The attempt by News Corp.'s (NWS-A) MyNetworkTV to broadcast sex and violence every day of the week revealed that an every-night dosage is far more than the public wants.
With viewers increasingly ignoring the telenovelas, the new network has started to make some big changes. The biggest ones are the introduction of ultimate fighting events and martial arts competitions on Monday nights, and theatrical movies on Thursdays and Fridays.
For the telenovelas, they'll be decreased to two night a week. Each one will run on one night for two hours each. From there the offerings will be reality and game shows.
Greg Meidel, the president of MyNetworkTV, told Daily Variety honestly: "Trying to get people to watch serialized dramas every night on MyNetwork TV was asking the impossible."
Nielsen data unveiled that among the 18-49 viewers, the network could only post a 0.3 rating, with a miniscule 300,000 overall viewers.
What all of this does is make one wonder how long serial dramas can keep the interest of people. There should always be a place for a really good one as it seems a lot of people want to have some type of show that they can follow on a weekly basis like "24," "Lost," or "Battlestar Gallactica."
While a lot of people are concerned about the amount of sex and violence on television, the response to MyNetworkTV's telenovelas shows that a show centered around these themes aren't something that people want to consume on a steady basis.
This isn't something limited to the new network though, as NBC (GE) recently cancelled its daytime show "Passions," CEO of NBC Universal Television Group Jeff Zucker was quoted as saying, it's "the beginning of the end" of the serials and soaps offered in the daytime space. Wouldn't that be something to see?
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