Network Decay/Total Abandonment: Difference between revisions

== Disney Examples ==

** The ultimate [[Irony]] is that Pat Robertson is one of the [[Moral Guardians]] who objects to the ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]'' series, yet ABC Family owns the US broadcasting rights to the ''[[Harry Potter (film)|Harry Potter]]'' films and airs ''Potter'' marathons constantly.

* [[Disney Channel]] originally had a lineup of vintage Disney movies, cartoons, and TV shows, combined with original documentaries about the company's various projects, a lot of interesting imported shows (especially from Canada), and such programming for adults as ''[[A Prairie Home Companion]]''. But as it lost ground to [[Nickelodeon]] in [[The Nineties]], it started to focus more and more on kids. It shoved most of the vintage programs aside, interspersing about three hours of cartoons at 1:00 AM with hours and hours of tween-centered programs and...BoyBand concerts...on Disney Channel? <ref>(The worst part was that, originally, the Disney Channel was a ''premium'' cable service like [[HBO]] or Cinemax, and was ''nothing'' like Nickelodeon, which was basic-cable from its conception. With Nickelodeon entering its golden age just as Disney was hitting a low point in programming quality, the only way to stop mass cancellation of subscriptions was to move it to basic-cable. '''Nickelodeon actually forced The Walt Disney Company to change Disney Channel's business model.''')</ref> It abandoned ''Vault Disney'', ''The Ink and Paint Club'', and most other broadcasts of classic Disney cartoons and shows in order to turn into a preppy, suburban tween-oriented network whose M.O. seems to be "promote every last one of our child stars as the next great actor/singer/songwriter/dancer/IdolSinger".<br /><br />Worse, Disney Channel's tween pop focus, which began with the then-popular ''[[Hannah Montana]]'' and ''[[High School Musical]]'' franchises, seemed to have overrun The Walt Disney Company as a whole throughout the mid-to-late 2000s, and the future of the company's reputation was in doubt, despite their acquisition of [[Pixar]] in 2006. Luckily, there was the release of ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]'' in 2009, and now (almost) everything in the company is going back to its "magical" roots. Unfortunately, some may say it's too late to save the Disney Channel now that they have [[Disney XD|two channels]] that are (despite using the Disney name) only catering to tween girls and/or boys. As of 2012, [[Disney Junior]] is the only Disney-owned television network that actually [[Character Focus|lives up to its name]].

*** FOX would've avoided all this if they hadn't sold their successful "Fox Kids" lineup (which aired ''[[Power Rangers]]'', ''[[Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]'', ''Digimon'', and others) to Disney/ABC via the Fox Family network. They then retooled their Saturday-morning lineup into the "Fox Box", which consisted almost entirely of 4Kids [[Macekre|Macekres]]. Naturally, they lampshaded this by changing the lineup's name to "4Kids TV"...then, of course, replacing Saturday-morning kids' shows with infomercials.

*** In some other countries, Jetix is its own channel. For whatever reason, Disney decided that it would be better to append it as a programming block onto a network it has nothing to do with, and then let it swallow the network whole.

* G4, a struggling video game network, bought out [[Tech TV]], a popular computer enthusiast network with good ratings, merged them into one channel, and basically turned into a geekier version of Spike TV. G4's lineup picked up reality shows like ''[[Totally Outrageous Behavior]]'' and ''[[Cops (series)]]'' (titled "COPS 2.0"), Japanese game shows such as ''[[Ninja Warrior]]'' and ''[[Unbeatable Banzuke]]'', and reruns of ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''[[Lost]]'', and ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]''. Eventually, the only shows left on the network that were relevant to either channel's former demographics were ''[[X-Play]]'' and ''[[Attack of the Show]]''. To put in perspective how little anyone thinks of G4 since the decay, the premiere of ''Proving Ground'' [http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-tv-column-g4-pulls-this-weeks-proving-ground-after-ryan-dunns-death/2011/06/20/AGZyWVdH_story.html got 31,000 viewers], less than the population of Juneau, [[Alaska]], while the [[UFC]] passed by the opportunity to own G4 for their own network for a deal with Fox. DirecTV even found so little to value in the network that they ''[http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/11/01/directv-drops-g4/ dropped it]'', and DirecTV almost never drops networks in comparison with Dish Network. And with the departure of network veterans and hosts of the few remaining Gaming/Technology shows Adam Sessler (co-host of [[X-Play]]) and Kevin Pierera (host of [[Attack of the Show]]), the future of the channel is in even more doubt.

** G4's Canadian counterpart, G4 Canada, went under a similar network decay as G4, to the point that the CRTC pressured that G4 Canada was competing against sister channel OLN and deviating too heavily from its purpose, which was to air technology-related programming. They also [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-447.htm stated] that the channel's "programming is not in compliance with its nature of service definition" and that it detail measures "to ensure that the service is in compliance with its nature of service."

* Oxygen was once the anti-Lifetime, airing shows revolving around making women better, ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'' and ''[[Roseanne]]'' reruns, and programming about yoga and improving yourself, along with women's sports. By the time NBC bought the channel in 2007 the original partners had long left, and the new management decided programming which exploited women such as the ''Bad Girls Club'', ''Snapped'' and shows revolving around how Tori Spelling's love life would do better. [[Your Mileage May Vary]] on how much of a role NBC played in it; some argue that the decay began as early as 2004, which, for around a year, devoted late nights to the next rung below softcore porn and a QVC-like block devoted to ''sex toys''. ([[Not Making This Up Disclaimer|We wish we were making this up.]])

* The [[Syfy]] started out as a network devoted to [[Science Fiction]] shows and movies. Even when they started bringing in fantasy and horror, most fans didn't mind since these still fell under the label of "[[Speculative Fiction]]", which sci-fi was often lumped in with. Fans were even accepting when it became the "Paranormal Channel" with shows like ''[[Ghost Hunters]]'', ''[[Destination Truth]]'', and [[Follow the Leader|their numerous clones]] and [[Spin-Off|spinoffs]]. It was when they started adding [[Reality Show|reality shows]], ''[[Law and Order Special Victims Unit|Law and Order: SVU]]'' reruns, a cooking show, and, most damningly, '''[[Professional Wrestling]]''' that it really began to decay. Their name change to "Syfy"<ref>Pronounced the same way, though it looks like it could be pronounced like Siffy.</ref> cast further doubt on their commitment. The executives claimed they wanted a name that could be trademarked, but [[They Changed It, Now It Sucks|most people are convinced otherwise]]. [http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/03/sci_fi_channel_aims_to_shed_ge.php Their insulting explanation] for the name change, in which they refer to sci-fi fans as [[Basement Dweller|basement dwellers]] and insinuated that they repulse women, went a long way toward accomplishing this.<br /><br />The network slipped fully into Total Abandonment territory between 2010 and 2012 when it canceled ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'', ''[[Caprica]]'', ''[[Stargate Universe]]'', and ''[[Eureka]]'' in rapid succession. The network is now known as haven for pro-wrestling and [[So Bad It's Good]] creature features, though they did announce that [http://io9.com/5905013/how-syfy-will-bring-science-fiction-back-to-television they might be interested in bringing science fiction television shows back to the science fiction television network]. Possibly.

* Over the years, the networks have gradually dumped their traditional [[Saturday Morning Cartoon|Saturday morning blocks]] for more dramas, reality shows, soaps, and news. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, all of the broadcast networks except [[UPN]] had the entire 6:00 AM to Noon block of Saturdays set aside just for animated programs and other programs appealing to people of all ages, with FOX and the WB even going so far as to add in an extra two to three hours every weekday morning ''and'' afternoon, as well. But in the late 1990s, increased cable competition ([[Nickelodeon]], [[Cartoon Network]], etc.) and FCC mandates requiring a minimum three hours of educational kids' programming on broadcast networks each week proved crippling -- since most kids bar preschoolers don't/won't watch strictly educational shows, there was little incentive for producers to make them. Entertainment shows like ''[[The Weird Al Show]]'' wound up getting compromised by [[Executive Meddling]] to fit the mandates.<br /><br />At the same time, [[Media Watchdog|FCC regulations]], voluntary guidelines, and pressure from [[Moral Guardians|parents' and teachers' groups]] rebuilt the wall between advertising and children's entertainment. This killed lucrative [[Merchandise-Driven]] cartoons and hamstrung the traditional Saturday morning advertisers (cereal, snack food, and toy companies) so much that it's too expensive for them to advertise on television without disclaiming everything or trying to somehow impart that their cereal is healthy or their toy is educational in some way. It's much cheaper for them to put up a website for their product, or create their own cable networks ([[The Hub|like Hasbro did]]), and go after them that way. As a result...

** Only [[The CW]] (successor to [[The WB]] and [[UPN]]) currently maintains a full-length Saturday morning block, [[Toonzai]], made by [[4Kids! Entertainment]].

** [[ABC]] abandoned their block in favor of "Litton's Weekend Adventure", a syndicated programming block meeting the aforementioned federal mandates (the block is broadcast by ABC stations only, though it is part of a syndication deal).

** The FCC regulations prohibited the host of a kids' show from endorsing a toy or a cereal, resulting in the extinction of locally-produced, live-action kids' shows, as it no longer made economic sense to pay someone to host a show instead of just showing all cartoons. The longest holdout was probably the original ''Bozo Show'' on WGN in Chicago, which ended in 2001; the last four years had Bozo wedging boring tours of Chicago landmarks and factories into the show to get the E/I bug on the screen.

* Fine Living Network, a sibling to [[Food Network]] and HGTV, was revamped into Cooking Channel on May 31, 2010 (though Fine Living already showed some food-related programming). By the time of the overhaul, "Fine Living" didn't really fit its name, as much of its programming consisted of shows that used to/should be on Food Network or HGTV, things which made the "fine" in the name seem superfluous (if you take it to mean "of high quality", though the word has myriad meanings).<br /><br />To clarify, Scripps Networks (parent of Food Network, HGTV, and DIY among others) launched Fine Living as an upscale lifestyle-oriented network, with emphasis on the upscale (thus the "fine"). It was basically a classy version of Food Network/HGTV and Travel Channel rolled into one. There were a lot of shows about wine and entertaining, travel to exotic locales, and the home decor/gardening shows definitely didn't have low budgets in mind. Somewhere along the line it fell victim to the usual problems, and became a dumping ground for shows from the other Scripps networks. Its decay can probably be traced right back to Food Network and HGTV's decay, but it was also a victim of bad timing more than anything, with the economy tanking (though the slide began before then). When people's McMansions are being foreclosed on, they probably don't give a crap about hosting parties in them, and showing a program literally called ''I Want That!'' in a recession is [[Big No|probably not a good idea]]. Given how badly Food Network sucks now, though, the retool of this network might be a blessing in disguise. That said, [http://www.wealthtv.com/ someone] still seems to think there's a market for the original concept, but [http://hd.engadget.com/2007/12/12/wealthtv-conspiracy-theorists-issue-anti-engadget-press-release/ don't remind anyone with HD cable service of that fact.] Along with [[Mav TV]] and any outdoor channel producing content for pennies, Wealth TV is a major [[Berserk Button]] channel since it takes a slot that could air actual programming more than 21 people in a service area would watch...and instead airs inane programming that appeals to a very select few.

* Planet Green replaced Discovery Home as a channel which was intended to jump on the trend of 'going green' in 2008 by airing a schedule of programming solely involving green and environmental programming. However the economic meltdown and people angered because Discovery threw off all the Home programming without placing it anywhere (only ''[[Holmes On Homes]]'' remains, and that's because HGTV Canada produces it and the US HGTV took it the moment Discovery stopped carrying it), pretty much made programming a network about a lifestyle that required lots of [[Money, Dear Boy|that other kind of "green"]] to maintain untenable for the long run. A couple of non-green programs snuck on the schedule in 2009, and because of the incredible viewer apathy the network receives even among green enthusiasts, it's pretty well on the road to ruin only three years after its launch. Their original shows after the first year now have very little to almost no relation to the environment at all, such as a show about Canadian restaurants run by prisoners on work release and ex-cons. The most mentionable being about two [[Reality Show|business executives learning how to run a farm from the internet]]. <br /><br />With the ratings very low, it's now airing shows about oil drilling in North Dakota and the people lucky enough to make money from it (no, [[Completely Missing the Point|that's not green at all]]), programs about UFOs ([[A Worldwide Punomenon|little "green" men landing on a "planet"?]] Does that count?), a series about loggers who use helicopters to collect lumber (chopping down trees is "green" now?), ghost stories, and reruns of stuff Discovery has aired to death on their other networks, but can't air after other network conversions (historical documentaries that used to air on Discovery Times, which is now Investigation Discovery, for instance). Meanwhile, the actual "green" programming was stuck in the [[Friday Night Death Slot|middle of the night]] and completely ignored (as of 2012 the shows are completely gone), while the network's logo has been recolored '''red'''. And now Discovery's CEO has even said the channel is on life support. <br /><br />In 2012, they began to devote their Wednesday nights to shows airing police chase shows regurgitated from shows that aired years ago, and a horrible ''Parking Wars'' clone involving hit-and-run wrecks, about as far as you can get from environmentally conscious. The only thing "green" about these programs is the [[Incredibly Lame Pun|recycling of old footage]] and the remains of said salvaged felony wrecks.<br /><br />The reason for these odd programming choices? To give the channel '''any''' ratings life ahead of Memorial Day 2012, when the channel will relaunch as Destination America, which turns up the [[Patriotic Fervor]] to 11 and features nothing but [[Eagle Land]] programs and pretty much is Discovery admitting they shouldn't have sold the Travel Channel, which carried much of this programming until it was sold off, and that they had the worst timing ever in launching Planet Green.<br /><br />Among the programming in Destination America's first few days: marathons of David Blaine specials, ''Destroyed In Seconds'', and ''[[A Haunting]]'', and ''[[LA Ink]]''. Does it count as decay if you're doing it in the very first block of programming?

* Lone Star was a Canadian cable channel that showed nothing but westerns (movies and old TV shows) when it first started in 2001. After several years, it added non-western action movies to its lineup, until they dominated the schedule. In 2008, the station rebranded itself as [[Movie Time]]. The American equivalent, Encore Westerns on the other hand hasn't decayed by design, since it's part of the Starz premium package that you pay extra for to get a channel devoted to westerns.

* DIY Network started out as a channel which had wonderful programming which laid out projects step by step in such diverse genres as knitting, scrapbooking, car care, basic home maintenance, and larger projects. However as the years have gone by the instructional programming has been pushed off to accommodate the shows on HGTV's schedule which didn't fit the "Buy, buy, buy! Remodel, remodel, remodel! Redecorate all you want, the fun times never end!" programming model that was at its worst at the height of the housing bubble. Currently it's a mix of those older shows, along with shallow and inaccessible programming designed to appeal to the "king of the castle" guy like ''Cool Tools'', and programs consisting entirely of outdated tips spewed out by rent-a-spokesmen on the "Today Show''.