Tuning Out the Talking Heads.DAYTIME VIEWERS HAVE GROWN WEARY OF TALK SHOWS, PROMPTING ROOM IN GAME AND JUDGE PROGRAMS TV is losing the gift of gab gift of gab n. The ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly. . Battered by an onslaught of court shows and the sudden popularity of game shows, the talk show format is in serious trouble -- especially for daytime viewing. In the November sweeps, Oprah Winfrey “Oprah” redirects here. For the show, see The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is the American multiple-Emmy Award winning host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the highest-rated talk show in television history. was down 5 percent from a year ago in total viewership, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Nielsen Media Research Inc. Jerry Springer has plunged 32 percent and Jenny Jones Jenny Jones could be:
Roseanne dropped 78 percent of her audience, while Montel Williams Montel Brian Anthony Williams (born July 3, 1956 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American television talk show host. Military career Williams enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1974 and completed his recruit training at MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina. is down 11 percent. Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality best known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, singer and presenter at various events. may have saved ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. with "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" but his talk show with Kathie Lee Gifford is off 6 percent. There are some bright spots. Maury Povich Maurice Richard "Maury" Povich (born January 17, 1939 in Washington, D.C.) is an American TV talk show personality who currently hosts his self-titled talk show Maury which has earned him national recognition due to the paternity tests that are often aired. was up 3 percent and Donny and Marie Osmond's show was up 1.4 percent. But even Rosie O'Donnell, who practically reinvented the talk show format by introducing more entertainment, could only break even with last year. And newcomer Martin Short is faltering so badly that his show is being revised as a later-night program. Since the 1998-99 season, syndicated talk programs have lost 5.6 million viewers, or 14 percent of their audience. Roseanne is no longer seen in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , Los Angeles or Chicago, the nation's three top markets. "The world is looking at other places," said Garnett Losak, a station rep at Blair Television, which sells air time to advertisers on behalf of TV stations. "They are no longer the first choice to be sampled. That's good news for court shows and good news for game shows." Behind the downturn Chris Lancey, chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. with media buying agency Western Initiative Media's syndication division, blamed part of the drop-off on cable and the Internet. "It has to be part of it," he said. "But the larger chunks are going to court shows like 'Judge Judy.' They have become an alternative to talk. Before them, there were only game shows and talk shows." Court shows with Judge Judy Sheindlin, Judge Mills Lane Judge Mills Lane is a syndicated American courtroom show that ran from August 17, 1998 to August 31, 2001. Reruns later aired on The National Network (TNN). The show was produced by John Tomlin and Bob Young for Hurricane Entertainment Corporation, and distributed by Rysher and Judge Joe Brown are driven by strong personalities. By contrast, according to Bill Carroll, a programming executive at Katz Television, a station rep that recommends programming to TV stations, most talk-show hosts have become a blur. "Viewers have grown weary of talk shows that go around and around a subject without any resolution," Carroll said. "In a court show, you state your case, and you either win or lose and the show moves on." Losak said daytime talk shows have simply ran out of gas. "I don't think most of the single-host talk shows have anything to offer that we haven't heard before," she said. "They are not new or fresh." The changing state of the syndication business also plays a role in the bearish outlook. These days, everybody is looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a quick hit, an overnight smash like ABC's "Millionaire." But a new talk show needs to be nurtured when it suffers growing pains grow·ing pains pl.n. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, frequently occurring at night and often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. at the beginning of its run. "Stations don't stick with a new show," said Jeff Wald, executive producer of Roseanne's talk show for King World Productions Inc. "They are looking for lightning in ajar. I think the judge shows are temporary. People will get bored once they ran out of cases." Personalities don't sell One tendency in the talk-show arena: big-league stars have been unable to be successful hosts. Roseanne is not the only star who has stumbled. Magic Johnson bombed, and so did Howie Mandel and Damon Wayans. Now Short is in trouble. "The public expects to see the character Roseanne played in her sitcom, or a character that Martin Short played," said Pam McNeely, a media buyer with ad agency Dailey & Associates. "That's what they are used to seeing. But when you host a talk show, you have to be yourself. The only problem is, their characters are what made them famous and not the person they really are." Court shows aren't the only new competition; game shows are expected to hit the talk shows hard next season. Although King World's "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" are the top shows in syndication, there is a new batch of game shows being readied for next fall, all of them hoping to catch some of the sizzle siz·zle intr.v. siz·zled, siz·zling, siz·zles 1. To make the hissing sound characteristic of frying fat. 2. To seethe with anger or indignation. 3. of ABC's "Millionaire." Despite the talk-show slippage, producers keep plunging ahead with plans for the fall. Two of the shows receiving the most attention are Paramount Television's "Dr. Laura," hosted by radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger, and Columbia TriStar's "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus," hosted by Eleanor Mondale (daughter of former Vice President Walter Mondale) and based on the best-selling book.
Talk Show Ratings
Viewership slumping for most shows.
Nov. '99 Nov. '98 Percent
Show Rating Rating Change
Oprah 6.0 6.3 -5%
Jerry Springer 4.4 6.5 -32
Rosie O' Donnell 3.5 3.5 even
Montel Williams 3.3 3.7 -11
Live w/Regis... 3.3 3.5 -6
Maury 3.1 3.0 +3
Ricki Lake 2.7 3.0 -10
Jenny Jones 2.1 2.9 -28
Donny and Marie 1.6 1.4 +1.4
Roseanne 0.4 1.8 -78
Source: Nielsen Media Research
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