MyNetworkTV's general health

[The Frog 396]

TVNewsCheck has put up an article about MyNetworkTV's fall season and how things are going behind the scenes.

 

-This could be the first time the programming service has any kind of buzz, as they've picked up cable behemoth The Walking Dead.

 

 

“The Walking Dead and The Mentalist have reenergized the brand itself and our local stations,” says Paul Franklin, EVP-general sales manager of broadcast at Twentieth Television. “Their sales staffs and promotion departments are jazzed that these shows are coming.”

 

-Fox is still jazzed about running it.

 

 

“We’re heading into the fall as optimistic about MyNetworkTV as we have ever been,” says Frank Cicha, SVP of programming at Fox Television Stations, which airs MNT on its 10 duopolies. “Every year, we want to grow. But I would anticipate that we’ll do better this fall with The Walking Dead.”

 

-Interestingly, they still see themselves as competing with The CW.

 

 

MNT got off to a rough start. It formed from a large group of stations that were left without a network when CBS-owned UPN merged with Warner Bros.’ The WB, to form The CW.

 

MNT debuted as a network that aired original five-night-a-week dramas in the style of Univision’s Spanish-language novelas, such as Fashion House starring Bo Derek and Morgan Fairchild. That programming strategy quickly faltered.

 

“Following that setback, they began what is now a combination of off-cable and off-broadcast programming five nights a week,” says Bill Carroll, vice president and director of programming at Katz Television. “With a few exceptions, they have had a consistent audience while remaining competitive with the CW.”

 

 

 

 

-However, The CW still outranks them in the ratings.

 

 

MNT averaged a 0.8 household rating the past three sweeps — November, February and May, compared to The CW’s 0.88. However, MNT trails pretty far behind The CW among adults 18-49 with a 0.29 rating, compared to a 0.52.

 

-Station owners regard them as successful independents.

 

 

“They’re not doing anything revolutionary,” says Carroll. “But they are doing what independent TV stations have done in the past and, to some extent, what cable networks do now. It is a strategy that works that they are using across all their markets.”

 

-Tribune's WPHL is one of the strongest MyNetworkTV stations in the country.

 

 

“Tribune Media’s MyNetworkTV in Philly [WPHL] has been a strong performer for us the past several years,” says Sean Compton, president of strategic programming and acquisitions at Tribune Media, which also owns MNT station KZJO Seattle and KAUT Oklahoma City.

 

“We have one of the healthiest MyNet affiliates in the country. The viewer circulation from our strong off-network shows and daytime products has a halo into other dayparts, making it easier for us to promote MyNet.”

 

 

 

 

-MyNet is satisfied with their station clearances, but they're always interested in upgrading.

 

 

Meantime, Franklin says he’s happy with MNT’s station clearances. “We are locked in for a number of years at 97%,” he says. “We’re in good shape in that regard. But we talk to stations all the time. We’re always working on new opportunities in the marketplace.”

 

-MyNet isn't afraid of being on subchannels.

 

 

MyNetworkTV airs on dot.two subchannels in 59 mostly small DMAs.

 

“A lot of dot.twos are pretty strong in their markets,” Franklin says. “We’re not afraid of being on a dot.two station — some of them are very well programmed. But we are still primarily made up of a pretty strong lineup of full-power stations.”

 

-MyNet offers favorable financial options to their stations.

 

 

Twentieth’s deal with stations is an all barter 50-50 split.

 

“What makes MyNetworkTV attractive is the cost factor, coupled with network-quality programs,” says Cicha. “We have been able to get shows that resonate with viewers and advertisers.”

 

 

 

 

Despite not having a strong pulse in the Nielsons, stations and brass seem to be happy enough with MyNetworkTV, and there's no sign that it's leaving any time soon.

[Mrtraveler01 737]

 

 

-Tribune's WPHL is one of the strongest MyNetworkTV stations in the country.

 

 

Wasn't WPHL one of the better rated MyNetwork affiliates because they had the OTA rights to Phillies baseball? They just lost that this year to WCAU so I wonder how well WPHL will do now.

[Rusty Muck 4256]

It basically gives the stations two hours of easy reruns in primetime, which helps if the station is the junior partner in a duopoly. There's nothing that special about the service.

 

Curious, though, as to how "The Walking Dead" reruns do on MyTV. Obviously there will have to be edits for domestic television purposes, and in the case of some shows ("South Park," "It's Always Sunny") reruns for those cable shows on broadcast television were terrible.

[dalekusa 0]

Wasn't WPHL one of the better rated MyNetwork affiliates because they had the OTA rights to Phillies baseball? They just lost that this year to WCAU so I wonder how well WPHL will do now.

They still have Action News at Ten, which is expanding to a full hour in the near future, so that may help compensate a little bit.

[Mrknowitall526 108]

 

They still have Action News at Ten, which is expanding to a full hour in the near future, so that may help compensate a little bit.

 

I think that probably compensates A LOT. I think I saw somewhere that Action News at 10 on PHL17 sweeps the 10 o'clock hour. Really out of nowhere ... no lead-in that's worth anything.

 

I bet you could air Action News at 3 am on PHL17 and people would still tune it.

[Breaking News 805]

MNT somebody should pull that plug and turn the machine off. This network has already flat line for so many years that who would of thought there still around. I always felt these MNT affiliates should go back to being an independent outlet and FOX should produce those action pack mini-series like Smoky and The Bandit series etc and more.

 

Does any of those affiliates carry NBA, MLB, games like many of those local affiliates used to do?

[dalekusa 0]

MNT somebody should pull that plug and turn the machine off. This network has already flat line for so many years that who would of thought there still around. I always felt these MNT affiliates should go back to being an independent outlet and FOX should produce those action pack mini-series like Smoky and The Bandit series etc and more.

 

Does any of those affiliates carry NBA, MLB, games like many of those local affiliates used to do?

 

WWOR still has it's association with YES (Yankees baseball and Nets basketball), and here in Birmingham, WABM is part of owner Sinclair's new American Sports Network (used to be ACC Network, but it moved to WTTO when the SEC TV package was canceled/moved to the new SEC Network), but otherwise, I have no clue if any other MNTV stations still have major sports.

[nomadcowatbk 144]

 

MNT somebody should pull that plug and turn the machine off. This network has already flat line for so many years that who would of thought there still around. I always felt these MNT affiliates should go back to being an independent outlet and FOX should produce those action pack mini-series like Smoky and The Bandit series etc and more.

 

Does any of those affiliates carry NBA, MLB, games like many of those local affiliates used to do?

 

KSMO airs high school and small college sports, it had the syndicated SEC football basketball packages last year but they're moving to the SEC network. The major sports packages are moving to cable. CW and MNTV give stations 2 hours of M-F programming. CW is basically a loss leader for netflix deals, Tribune doesn't get any of that $.

[LoadStar 363]

 

MNT somebody should pull that plug and turn the machine off.

 

MyNetworkTV is simply a package of syndicated programs, which are exactly what virtually all MyNetworkTV affiliates would be showing anyway. There's no point to "pulling the plug."

 

MyNetworkTV is really not much different than Ion Television... or, heck, what many cable networks are showing most of the day.

[justin2kx 229]

 

MyNetworkTV is simply a package of syndicated programs, which are exactly what virtually all MyNetworkTV affiliates would be showing anyway. There's no point to "pulling the plug."

 

MyNetworkTV is really not much different than Ion Television... or, heck, what many cable networks are showing most of the day.

 

Correct. Mynet stations are essentially 'independent', thus it is a broadcast service, cutting out the work for the station's programmers in 2 hrs. (yes, I consider ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC as the 'main 5') and that's what affiliates would do even if MyNet 'goes away' and those affiliates become independent. The same thing showing two hours of L&O, Bones, House, etc. Do stations still have movie libraries like they used to have back in the day? Maybe they could showcase at least one night a week.

[1place4news 5]

Read on another thread that KRON's affiliation expires September 30. Has there been any mention of MyNet's probable move to KICU when Fox takes over in the Bay Area yet?

[Rusty Muck 4256]

MNT somebody should pull that plug and turn the machine off. This network has already flat line for so many years that who would of thought there still around. I always felt these MNT affiliates should go back to being an independent outlet and FOX should produce those action pack mini-series like Smoky and The Bandit series etc and more.

 

Does any of those affiliates carry NBA, MLB, games like many of those local affiliates used to do?

WUAB still carries Cavaliers games, though they are simulcast with originating network Fox Sports Ohio. Plus they air Lake Erie Monsters and assorted Raycom college football games.

 

Other than that, WUAB has been reduced to a dumping ground for WOIO. Their current program lineup overall is shameful.

[NEOMatrix 1295]

WUAB still carries Cavaliers games, though they are simulcast with originating network Fox Sports Ohio. Plus they air Lake Erie Monsters and assorted Raycom college football games.

 

Other than that, WUAB has been reduced to a dumping ground for WOIO. Their current program lineup overall is shameful.

Shameful? Other than the "Trash 3" and a boatload of infomercials on the weekends there's nothing to be ashamed of...oh wait, I forgot WUAB used to be the top indy in Cleveland. What happened?

[justin2kx 229]

 

Read on another thread that KRON's affiliation expires September 30. Has there been any mention of MyNet's probable move to KICU when Fox takes over in the Bay Area yet?

 

I was about to ask that but I don't think it would make sense -not that it would be a loss in any sense- if Mynet continues on KRON. KRON had to know at some point the affiliation would move to KICU at some point so what's the point of renewing the affiliation or holdover until the fox deal is finalized? Give it up.

[Rusty Muck 4256]

I was about to ask that but I don't think it would make sense -not that it would be a loss in any sense- if Mynet continues on KRON. KRON had to know at some point the affiliation would move to KICU at some point so what's the point of renewing the affiliation or holdover until the fox deal is finalized? Give it up.

Losing MyTV would be a massive upgrade for KRON. And LIN-MG knows it.

[Rusty Muck 4256]

Shameful? Other than the "Trash 3" and a boatload of infomercials on the weekends there's nothing to be ashamed of...oh wait, I forgot WUAB used to be the top indy in Cleveland. What happened?

Chalk it up to when Steven Cannell wanted out of broadcast ownership back in 1994.

 

Plus Raycom wants to protect WOIO, as it clearly has the stronger programming lineup.

[Mrtraveler01 737]

 

I think that probably compensates A LOT. I think I saw somewhere that Action News at 10 on PHL17 sweeps the 10 o'clock hour. Really out of nowhere ... no lead-in that's worth anything.

 

I bet you could air Action News at 3 am on PHL17 and people would still tune it.

 

I've watched the news on Fox 29 before. I can see why people would rather watch Action News on PHL17 instead.