Washington, D.C.
(April 23, 2007) -- NBC's decision to eliminate
High-Definition programming on Sunday night could be giving the
network low ratings.
Since the beginning of March, NBC's Sunday night lineup has featured three shows that are not broadcast in high-def:
Dateline, the newsmagazine show, airs first at 7 p.m., followed by the game show Deal or No Deal at 9 p.m. and Donald Trump's The Apprentice at 10 p.m.
The lineup seems to ignore the rapid growth of High-Definition TV over the last year. With high-def prices plunging, millions of Americans are bringing home new sets. The Consumer Electronics Association reported this month that HDTV is now in 28 million U.S. homes, although not every home has a high-def tuner, which is necessary to watch HD programming.
Since the beginning of March, NBC's Sunday night lineup has featured three shows that are not broadcast in high-def:
Dateline, the newsmagazine show, airs first at 7 p.m., followed by the game show Deal or No Deal at 9 p.m. and Donald Trump's The Apprentice at 10 p.m.
The lineup seems to ignore the rapid growth of High-Definition TV over the last year. With high-def prices plunging, millions of Americans are bringing home new sets. The Consumer Electronics Association reported this month that HDTV is now in 28 million U.S. homes, although not every home has a high-def tuner, which is necessary to watch HD programming.
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NBC is the only broadcast network (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) that does not offer any programming in HD on Sunday nights. And it could be costing the network in the ratings race. During the month of April, the network has been trounced by its broadcast rivals. To wit:
* On Sunday, April 15, NBC's no-HDTV lineup finished last in the network ratings.
* On Sunday, April 8, NBC was third, barely edging out Fox, which showed a lineup of repeats.
* On Sunday, April 1, the network also finished a distant third.
NBC CEO Jeff Zucker: Who needs HDTV?
Opposite NBC's non-HD lineup, CBS' Sunday night lineup includes the high-def dramas, Cold Case and Without a Trace; ABC offers Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters in high-def while Fox last week premiered Drive in HD.
Nielsen has yet to release specific ratings for high-def viewers, but HD owners are included in the overall measurement. Many high-def viewers may be opting not to watch NBC on Sunday nights because the network does not offer any shows in HD.
Jeff Zucker, NBC's Universal's CEO, shouldn't be too shocked if that's the case. The Washington Post asked Zucker late last year if he was concerned that the network's decision to increase its unscripted non-HD lineup could alienate HDTV owners.
"It's hard to say if viewers will be less interested in unscripted programming that's not in HD when the rest of the programming is in HD," Zucker told the newspaper. "I think it's a fair question, but I'm not overly concerned about it at this point."
Maybe he should start getting concerned now.
Final Note: NBC announced today that it will air theatrical movies on three Sunday nights during the 'Sweeps' month of May, after Trump's The Apprentice finishes its season. The network did not say if the films will be presented in High-Definition.
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NBC is the only broadcast network (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) that does not offer any programming in HD on Sunday nights. And it could be costing the network in the ratings race. During the month of April, the network has been trounced by its broadcast rivals. To wit:
* On Sunday, April 15, NBC's no-HDTV lineup finished last in the network ratings.
* On Sunday, April 8, NBC was third, barely edging out Fox, which showed a lineup of repeats.
* On Sunday, April 1, the network also finished a distant third.
NBC CEO Jeff Zucker: Who needs HDTV?
Opposite NBC's non-HD lineup, CBS' Sunday night lineup includes the high-def dramas, Cold Case and Without a Trace; ABC offers Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters in high-def while Fox last week premiered Drive in HD.
Nielsen has yet to release specific ratings for high-def viewers, but HD owners are included in the overall measurement. Many high-def viewers may be opting not to watch NBC on Sunday nights because the network does not offer any shows in HD.
Jeff Zucker, NBC's Universal's CEO, shouldn't be too shocked if that's the case. The Washington Post asked Zucker late last year if he was concerned that the network's decision to increase its unscripted non-HD lineup could alienate HDTV owners.
"It's hard to say if viewers will be less interested in unscripted programming that's not in HD when the rest of the programming is in HD," Zucker told the newspaper. "I think it's a fair question, but I'm not overly concerned about it at this point."
Maybe he should start getting concerned now.
Final Note: NBC announced today that it will air theatrical movies on three Sunday nights during the 'Sweeps' month of May, after Trump's The Apprentice finishes its season. The network did not say if the films will be presented in High-Definition.
Comment on this article!
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
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Phillip Swann is
president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in
dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox
News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The
Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The
Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com
or at 703-505-3064.
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