Maybe 10pm series would move to Peacock.

RadioActive wrote:

One industry analyst is now saying NBC cutting all of its 10 PM shows is a "near certainty," although it doesn't appear it will be happening this season. Just as interesting, though, is that the same expert predicts local stations would use the 10 o'clock hour to air their newscasts - allowing the Tonight Show to move to 11 PM. 

(Remember that il-fated experiment when NBC put Jay Leno on at 10 five nights a week, turning Tonight over to Conan O'Brien? It was a bigger disaster than "The Poseidon Adventure" and it lasted less than a season.)

A lot, of course, depends on what the competition does. I'm not sure I'd want my 10 o'clock local news airing against primetime shows on CBS and ABC. It's expected they'll look at what NBC is up to and possibly follow suit, as more and more resources are concentrated on streaming - and not free broadcast.

"How does one evaluate streaming companies? Revenue and profit of course matter, but the big factor, more than anything else, is paid subscribers. With that in mind, let’s look at the relative subscriber strength of four major companies:

• Netflix: 220 million
• Disney+: 152 million
• Paramount+: 43 million
• Peacock: 15 million

If the standard among the three owners of traditional networks is Disney’s 152 million subscribers, 43 million is bad. Fifteen million is a disaster." 

With the Canadian population much smaller, 43 million would be seen as huge - even 15 million would make Bell execs salivate. As an example, as of 2018, admittedly a few years ago, Crave had just 1.3 million subscribers, which at the time was seen as not only encouraging but also a big increase. (I believe the number is now closer to over 3 million.)  So they'd likely be thrilled with 15 million. 

But as someone raised on the Big 3 - and being used to getting everything free - I know I will miss the broadcast networks should they all disappear, although I don't think that's likely to happen for good anytime soon.

There are still millions of people who watch, who can't either afford high speed Internet or don't have access to it out in the more rural areas of the U.S., and who depend on cable or satellite (or antenna) for their viewing. I don't think the FCC would take kindly to broadcasters abandoning all of them, although they can't force companies to run a TV station if they don't want to. 

The other huge advantage to OTA is that if your Internet goes down, you can always watch over-the-air TV until it comes back. Unless, of course, that over-the-air TV is no longer there. 

With NBC Near Certain To Cut Primetime, Prepare For A 10 P.M. News 

Any such newscasts would also be competing with established 10:00 newscasts in many markets - most of which air on Fox or CW affiliates, or independent stations.

Last edited by MJ Vancouver (October 9, 2022 3:34 pm)

RadioActive wrote:

Another challenge to change, as CBS confirms it has no plans to cut its 10 PM programming, no matter what NBC (or ABC) does. 

CBS Chief George Cheeks Says Network Will Keep Programming At 10 P.M.

Are ratings showing that people prefer to watch something local (ie local news) at 10PM?
The main advantage is that those who have to get up early the next day might prefer to watch news @ 10.
It allows an extra hour at night for bed time.
However, not everyone has to be up an hour earlier the next day.

CBS is really rolling the dice...but then again, maybe NBC is also...

I was in LA over the weekend (watching the Jays in Anaheim), and I noticed ABC O&O KABC aired news at 10pm and 11pm on Saturday night, instead of whatever ABC programs at that hour. That meant there were no fewer than four English-language local newscasts on at 10pm on Saturday night, including one on a big 3 affiliate.