Branding YOur Channel

[FMJeff]

I don't understand tv branding.

Like TNT is now the "DRAMA" network, TBS is "comedy"...Bravo is "GAY"...WB is "lame wishy washy drama"...UPN is black....

yet TNT tries to pass off Steven Seagel movies as drama, TBS plays Sex & The City and removes all the good stuff (nudity, profanity) and the WB has Androma, BeastMaster and MutantX.

My question is, why? Why the need to brand your channel? HBO has great shows who's only common denominator is quality...

why would branding yourself as "the drama channel" make me more inclined to watch your network? I watch TNT because it has Law & Order and NYPD Blue...great shows...

When will network execs fucking wake up and realize people watch a specific network for the CONTENT...not the fucking image for the channel...

<center><img src="http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/fmjeff.gif">
<br>
It made my heart sing.

[reeshy]

???????????????


[center]<IMG SRC="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=reeshy">
[center]

[fiestygal]

they want to be unique and "edgy"

frankly it is annoying when you turn on TNT, for example, and the SAME steven segal movie is on- using your example

as for BRAVO being the "GAY" channel- it is more artsy id say but artsy and the gay population can go hand in hand

i think channels are trying to be like HBO because they are unique and they have for several yrs been dominating award shows and having the best reviews when critiqued

i am guessing the need for branding is to draw more viewers BUT showing the same stuff over and over is a BIG turn off - i know it makes me not want to watch a certain station

<IMG SRC="http://tenbatsuzen.homestead.com/files/fiestysig1.jpg">

AIM- yelowrose1981

Its time to party.... Italian Style

"Let's have a bachelor party! With chicks, and guns, and fire trucks, and hookers, and drugs, and booze!"

[mdr55]

...Bravo is "GAY".

NO wonder they never SHOWED Columbo's wife!!! Now I know. ;p

[FMJeff]

gimme a break...Bravo is gay...

queer eye, queer eye uk...
and now...

http://www.ronfez.net/imagestorage/bravomanhunt.jpg

<center><img src="http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/fmjeff.gif">
<br>
It made my heart sing.

[monsterone]

TBS plays Sex & The City and removes all the good stuff



and what were you saying about bravo?

<center><img border=1 src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=monsterone01"><br></center>

<center>

<font color="gray" size="1">do you know what "nemesis" means? a righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent.
personified in this case by an 'orrible cunt... me.
</font>

</center>
<font color= "red" size="6">

[jeffdwright2001]

The TNT knows drama came out at a time when they were heavily promoting their made for TV movies plus their corner on the market for the Law & Order reruns.

Tell me what has more market appeal to a larger demographic being known for Drama or being known for Mindless Action (ala Seagal)? You'll pick up more guys with the latter, but advertisers want a channel that will also attract one of the prized power buyers - the ladies.

Not only that, but TNT (along with a TBS) has always been known as a place where you can pick up the Clint Eastwood or Sylvester Stallone movie. What they are trying to do is sharpen the focus on an area that they may not have been known that well for.

It cost them a nice chunk of change for L&O, and this was one of the ways they tried to make sure they made that $$ back in viewership numbers.

They don't claim that they are the Drama channel, merely that they know Drama.

TBS Comedy? They've had a long tradition of buying rerun sitcoms to air, particularly before their primetime slot when they would switch to either sports or movies.

And HBO does brand their channel, but they do it by being the non-channel. "It's not TV, it's HBO". We're the outsider channel, the bad boy of the cable tier. They chose that route rather than the "We're 15% original content and 85% stuff you've seen over and over" or "Like The First Season? Stick around for the 2nd a couple of years from now.".

You build your core audience with your sticking point (branding idea). Once they start watching you on a regular basis, your loyalty programs start kicking in and you can work on expanding that viewership from a time perspective. Sure, heavy drama at 8:00, but what if we were to throw in a comedy before that which is kid friendly and then an action movie later on that night. Perhaps we've extended the time that a household watches our network.

Not all the answers (I certainly don't have them), and maybe I haven't even addressed what you were really asking, but even a dedicated "theme" channel seldom sticks 100% to it's premise. I would argue that many of the shows on Comedy Central don't really qualify as comedy if no one laughs. ;)



<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=jeffdwright2001"><br>
"It is not best to use our morals weekdays, it gets them out of repair for Sunday." - Mark Twain 1898

Thanks to Reefy & M1 for my sigs!!

[Mike Teacher]

They don't claim that they are the Drama channel


This website gives it a good run! Bwahahahahaha! :eg:

<IMG SRC="http://members.aol.com/miketeachr/esig">

[JustJon]

queer eye, queer eye uk...
and now...
3 shows define the whole network as gay? Never mind the West Wing reruns, Celebrity Poker, Twin Peaks reruns (think they stopped a while ago), Taratino movies, etc.

<img src="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com/bans/rfjustjon11.gif"><BR><A href="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com">Chaotic Concepts</a>