Prolonged strike may change TV forever

Cory Bergman December 9th, 2007

The WSJ has a good story (sub. req.) on what may happen if the strike drags well into 2008, which is sounding more likely by the day. “There’s a huge transition in our business,” said mega-producer Steven Bochco. “This may hasten the demise of the model that we’ve all worked under.” For starters, the practice of the networks ordering up more than 60 pilots every season at a tremendous cost — only to air a handful of them — is likely to change. And then there’s the upfront. NBCU CEO Jeff Zucker said that a “grand presentation” in the spring may not make sense if the strike continues. “I don’t think there is any rule that says we have to do it that way,” he said. And you have to wonder how an extended strike could permanently change viewing behavior, especially with younger audiences. Stay tuned…

Earlier: Analyst estimates web impact of the strike