Michael Bay’s Name Pushed Paramount To Settle Injured … 
Several More New Series In Recasting Mode; Returning Ones … 
‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ Moving To March 2013 To … 
Directors Fortnight Says It Must “Police … 
‘Chronicle’ Helmer Josh Trank Takes On … 
Big Media Chiefs Tell Cable Operators To Speed Up ‘TV … 
Will ‘Pan Am’ Take Flight With Amazon? 
EMMYS: Showtime Launches Free Weekend Promotion Targeting … 
TOLDJA! ICM Management Buyout Complete 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Dancing With The Stars’, … 
An Olympian Effort: NBCUni Plans 5,535 Hours Of Coverage … 
Netflix Exec Denies It’s Responsible For Nickelodeon … 
DESPERATE: HuffPo & Oprah Team Up Now 
Hot Trailer: ‘The Great Gatsby’ 
How Did Women Pilot Writers Fare For 2012? 
Disney Quits Snow White Film ‘Order Of The … 
Cannes Planning Surprise Screening Of Non-Fest Films; … 
Investors Unfriend Facebook As SEC Investigates IPO … 
Cash Windfalls For WME Agents, Assistants 
A&E IndieFilms Sets ‘Happy Valley,’ … 
Hot Cannes Property: Natalie Portman, Lynne Ramsay Team On … 
BREAKING NEWS! FRIDAY PM: Back when A&E Television Networks in August acquired Lifetime Entertainment Services, 
I heard scuttlebutt even then that Andrea Wong would by replaced by Nancy Dubuc, the President of History (aka the History Channel). ”She’s not set, but odds are they’re going to her,” one source tells me. “It’s assumed she’ll get the job.” In 3 years, Dubuc has made the “Hitler Channel” contemporary and even cool with such unscripted fare as Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men and Pawn Stars and the high-brow The People Speak. Before that, she did the same thing as head of programming at sister network A&E with Dog The Bounty Hunter and Growing Up Gotti. Most importantly, History had its best ratings ever in 2009, and made it into the top 10 basic cable channels in the key 25-to-54 advertising demo for the first time.
As a result, Dubuc is now a highly sought-after rising star who’s been approached for most big primetime, cable, and broadcast gigs over the past 18 months — from Discovery networks, to NBC Universal, to Viacom networks, I’ve learned. ”She’s a real programming savant in this space,” a source gushed to me. ”Her reputation as a stellar marketer and developer is unrivalled. But I hear she’s also a total team player.” Good thing she also has a reputation as patient because this is going to take some time because A&E Television Networks is run by Disney/ABC and Hearst and NBC Universal. That means the likes of Anne Sweeney, Jeff Gaspin, Scott Sassa all have to agree on what contract exactly to offer her. (That’s like herding cats!)
FRIDAY 4:30 PM UPDATE: Andrea Wong’s contract at Lifetime had only a few more weeks to run. A Disney source tells me that she’s not headed to the Mouse House or ABC at this time. Wong, meanwhile, was stung by her treatment today by A&E Television Networks bosses yet also insisting she wasn’t canned. She sent around the following email to her staff which A&E Networks failed to forward to journalists despite her request: it claims that under her 2-year tenure, Lifetime had record highs in revenue and profits, and launched the most successful drama in Lifetime history, Army Wives, among other achievements:
To the Team at Lifetime:
As with all acquisitions and mergers, change is inevitable. And certainly that has been the case for us over the last several months.
Now that my role in the acquisition of Lifetime by AETN is concluded, and the integration of the organizations including a more streamlined management structure is nearly complete, I believe that it is the right time for me to step down as President & CEO. It is my plan to move on in the coming weeks after assisting in any way I can with the transition.
It has been a true honor to lead Lifetime. And I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the kindness you have all shown to me, for your hard work and dedication to Lifetime, and for the many achievements we can all be proud of over the past three years.
Our Sales and Distribution teams led us to record highs in revenue and all of you drove us to record profits.
Our Programming team launched the most successful drama in our history, Army Wives, and one of the top rated and most critically acclaimed dramas of 2009, Drop Dead Diva. In addition, our movie department has evolved our slate and attracted the highest level of talent with films like Coco Chanel, Living Proof, Prayers for Bobby, and Georgia O’Keeffe — resulting in a record number of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. And to top it off, a couple of weeks ago, the team launched our fourth highest rated movie in Lifetime’s 26-year history, The Pregnancy Pact.
All of this could not have happened without our amazing Marketing and Communications teams. Marketing has brilliantly promoted our programming and brand and brought a new level of energy and excitement to Lifetime Networks. And the Communications team has worked tirelessly and effectively to raise the awareness of our programming, our accomplishments and our brand.
The Lifetime Digital team, through organic growth as well as the strategic acquisitions of RoiWorld and MothersClick, has dramatically grown our digital presence and our sites and properties are more popular and robust than ever.
One of the things I have loved most about being at Lifetime is the collaboration that exists among us. Never was that more evident than for our launch of Project Runway. Due to your teamwork and passion, the premiere was the highest rated and most watched season premiere in the series’ history and the series has increased our time period performance by triple digit percentages.
The very profitable Lifetime Movie Network made incredible strides due to your creativity and hard work. The network grew from 59 million to 75 million subs and continues to expand. In addition, we premiered the three highest rated films in LMN’s history — Natalie Holloway, The Capture of the Green River Killer, and Little Girl Lost.
On top of all of this, Lifetime has continued its strong legacy of advocacy on behalf of women through such impactful campaigns as Every Woman Counts, Remarkable Women and our award-winning breast cancer awareness and heart health initiatives.
You have much to be proud of!
As part of AETN, and the powerful global brands that are now united, Abbe’s leadership will no doubt only propel Lifetime to greater heights.
I leave with treasured memories and lifelong friends and wish the new company and each of you the very best and continued success.
Warmly, Andrea
FRIDAY 2:30 PM UPDATE: Sources now tell me that Andrea Wong was fired. “She wasn’t making money. Her P&L statements were getting worse and worse. This was strictly business.” And, wow, look at the terse statement that came from Abbe Raven, the CEO/President of A&E Television Networks, just now: “We thank Andrea for her many contributions to Lifetime. We are pleased she will be with us for a transition period and we wish her well in her future endeavors.”
FRIDAY 1:15 PM: “It’s done. She’s made her settlement deal,” a source just told me. This is far from unexpected after Disney-ABC Television Group, Hearst, and NBC Universal announced in August that A&E Television Networks was buying Lifetime Entertainment Services where Andrea Wong is the CEO/President. Almost immediately news reached me that Wong “doesn’t want to be in the Raven fold” — a reference to Abbe Raven, the CEO/president of A&E Television Networks. Ultimately, it was Wong’s choice whether to stay or not, and she decided to exit because her contract allowed for an out, I’m told. So where will Wong go? Best bet is back to Disney/ABC in some capacity where she was mentored by Bob Iger for a dozen or so years. Wong came to Lifetime in April 2007 direct from ABC where she was EVP of Alternative Programming, Specials and Late Night. At the network, she oversaw the development of The Bachelor as well as the network’s Dancing With the Stars and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. At Lifetime, she added original scripted series to the network’s mainstay women-in-jeopardy movies. Most recently she stole Project Runway from Bravo in what developed into a bitter court battle between NBC vs the show’s producers Harvey & Bob Weinstein.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
Bob and Lou from marketing must go! Not only are the clueless on how to market to women, they too, rule out of fear. They treat people like sh**t, are indecisive, and patronizing. People who work with them hate them.
I have no idea who Bob and Lou are, but does Lifetime really have evil marketing people terrifying the women there? Why in god’s name haven’t they made a movie about it? Living in Fear: The Bob and Louy Story
And let’s not forget the plane, the excruciatingly horrible Nora Roberts posters, the botched launch of the first season of Project Runway and their completely out of step and just old way of thinking. Oh, and did I mention the plane?
This marketing team is so condescending and humorless it defies description. They are loathsome to work with. And they do a terrible job. Scary and cold as people.
I think they are burnt out creatively. The advertising was down right cringe worthy. The viewership is 20% down. They aren’t the cause but they certainly helped. Those Nora Roberts ads let the audience know the network thought they were idiots.
I’ve met the people that work in Lifetime’s Marketing department post Betty and I have to say they are probably the most foolish, cynical, back stabbing liars in the industry. It’s not JUST Bob and Lew it’s the a%%holes that report to them. They have no backbone, no creativity and no clue what they are doing. People think they can fake it until they make it but no one will leave that Marketing department with a good name. They are all idiots. Every single one of them.
Andrea Wong talented woman, nasty temper. Nina Lederman lovely woman, mediocre taste. Put them together and you get a mess. Nina, who I knew from network has no real skill for development. Too bad Andrea doesn’t have Nina’s tempermant, and Nina doesn’t have Andrea’s talent…then we’d be talking.
But rest all ye merry women I have the solution. Let Lauren Zalaznick run LIFETIME as her scripted arm. So she could rule women in reality and in scripted. Just keep Andy Cohen away. Next thing you know, he’ll be starring in his own scripted show!
Lauren Zalaznick to LIFETIME. Andrea to anger management, and Nina.
.. maybe she could manage
I am, abravofan
U may be abraofan, but yo head is where the sun don’t shine when it comes to Andrea. She was under-appreciated in terms of talent, and regardless of what a few commenters say here, she had warmth that would light up a room. I know. I basked in it as a hack writer for some of the junkola she is said to have invested in. But there is little talent in this industry. We do not need more prima donnas, so she should have been allowed to keep her job.
I love Lauren! She is brilliant and NICE! Very approachable. She would do amazing things to the brand but I have to be honest, they don’t deserve it. I hope they either get an entirely new Marketing team or go off air. No one would miss anything good.
The network has been on a death spiral since Carole Black left (yes, it was in decline as she departed but they still were #1 with women) and Hearst/ Disney allowed that troll, Betty Cohen aka “The Anti-Carole “, to strip the network of it’s truest point of differentiation, “Television for Women”. The Golden Years of Lifetime and it’s rise to #1 were solely based on being consistent and delivering what the audience wanted – dramas. Meredith Wagner and her team also helped keep the viewers and the advertisers engaged with the public awareness campaigns – a first for the cable industry and for women’s groups overall.
The audience wasn’t glamorous – it’s a solid Wal-Mart crowd – not particularly sophisticated – they said they “learned” from Lifetime Movies – but they were loyal, passionate and dedicated. People like Suzanne Daniels, who wanted to make the network younger and cooler by trying reality show after reality show, should be pointed to as where it all started going wrong. Does anyone remember the cheerleading show? Reality never worked on the network – EVER. Failed series after series came and went along with the staff to create it. Why anyone thought Project Runway would work is beyond belief. They should have taken the money and rebooted Any Day Now or developed another decent drama.
Suzanne is also the one who brought Bob and Lou to Lifetime. The network that fought for women and advocate for their audience is now voiced over by a man. Oh, and the plane, the “Flying Tigress” is a joke. Doesn’t anyone realize that nowadays that people hate to fly? Why would that icon symbolize anything other than annoyance?
Word is that Abby isn’t going to reinstitute the tagline and she’s also ready to pull the plug on advocacy. So, overall the Lifetime brand is just a name and with zero substance. It’s incredibly sad. I’m sure we all look forward to Ice Road Truckerettes.
Maybe if they took a page out of Carole’s playbook and took the time to let the audience be their guide, Lifetime would be back on track. Until then, it’s just another space on the dial.
I don’t work in the entertainment business so am not aware of what goes on behind the scenes. However, I am a woman in the 18-49 demo who is college educated, earn a good income ($250K/year) and used to be a huge Lifetime fan. I had been confused for some time as to what happened to the network the past few years. I can barely watch it anymore and find myself watching a lot of Bravo. “Bring Back Carole Black”‘s comment has shed light on what happened: the perception is that it’s audience is “a solid Wal-Mart crowd”. Since I’m not part of that crowd, I see now why I’m not interested in the network anymore.
Sigh, I’m so looking forward to OWN.
The Wal-Mart comment was only to illustrate that it was “every woman” because, believe it or not, 99% of the country shops there. Plus, the programming was a guilty pleasure that helped people escape. While the movies were primarily “women-in-peril”, she always overcame in the last act, so viewers saw it as uplifting.
Right On! We must’ve worked at LT at the same time. XX is that you?
So now they’re going to install yet ANOTHER exec who has zero experience in scripted programming….just like Andrea and Betty Cohen before her? Great. good move. I’m sure Nancy’s fantastic (as is Andrea in her own way) but they need to install someone in that position who has actual relationships with the creative community in Hollywood and stands a chance of bringing some integrity back to that long atrophied network.
And these comments is the first place that has ever referred to Susan Daniels as “responsive”. She notoriously does not return phone calls and emails and has never denied it.
Many of the movie execs working there now, and over the years, are notorious for not returning calls as well. *SMH* at how these people keep their jobs.
Obviously the job should go to Merideth Baxter Birney she’s the only reason anyone ever watched LIfetime
This is quite a passionate run from a bunch of critics who know a lot about a network noone is watching. The problem with this network and most these days is that the executives think they are the talent and manage those who create shows into the ground. Creative executives are enablers. They enable creative people to do what they do and hopefully do it well. The phenomenon of exalted programming egos has been the undoing of television. Their reliance on testing is criminal and the belief that only women know what women want is laughable. It seems to me Lifetime could use a great male executive in their mix. Now that would be a bold play by Abbe Raven.
To AC…
Not a bad idea to bring a guy in.. as long as it’s not Bob and Lou. Maybe they can hop the that stupid plane and get the hell out of there
The great TV execs support and nurture talent so the best ideas come to their network/studio. Andrea, Nina L, Susanne D are not creative but think they are. They were beyond cruel to creative types. Sad. I hope Abbe will hire well next time out. I think the emails are passionate because Lifetime has had moments of fun and truly memorable work. It is such a missed opportunity. And when it had a good show it would destroy it. Katherine Fugate, was fired off Army Wives, (the creator no less) and her movie Valentines Day is poised for success and a sequel. Where is Army Wives now? Does anyone care about it anymore? Women LOVE their TV. They have tremendous brand loyalty. But when you hire execs who think they are ABOVE the network and the audience you destroy it.
You can only really fault Andrea for trusting the people around her. She relied on Suzanne and got Project Runway as a parting gift and then allowed Bob and Lou to create that hideous logo. How anyone could have approved that piece of shit is beyond comprehension.
Nancy Dubuc? Replacing one lightweight with another.
Wong’s career should have been over when she destroyed “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” by boneheaded programming. That she ever worked again is a tribute to something.
Dubuc is Da Bomb. Nancy is one of the most talented exex (male or female) in television who (unlike so many self-aggrandizing, back-stabbing, “it’s all about me” suits) actually listens, cares, plays team ball, has a wicked sense of humor AND most important, possesses something in rather short supply these days: Vision.
Amazingly, this woman’s biggest champion is another woman (Abbe Raven), not exactly common in Hollywood…or business, for that matter. So give some well-deserved credit to Ms. Raven who will almost certainly do the right thing and elevate her richly deserving protege.
You go girls!!
Hope Abbe reads these posts. The problem is that Anne Sweeney, Abby Raven, Robert Iger, Andrea Wong, are out of touch with the audience.
Nancy Dubuc sounds fairly crude. I hope she doesn’t ruin it further than it already has been.
For all you smart alecks who seem to think you know so much about the ratings on Blood Ties, try reading this and get educated (I know you might be resistant to being proved wrong and you might not want to admit it BUT TRY TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND:
This was posted on Dead Things on Sticks regarding the show….
(This was someone who was familiar with the show and lifetime)and had inside information…
But I’d like to respond to the very notion of Lifetime saying that Blood Ties was not renewed over low ratings.
After moving the series from its 10:00 slot where it was doing better than 1.4 million viewers and placing it at 11:00 with a fake psychic show lead-in, it continued to get an average of over 800,000 viewers and ended the season with over 900,000 (per Neilsen). In fact, these are very acceptable numbers for Lifetime.
The Producers were told that the reason Lifetime were not renewing was that the BT viewers would watch Blood Ties, then leave the network. BT did not provide lead-in or lead-out for the “woman-in-jeopardy” movies and series that comprise the rest of Lifetime’s schedule.
If there had been a serious attempt to respect the audience Blood Ties brought to the network and to build a night around the series with similarly-themed shows, they would have gained access to the loyalest fans on television.
In retrospect, Lifetime was the wrong home for Blood Ties. But it is unfair and misleading to suggest that it was canceled over bad ratings.
__________________________
And what kind of idiot parades out a jet plane in the worst economy that we’ve had for years. Can you say stupid, arrogant, out-of-touch with their audience? Boycott or not Lifetime is NOT being watched by the demographic they lust after because young women today don’t believe the CRAP they have peddled for years that the love of a good man will make everything right movies or the victim of the week movies. Let’s face it NO ONE is watching lifetime.
So obviously justthefactsmaam, ghost of robert stack,writefunny none of you know what you’re talking about. Many of us knew that Blood Ties was an acquisition for lifetime so don’t assume you know what other people are aware of. Blood Ties ran as filler on LRW, the only episodes that didn’t air on lifetime were the last two because they didn’t seem everything in order to broadcast the last two episodes. Blood Ties did have the ratings but was mismanaged by the network. And for you people that said there were no stars in it, remember a little movie called TWILIGHT??????? I’m sure those no name stars are making three or four more times than you make in a year.
Nothing could save that network so don’t assume that we thought Blood Ties would be able to save it. It would have taken more than one show to save that mess. Oh and for all the reviews you said were beyond terrible, there were three more to that one, that said it was a good show….. So before you berate someone else for their lack on intelligence on a subject trying doing some research yourself first.
The funny thing about all this Blood Ties talk is no one is asking how a Scifi (sorry Syfy) Channel show ended up on lifetime? The answer is that the former head of acquisitions, Leslie Chesloff bought hour after hour of low-budget movies and programming from a producer named Stan Kamins. Their relationship was very interesting. Leslie’s over at Ion, I’m guessing she’s buying stuff from him there now.
I am an insider and I can tell you that the two people who ruined Lifetime are Betty Cohen (knew nothing about TV or management) and Leslie Chesloff (made some of the worst acquisition deals in cable TV programming history, including ones that still bind the network to bad deals that are killing the budget and the schedule). Andrea and to some degree Susanne had the unenviable job of stepping in front of a runwaway locamotive and trying to not only stop it, but turn it around. And for the record, Any Day Now and Side Order did not get good ratings and repeats (where cable nets make their money) did horribly. Also, they couldn’t run them now if they wanted to — they have no more rights. If you undestood studio-network programming deals you’d know that. Finally, stop with the Blood Ties stuff! It was a few episodes of a low budget Canadian content show that had already shut down when Lifetime had the chance to renew and it did nothing for the network ratings or P&L-wise.
As for Bob and Lew, they must go.
Oh, you know what… we won’t stop with the Blood Ties stuff, because this is what happens when you ignore a fanbase that was bringing you viewership, and you piss them off.
A few episodes… try 22 episodes in what should have been a single season that Lifetime split into two, and then didn’t even bother to air the last two episodes on tv, but on their website, instead.
For someone who’s on the inside, why is it that you can’t even get that fact straight… a few episodes were 22 episodes with very high numbers of viewership.
Again, the Lifetime song and dance around what the fans already know and are very well aware of.
Yes, we will give Lifetime a very hard time in these comment blogs, everytime. Simply because the network is no longer going to get away with poorly promoting the shows that fans love, cancelling them, pointing accusatory fingers at the fanbases, ignoring their demands to keep the shows on, and then doing everything in their power to lie and sweep the whole mess under the rug.
Yes, the fanbases are bitter! Lifetime is HATED world-wide for it’s shotty practices… and the flush of that toilet will be music to our ears when this network finally sinks.
Despite your hysteria, Lifetime isn’t going anywhere. You do know that last year Lifetime achieved record profits despite lackluster ratings because of the strength of the brand yes? So all your bile and anger and bitterness about BLOOD TIES is just wasted energy. The show was made in 2006, that’s four years ago, you loser. Why not direct some of that anger at the Canadian broadcaster that CANCELED the show because it was too drecky for even the Canadian airwaves? The stars Christina Cox, Dylan Neal, and Kyle Shmid can’t get arrested. So maybe they can scrape together 50 cents (the cost of an episode) and make BLOOD TIES the movie?
Lifetime is hated internationally? Is that why European broadcasters come every month begging for more movies?
I think people would take your analysis more seriously if the main thust of your argument was that Lifetime canceled an off-brand, cheap looking show.
Here’s a link to an episode of BLOOD TIES.. feast on the bad acting (nice tranny make-up on the lead-actress and mannish-looking gypsy psychic at the top of this particular show) and witness the cinematic diarrhea that was that 4-year old show and THEN tell me how great it was:
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/blood-ties/full-episodes-season-2/episode-10/video/season-two-episode-10-part-1
Areyoukiddingme? basically laid it all out but I just wanted to make a few points to CheriS33: why would Lifetime (or any network) cancel a show “with high numbers of viewership?” They are in business to make money. If people had watched, it would have gone on. The Canadian broadcaster who ordered the show cancelled it and the reason Lifetime aired two episodes only online was because it was pulling the schedule down so much that airing an old syndicated repeat or an old movie did a better number (i.e., made more money) than running the show. These are logical, rational, financial decisions made by people who have a duty to maximize revenues. No one is “pointing accusatory fingers at the fanbases, ignoring their demands.” Quite the contrary — Lifetime listened to the fans and put on shows that were watched more than the ones they took off. THAT’S WHAT NETWORKS DO! So Lifetime did listen to the fans — the ones who didn’t like Blood Ties and would rather watch a movie, which outnumbered the ones who would rather watch a new episode of the show. Why would any rational programming executive do anything else?
With shows like Dog the Bounty Hunter, Ice Road Truckers and Pawn Stars to her credit, it’s clear Ms. Dubuc has her finger on the pulse of America’s lowest common denominator, the beer-swilling mouthbreathers that Bill Maher once referred to as “the low-lying fruit” and the wealthy elite call “useful idiots.” Then again, a wise man once said nobody ever went broke underestimating the gullibility of the American public.
Hello, all. I am a major media buyer who of course wants to remain anonymous, but have spent much time with all network execs playing golf (which I hate but they like), or over drinks or lunch. And I want to speak to many of the above comments…which, if you take the best parts of each, actually add up to a good argument. (Of course, this means stripping out the personal shots and uninformed opinion. But the “real” comments do speak to the truth of the media.
Some networks break through with hit shows, out of the blue. And the majority of the time, it is because they lose track of their brand. Let’s talk about brands for a moment. Ms. Dubuc has taken a well-defined, well-branded network – History – and made it irrelevant to history, and its core audience. When times are good for a network, outsiders tune in. When times are down, you only have your core. She has destroyed their core.
Sure, Truckers and Pawn Shop its ilk are entertaining TV, but they do not belong on History. While we are lauding her for ratings success, they have sacrificed a powerful long-term brand for short-term ratings “crack.” Not that, near term, that’s a problem. We live by ratings, quarter to quarter. But we live by brands, year to year and decade to decade. Especially in cable, and more especially, at this juncture of time. Their brand is now meaningless. It is the same network as A+E at times, truTV at times, Discovery at times, TLC at times, and several others. It has nothing to do with history, from what you read in the papers! Sure, they air historical shows. They are just not what they are known for. HBO and Chase are doing the history of cinema. THAT would be a “colorful” project for them. But not, Pawn Shop, which will be a memory as soon as the last credit of the final season airs. Trust me, this does not bode well – when you blur your edges, you lose your focus. Not only to viewers, but to buyers. Yes, that’s me, and also my community. We watch these shows with a passion, for we are in battle for our clients. And we can’t ultimately recommend they go to networks that don’t stand for anything.
I’m getting around to Lifetime in a second, but want to just show how Ms. Dubuc would be a major error. History, in five years, will be at the bottom, as they have sacrificed their brand, and their current shows will run out of steam. It always happens. MTV has seen it at times, Vh1, TLC, many others. Look at the opposite: Discovery got their “crack” on American Chopper, and started to tilt in an odd direction. They ultimately understood this, and now their programming fits the Discovery brand again, and while it will never be an “ESPN” in the ratings, our advertisers know what they are buying, and they draw a CPM premium because of this. It’s a great audience.
Now, back to Ms. Dubuc and Ms. Wong. If Ms.Dubuc comes into Lifetime and does any of her lowest-common-denominator, Pawn Shop programming, and gets that ratings hit but takes away what we all know Lifetime is (“Television for Women,” whether they put it on their tagline or not), she will be doing this network a disservice, just as History. Trust me: she is destroying value at History. Not today, but for the future. You can do great history programming that does not have Winston Churchill in every frame, without doing Pawn Shop.
Also, anyone going to buy Pawn Shop on DVD? That’s another stream she is sacrificing. And if you watch it on the web, it does not say “History.”
From our knowledge of her, and her process, she is going to try things as Lifetime that are not “television for women.” Or that don’t draw an upper-end audience. Please, a largely-female audience is exactly what buyers want. Oxygen and WE do not give us what we want. Nor does Hallmark. We are begging for a top brand, and we are not holding our breath with Ms. Dubuc. So from my outside perspective, Ms. Dubuc in this job would force us to send a red flag to our clients, and force us all to work harder for them on where to commit dollars in the future.
I’m not going to join the dialogue about executives and their names. But I can say that this particular executive, Ms. Dubuc, does not bode well for the direction of cable. She can create hits, sure, but they don’t fit her networks. Part of why we in both cable and broadcast are in trouble is lack of differentiation from each other. You can argue that E and TLC VH1 and MTV and A+E are similar at times. (At times, not always.) But my teens watch a lot of realiity, and they cannot tell me where Kardashians, Dog, Teen Mom, Girls Next Door, Jersey Shore, and the Hills air. Not because they are not bright (although sometimes they want me to think so at report card time), but because they watch TV like ferrets or off of the Tivo. They are not looking at the network bug/ID. And the shows do not carry any powerful brand ID. Thus, someone who can destroy the History brand (by airing modern-day shows!) does not inspire confidence. We have been unable to convince Ms. Dubuc or her superiors of this, not just my shop, but all of us. And just like all good things must come to an end, shortly their Nielsen ride will, and they will be left having to rebuild a brand, which will dilute their CPMs and leave us in the media buying community both shaking our heads and looking where to place our dollars. (Which…as we all know…often means, the web…where brands are brands.) See where we are? As these networks fight for ratings, they lose their differentiation, and we go to the web to at least find consistency. Paradoxically, executives like Ms. Dubuc, who are feted by many, are doing more to hurt the medium than help it. I am not commenting on her specific skill of picking hit shows. I am only commenting on her inability to match show to brand, which is a more intellectual and forward-looking and strategic exercise.
Thank you for your time on your board.
Again, this is how and why Lifetime made it to #1, they focused on THE BRAND.
Abbe needs to bring in an executive that will get out the crash paddles and revive Lifetime from it’s slumber of whatever it is now. And, she should know that “Television for Women” made Lifetime a “must buy” for advertisers. Everyone knew that who and why they were buying.
Right now, it’s nothing more than a sloppy programming schedule and tacky on-air that speaks to no one and about no one – that’s why no one is watching.
Nancy Dubuc can start by bringing back Side Order of Life. My wife had cancer and she and her friends watched that show and loved it. They even got me watching Lifetime.
Big post for sure. No one will read it because everyone is looking to take pot shots (and you do that too with Nancy Dubuc, albeit back-handedly and under the guise of media buyer), but your point about Channel differentiation and sacrificing long term Brand value for short term ratings is spot on. Outside of the Pay Channel’s (and one can argue the only thing that brands them is the lack of filters) the only Network to launch and maintain its Brand (there have been big whiff’s along the way) has been FX. But that only happened because Peter Chernin wanted it to happen and empowered Peter Liguori to let Kevin Reilly and then John Landgraf’s teams really rip. So it starts with Corporate and the iron will of the executive who is ultimately responsible for the network’s bottom line. Not too many of those around. Althoug I have to believe Discovery made the biggest play for their Brand in bringing Liguori in.
I’m just glad she didn’t replace Rich Ross over here at the Disney Channel! WHEW!!
Andrea, Has a degree in electrical engineering from MIT. She knows nothing about history and pop culture.
She was once a good friend. Who turned Hollywood and loved the attention of “celebrity” amongst her peer group.
If you disagreed with her. you are out of her life.
Her boyfriend Andrew Glassman hitched his wagon to her for one reason only.
You will now see how long this relationship lasts.
She should really be making widgets, not television.
I am sure she will fall into another power position. She has many friends at ABC.
Whew. I am late to this ‘party’ of commentators but clearly passions run strong. This is going to ramble a bit since I’m having a bout of insomnia..but here goes my three cents:
I agree with those who feel the network has never fully realized its potential as an innovator of scripted series programming. Oddly, they’ve not yet had a break-out critically acclaimed hit like Mad Men,or Sopranos, which they should have accomplished. I was a fan of the Carole Black/Kelly Goode yrs – Any Day Now, Strong Medicine, The Division. More recently, I enjoyed Side Order of Life, and it could’ve developed into a very good show,but it wasn’t ‘appointment tv’ necessarily. State of Mind was just ok..never quite found it’s voice..now, other than Drop Dead Diva and the occasional movie..I don’t watch the channel.EVER! And I’m in the biz, masters degree, over 40..and I shop at Walmart! (I’m not a fan of Army Wives but appreciate that it’s a well-produced show). (the Blood Ties “debate” is silly–as many have stated,it was an acquisition and not a very smart one).
Here are shows on rival nets that should/could be a model for what Lifetime should be doing:
Dramas: The Closer, In Plain Sight, Damages, Brothers & Sisters, The Good Wife, Medium,In Treatment (w/a female lead)
Comedy: Hung, Weeds, Nurse Jackie, Modern Family, The Office,Parks & Recreation,New Christine, Ugly Betty (the first two seasons)Sex & the City(yes I know its off the air!)
.. they need to occasionally push the envelope with sex and nudity, like FX and AMC do on THEIR basic cable channels
The most cogent argument made, here, is the one about the ‘brand’ needing to be clear.And it’s not…and, given that it’s the ONLY network dedicated to programming for women that has SCRIPTED shows, that should be where the energy should be concentrated For reality, we’ve got WE, Oxygen, Bravo. And it is precisely in this unique programming space that the network has faltered. It’s NEVER been able to launch a decent scripted comedy.What’s up with that?? And the dramas have been spotty as most have noted So..maybe it is a financial issue, but I don’t believe that’s the problem .. the town is littered with talented writers and not enough scripted shows on networks, surely many would work for less money if opportunities were there. Lifetime needs someone with PROGRAMMING VISION, someone who can identify clearly what a LIFETIME scripted show consists of–i.e. their BRAND–and pick shows that fit that mold and LET THE CREATORS RUN THE SHOWS…Look at what Bob Greenblatt has done at Showtime.. Or Wachtel & his group at USA–if there was ever a network with a clear scripted brand, it is USA. And, as someone said FX also.
As to the current programming staff..JoAnn has a good track record in prior jobs–at NBC, then at Lorne Michaels’ company. I am a bit perplexed, given her instincts for comedy (she’s an e.p of 30 Rock) why they continue to fail so miserably in this genre.
As for the movies There’s not much in the way of innovation going on there, but hey, they don’t have to be,given they are one of only five places viewers can even find original movies on basic/network anymore–and LMN is one of those–Hallmark, ABC Family, Disney Channel being the others–(yes I know SyFy has them, too..but very niche-specific) THey’ve always had the occasional high-end biopic..again, not exactly ground-breaking, but decent enough. ANd the genre staples (true crime, etc) belong on LMN.
So, bottom line: bold leadership from someone with a strong background in SCRIPTED programming The Nancy Dubuc idea seems like it’s going to take the network in exactly the wrong direction, if indeed she follows the sort of programming decisions she made at History. I don’t watch any of those shows (Ice Truckers, Dangerous Fishers, Storm Chasers, etc) .. they’ve been successful as far as ratings, but the media buyer guy makes a good point–what’s the long view, here?
I think all of these with Abbe and Lifetime is bull crap!!