Word: network
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Program suppliers, on the other hand, reap most of the lucrative back-end revenue from selling syndicated reruns of hit network shows (the nets were forbidden by FCC rules to share in that pool until recently). And local stations have much higher profit margins because they can benefit from network hits, in the form of increased ad revenue, without having to share in the costs; the networks instead pay the stations "compensation" as an inducement to carry their programming. This has put the networks in a squeeze, as license fees for hit shows and major sports events have soared...
Three-year-old UPN and the WB (co-owned by TIME's parent company, Time Warner) have avoided some of the network pitfalls but are yet to break into the black. They benefit from lower overhead costs and do not pay traditional compensation to stations. Moreover, they are striving to establish distinctive profiles in the crowded marketplace. UPN sees itself as a smarter throwback to the mass-audience network approach of the 1960s and '70s (among its newest shows: an updated version of The Love Boat), while the WB, the more successful of the two, has targeted teenage viewers with...
Enter Pax TV, which wants to fill a niche as the network that parents can feel comfortable about watching with their kids. Its schedule is filled with reruns of such wholesome network shows as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; Touched by an Angel; and Diagnosis Murder, along with original fare such as Woman's Day, a talk show with Phyllis George as co-host; Reel to Reel, a movie-trivia game show; and It's a Miracle, featuring true-life inspirational stories. "We want to be a safe haven for viewing: free of violence, free of overt sex and free...
Money is agnostic, of course, so the key to Pax TV's success may lie less in its spiritual mission than in its business plan. Pax TV executives say the network can earn profits with even a cablelike 1 rating (attracting 1% of the available audience). One reason is that Paxson owns not just the network but also 78 of the 95 stations that will be carrying it, enabling him to make money at both ends of the pipeline. Another is the cost efficiencies made possible by programming and promoting a uniform schedule on all its stations, which will...
...moment," says Martina Navratilova. The self-deprecating Californian has never sought the spotlight and has suffered from criticism of her weight. Now, she's 25 lbs. lighter and many times fitter. Two weeks ago, she was sitting down for a makeover and being filmed by a network TV show. Davenport, 22, says she's not "looking to conquer the markets" dominated by the teen squad. But she readily acknowledges an on-court generational rivalry. "I think it's kind of inspired the older players--and I'll include myself in that group--to practice harder, to maybe want it more...