Summer's Programming Gambits

Cable World, May 15, 2000 by Mike Reynolds

Usually, cable networks gave the broadcast networks all they can handle during the summer rerun season. But ABC's Millionaire and CBS's Survivor gambit may give cable a taste of its own summer medicine.

There once was a time when summer meant broadcast TV reruns and a flurry of new shows from cable networks. That summer siesta by broadcasters gave cable programmers an opening that typically resulted in strong ratings.

With the success of ABC's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which exploded onto the scene last August, many expect the networks to emerge from their summer somnabulence with original programming that will ignite lightning in a cathode ray tube.

Both CBS and Fox have announced their schedules, with the Tiffany network getting plenty of press coverage for its Survivor and Big Brother gambits.

Fox recently announced its "Summer of Love" lineup, highlighted by Britney Spears and Carlos Santana concerts, the series premiere of the animated comedy Gary and Mike, and the return of Eddie Murphy's PJs and the Jennifer Love Hewitt vehicle Time of Your Life.

NBC and ABC have dropped hints about significant new programming up their sleeves. And ABC, has the breakaway hit Millionaire airing thrice weekly throughout the summer.

"There is less here than meets the eye," quipped Bob Sieber, VP-audience development at Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

Sieber isn't diminishing Millionaire's impact on TV in general and the broadcasters in particular this summer. "ABC was third last year with a 5.9 average rating. There hasn't been any sign that Millionaire is slowing down, so three runs averaging a 17/18 rating are going to be huge for ABC," he said.

"One of the problems for broadcasters in launching summer shows is that they are cast into a sea of repeats," noted Tim Brooks, VP-research at Lifetime Television. "Broadcast is not getting the tune-in for their repeats, so most of the promos for the new shows will get lost anyway."

Sieber remains confident basic cable ratings will increase this summer. "Cable can pick up a 3% to 4% increase in average primetime ratings," he said. That would translate to a rating between 25.8 and 26.1. At those levels, Sieber said, cable would post a 49 share.

Brooks said cable is poised to record its best summer ever. "It took a while for cable to capitalize on broadcast's summer shutdown. But the industry started figuring things out about five years ago and has been producing more quality shows for summer airings," he said. "That bar has only been raised this year by what's being produced for MTV's 10 Spot, Comedy Central, USA, Sci Fi and Lifetime, among others."

Sieber agrees. "The industry has prepared a lot of very good programming, which is important since there is an opportunity to capture even more sampling during September. There will be confusion at the start of the fall season with NBC carrying the Olympics into early October," he said.

Sieber also pointed to Turner Networks' prospects, such as TBS's high-profile theatricals Austin Powers and As Good As It Gets, original films like On Hostile Ground and Atlanta Braves baseball. "The Braves are looking good," he said. "Their first four primetime games averaged a 1.7, while the next four moved to a 1.9. About 38% of TBS's primetime lineup this summer is Braves baseball."

As for TNT, Sieber points to sports like the PGA Championship in August and Wimbledon tennis -- airing principally during daytime -- in July as properties that will lift the network's profile. He also cites such TNT Original summer films as Nuremberg, Race Against Time, Running Mates and The Warden as having the potential to push the Nielsen needle.

The following is a programming sampler of some of the original series, specials and films that will debut on basic cable during summer 2000.

Summer sounds

TNN will be in the summer strum with several music specials. Country music star and avid outdoorsman Tracy Byrd hosts Wonders of Wildlife Honors: A Concert For Conservation on May 30 at 8 p.m. The two-hour special pays tribute to individuals who have made major contributions to conservation efforts. Sixteen days later, humorist Jeff Foxworthy will host the first live telecast of Country Weekly Presents The TNN Music Awards.

On June 28, TNN will present Class of 2000, a concert hosted by LeAnn Rimes. It spotlights some of country music's young stars.

Soon-to-be-sibling network MTV is buttressing its 10 Spot franchise with a half-dozen summer launches. Spy Groove, premiering in June, is a high-speed animated skein pitting two agents against the world's growing roster of media-juiced, wealthy and powerful vanity junkies. Live Through This is a one-hour drama examining the relationship between five youngsters and their 70's rock star parents.

Also bowing in August: 2gether. This boy band saga series is the latest in an MTV cottage industry spawned by the net's first telepic of the same name. There's a top-selling soundtrack album and rotation on Total Request Live to boot.

Meanwhile, sister channel VH1 will turn its cameras on three new series this summer. The Fan explores diehard fans and the bands that inspire their intense devotion. The show's focus on fanaticism also will be used as a springboard to look at the larger cultural landscape in an entertaining, story-driven manner. Metallica and its devotees are up first.