Media Curmudgeon

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November 28, 2006

A Longer "Nightly News?"

It is counterintuitive when a blogger gets his ideas from the MSM (main-stream media), like The New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal, or, even Advertising Age. You don't expect that us bloggers have original ideas, do you?

Well, I saw a story in the Monday, November 27, 2006, New York Times that caught my eye. The article was buried on page C4 of the Business Day section, and the headline was "A Lone Sponsor for a Longer 'Nightly News,'" and it peaked my curiosity.

Let me see, "…a longer "Nightly News;" does that mean that NBC is making its traditional half-hour Brian Williams newscast longer--say, ten minutes longer? No, it means that a viewer will get an additional news story within the half-hour newscast, because for two weeks it will have just one sponsor that will run one minute and 15 seconds of commercials instead of the usual 14 units (seven minutes) of commercials, allowing for an additional, longer news story.

It's not a unique idea; single sponsorship has been tried before. In fact, it was the rule, rather than the exception, when TV first started in the early 50s. Are we reverting back to the Golden Days of the "Schlitz Playhouse," or "The Texaco Star Theater?"

I doubt that it is relevant any more. First, the people who watch the NBC "Nightly News" are ancient--all over 55 years old. Second, young people (and my wife) get their TV news from Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," not "The Nightly News." (The single sponsor is Phillips Electronics, whose target audience for its products is probably adults 18-49, who won't have anything to do with the NBC "Nightly News.") Third, the 18-49 target audience doesn’t like advertising much, so even a little as one-minute and 15-seconds goes a long, long way. Fourth, TiVo. And I could on, but so can you. Thus, you get the point.

I applaud Phillips Electronics for trying something innovative, but I know I won't be watching or even care if there is one more story read by Brian Williams, who I happen to like (he blogs), and not just because he had the guts to "certify" recently that Iraq was in a civil war. I know that he certified it as civil war because I heard it on "The Daily Show."

Posted by Charles Warner at November 28, 2006 11:38 PM

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