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Awards Shows Fight Viewer Fatigue

Posted on: Tuesday, 10 January 2006, 06:00 CST

By Bill Keveney

The rewards of awards shows have been diminishing.

As the annual parade of ceremonies honoring film, TV and musical performers begins its heaviest stretch leading up to the Oscars March 5 on ABC, many have experienced audience declines.

Some shows, such as the Tonys and the Daytime Emmys, have shown a gradual fall in viewership over the past decade. Others, including tonight's People's Choice Awards (CBS, 9 ET/PT), the Golden Globes (NBC, Monday, 8 ET/PT) and Grammys (CBS, Feb. 8, 8 ET/PT), took a more precipitous one-year hit last season against ABC's phenomenon, Desperate Housewives. All three moved away from Sunday this year.

"There was some effect on Sunday night against our lineup," ABC entertainment chief Steve McPherson says.

With what some consider a glut of awards shows, one problem is that many of the specials no longer feel that special. "Consumers have received such a proliferation of pop culture and celebrity news that at some point, there's a feeling of becoming oversaturated," says Tom Weeks of media buyer Starcom Worldwide.

Awards shows hardly are an endangered species. The Oscars, with 42.1 million viewers last year, regularly ranks as the year's top entertainment show. The Globes peaked in 2004 with 26.8 million, their biggest audience in 12 years on NBC.

"There are far too many mediocre shows, but the good ones survive and thrive," says CBS specials chief Jack Sussman. Because awards programs attract some people who may not be regular TV viewers, they offer an opportunity to promote other shows, he says.

CBS hopes to brighten Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson's star by having him host People's Choice. In a stunt, Ferguson will leave Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium with a police escort after the program to get to his studio for a live show (12:37 a.m. ET/tape delay PT).

Some awards shows offer networks prestige. The Screen Actors Guild Awards (Jan. 29) give TNT a classy, marquee event. Others, such as MTV's own Video Music Awards, strengthen brand identity.

Craig Plestis, who oversees NBC's specials, doesn't believe awards overload can dilute the Globes' rare mix of film and TV star power. "It's the Hollywood party of the year," he says.

Ratings can influence host selection. Last year's Oscars hoped to attract younger viewers with Chris Rock, a move that fell short. Jon Stewart hosts this year. "He's a really comedic, smart, insightful, youthful voice," McPherson says.

Honorees affect ratings as well, which may not bode well for a less-than-stellar movie year. The Oscars drew a jaw-dropping 55.3 million in 1998, thanks to Titanic. And last fall's Emmys drew nearly 5 million more viewers than the year before, thanks in part to the series that bulldozed other awards shows, Desperate Housewives.

(c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

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