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October 11, 2002
What to make of a wounded 'West Wing'
cnn.com
HOLLYWOOD, California (Reuters) -- Ratings for "The West Wing" have tumbled this fall -- but that's not all bad news for the folks at NBC or the show's producer, Warner Bros. TV, Variety reports.
For NBC, the weakening of an anchor show is hardly a cause for celebration, particularly given the so-so performance of its new comedies and the potential exit of "Friends" this May.
Yet the timing of "West Wing's" decline is actually perfect for NBC, since the network is just a few months away from starting talks with Warner Bros. over extending the Emmy-winning White House drama's license fee agreement. Warner Bros. is a division of AOL Time Warner, as is CNN.
With "Wing" less of a powerhouse -- the series is down a full 33 percent in adults 18-49 vs. the same period a year ago, and 16 percent compared with its 2001-02 average -- the studio might have less leverage to hold up NBC for an outrageous per-episode sum.
And better the series fade now as it begins its fourth season than after NBC locks in for a few more years (as happened to ABC after the network renewed "The Drew Carey Show" for three years).
"Warner Bros. is not going to get as much money as they originally thought," said one high-level agent. "Whoever bids really has to decide how much future they think the show has."
Locked in on Wednesdays At the same time, while Warner Bros. isn't happy about the Nielsen trend for "West Wing," parent AOL Time Warner has reason to smile.
Five out of the six series screening Wednesdays at 9 p.m. -- "West Wing," ABC's "The Bachelor," Fox's "Fastlane," WB's "Birds of Prey" and UPN's "Twilight Zone" -- are produced or co-produced by some division of the AOL Time Warner-owned studio.
"Looking at the 18-34 demographic, it certainly is the most competitive time period on TV," said CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl. "In terms of reaching younger viewers it's emerged as the No. 1 battleground."
And, while the season's still early, most of the shows are doing well despite the intense competition: "Bachelor" is a phenomenon; "Birds of Prey" got off to a strong start this week; "Fastlane" was promising in its bow; and "Wing," while bruised, is still a powerhouse. Even "Twilight Zone" upticked this week.
Indeed, the Big Six controlled 63 percent of the adults 18-49 audience from 9-10 p.m. this Wednesday, up from 58 percent a year ago in the same slot.
Industry insiders call AOL Time Warner's Wednesday 9 p.m. grudge match "the price you pay for success."
"If someone had to compete with you, it might as well be yourself," a rival executive said.
'A 13 share is still a 13 share' As for the looming "West Wing" renegotiation battle, many still believe NBC will open its wallet wide when the time comes.
"It's a conundrum that's almost analogous to the entire broadcast sector," a rival network chieftain said. "Just as advertisers continue to pay for lesser ratings, for NBC, a 13 share is still a 13 share -- which can very easily become a 7 share (if they don't keep 'West Wing')."
Executives note that advertisers still pay a premium to air their spots during "The West Wing." As NBC loves to tell ad buyers each May, no other show on TV snags a bigger share of viewers with annual incomes over $75,000.
Still, although "West Wing's" lower ratings would conceivably benefit NBC execs at the negotiating table, most rivals agree the network would still rather pull higher numbers rather than save some coin.
"When push comes to shove, I'm sure they'd rather be in the position of fretting over how costly the deal would be to pick up a 20 share show," the rival network boss said.
Posted by MorganG at October 11, 2002 03:42 PM