Mark Kolier’s Blog

Posts Tagged ‘NBC’

I don’t have anything against the American legend Dick Clark. In fact I briefly met him at an event about ten years ago and found him to be a nice and friendly man. I don’t know about you, but watching Dick Clark on television is painful and I just don’t understand why he wants to continue. Sure it’s his show, and NBC has this year again allowed Mr. Clark to have ultimate control of ‘Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve’. This year will be the 40th year of the show and more than 18 million people watched it last year. I was not one of them.

A six hour show with a multitude of entertainers and talent, this year’s program will pay tribute to itself. http://wapo.st/w1k7n5. Several years ago Ryan Seacrest began to co-host the show with Mr. Clark so we can expect to see Mr. Seacrest for many years to come in his personal quest to become the next Merv Griffin (Merv actually introduced Ryan Seacrest to the world).

I also have no problem with Ryan Seacrest but the pairing with Dick Clark does nothing but make things even more awkward. Do you think Dick Clark watches the recorded proceedings of the DCNYRE afterward and thinks – ‘I still have it going on’? News flash for you Dick – you don’t have it going on and having an annual opportunity to watch you decline is hardly something that will send me charging forward into a new year.
Larry Klein who has been producing the show since 1977 had this to offer, “Dick is still Dick Clark,” he said. “His communication is a little bit more difficult, but he’s still involved in contemporary music. He listens to a lot; he knows a lot, he’s still involved in the production. This is very important to him. This is one of his children.”

Parents need to allow their children to leave the nest. After forty years don’t you think it’s about time Dick Clark allowed that to happen? His legacy is more than secure and I think by continuing to be on air Mr. Clark is practicing nothing more than self-indulgence. This bothers me more than anything else since I feel Dick Clark is one of the great American success stories and an institution unto himself.

My hope is the coming Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve 2012 version will be his final one on air and he can watch next year on television like so many others.

What do you think – should Dick Clark still be on the air?

The TV upfront season is at hand and the news is that ad spending on television is alive and thriving. One of the big reasons for that is the participation of the 55+ demographic. This group watches a lot of television but perhaps more importantly they also have discretionary income and they actually spend it.

An article in the NY Times last Friday – http://nyti.ms/jmcazW really got my attention. The figures were eye opening. ”The most recent unemployment rate for those 20 to 24 years old is 14.2 percent; for those 25 to 34, it is 9.4 percent. The rate for people aged 55 to 64 is only 6.2 percent.”

Financially, the disparity is similar. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “…those people aged 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 had the highest median weekly earnings of any age segment in the United States: $844 and $860, respectively. Meanwhile, those 20 to 24 had weekly earnings of only $454. Those who are 25 to 34 earned $682.“

Mature consumers also seem to be spending on categories not traditionally associated with older people. NBC’s study of those people 55 to 64 showed that they spent more than the average consumer on categories like home improvement, large appliances, casual dining and cosmetics.

They have also become heavy spenders on electronics and digital devices. The study also showed that members of the 55-to-64 age group were just as likely as those ages 18 to 34 to have high-definition televisions, digital video recorders and broadband service.

The most interesting statistics I read were on audience age: The median age for audiences for every broadcast network has moved upward since 2006. NBC has moved to 50.1, from 48.5; ABC increased to 52.3, from 47.4. Fox, always the youngest network, aged to 45.4, from 41.5. CBS began at 53 and is now at a median age of 56.

“American Idol,” once considered the hot show for young people, finished its first season 10 years ago with a median age of 32.1. This season, its median age is 47.2. ABC’s biggest hit, “Dancing with the Stars” has a large complement of 50-plus viewers.

Patricia McDonough, senior vice president for insights, analysis and policy for Nielsen, said, “35 to 64 is becoming a relatively common target now.”

So the 55+ set is generally more employed, more financially stable and more prone to watching television and buying things. I guess they’re not getting older, they’re getting better. It’s not too long for me to join this group and somehow I am feeling a bit better about it.

Sort of.

John Skipper of ESPN is both a neighbor of mine as well (he was also my son’s 4^th grade basketball coach over a decade ago) as the Executive VP for content.   In an article in yesterday’s NY Times http://nyti.ms/ciWFqt he discussed the idea that should ESPN be awarded the 2014 winter and 2016 summer games (which they plan to bid on) they would discontinue the tape-delay template. 

I agree completely with him.   Let this be the last Olympics where I have to be cajoled into hanging in there under the banner of ’17 minutes until Lindsey Vonn’.  Or ‘Apolo Ohno in 22 minutes’.  This while they show a taped cross country ski race for which we already know the result.  

NBC has offered live coverage on MSNBC (hockey in particular) and CNBC to name two alternate stations.   In fact I watched the women’s gold medal game last night live.  But NBC rarely if ever suggests that you go to MSNBC or CNBC to watch an event live.  As if they are somehow going to scoop their own coverage.  Yes I realize that non-cable subscribers may not have that access but – too bad for them if that’s the case.  

And as I was watching the hockey game last night with my wife and 16 year old daughter (the Canadian goaltender nearly stood on her head in pitching a shutout vs. a very determined and capable American squad), I marveled – (well maybe I was just impressed) at the continuous action and NO commercial breaks during the period.  The game was fast paced and took less than 2 hours to complete.  It was an enjoyable experience and although disappointed the Americans did not win I was happy for the Canadians who have a world of pressure to deliver gold in what should be but is not their national sport (lacrosse!). 

If you watch soccer on TV (and the 2010 World cup in South Africa is coming up fast in June) you notice that there are not commercial breaks either.  The action is continuous but what they do is place rotating ads on the screen in the corner.  Why doesn’t MSNBC do the same thing during the Olympic hockey coverage?   Viewers are fairly accustomed to this now and we do understand that broadcast rights are expensive. I sincerely doubt most people would begrudge rotating on screen ads if done unobtrusively, particularly if we exchange that model for one that has us going to commercial breaks at seemingly every stoppage of play as it is in the NHL TV coverage. 

How could MSNBC miss this opportunity?