The Q is in the title. Why does local news run from xx:00 to xx:35 instead of xx:30, thus causing the late shows to begin at xx:35?
Theoretically, it’s to give the local news folks five extra minutes to inform you of everything you need to know.
In practice, it allows the local stations to sell five extra minutes of commercials.
Some years ago, Both Johnny Carson and Ted Koppel had enough clout to demand that their shows start 30 minutes after the end of prime time programming. Since CBS and Fox had no strong late-night programs, their stations often ran syndicated programs after their local news.
To make a long story short, NBC and ABC affiliates recognized that they could make a lot more money if they delayed the Tonight Show and Nightline and ran a syndicated program right after the local news. As a compromise, NBC, CBS and ABC agreed to start their late night programming five minutes later. This gives their affiliates about 2 more minutes of commercial time, which is the same amount they’d get in a 30 minute syndicated program.
Ted Turner used to start programming on his stations at 5 minutes past the hour, supposedly so his shows would have to be listed alone out of the pack in TV Guide.
I don’t quite get it, they still run commercials during the late shows, so how are they making more money by running them before the show?
If they are local advertising the revenue goes to the local station.
Some (at least one) cable co’s. hijack network spots and run their own local ads.
Didn’t this start during the Iran Hostage Crisis at the end of Carter’s administration? I seem to remember the big 3 networks (starting with ABC, IIRC) devoting that last 5 minutes to something to do specifically with the hostages (someone who recalls more specifically, help me out here).
Once it was in place, it was continued even after the hostage crisis was over, I would imagine for reasons discussed above.
…and to give the viewer a chance to see if the networks shows were going to suck. If so, they could switch to TBS and not miss the beginning.
I think you are confusing how Nightline got started. It began as a special 15 minute hostage “Day XXX” update, and eventually became a permenant fixture on ABC even after they were released. Don’t know if my local stations in Wisconsin were slow on this innovation, but I seem to remember the extra five minutes being added in the late '80s/early '90s.
If I recall, ABC started running a brief update on the crisis each night called “America Held Hostage.” That brief update evolved into Nightline. But it wasn’t until a bunch of things came together in the late '90s that the extra five minutes became formalized.
Not to mention, if you watch a show to the end on TBS, you can’t switch to another channel without losing the opening 5 minutes of a show.
I don’t know for sure but I’d guess this is more accurate. The last thing a network wants is for a viewer to go “shopping” channels. I think that’s the reason “cold starts” are being used. It’s where the show starts cold without an intro of commercials. The network wants to hook the viewer at the first possible moment.
This reminds me of something I noticed on the new season of “That 70s Show”. They’re running the opening theme much later than we’re used to. (I believe it’s somewhere around the 6 or 7 minute mark)
I figured it was also to help combat “channel shopping”. By the time the theme hits, if I try to go channel-jumping, the other shows are on their first break I think. I’m going to test this theory next week.
Now, can someone explain why the Fox Movie Channel lists its movies as starting at one minute after the hour?
Probably for the same reason TBS used to be at the fives. If Im watching a show, and grow disinterested, I know I can flip to Fox Movie channel and not be out a possible crucial plot point in a film.
BTW, I don’t have access to Fox Movie Channel, but I would assume that its like other movie channels… No commercials… so this could not be a possible answer, as it does not exsist.
Also, it gets great word of mouth… here we are talking about said programs, or said Channels.
IIRC: I have seen schedules for TV programs in England and other European Countries… odd timing is common place over there… not to mention show length is also non-standard. AB-Fab on Comedy Central used to always “”“run late”""