[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 14, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          CBS' MOVIE SCHEDULE

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, I would like to submit for the 
Record an article from August 8-14 issue of Variety Television which 
outlines changes in CBS' movie department. Responding to a ratings drop 
for its Tuesday night movie, CBS has eliminated many of its true-crime 
genre movies in favor of the more contemporary adult dramas showcased 
in CBS' Sunday night movie.
  I applaud CBS for going in a new direction, and I hope that by making 
this shift in policy, CBS can continue to make progress in the whole 
area of television violence. I also think it is noteworthy that this 
policy change was in part the result of lower ratings. CBS obviously 
feels that moving to more family-oriented programs will be better for 
ratings, and I applaud their decision.
  I ask that the entire Variety Television article be inserted into the 
Record at this point.
  The article follows:

                          CBS Rethinks Telepix

                            (By Brian Lowry)

       CBS Entertainment has undertaken a significant redirection 
     of its movie and miniseries department, in the process 
     pulling the plug on 25 to 30 projects that were in 
     development.
       Most of the movies eliminated were in the true-crime genre, 
     which has been a major staple of the network's Tuesday-night 
     movie franchise. Instead, the network is now seeking 
     contemporary adult dramas with strong emotional appeal, aimed 
     largely at female viewers, more similar to the stately fair 
     show-cased in its Sunday movie slot.
       That change of direction--combined with a major expansion 
     in volume, with CBS ordering more than 70 movies for the 
     coming season, as many as NBC and ABC combined--has, 
     according to suppliers, left the net scrambling for material.
       Producers say the network is ``desperate'' for completed 
     scripts, putting long-on-the-shelf projects into development 
     and examining appropriately themed projects dropped by other 
     networks. Some movies have also been placed on accelerated 
     production schedules to be ready for fall.
       CBS quietly initiated the strategy shift in May, and the 
     effort has been overseen in large part by exec VP Larry 
     Sanitsky, a former TV movie producer who joined the network 
     when Peter Tortorici was elevated to head the entertainment 
     division.
       Without specifying the number of projects shelved, Sanitsky 
     confirmed the reevaluation of Tuesday. ``We are trying to 
     change the overall profile of the Tuesday night movie,'' he 
     said, noting that the true-crime genre has ``played itself 
     out quite a bit.''
       Sanitsky also acknowledged the need for product, saying ``I 
     have never seen a network more open than we are right now.'' 
     He added however, that despite speeding up production on some 
     movies, the web is ``in pretty good shape'' through the end 
     of 1994.
       One reason for the inventory crunch is a virtually 
     unprecedented expansion in production. The number has been 
     elevated in part because CBS has ordered nine telefilms to 
     air Sunday afternoons--countering the NFL football games it 
     lost to Fox Broadcasting Co.--and will use additional movies 
     opposite the World Series, which the network televised the 
     last four seasons. ``It has created a gigantic appetite for 
     us,'' Sanitsky said.
       Officials have also alluded to plans to broadcast ``a 
     miniseries a month,'' including the web's November telecast 
     of the eight-hour ``Gone With the Wind'' sequel, 
     ``Scarlett.''
       The CBS shift has sent shock waves through the movie 
     business because of the number of movies the web orders. Even 
     last year, when the Eye network devoted several weeks of 
     primetime to the Winter Olympics and World Series, CBS still 
     aired at least 45 original longform projects. Roughly 60 
     movies were ordered during the 1992-93 season.
       Though true-crime movies have been at the center of the TV 
     violence debate, CBS feels its directional shift Tuesday will 
     provide stronger counter-programming against NBC and ABC 
     sitcoms as well as ``NYPD Blue.'' The average rating for the 
     ``CBS Tuesday Movie'' dropped 11 percent last season.
       CBS has also enjoyed considerable success with softer 
     Sunday movies, which delivered eight of last year's 10 
     highest-rated telefilms in terms of households.

                       NIELSEN SYNDICATION RATINGS                      
                     [For week ended July 24, 1994]                     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Stations/                  
Rank                 Program                  percent      AA      GAA  
                                              coverage  percent  percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1     Wheel of Fortune.....................     228/99     11.9  .......
2     Jeopardy!............................     218/99     10.0  .......
3     Star Trek: Next Generation...........     245/99      8.6      9.2
4     Oprah Winfrey Show...................     237/99      8.4  .......
5     Entertainment Tonight................     187/96      7.5  .......
6     Baywatch.............................     210/97      6.2      6.5
6     Hard Copy............................     167/93      6.2      6.3
8     Roseanne.............................     178/96      6.1      6.1
8     World Wrestling Fed. Pr..............     188/93      6.1      7.5
10    Married w/Children...................     185/94      5.9      6.5
10    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine...........     235/99      5.9      6.3
12    Action Pack Network..................     166/96      5.8      6.1
12    Wheel of Fortune-Wknd................     181/84      5.8  .......
14    Current Affair.......................     187/96      5.7      5.8
15    Family Matters.......................     183/92      5.6      6.7
16    Ricki Lake...........................     179/94      5.3      5.7
17    Cops.................................     173/93      5.0      5.2
18    Renegade.............................     155/94      4.9      5.2
19    Designing Women......................     202/96      4.7      5.2
20    American Journal.....................     120/88      4.5      6.5
20    Geraldo..............................     164/96      4.5  .......
20    Wrestling Network....................     123/92      4.5      7.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AA average refers to nonduplicated viewing for multiple airings of the  
  same show.                                                            
GAA average encompasses duplicated viewing.                             
GAA average does not apply when there is only one run of a show.        

  Mr. MITCHELL addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

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