And Robert, never use “CBS” and “nuclear holocaust” in the same posting – Jericho fans are very sensitive and may be watching. After one of the producers recently said a Jericho movie was in “development” as part of an article promoting Harpers Island, fans went crazy thinking this meant the movie was going into actual production. Then again they think 8pm ratings on Sunday night apply to Jericho (which airs 7-8pm). Of course the movie hasnt even been written yet, there is no financing (just one of the producers (Turteltaub) hoping for someone to pony up $40 million – similar the Firefly movie budget) and no studio to produce it. Not to mention CBS still own the rights to it.

Like he would ever say anything else.

Clutz, the whole point that NBC is chasing profits rather than hits is that they don’t need to make as much money if they aren’t spending as much. So even if Robert is wrong and you can completely trust the figures put out after the upfronts, the ad sales being down from last year won’t matter much if the cost of shows is down as well. With the Leno deal, it is very probably that their costs are down.

it’s more likely the only way we hear anything relevant is when GE reports its earnings. I haven’t followed it quarter-by-quarter, but I know over the summer, GE said NBCU (the whole thing) was one of the better performing units of the company. It will take some negative comments along those lines for the whispers to mean anything.

1) Average of 650,000 viewers per episode over the first six episodes on The 101.
2) Series high, so far, on The 101: 887,000 viewers for the sixth episode.
3) DirecTV quoted by Mr. Owen as being “very pleased” with FNL
4) It is noted that FNL is the top-rated program on The 101.

Will these factors be enough to try a DirecTV/NBC commitment to Season 4? It’s hard to say, IMO. NBC may be the partner who backs out, citing Nielsen ratings that just don’t hold up in the traditional broadcast decision-making model.

At first, I assume these viewership figures are Nielsen info, as all published ratings information is typically Nielsen. However, they are not explicitly cited as the source of the data. Theoretically, the numbers could be taken from DirecTV’s own DirecTView STB data?

Sadly, I believe the only way you’ll get that e-mail from an accountant is if we take the route the media has taken with Steve Jobs and just basically say whatever the hell we want to say, whether it has any basis in truth or not, like: “Television industry expert Bill Gorman notes that NBC Universal’s USA Network is more profitable than the NBC network.”

clutz, I’d agree with you if there was real proof that NBC’s broadcast business (which is what we mainly focus on) was actually *catching* and not just *chasing* those profits. With NBC buried within the GE financials, there is no way to know what the actual results are short of a renegade NBC accountant dropping me an email.

Chasing profit isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Television is a business. If NBCU continues to meet their profit targets, largely on the strength on cable outlets and the profit margins of non-scripted programming, then why bother appeasing the Nielsen monster? NBC won’t worry about ratings until advertisers stop paying enough to meet the bottom line. As of now, that’s not happening.

They can absolutely turn it around. All the nets have had down periods and had to work their way back. It would only take one or two hits to make them competitive again. The problem is, they don’t seem to be trying. They’re chasing profit margins at the cost of ratings and scripted programing.

The most shocking aspect of all of this to me is that the other networks seem at this point to be clueless as to how to turn around their fortunes in the ratings. We already know NBC has given over five hours of primetime tv to Jay Leno for a 10pm talk show next fall. That’s fine, if you’re programming to stay near the bottom of the barrel. If you’re programming to beat CSI Miami, Without A Trace, CSI NY, Eleventh Hour, and Numbers, that schedule makes it apparent you’ve already settled for defeat. FOX and ABC are like two peas in a pod. They want fast and cheap reality programming that produces big numbers. Those hits are hard to fine. Fox has the biggest reality hit, but ABC has been able to make an easy living off of more of them with DWTS’, EHM, AFHV, and a slew of reality hits that enabled them to coast through the writer’s strike season.

FOX and ABC seem to have opposing problems headed into the fall of 2009. FOX can’t seem to latch onto solid 9pm programming and ABC can’t find starter programs for their primetime schedule to save their lives. It’s one of two things. Either there’s a lack of effort or a lack of knowledge. It appears FOX tries harder to compete but at ABC, where you cancel hit shows like, Boston Legal, George Lopez, and Friday night hit, Women’s Murder Club, to replace them with Eli Stone, According To Jim and Supernanny, the thought processes going on there are asinine at the least.

Here’s for season 4! And BTW. The Season 3 finale was the best episode I have ever seen on television for any series ever. If it comes down to that being the series finale, I’ll be happy that it left on a high note, but sad it won’t return.

Thank you NBC for three amazing years. Shame on ABC to not do what NBC did with FNL for Pushing Daisies. SHAME ON ABC. SHAME!

Unfortunately there is no way for us to break out the economics of CBS broadcast primetime versus the vast CBS media empire (including radio, billboards, etc). There can be zero doubt that CBS’ top line for its primetime programming is larger than NBC’s top line for primetime, that’s hardly speculative. But any analysis beyond that is, sadly, purely speculative.

Chuck

I wonder if NBC will air out the rest of the season. Might as well, they really have no replacements anyways.

As a DirecTV viewer of FNL, I can say that I’ve seen the end of Season 3 and I won’t spoil it for anyone. One general comment about the series: it’s been a refreshing change of pace to see a story whose central characters include a still-in-love, longtime married couple. The Taylors have navigated very real marital issues, and it’s clear they are solidly devoted to each other for better or worse. Kudos to Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton for giving such life to the Taylors!

Looks like CBS has finally found a block of shows that holds the 10-million figure solidly throughout the night. Plan on a block of GW, Flashpoint, and Numb3rs for as long as humanly possible!

FNL data from from Nov 9, 2007 for perspective on historical DVR viewing of the show:

Live: 5.13 million
Live+SD: 5.565 million
Live+7: 6.15 million (+10.5% over Live+SD, +20% over Live)

And while last night could very easily be different for a variety of factors, a 500k boost in Live+7 over Live+SD for last night seems in the historical range.

since when you can pay bills with Golden Globes?

Here’s a link to a article in Forbs which buys the BS Ostroff is selling and where she claims: “We’ve had a fantastic year”. What a joke.

Link: http://www.forbes.com/media/2009/01/13/television-cw-ostroff-biz-media-cx_lr_0113thecw.html

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a ratings increase once the people who watch on DVR within 7 days are factored in, but we’ll see.

Unless Direct TV is paying nearly all the costs for Friday Night Lights and giving it to NBC for free, this is undoubtedly it’s last gasp.