R.I.P. first-run syndication

[GaryPotter]

Has anyone noticed that in the last few years the syndication market has all but died? When I was young there were a ton of stuff out there, ranging from kids stuff (Disney Afternoon and BKN) to more adult fare (Star Trek: DS9 and Xena). But today, there's really nothing out there anymore.

I just think it's a real shame.

[Michael24]

Given the last few I saw (Adventure Inc., Mutant X, Andromeda, etc.), that's probably a good thing.

But I know what you mean. Back in the '90s, some of my favorite shows were first-fun syndication series, though it sometimes made it hard to find them if the day and time would change.

[RayChuang]

The issue comes down to this: the entertainment companies now have outlets like over-air network TV and cable channels to show their TV programs. In fact, if we were producing Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess in 2007, it would probably end up on the Sci-Fi Channel or on the CW network for first-run episodes.

[Blackstar]

Has anyone noticed that in the last few years the syndication market has all but died? When I was young there were a ton of stuff out there, ranging from kids stuff (Disney Afternoon and BKN) to more adult fare (Star Trek: DS9 and Xena). But today, there's really nothing out there anymore.

I just think it's a real shame.

Back when we were young, there weren't a bunch of 24 hour cable/satellite channels specifically designed to air cartoons, sitcoms, kids' shows and action/adventure shows all day, every day. Syndication simply can't compete with cable and satellite. These are just different times, man.

[Tobias]

The issue comes down to this: the entertainment companies now have outlets like over-air network TV and cable channels to show their TV programs. In fact, if we were producing Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess in 2007, it would probably end up on the Sci-Fi Channel or on the CW network for first-run episodes.

Herc and Xena were the original Buffy and Angel IMO. Prime Time would have only sweetened the pot.

[The Weed Of Cri]

It's not that the syndicated product has vanished, it's just that it has found a warmer market in cable-TV. Mostly any new program that runs on the Sci-Fi Channel, Cartoon Network, USA, unless it was specifically produced by and for that channel, was acquired from a syndicated distributor. Local stations and network affiliates have lost a lot of their audiences to cable channels, so they've had to tighten their operating budgets by spending less money on programming for non-primetime slots. Reruns of network shows are generally less expensive for a local station to run than new programming (which still have to recoup their production costs). On the flip side, the special interest cable channels like Sci-Fi, Lifetime, Spike, etc., prefer new programs to make them more competitve. Without the Sci-Fi Channel, shows like Battlestar Galactica and Stargate: Atlantis would be searching for a home in local markets, and would be available through syndication.

[Prof Ultimate]

Plus, the FCC stupidly decided to allow single companies to own more than 1 tv station in the same city. Why was it stupid? Because once a competing station wound up as a corporate sibling to another, the new owner would slash the budget for the newly aquired one, and cut staff, winding up with 1 workforce operating both. Programming is then acquired for both stations jointly, meaning that the syndicator lost an outlet to sell to. In my city, the CW and My Network tv affiliate stations are owned by Sinclair broadcastings, and each year, they merely swap programs the already have under license around. The Simpsons airs on one station, it gets moved to the other. And back again. Same with other sitcom reruns.
Additionally, the bigger station owners have their own syndication divisions, and the best times slots on both their stations in a city, would go to shows they own, cutting out independent sellers who need to secure good time slots in order to attract major advertisers. No top advertisers, means you can't risk financing an expensive scripted action series, that'll wind up running at 3am late Saturdays..

So the market was killed by a series of silly rule changes, and the greed of corporate bigwigs wanting to own everything in sight.

[Redi]

I was just thinking about this last night. I used to watch a lot of crappy shows on Saturday afternoons growing up.

[Toon Capone]

Has anyone noticed that in the last few years the syndication market has all but died? When I was young there were a ton of stuff out there, ranging from kids stuff (Disney Afternoon and BKN) to more adult fare (Star Trek: DS9 and Xena). But today, there's really nothing out there anymore.

I just think it's a real shame.

I miss the days of syndicated programming.

Now all we have are judge shows, Jerry Springer, The Tara Banks Show and Maury.

[Gatomon41]

Back when we were young, there weren't a bunch of 24 hour cable/satellite channels specifically designed to air cartoons, sitcoms, kids' shows and action/adventure shows all day, every day. Syndication simply can't compete with cable and satellite. These are just different times, man.

Although that may change, considering that today, there are less and less channels specifically designed to show one subject.

[dth1971]

Now the long running syndicated Soul Train may soon be dead since for 2 seasons now it has been 1970's-1980's episode reruns.

[oz615]

Plus, the FCC stupidly decided to allow single companies to own more than 1 tv station in the same city. Why was it stupid? Because once a competing station wound up as a corporate sibling to another, the new owner would slash the budget for the newly aquired one, and cut staff, winding up with 1 workforce operating both. Programming is then acquired for both stations jointly, meaning that the syndicator lost an outlet to sell to. In my city, the CW and My Network tv affiliate stations are owned by Sinclair broadcastings, and each year, they merely swap programs the already have under license around. The Simpsons airs on one station, it gets moved to the other. And back again. Same with other sitcom reruns.
Additionally, the bigger station owners have their own syndication divisions, and the best times slots on both their stations in a city, would go to shows they own, cutting out independent sellers who need to secure good time slots in order to attract major advertisers. No top advertisers, means you can't risk financing an expensive scripted action series, that'll wind up running at 3am late Saturdays..

So the market was killed by a series of silly rule changes, and the greed of corporate bigwigs wanting to own everything in sight.

Tell me about it,the same folks owns the CW, My Network TV,and Fox. In other words the Nashville market is Triopoly

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackstar
Back when we were young, there weren't a bunch of 24 hour cable/satellite channels specifically designed to air cartoons, sitcoms, kids' shows and action/adventure shows all day, every day. Syndication simply can't compete with cable and satellite. These are just different times, man.

Although that may change, considering that today, there are less and less channels specifically designed to show one subject.

I know what's the point of the neich (sp) channel,when they show programing that has nothing to do w/ the theme of the cannel

I miss the days of syndicated programming.

Now all we have are judge shows, Jerry Springer, The Tara Banks Show and Maury.

sad isn't it

[Peter Paltridge]

Now the long running syndicated Soul Train may soon be dead since for 2 seasons now it has been 1970's-1980's episode reruns.

Not to mention in my area, that airs at 4 am, and I bet it gets a similar deal elsewhere.

[Ultra8]

Kinda sad, I remember when alot of good shows used to air in syndication. Back then I used to look forward to when they'd get new shows/series, but then came the endless reruns, canceled shows, and more entertaining shows on cable.

[RayChuang]

Also, another thing killing syndication is that with a lot of people getting broadband Internet through DSL, cable and (increasingly) fiber optic connections, companies are willing to put shows to be shown specifically online. A great example of this is 4Kids Entertainment showing Di-Gata Defenders through their 4Kids.tv website since they had no room to accommodate the show on 4Kids TV schedule.

[Blackstar]

Originally Posted by Me
Back when we were young, there weren't a bunch of 24 hour cable/satellite channels specifically designed to air cartoons, sitcoms, kids' shows and action/adventure shows all day, every day. Syndication simply can't compete with cable and satellite. These are just different times, man.

Although that may change, considering that today, there are less and less channels specifically designed to show one subject.

That may be true, but that doesn't mean that there will be upsurge of 1st run syndicated shows. Niche or not, there are still too many themed cable/satellite channels out there now for syndication to effectively compete with them. The popularity of 24 animation/kid vid channels such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network delivered the 1-2 punch to all of the weekday afternoon kids' lineups like Fox Kids, Kids' WB and the syndicated Disney Afternoon. Except for trash talk shows and afternoon court shows starring sassy judges, 1st run syndication is headed the way of the Dodo bird. Shows either air one of the big networks or they air on basic cable stations.

[veemonjosh]

Not to mention in my area, that airs at 4 am, and I bet it gets a similar deal elsewhere.

Yeah, here it airs at 3AM on Saturday night. What a pathetic timeslot.

[dth1971]

Independent stations have been taken over by FOX, later came UPN, WB, and PAX. Now the latter 3 are CW, My Network TV, and ION.