“Make Popular Television”

“The overwhelming lesson we have learned from the CBS Evening News is simply, ‘First, make popular television.’ Not ‘good’ television, ‘popular’ television. That’s job one,” media consultant Shelly Palmer writes.

He wonders if there is room for three nightly network news programs in 2007. Here’s the last paragraph: “Usually the last organization to do something ends its life with virtually 100 percent market share. Buggy whips are the example most often used. (I don’t have any statistics on the last full-time factory dedicated to buggy whip manufacturer to go chapter 11, but I’m sure they were the ‘best practices,’ most competitive, most popular manufacturer in their business.)

However, the last evening newscast to be canceled will not have 100% share, not even close … it will go off the air the moment someone figures out a way to make more money or draw a bigger audience in that time slot. I wonder when that will be?”