HDTV: Low Priority For Reality TV Shows
Networks and producers point to technical and cost reasons.
By Swanni
According to USA Today, network executives and reality show producers believe that high-def is too costly for a genre that's designed to be produced more cheaply than scripted programming.
In network primetime now, American Idol and American Gladiator are the only reality shows in high-def. (Dancing With the Stars, which is in HD, returns to the air next month.)
Other popular reality programs such as Survivor and The Amazing Race are still in old-fashioned standard-def. But some producers say high-def poses too many technical issues as well as cost concerns.
"(The cameras) "are not meant yet for that type of rough travel and the sheer cost," Jonathan Littman, executive producer of the adventure series, The Amazing Race, tells USA Today. "It's a pretty high escalation in our budget. It's not double at the moment, but it's hundreds of thousands of dollars for the total run."
Littman added that he hopes the show will go high-def in a year or two.
Survivor creator Mark Burnett said HD would be nice for his popular series, "but the show already has a high visual quality."
USA Today writes that the networks were reluctant to comment on future plans for reality and HD.
"We're not ready to comment on future programming, especially not about High-Definition," Fox's Scott Grogin told the newspaper. "Ultimately, who knows?"
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Swanni (Phillip Swann) is
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