, but it is losing subscribers in a tough financial market when many people are cutting back. I know of a lot of people in our area that now do not have it because they refuse to pay more.

[JackPeyton]

Here soapnet is in the 2nd tier as well, but at leats where i am thats exactly where it fits. its along with WE, Lifetime Movie Net, Bravo, and other like networks.

but i do see what you are saying.

IMHO they should rebrand soapnet if needed but they should do it in a classy way with quality tv like Bravo does, not like Lifetime in the 90's. But then again Bravo once upon a time wasnt the greated tv network and lifetime is now becoming that. Only time will tell..

[SteveFrame]

Bravo is still on basic here. Lifetime Movie Network is in the 3rd tier which requires a Movie Tier package and is included with Logo, IFC, Fox Movie Channel, Sundance, etc.

The 2nd tier just adds about 5 to 7 new channels that most people watch - GSN, SoapNet, G4 the best known along with several Spanish channels and news channels.

GSN and SoapNet have both been on basic here for years, but just got moved to the 2nd tier. We have had rumors for awhile that both Lifetime and Bravo would be moving but both are still in Teir 1 Basic for now. Our Tier 1 basic has 78 channels, but at leaast 50 of them are sports, news, shopping, or Spanish speaking channels that I have programmed out and never watch. So we basically have 28 channels on basic and my buddy Gil pays for Tier 1 on our living room channel so he can watch GH at night so we get 31 channels that we watch on that TV.

[SalemPlace]

It's on tier 3 here with the digital package. Plus it wasn't even offered until a couple years ago. As soon as it was offered I upped my package just to get it. Now the network has changed so much I wonder if it is worth it. I would love to see old eppisodes of soaps like they used to air. I loved when they did that.

Thanks for all the info. I was always under the assumption that because they are repeats and not their original programming they shouldn't cost that much to air and shouldn't need the high ratings that the major networks need. Repeats really should be nothing but gravy for networks but there is so much more to it.

[SteveFrame]

Oh they cost. Even the actors that are in each episode still get a stipend for every time they are shown unless there was some type of deal worked out for syndication. I know that soaps work a little different and the subject never even came up until a few years ago, but it does weigh in now since some have been repeated.

Also if there is music in the show that has to be licensed too. I know that is one of the draw backs for years with airing Santa Barbara has been the music liscening.

[dragonflies]

I have Time Warner Cable and Soapnet is on both basic and digital cable. I have the digital combined with the basic. So I get Soapnet on two different channels.

If the network is that hard up for money then they're better off shutting down instead of insulting soap fans by calling themselves a SOAP network when they're airing pretty much everything BUT Soaps.......

[SteveFrame]

The only thing they don't air that aren't soaps is the movies. The primetime shows that come on are soaps just not daytime soaps. So technically it is still soap net. And they are choosing movies that have a soapy base to them.

[JackPeyton]

couldnt disagree more.

They do show soaps. AMC, OLTL, GH, Days, and Y&R show at least 2-3 times a day. OTH, The OC, and 90210 are primetime soaps.

So how they air pretty much everything soaps is beyond me. The main thing they show thats not a soap is movies twice on sunday.