P&G shopping ATWT and GL as package deal?

[rangethatrover]

Jeez.

http://www.daytimeconfidential.com/

[Ann_SS]

Not a surprise. Canceling GL gives P&G an out of the soap business. If some other outlet picks up ATWT, it may be gone from CBS sooner than later.

[CassieFan]

According to an ABC mole, P&G is gearing up to pitch Brian Frons once again.

What does this mean? ATWT possibly moving to ABC?

Why aren't they trying on making another, new soap?

[rangethatrover]

Where would they put ATWT anyway, that part makes no sense to me. OLTL and AMC have better demos than ATWT. And if the soapnet deal fell through, why would you even bother pitching Frons- That part has lost me. I know we are not supposed to print gossip over here but it was too interesting to pass up. Maybe some internet thing.. The Frons aspect has me perplexed. I can only think that they may pitch ATWT only, for soapnet.

[MarkH]

Yes, exactly. They are clearly EXPLORING a "Soapnet-first" distribution model.

Now, here's where the devious part of me clicks in.

I can bet that Frons might consider acquiring these shows. He'd argue for buying first (at a very, very, very low investment -- probably with payback to P&G in the form of a % of gross or % of profit). Assuming P&G rebuffs that, I could imagine Frons "reluctantly" agreeing (at punitively low license fees) to acquire these soaps for a one-year license. The shows would be so crippled, they'd probably lens everything against a white background, like a high school production.

Then, they'd run on Soapnet with low promotion, in off hours. Quickly they would be "not financially sustainable". Basically, Soapnet only has midnight and 1 am available (and subsequent broadcasts) on its digital channel. Soapnet is not going to monkey with its 7 pm - 10 pm block, since that is the only part of the network that shows some growth.

Under this scenario, Soapnet would be the "hero" (having 'saved' dying pieces of Americana), probably would have acquired archival broadcast rights/streaming rights (not worth much now, but maybe some day). Lots of free press for that.

After one year, BOTH shows would be cancelled. What Frons would have achieved is effectively killing > 50% of the daypart soap competition at his biggest rival, CBS. CBS becomes this impoverished daytime landscape, Frons has no long-term liability.

Even if this machiavellian scheme doesn't work out, it might force Bloom to get into a little bidding war over the ATWT license fee...and that could effectively cause CBS some financial hardship during these difficult times. Frons would like that. Worst case scenario....Bloom/CBS walks away from ATWT saying "too rich for my blood", and then Frons says "you know...we can't afford you either". And ATWT ends up without a home too.

Finally, the only reason I could imagine this not happening is because money is soooooooooo tight. I wonder if Frons (and his bosses at ABC) would let him risk squandering a year of license fees on proven money losers, just to screw over CBS.

[rangethatrover]

Mark, i love your business savvy and graphs!! That is some excellent theorizing!

[dragonflies]

Pitch to Frons? They truly want the show to become something other than what it is don't they? Cause that's what would happen if Frons gets his hands on it

[bellcurve]

The shows already ARE unrecognizable to longterm viewers.

[baller]

you say that like it's a bad thing for ATWT, and GL hasn't been GL for a heck of a long time.

[Sylph]

Where are those who said P&G wanted to get out of soap business?

[miss wolf]

I don't believe this for a minute. And I'm sorry but I prefer to have Guiding Light/ATWT canceled than be touched by anything Frons/ABC.

I think all this talk about finding new "homes" for their soaps is to make P&G look like they give a damn and CBS as the bad guy. When in reality, P&G are the ones who canceled GL (and soon ATWT). They haven't done anything with their shows in years. They were just waiting for the right time to let them go.

[SFK]

What if ATWT and GL moved to SoapNet as a 1 hour package, each show 30 minutes with a trimmed cast? Is that crazy talk? And can someone explain to me the argument that 1/2 hour shows cost the same and sometimes more than hour shows, I remember people saying that on boards and it has never made any sense to me. I especially can't see that being true with a smaller cast and crew and a shorter shooting day on top of ATWT and GL's recent bare bones production values.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Doubtful, especially since ATWT is rumoured to have another year on CBS and GL is already canceled....

[dragonflies]

It is a bad thing, I find ATWT extremely more watchable than AMC and GH at the moment, same for GL.

[MarkH]

Yes, I was shocked to read on DC that, basically, ATWT is cancelled. It will wrap up Sept 2010.

Well, as sad as that is, I like the idea of an 18-month "closure window". They have a year and a half to plan a GOOD farewell. I doubt they will do this...but they could.

Let's see how this shopping around goes.

Honestly, for both apparent "disposable income" (based on the number of original films they produce) and audience-type, I don't see why P&G doesn't shop these two products to the Hallmark Channel. That feels like a fit to me.