07 Feb 2010, Posted by Susana Baker in Articles, General, 0 Comments

Television Networks Fear Innovation

Satellite Radio Show Host Howard Stern

American Idol producers are considering replacing Simon Cowell with Howard Stern for future seasons of the show. Really? With two out of three judges bailing on the show, one would think Fox might get a clue. Unfortunately, it seems to be a network trend to extend shows well past their prime. Look at Survivor for example. Paste Magazine fairly recently released their own list of “Eight TV Shows That Hung On Too Long.”

Networks have a genuine fear of innovation, not for the sake of the innovation itself, but for fear of the risks involved in innovation. Why try to come up with something new when they have this show that worked so well last season? …and the season before that, and the season before that… What they don’t seem to understand is the law of diminishing returns. The hype over the show only lasts so long. Soon, viewers become bored with the same old thing and crave for something new. Bringing in celebrities or other promotional ploys only drag the life of the show on a little bit further. What keeps networks from pulling the plug? And on the flipside, why do networks insist on cancelling perfectly wonderful shows before they get the chance to reach their prime? Paste Magazine also has a list of those for your reading pleasure. Perhaps it is time that networks started listening closer to the wants and needs of their viewers.