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For the CW, task
of filling in the blanks

Network still has a schedule loaded down with repeats

By Diego Vasquez
Nov 24, 2009

The four-year-old CW has narrowed its focus to such a small swath of viewers, women 18-34, that it has arguably never programmed a new breakout hit, merely shows like "Gossip Girl" that appeal to that demo. But with "The Vampire Diaries," a high school drama riding the current wave of bloodsucker mania, the network finally has a new show that's generating strong ratings across virtually every demographic. "Diaries" has become the network's No. 1 show in total viewers and adults 18-49 while boosting the CW's Thursday night and overall average over last year. For the season, the network is up 11 percent year-to-year in women 18-34, to a 2.1 Nielsen rating, due in part to the decision to drop its low-rated Sunday lineup. Still, the CW does have some lingering problems, chief among them its continued failure to find a decent lead-out for fading reality show "America's Next Top Model" -- the new drama "The Beautiful Life: TBL" was canceled after two episodes -- and low ratings for Tuesday's "Melrose Place" reboot. Buyers would also like to see more original content from the network, which airs a lot of repeats. To that end, the CW will debut a new show in January, "Life Unexpected," which will give the network fresh episodes on Monday nights through May. Tracie Chinetti, senior buyer/planner at Blitz Media in Boston, talks to Media Life about why "Diaries" has become a breakout hit, where the CW can improve, and what its best long-term strategy is.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not at all improved and 10 being the most of any network, how much has CW improved compared to last year?

Not sure about a number, but I'd say they are in a good position. They extended the orders for “Melrose Place” and “Vampire Diaries.” “Vampire Diaries” is getting good buzz.  

CW is down slightly with total viewers, but they really have a focus on women/viewers 18-34, and their ratings are up significantly there. They seem to be about flat in other key demos.  


What are the network's biggest strengths this fall?

“Vampire Diaries.” People talked about “Melrose Place,” and that is great, but “Vampire” seems to be getting some respect.  


What are its biggest weaknesses, and how would you like to see them addressed?

They have limited first-run programming. Other nets are able to fill in with short-run series, sports, specials, etc. CW basically goes dark for many weeks of the year. They had nothing all summer long. They need to figure something out.  Buyers and advertisers are becoming increasingly disinterested in repeats.


Ratings for "Melrose Place" have obviously been a disappointment. Do you think bringing in Heather Locklear can give the show a bump so that it can at least rise to a decent companion to "90210," or is it just too muddled creatively to succeed?

“Melrose” was never supposed to be a critical success. I'm sure they hoped for it to have higher ratings, but it has had some promo value as the series has been widely covered. I'm not sure Heather Locklear still has the magic, but it could be fun to find out.

Ultimately, as they have found with “90210,” the old cast can only do so much before the newbies have to carry the action.


"The Vampire Diaries" has been a bright spot for the CW this season. What can the network learn from the show in attempting to develop new programs (beyond the fact that hey, vampires are hot)?

“Vampire Diaries” is actually a relatively well-produced series. It has a solid, compelling story and characters viewers care about.

Look back at the history of WB/UPN--shows like “Buffy,” “Gilmore Girls” and “Dawson's Creek” were heavy hitters. These were shows with unknowns, but they were beloved by the viewers. It ultimately comes down to story and character.

“90210” and “Melrose” gained attention because of their history, but whether they survive, thrive or fail will be on story and character.


Where do you envision the CW five years from now? Will it still be around, will it be as narrowly targeted, or will we see some major changes?

I think for CW to survive they need to be focused.  NBC went from having the broadest reach and highest ratings around to struggling for every rating point. With all of the competition, it would be too hard to expand rapidly.

Diego Vasquez is a staff writer for Media Life.	© 2010 Media Life Magazine

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