Washington, D.C. (December 15, 2008) -- Editor's note: Over the next few weeks, Swanni will make several predictions for HDTV in 2009. Here is his second prediction.
On some nights, if you're a NBC viewer, you might think that this High-Definition thing is a figment of someone's imagination. The network's primetime lineup is often stuffed with non-HD, reality shows such as The Biggest Loser, Deal or No Deal, Momma's Boys and Dateline. Even first-run showings of theatrical films are often broadcast in standard-def.
No other broadcast network schedules fewer shows in high-def than NBC.
This is not a coincidence. NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker has publicly dissed HDTV in the past, suggesting that high-def owners don't really care if a show is in HD; if they like the show, they'll probably watch whether it's in HD or SD, Zucker has said.
NBC CEO Jeff Zucker.
"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 said in 2006. "I think it's a fair question, but I'm not overly concerned about it at this point."
Consequently, Zucker, the Cheapest Man in Television, he has kept network spending down by loading up the schedule with non-scripted, non-HD reality shows. And there are reports that more are coming in 2009 as the network seeks to save money during the recession.
And that's just fine with Zuck; this guy has never met a budget cut he didn't like.
Of course, the funny thing (one of the few funny things left at NBC after the glory days of Must-See TV) is that the strategy has not been successful. NBC's ratings often place it in third or fourth place every week among the four major networks.
Oddly, General Electric, which owns NBC, doesn't seem too bothered. Zucker has apparently done an effective job of persuading his bosses that he has things under control. He's more nimble than his fictional counterpart, Jack Donaghy, from NBC's 30 Rock.
But wait until next year.
According to Nielsen, one-fourth of U.S. households now watch high-def regularly; that's twice as much as a year ago and the number is rising steadily.
And Nielsen and other research firms have found that high-def owners want to watch high-def programming, not standard-def shows done on the cheap.
By alienating 25 percent of the audience -- an audience that could hit one-third before the end of 2009 -- Zucker is guaranteeing that NBC's audience will shrink even further. When NBC airs Deal or No Deal, Biggest Loser or Dateline, many high-def viewers will switch the channel to something -- anything -- that happens to be in HD.
So, I predict that NBC's ratings will fall even more dramatically next year -- and I will expand that prediction to say that Jeff Zucker will be the industry's Biggest Loser.
Also see:
Swanni Predicts: Home 3-D Fails In 2009
On some nights, if you're a NBC viewer, you might think that this High-Definition thing is a figment of someone's imagination. The network's primetime lineup is often stuffed with non-HD, reality shows such as The Biggest Loser, Deal or No Deal, Momma's Boys and Dateline. Even first-run showings of theatrical films are often broadcast in standard-def.
No other broadcast network schedules fewer shows in high-def than NBC.
This is not a coincidence. NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker has publicly dissed HDTV in the past, suggesting that high-def owners don't really care if a show is in HD; if they like the show, they'll probably watch whether it's in HD or SD, Zucker has said.
NBC CEO Jeff Zucker.
"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 said in 2006. "I think it's a fair question, but I'm not overly concerned about it at this point."
Consequently, Zucker, the Cheapest Man in Television, he has kept network spending down by loading up the schedule with non-scripted, non-HD reality shows. And there are reports that more are coming in 2009 as the network seeks to save money during the recession.
And that's just fine with Zuck; this guy has never met a budget cut he didn't like.
Of course, the funny thing (one of the few funny things left at NBC after the glory days of Must-See TV) is that the strategy has not been successful. NBC's ratings often place it in third or fourth place every week among the four major networks.
Oddly, General Electric, which owns NBC, doesn't seem too bothered. Zucker has apparently done an effective job of persuading his bosses that he has things under control. He's more nimble than his fictional counterpart, Jack Donaghy, from NBC's 30 Rock.
But wait until next year.
According to Nielsen, one-fourth of U.S. households now watch high-def regularly; that's twice as much as a year ago and the number is rising steadily.
And Nielsen and other research firms have found that high-def owners want to watch high-def programming, not standard-def shows done on the cheap.
By alienating 25 percent of the audience -- an audience that could hit one-third before the end of 2009 -- Zucker is guaranteeing that NBC's audience will shrink even further. When NBC airs Deal or No Deal, Biggest Loser or Dateline, many high-def viewers will switch the channel to something -- anything -- that happens to be in HD.
So, I predict that NBC's ratings will fall even more dramatically next year -- and I will expand that prediction to say that Jeff Zucker will be the industry's Biggest Loser.
Also see:
Swanni Predicts: Home 3-D Fails In 2009
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Phillip Swann is
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