Cable Channels and Original Programming
American Movie Classics, for instance, began life in the 1980s by airing classic movies of the black and white variety. Although AMC—as it is now officially known—experimented with original programming in the late 1990s with Remember WENN and The Lot, it wasn’t until 2007 and the premier of Mad Men that the channel truly embraced the format. Even though it has only launched a small handful of additional series since, including Breaking Bad in 2008, the accolades awarded Mad Men has elevated the cable channel to a level of prestige and success that it had never been able to previously achieve. The same holds true for FX and USA Network.
“I’m not sure what FX’s identity would be if it didn’t have any original programming,” John Landgraf, president of FX, told Broadcasting & Cable in July 2010. “I don’t think it would be a brand that both advertisers and viewers would know very much about. So even though we could make more money theoretically if we didn’t make original programming, we would have a weaker channel from a branding, ratings and ad sales standpoint, and a far weaker channel from an affiliate sales standpoint.”
B&C details the benefits of original programming for cable channels in an article entitled The Mad Men Lesson: Buzz Lights Up a Network. It points out that while shows like Mad Men cost more to produce compared to securing the rights to a syndicated series, the prestige of airing a critically-acclaimed show enables AMC to charge more for other—and often cheaper—programming. It also raises the recognition level of the channel when it comes time to negotiate with cable carriers to include the network as part of their subscription packages.
Cable networks also own the original series they broadcast, if not in their entirety like FX and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, then at least a significant percentage as AMC does with Mad Men. The quality nature of such shows also attracts a loyal fanbase that inevitably purchases the DVDs, while the generated buzz assists in securing a more competitive syndication price. Thus while television networks regularly cancel quality shows because of low rating that are still often higher than a cable series, the AMCs and FXs of the industry are more willing to ride out the initial shortfall because of the long term gains.
The fact that Mad Men, along with the likes of Breaking Bad and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, are either Emmy magnets or critical darlings only enhance their positive impact. “It’s a validation of our programming,” Linda Schupack, senior vice president of marketing at AMC told The Hollywood Reporter in regards to the Emmys. “Taken as a whole, we’re the most-nominated basic cable network. That’s a very strong AMC story as well as a strong story for the other shows. It’s a story we can tell to advertisers—we’re not smoke and mirrors, we’re the real deal.”
While cable channels obviously benefit from airing original content, another winner is the television writer looking for the freedom to create a quality series. Network television, because of weakened rating that have steadily eroded since the advent of cable in the 1970s and 80s, is often inclined to pick-up fare that has the greatest potential to reach the largest audience possible—thus the recent glut of forensic dramas and reality shows—as opposed to groundbreaking or innovative content. While a show like the ABC series Lost or the NBC comedy The Office may sneak through the development process and find a spot on the schedule, they are the rare exception rather than the rule. More often than not, a quality show does not achieve the ratings needed in the highly competitive world of network television.
Cables channels, on the other hand, are more willing to trust the creators of the shows they air and give them the freedom to develop their vision. Budgets for such series are often smaller than their network counterparts but the trade off is one that producers are willing to make, especially with the threat of quick cancellation if the ratings are lower than anticipated being a non-factor.
“There’s a better shot of getting shows on, and when they get on, those shows stay on and get more expansive support,” Lionsgate Television President Kevin Beggs commented to B&C. “As a studio supplier, you’re the beneficiary of that kind of tender loving care.”
The ultimate winner in regards to original programming on cable channels, however, is the fan of quality television. The patience that cable networks practice means that a new show will see its way to the end of its initial episode order without being prematurely yanked off the air, while the “prestige” benefits can only mean that an ample supply of intelligent, thought-provoking programming will continue to be around for the foreseeable future. Add slogans like AMC’s “Story Matters Here” and USA Network’s “Characters Welcome” into the mix, and its no wonder that cable channels have turned into a “must see” destination in their own right.
Anthony Letizia (August 4, 2010)
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