NBC is now telling you to “chime in”
The concept of network slogans are coming back. NBC has started a new campaign with little advance fanfare asking viewers to “Chime In” to the network. This follows a similar recent strategic move by ABC when they asked viewers to “Start Here”.
In the age of viral marketing, there has been little evidence of this move by NBC. It is not on NBC website nor are there any major campaigns promoting it.
The entire “network slogan” concept was abandoned by the networks in the 1990s. The last notable slogan used was ABC’s laughable “TV Is Good” which was abandoned in 1997. Other historical slogans include Fox’s “Just One Fox” and CBS’ “The Address Is CBS” and “It’s All Here”.
This is a case of networks trying anything to get back sagging ratings (particularly NBC, which is number four right now). What exactly does “chime in” mean anyway? Is it an attempt by NBC to make the network programming more user-interactive? Will there be telephone hotlines and Internet polls?
Missing Lost? Read a book!
ABC wants Lost fans to spend the show’s long hiatus curled up with a good book. The network has created the Lost Book Club, a resource for viewers who want to know more about the drama’s numerous literary references. The book club website contains a list of the books seen or referred to on Lost. You can peruse the list according to season or based on a number of categories (background, dialogue, and show theme).
In a brief letter to fans, executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse mentioned that the club is informal and that the books should be used to enhance the Lost experience, not provide answers to the show’s mysteries.
Each book description includes a reminder of where and when the book appeared on Lost and provides a short synopsis of the work. Another fun feature of the book club site is a message board that fans can use to discuss the relevance of books like Through the Looking Glass and A Brief History of Time. With over fifty books listed, the club should keep any die-hard fan busy for quite a while.
I’m not sure if I’ll get around to reading Bonjour, Babar, but some of the most frequently mentioned books are worth a closer look.
[via Pop Candy]
Which shows do young and old viewers watch?
Variety has an interesting article up about the age demographics of certain TV shows. It seems that the average age of the television viewer has risen to the age of 50, outside of the key demographic of 18 to 49.
The oldest-skewing shows are NBC’s Monk and ABC’s Women’s Murder Club. Interestingly, the ages on ABC, Fox, and NBC have been rising while CBS, which promotes to an older demographic to begin with, remains steady.
The study was released by Magna Global’s Steve Sternberg. “The median ages of the broadcast networks keep rising, as traditional television is no longer necessarily the first screen for the younger set,” Sternberg wrote.
The CW, whose viewership tends to skew younger, insists that the average age of the television viewer is 38, the median age of the United States populace.
In short, if you’re older and you want to seem younger than you are, be sure to watch The CW (average age: 34) or American Dad and Family Guy (average age: 29).
Leno’s options: Could he replace Letterman at CBS?!
You know how people say stuff like “if CBS cancels Moonlight, I’m never watching that stupid network again!”? I think those proclamations are usually silly, but I might be in that group if the following happens: CBS replacing David Letterman with Jay Leno.
That’s one of the options listed in this handy Hollywood Reporter guide to what Leno will do after his stint on NBC is over in 2009. The other options are going to ABC at 11:35, going to FOX at 11:35, a syndicated show with Sony, he stays at NBC and does some other primetime show, he takes over for Larry King on CNN, or he goes back to doing standup full-time. Taking over for Letterman would happen if (and when - he could extend his contract) Letterman retires in 2010.
This would, to me, completely suck, even if Letterman did retire and wasn’t really “replaced” by Leno. But I think that Letterman would be hurt by that decision if CBS were to make it. Just this week we found out that Letterman has suffered his worst ratings since he started on CBS in 1993, for the 18-49 demo anyway, getting a 0.9.
It would certainly be odd to see Leno replace Letterman at CBS, almost like it would be the final nail in the late night talk show coffin and final proof that when it’s all said and done, Leno beat Letterman in the ratings and even beat him on his own network.