Network TV Profits Would Probably Increase With Nudity And Swear Words

This week has been a week of confirming what analysts had expected about Rupert Murdoch: he's making money -- but not really on TV.

Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch said Tuesday he expects "somewhat less robust growth" in the fiscal year ending next June because consumers are being hurt by higher energy costs, the U.S. real estate crisis and the battered financial industry.

...

Murdoch said there are "considerable financial challenges" in local advertising for the company's newspaper and television businesses, but that gains in cable networks, satellite television and online properties will more than offset that.

So Wired's Epicenter blog has done a little logic problem and discovered that the key differences between network TV and cable TV are indecency and profit. Heck, even Mark Cuban was recently talking about how YouTube won't last unless it figures out a way to monetize user-generated "mature" content. You know. Non-gratuitous nudity. (So, not like YouPorn.) But enough about Mark Cuban and nudity -- here's an excerpt from Epicenter:

"Without a doubt, the business model of network television is suffering from competition with other channels who operate with fewer content restrictions," says Robert Thompson, a professor of popular culture and television at Syracuse University. "This country's obsession with not uttering naughty words and not talking about s-e-x is borderline psychotic. Strike that, it is psychotic."

While the major networks struggle to create compelling content that meets the FCC's rigid decency standards, HBO, Showtime and AMC have pumped out profitable hits such as The Sopranos, Sex & The City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Weeds and Mad Men -- shows that could not exist on broadcast television. And not only is the public accepting of the adult content, many people pay to watch it.

So can the networks fight the FCC successfully enough to sneak a buttock on air? And to be profitable enough that GE, perhaps an endangered empire, isn't having to swear it won't spin NBC off all the time?

Comments

[WorkingClass]

Porn is boring. So is television. So is Rupert.

[BeamMeUpScotty]

Nudity, Profanity and Violence sells. It appeals to our "animal" instincts. It also destroys societies when it becomes "cool" and acceptable to behave like cavemen.

[Rule Of Law]

The dumbing down of America continues.

[MetalCanuck]

Maybe if he cut the bull out of his news casts and reported real news we would watch.

[Andman0121]

Now why in the world is television fairing badly for poor old Murdoch?..­.hmmm...oh its because mostly everything on television now is crap. I cant turn my television on without seeing some stupid reality show (mostly on Fox, COUGH COUGH). I cant stand watching it anymore.

[castlerider]

Yeah sure, and it would probably help my household if I robbed a bank, or dealt drugs. I'd make a bunch of fast money and pay off all the bills. Of course, there's that chance I'd get caught, and then my girls would lose their Dad.
But who cares?
Why be responsible?

This post is about as stupid as this comment.

[geobushono]

everybody in 'old europe' knows it, everybody in Japan knows it........­.even everybody in usa know it, but we are a church run state so let's not disconnect the cable just yet.

The broader, and more subtext here is more sex & swearing is a whole lot easier and CHEAPER than producing good, thoughtful, interesting scripts.
WE all know BBC has produced dramas / mysteries, for decades that are well received here simply because they are excellent TV.
I think it won't destroy the fragile morals of americans to grow up, but boobs on tv aren't the answer to networks who live or die bashave.ed on reality shows.....­........on second thought, maybe boobs is all they

[instagladiator]

My thoughts exactly. Albeit, the BBC is fast loosing it's respect as an unbiased institution which also produces excellent documentaries, drama and the like. I have noticed "the American influence" creeping into their thinking and the BBC it is not what it once was. For many, many years I have always trusted the BBC coverage over any other country/network to get the "truth". Now, this too, is questionable.
Nudity, profanity and the blood & guts is not entertainment in the least. But then, for the vast majority of the US, it is. So.....

[themodernleader]

Allowing the media to be under the ownership and control of wealth and unscrupuluous, anti democratic institutions is striking a dagger into the heart of the American conscience and moral integrity. Banality, sensationalism, 24 hour political propaganda, brutality, pornography and endless trash information is damaging Americans ability to rationally discern the truth from the trash or to make informed decisions. Democracy is under incessant attack in America. The rights of the many have beeen submerged by the hungry power of the inherited, opportunistic and foreign controlled few.

[RobinSeattle]

Again, another price paid for having religious nuts be such a powerful part of our political system.

But what I REALLY love is that a guy the Republican House conferred instant citizenship on back in 1994 will now lead us to regularly hearing four letter words on tv and radio and seeing nudity on over the air broadcasts. And this was even though they new Murdoch was a porn merchant (his satellite channels contain adult stations and he was the one who came up with the Page Three Girls back in the UK).

Yes, you religious freaks, the GOP used you. And now that you are more and more a political liability, they will abandon you like used tissues in order to please their master Rupert. Enjoy!

[marymansour]

No cheesy sitcoms with laugh tracks would help immensely.

[Toonadude]

Perhaps a graphic series starring Karl Rove and Jeff Gannon. Think that would sell advertising ??

[llmitchellb]

DECENT WRITING WOULD HELP NETWORKS.

[KillTheMessenger]

Exploitation is cheaper and can be mass fabricated. Just look at "reality tv".

[KillTheMessenger]

"This country's obsession with not uttering naughty words and not talking about s-e-x is borderline psychotic. Strike that, it is psychotic.­"

Truer words have never been spoken. In the time it took to utter them we were showing four homicides, one rape and two torture scenes on tv.

[walk0nwalls]

But Messenger, think of the children! Abject violence, gunshots, murders, torturing is fine! But saying bad words? You can kill a man and get into heaven but god forbid you ever have sex or worse yet.... swear.

It's time to run all the religious fanatics into the sea.

[realityczech4u]

Yes indeed. Let's not eliminate the violence. Let's instead, keep it and add a healthy dollop of sleaze for variety.

[robXdion]

Capitalism appeals to the worse vices in humanity and makes it profitable. Capitalistic Fascism makes the profit from vice a way of life and national theme. As long as the sheep are entertained, they'll never catch on.

[KillTheMessenger]

Panem et circenses.

[robXdion]

"Bread and Circuses" is correct. The US does resemble Rome before it's fall. We've been gripping about the same issues forever. JFK and RFK was the last chance to take the country back from corporate and big oil interests. Now it's all academic. Just a matter of "when?"