ABC’s New President Will Take Risks to Lift Ratings (Update1)
Aug. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Deirdre Bolton reports on breaking media news in today's edition of Media Monday. (Source: Bloomberg)
ABC has its “work cut out” to reverse a decline in ratings, said Paul Lee, the executive named last week to lead the Walt Disney Co. television network.
Lee headed Disney’s ABC Family cable channel until Steve McPherson unexpectedly resigned as president of ABC Entertainment Group on July 27. The executive, who introduced shows like “Pretty Little Liars” aimed at young female viewers at ABC Family, said he will “take some risks” in his new role to pull the broadcast network out of third place. He stopped short of saying he’d target a millennial demographic at ABC.
“The way to program a cable network is to do one thing and do it well,” Lee told writers at the semi-annual Television Critics Association today in Beverly Hills, California. “A broadcast network is a much larger canvas.”
Lee said he will seek to create a brand identity at ABC, much as CBS has done with procedural dramas and Fox with shows that appeal to younger men. He said ABC, the only major broadcaster to decline in ratings last season, is known for “smart” programs. He mentioned “Dancing With the Stars,” and shows he called “sexy” like “Grey’s Anatomy.”
The London-born Lee, 50, founded the BBC America cable channel before joining Disney in 2004. He said he was vacationing with his wife on a California beach when he was approached to take the ABC job.
“You have more time in cable to stick with a show,” Lee said. “But we are always a slave to ratings.”
ABC was the only major U.S. broadcaster to lose viewers last season and was also down in the 18-to-49-year-old group that advertisers seek, according to Nielsen Co. The network is adding six dramas to its schedule starting in September.
‘Body of Proof’
The new shows include including “Body of Proof,” starring Dana Delany, and “Detroit 1-8-7,” which revolves around a homicide unit in the city. It also picked up the comedy “Mr. Sunshine,” featuring Matthew Perry as the manager of a San Diego sports arena.
“Paul has been very supportive of us so far, just as Steve was,” said Jason Richman, executive producer of “Detroit 1-8- 7,” which will air on Tuesdays. “We’re just going to continue to do what we’ve been doing,” added David Zabel, the show’s other executive producer.
McPherson established a block of comedy shows on Wednesday nights last TV season that includes three returning programs: “Modern Family,” “Cougar Town” and “The Middle.” Lee predicted that “Modern Family,” nominated for the Emmy award for best comedy, will win.
‘Upfront Sales’
ABC sold about $2.4 billion in ads ahead of the new season for its full-day schedule, with average prime-time rates rising 8 percent to 9 percent, a person with knowledge of the matter said on June 9. ABC sold 75 percent to 80 percent of its inventory, the person said.
By comparison NBC, last in prime-time viewers, sold about $2.5 billion in advertising, with rates rising about 7 percent, another person said on June 10. The network pre-sold about 70 percent of its prime-time inventory, that person said.
Disney, the world’s largest media company, fell 2 cents to $33.69 on July 30 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have climbed 4.5 percent this year.
To contact the reporters on this story: Ronald Grover in Los Angeles at rgrover5@bloomberg.net; Andy Fixmer in Los Angeles at afixmer@bloomberg.net
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