December 21-25, 2009

[CSF]

CBS has a pretty bad rep when it comes to owning soaps. They destroyed The Secret Storm and Love of Life the minute they got their hands on them.

NBC is also another network that kills their own soaps.

I really don't believe P&G wanted out of soaps the way people make it seem, I think they are an easy target to blame when one of their soaps gets canceled, however. They created soaps to advertise their products, and looking at past situations, when one of their soaps were canceled, they shopped that soap around to another network unless the soap never really grew into a powerhouse. If they wanted out of soaps so bad for all these years, they would have ended ATWT and GL a long time ago, cut their losses and found other ways to maximize profit outside of daytime.

In the case of Guiding Light and As the World Turns, I believe that CBS made up their mind and felt it was time for them to go. The execs at CBS know the decline in viewership is only going to get worse. B&B and Y&R will be under close scrutiny from here on out. CBS didn't have to cancel the P&G soaps, but they did. Yes, P&G should have done many things differently over the years, the same applies to CBS, but, ultimately, it was CBS' decision.

[Scotty]

Speaking of cable channel rankings....here is a listing of the winners and losers for 2009 from The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i5b1f69da4015d79cc03df0e574ecc567

[EricMontreal22]

I admit I love GH sinking and AMC staying steady (it's gotten a tiny bit better but not much but...) but am saddened by OLTL

[Ann_SS]

ITA. Days' arm was twisted into doing more solid stories without the excess and even with this, they are still trying to play Bo and Hope as the typical supercouple which I don't like.

I think you are right about getting the same stories with Luke and Kevin because Kevin also had a problematic father. However, they may have played out better with a stronger actor like the one who played Kevin.

[skiman12082004]

Wow it really sucks for OLTL. I can't believe they hit an all-time low in total viewers. Just when I have started watching both OLTL and GH regularly the ratings drop. I just don't get it. But I am happy AMC went up. Also, what's up with B&B's ratings? They are all over the place during any given week.

[Jess]

That is very interesting. I read all of the comments about cable news networks. And while Fox is growing with its obvious one-sided appeal to the very conservative, network news blows away all of the cable news channels. Even CBS, which is by far the least watched of the network newscasts averages more than six million viewers per night which is about 3 times Fox. Judging by the ads, I suspect network news is skewing pretty old.

You know, Fox news for example averages 2.2 million viewers during its peak. OLTL, which could be on the verge of cancellation, averages the same.

In regular programming USA averages 3 million viewers, less than Y&R. Of course, everything on the networks is on a negative trend line and everything on cable is a positive trend.

I have to agree with an earlier poster. I do not know how CW, soapnet, ect. stay in business. Nobody watches those cable networks.

[DRW50]

I was surprised Hallmark went down 18%.

I laughed a little when I saw TLC's number. Something tells me that is going to be way down by next year. Perhaps they can have Kate Gosselin join Trading Spaces, if that's still around.

[JaneAusten]

It's kind of sad to see how CNN has fallen. They were the first. But they also deserve it. Fox - well they have the more colorful personalities on the air. That IMO has alot to do with their success, like them or not.

NBC Universal has one light and that's USA. I am actually surprised to see them doing so much better than TNT but then I think TNT has had a bunch of original programming of recent that hasn't done well. USA's original programming added with reruns of NCIS, L&O SVU, and House during PT along with their original programming seems to have caught fire. Maybe NBC the network will catch some of the luck and success USA has had.

The CW no clue. More reality shows? And Soapnet? The soaps rebroadcasting must be very inexpensive.

[MoTheGreat]

The problem with Kish is that they don't involve none of the mian characters. It's just two new guys on the show who are gay interacting with a black girl & latino guy. & that's basicly their storyline.

The problem with Nuke is that I still believe that they trun the wrong guy gay. I still believe they could have pull more storyline out of Casey being gay.

[LoyaltoAMC]

I couldn't see P&G agreeing to have two gay guys from legacy families.

[MoTheGreat]

I said they turn the wrong guy gay. That means I wouldn't have turn Noah gay. He should have stayed straight. Making Casey gay could have bring in Bob & Kim. I believe they are his grandparents. I had this whole storyline where he's gay liking a closeted gay cop. That's giving both his parents something to deal with especially his mom. Seeing he'll be stopping by to see the gay cop.

[Mr. Vixen]

I hate the Franco storyline. I think he is demolishing ratings. Can't wait till it's over.

GH is still ahead of most soaps in demos, and that's what sponsors care about, is it not? as long as they are happy, GH is fine.

[JaneAusten]

I don't think GH is fine. I think the show blows and this Franco stuff has blown up in their face. A 1.2 in the demos? I have to believe they were expecting a huge gain. With all that, the show is not being cancelled but I am going to be very interested how AMC fares once all the hype over their anniversary and relocation dies down. Will the gains they've seen the past few weeks with all the hype die down or will it maintain.

I'm skeptical about OLTL being cancelled. That would leave a hole in their soap schedule and no way would they want to put GH in that time slot. Up against the rejuventated Days? But if AMC maintains some level with their super couple Zendall gone, maybe it will send a message to GH that they can shake up their show a bit.

[AS THE WORLD TURNS]

Soapnet has be gaining in viewers every month and keeps hitting new highs. So they are prolly fine for a while. CW is not doing so good the only show that has the most viewers is Vampires Diaries and a couple of other ones. Melrose Place is going to be cancelled soon.

[Mr. Vixen]

I was thinking the same thing...If they cancel OLTL, then it will be off balance. A soap at one, a game show (maybe?) at 2, and another soap at 3? I don't see it happening, because it would hurt the ratings all around.

Also, in both areas that I have lived in recently Days is on at 1, and is up against AMC, half of Y&R and then B&B...So if OLTL got cancelled, I could MAYBE see AMC moving to 2, and them selling the 1-2 space to affiliates (like they did with Port Charles slot, am i correct?), or launching some new talk show/game show or something.