Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Friday, November 18th, 2022

The dangers of conventional wisdom.

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, November 18th, 2022.

THE DANGERS OF CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
I frequently write here about conventional wisdom and how often it turns out to be wrong. Every time I hear an idea prefaced with "Well, everyone knows...," I tend to start looking for the flaw in the statement. Because the truth of the matter is that just because an idea makes sense on the surface, that doesn't mean it is truly the way things work in the real world.

Take, for instance, cable television networks. Five years or so ago, the conventional wisdom was that many of the smaller and less-watched cable channels would disappear. There are a remarkable number of cable channels that don't air any original programming. In fact, they often don't air anything that was produced in the last decade. They are zombie channels, with almost no staff and a primetime audience that measures in the low thousands. There is no commercial reason for them to exist and no one would miss them if they disappeared tomorrow. So arguing they would eventually go away makes sense on the face of it.

What that conventional wisdom neglected to factor into the equation was the current linear TV ecosystem, which encourages companies to continue anti-consumer practices. Because as it turns out, those zombie channels might not matter to viewers. But they have a financial value for the big media companies who own them.

This newsletter has a readership ranging from casual TV fans to experienced industry executives, so I'll try and keep the explanation short and to the point. The way cable television works is that whatever company you get your channels from - whether it's cable, satellite or one of the new virtual services such as Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV - has to pay a monthly subscriber fee to the owner of each network for the rights to retransmit it to you. That fee can range from a few dollars at the high end to a few cents for the networks with the smallest audiences. And while your provider would love to just carry the networks that grab the biggest audience, industry consolidation means that most of the channels on your chosen service are owned by a handful of companies. And each of those companies licenses their networks in a take-it-or-leave-it bundle. Longstanding grandfather clauses in the contracts also ensure that every service has to pay the same price per channel. And everyone is forced to accept the same massive bundle of networks. Which means Hulu Live TV can't decide they're interested in Bravo but not Universal Kids. It's all or nothing. And the only change in that status in recent years has been that some smaller channels have been pushed into add-on packages from the basic lineup. 

By the way, this idea is the one that made John Malone one of the early pioneers of cable television. He used his cable systems to force smaller networks to give him equity in exchange for carrying their signals. He used that equity to grab a controlling interest, then bundled the networks together and forced them onto rival cable systems. It's a terrible idea and the primary victim has been consumers, who have been forced to pay ever-increasing monthly fees for channels they never watch. But the idea is also a moneymaking machine and it's now the industry standard. 

That has meant that there is a financial incentive to keep every current cable network on the air, even if no one is watching. Warner Bros. Discovery might not get very much per subscriber for Destination America or the American Heroes Channel. And Paramount's take for MTV Classic or MTV Live might just a few cents per subscriber per month. But multiply five or ten cents per month times 30-50 million and suddenly you're talking about real money over the course of a year. 

There are probably at least a dozen lesser cable networks that could disappear tomorrow and no one would notice. Other than the fact that their monthly subscription fee might not rise as quickly in the future.

I'd make the argument that the best thing Paramount could do is to take the immediate financial hit and reorganize their network portfolio as they also do things such as integrating Showtime and Paramount+. Move their lesser-watched networks off of linear and onto AVOD. They could add the live channels into Paramount+ and even offer them to rivals. Yes, they'll lose out on those monthly subscriber fees. But it will provide a better funnel for their paid products and provide live programming for a fraction of the costs they'll spend on a few more originals. It'll help with churn and provide a new alternative for viewers. As well as a better opportunity to sell ads, once the market recovers in a year or two.

To be honest, it's a move that Warner Bros. Discovery should also consider. Although in the current environment, I don't think WBD management will consider any idea that might impact cash flow. Even if it would be better for the company in the medium and longterm.

So what cable networks could you easily do without? Comment below or send me an email at rick@allyourscreens.com

A SINCERE THANK YOU
Speaking of subscriber growth, the growth rate of this newsletter over the past month has been kinda crazy. The graph below gives you an idea of the growth rate and the open rate has stayed fairly high (around 60%) and the cancelation rate is around 1.5%.

Thanks to all of you for your support, for sharing the newsletter and for those of you this week who opted for a paid subscription.

ODDS AND SODS
* CNN has announced the documentary series This Is Life With Lisa Ling will end with its current season.

* HBO has renewed The White Lotus for a third season, which will premiere in late 2023.

* Liberty Media, the American-based media company that owns Formula 1, SiriusXM, the Atlanta Braves, and other sports-related assets, has announced it will be splitting off the Atlanta Braves (MLB) into its own stock. Liberty Media purchased the Braves in 2007 for $400 million, and the franchise is now valued at $2.1 billion. Which means a sale is likely coming at some point soon.

WHAT'S NEW FOR FRIDAY & THE WEEKEND:

Here's a quick rundown of all the new stuff premiering today on TV and streaming:

A Country Christmas Harmony (Lifetime)
Best In Snow (Disney+)
Blue's Big City Adventure (Paramount+)
Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. The World (WOW Presents Plus)
Disenchanted (Disney+)
Elite (Netflix)
Emeril Cooks Series Premiere (The Roku Channel)
Food Affair With Mark Wiens Series Premiere (HBO Max)
Inside Job Part Two (Netflix)
Interrupting Chicken Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
Inventing The Christmas Prince (Lifetime)
Josh Turner: King Size Manger (UP tv)
Martha Holidays Series Premiere (The Roku Channel)
Mickey: The Story Of A Mouse (Disney+)
Planet Sex With Cara Delevingne (Hulu)
Poppy (IndiePix)
Reign Supreme (Netflix)
She Inherited Danger (LMN)
Slumberland (Netflix)
Somebody (Netflix)
Spirited (Apple TV+)
The Cuphead Show! (Netflix)
The Good Detective (Netflix)
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays (Netflix)
The Last Cowboy Season Premiere (CMT)
The People We Hate At The Wedding (Prime Video)
The Violence Action (Netflix)
The Wonderful Autumn Of Mickey Mouse (Disney+)
Ziwe Season Premiere (Netflix)
Zoe Bakes Season Premiere (Discovery+/Magnolia)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH:
Christmas At Pine Valley (Great American Family)
County Line: All In (INSP)
Life In Colour (BBC America)
Long Lost Christmas (Hallmark Movies And Mysteries)
Santa Bootcamp (Lifetime)
The Holiday Switch (UP tv)
The 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony (HBO)
Three Wise Men And A Baby (Hallmark)
Vardy vs Rooney: The Wagatha Trial (Discovery+)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH:
A Show-Stopping Christmas (Lifetime)
A Waltons Thanksgiving (The CW)
Countdown To Elton Live (Disney+)
Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium (Disney+)
My Favorite Christmas Tree (Great American Family)
The Case Of The Christmas Diamond (ION)
The L Word: Generation Q Season Three Premiere (Showtime)
2022 American Music Awards (ABC)
When I Think Of Christmas (Hallmark)

Click Here to see the list of all of the upcoming premiere dates for the next few months.

SEE YOU MONDAY!

If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.