From the average TV viewers perspective this fall media consolidation doesn’t seem so bad after all. Despite a group of Hollywood personalities crying over the last decade of consolidation claiming it has led to homogenized content on TV, a quick scan of the TV listings this season suggests they maybe wrong.
Such “notable” Hollywood personalities as Mike Mills of REM, Stephen Cannell, producer of the "Rockford Files," and actress Anne-Marie Johnson, who has appeared in shows such as "The X-Files," and "Dharma & Greg" along with presidents of the writers and directors guilds all voiced concern Tuesday at a Los Angeles FCC public hearing.
Indeed, there is some proof that consolidation since the rules first changed in 1996 has led to a precipitous drop in independently produced content, according to figures in a News.com story; but the quality of today’s TV far exceeds what aired a decade ago.
While technology has made effects easier and cheaper to produce, arguably big media ownership also allowed writers and directors to make bigger splashes thanks to the bigger budgets. Take ABC’s hit “Lost” as an example. Its spectacular intro involving the crash of a commercial airline may have never been possible without Disney’s budget.
Another example that cuts both ways is the “Law & Order” series. Indeed, its growth into a three-headed hydra could be highlighted as the homogenization of TV. However, without NBC Universal’s financing, the shows may have not afforded the extra cash to film in New York City and instead substituted Toronto or a Hollywood soundstage to stand-in like CBS rival “CSI: New York.”
In addition, cable TV affords both the viewer as well as producers another outlet that the four – five networks if the CW is counted – offer. Indeed, HBO original shows such as “The Sopranos,” “Sex & the City,” and “Six Feet Under” all have received critical acclaim and snatched Emmys away from the broadcast networks. Interestingly, all three debuted after the 1996 media consolidation rules were eased. As a matter of fact, more cable channels began to offer higher quality original shows only about a decade ago. Other cable-only shows to receive awards include Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” and sibling “The Colbert Report,” USA Network’s “Monk” and FX’s “Rescue Me,” and “The Shield.”
In short, it would seem that media consolidation may have ushered in a new golden age of television. —Matthew Wurtzel
See story about FCC hearing from News.com
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In the world of media, homogeny seems a high price to pay for quality.