Reality Tv Competition Success
Amanda Zusman
9/24/12
T344 Programming strategies
The Most Successful Program Format in the Primetime Timeslot
The primetime television timeslot is known to deliver the most viewers to networks and advertisers each and everyday. The primetime hours range from 7PM-11PM and summon many persons getting home from work and families at the tail end of mealtime. Entertainment programming scheduled during primetime has always been popular amongst audiences, however; in recent years certain reality competition programs have risen above the other formats by using innovative concepts to engage viewers. The key to the explosion of this television format was the interactive element of audience participation. For each interactive reality competition, the viewers determine the winners. The beginning of the popular format as we know it started with Britain’s “Pop Idol” back in 2002. The UK Idol franchise expanded to the US during the same year, named “American Idol”, after observing the amounts success the program had in the UK. A popular recent popular trend between networks is purchasing the intellectual property that encapsulates the idea of a particular program. These shows are then adapted into our American culture so that we can partake in the same type of engaging entertainment phenomenon. Overtime this particular program format has proven to be a crowd-pleaser among viewers of all ages indicated by ratings and by media coverage. For these reasons as well as others, shows of this caliber have earned themselves spots on broadcast’s primetime day part. Although the primetime timeslot is embodies a strategic mixture of diverse programming, primetime broadcast television is dominated by shows that stem from the same television program format.
Typically these types of programs are scheduled in the “lead off” spot during the primetime segment because they draw in such a large audience rich in age diversity. During a show’s active season, they take a large toll on the
9/24/12
T344 Programming strategies
The Most Successful Program Format in the Primetime Timeslot
The primetime television timeslot is known to deliver the most viewers to networks and advertisers each and everyday. The primetime hours range from 7PM-11PM and summon many persons getting home from work and families at the tail end of mealtime. Entertainment programming scheduled during primetime has always been popular amongst audiences, however; in recent years certain reality competition programs have risen above the other formats by using innovative concepts to engage viewers. The key to the explosion of this television format was the interactive element of audience participation. For each interactive reality competition, the viewers determine the winners. The beginning of the popular format as we know it started with Britain’s “Pop Idol” back in 2002. The UK Idol franchise expanded to the US during the same year, named “American Idol”, after observing the amounts success the program had in the UK. A popular recent popular trend between networks is purchasing the intellectual property that encapsulates the idea of a particular program. These shows are then adapted into our American culture so that we can partake in the same type of engaging entertainment phenomenon. Overtime this particular program format has proven to be a crowd-pleaser among viewers of all ages indicated by ratings and by media coverage. For these reasons as well as others, shows of this caliber have earned themselves spots on broadcast’s primetime day part. Although the primetime timeslot is embodies a strategic mixture of diverse programming, primetime broadcast television is dominated by shows that stem from the same television program format.
Typically these types of programs are scheduled in the “lead off” spot during the primetime segment because they draw in such a large audience rich in age diversity. During a show’s active season, they take a large toll on the