Page 211 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media
P. 211

CHAPTER 8

                       UPN (cable network), which is owned by Viacom and Chris-Craft In-
                       dustries, was almost left for dead last year before it became the first
                       broadcast network to offer wrestling shows. Now it is starting to beat
                       some WB programs and has put a dent into the Fox network’s Thursday
                       night male-oriented schedule. 2

                    Indeed, the entire direction of a network can be changed due to industry
                  considerations. To illustrate, reporter Julie Salamon describes the A&E
                  cable network’s shift of format from “elite art” to the reality genre:

                       That channel, then called Arts & Entertainment, went on the air (in the
                       1980s) with the belief that bringing high culture to the masses could be
                       profitable. Initially, it made surprising success of highbrow programming,
                       building its reputation and audience with rarefied offerings of Russian
                       ballet, Australian history, dramatized short stories, British mysteries and
                       period dramas.
                         In the last decade, however, ratings slipped. The network became
                       A&E, dropping the arts from its name and its mission. It began relying
                       on tatty crime shows. Even its successful “Biography” series felt tired. In
                       a medium that prizes youth, its audience seemed ancient, with a median
                       age approaching 60.
                         Two years ago Nick Davatzes, president and chief executive of A&E
                       Television Networks, called his executives to a retreat, to “wallow in the
                       mud,” as he described the exercise. From that wallowing emerged an
                       overhaul in management and outlook, including the conclusion that reality
                       television could not be ignored if the network wanted younger viewers.
                         As a result, two new series went on the air . . . carrying the genre’s
                       stamp of up-close and personal vulgarity. “Airline” showed how South-
                       west Airlines deals with its passengers, particularly those who are angry,
                       smelly or overweight. “Family Plots” chronicled a family-run mortuary,
                       with special emphasis on crudeness and emotional rawness as problems
                       are solved. Ratings have been high. 3


                    In like fashion, the Discovery Channel, which originally was commit-
                  ted to an educational mission, altered its format to attract a larger audi-
                  ence. Thus, its slogan, “Explore Your World,” was changed to “Entertain
                  Your Brain.”
                    Corporate executives think of media presentations simply as products,
                  like shoes or showerheads, to be manufactured and sold. Shari Ann Brill,
                  vice president and director of programming at Carat USA, incorporated
                  this mindset into her programming projections for the 2004 season: “As

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