Dear Viewer, Fuck You. We're TBS and we don't give a shit. - June 11, 2008
I'm not sure what those idiots over at TBS are thinking.
One of the shows I record and watch is Family Guy. Family guy runs on four networks in my area. TBS, the local Fox affiliate, USA and the Cartoon Network. So if I want to watch it, I've got a lot of options. TBS isn't offering anything I can't get somewhere else.
So what's different about TBS. Well the first thing is that during Family Guy, TBS will pause the show -- in the middle of a scene -- and run an ad for the Bill Engvall show. It's not bad enough that most advertising is awful and makes me actively resent the products being offered, but to pause a show in the middle of a scene just seems to show a total lack of respect for the viewer. And I'm not alone, searching for "Bill Engvall ads" on google brings up four complaints about the ads and one negative review in the first five google results. I'm not sure that a network could be more out of touch with what their viewers are thinking.
Consequently, I've taken TBS out of my DVR. You can only shit on your viewers when you're the only game in town. When you're offering something that I can get three other places, I'm going to get it somewhere else.
Normally I'd write some big long thing about creating value for your viewers as opposed to extracting value from them but in this case, it seems so obvious.
And I know the counter argument, that there are a lot of people who will watch TBS and not get annoyed enough to stop watching it. But if you think about it, TBS is running a pure numbers game here. They didn't create the Family Guy franchise; they're not making any money from DVD sales or any of the intellectual property associated with Family Guy. The only revenue stream is selling ads around Family Guy content and ads are priced on how many viewers they get. So in theory, every person like me that they piss off is a dollar they lose in ad revenue.
That's your business lesson for the day. Don't be TBS.
Edit to add: This is an interesting phenomenon. I know this is just an angry rant on my blog and we can all sit around and discuss how arguing on the internet is akin to winning the special Olympics but what happens when someone like Maddox shits all over orbitz? Does it matter when 2.6 million people see the article? How about a million? How about 500? At what point can you afford to just say "fuck that guy and everyone he is talking to?" Maybe I'm below that point, but is Yahoo! Answers?
Posted by Ben Corman at 8:27 PM
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When I read that post on Maddox's page I was like, man, Orbitz is fucked. But... were they really? Who knows. I've never bought from them.
I've heard here and there that TV networks were going to push to advertise in different ways because of the DVR popularity these days. The stuff you're saying in this post is the first example I've seen that it's a reality. I might be out of touch, though, since I just download everything haven't owned a TV in over a year.
Posted by: Laura at June 12, 2008 04:30 AM
You know, I had the exact same reaction. I was happily watching family guy (in real time no less) and the moment that shit came on I changed the channel and haven't gone back since.
Posted by: vp075 at June 12, 2008 07:41 AM
Funny, I had just posted a comment about the shit TBS is doing on Ryan Holiday's blog a day or two ago, and I couldn't agree more with what you're saying. They really don't understand that they're pissing off a lot of people, and it all matters.
Now, I'm not an expert in 4GW (I probably have read just enough to misunderstand the whole thing), but it does matter. A person rants here, a person rants there, and people view those rants. They think, "fuck TBS," and post their own rants. Next thing you know, it's all over the place. That's the tricky thing with such easy communication, it can bring you great things, or screw you over very quickly.
TBS is going to keep ignoring the negative posts, because they don't think they matter. Then when the shit hits the fan, they'll take the Engvall shit off, and think it'll all work itself out. The problem is, it'll be too late by then. (I think that it's already too late to fix this problem.)
Posted by: Dumb Jock at June 12, 2008 09:19 AM
Man, I'm glad someone fucking said it. I was just sitting home, and was just like, "Hey, it's seven, I can just chill out and watch some Family Guy," right? Wrong. As refreshing as Family Guy is, it cannot quell my anger at fucking TBS for pulling that shit on us. Seriously, just being reminded of it, I get pissed off.
It would be one thing if they stopped Family Guy to broadcast the greatest thing ever, but fucking BILL ENGVALL!?!? The show looks like utter piss. I would rather have diarrhea than watch the Bill Engvall show, and I don't need any fucking ads interrupting my peace to tell me to watch it. God damn, it's retarded.
And companies wonder why they lose money when people would rather just download and watch these shows on their computers.
Posted by: Blank at June 12, 2008 01:17 PM
At least you recognize it as TBS' fault. All the responses on that Yahoo Answers link make it sound like Engvall himself is pushing buttons and pulling levers to undermine Family Guy.
Posted by: Rob4Broncos at June 16, 2008 10:22 PM
also, family guy looks and SOUNDS ＴＯＴＡＬＬＹDIFFERENT than when its on local channels or adult swim. it makes a total bad difference
Posted by: Anonymous at December 5, 2008 05:20 PM
OMG Thank you so much for saying exactly how I feel about TBS. I say we don't wait for TBS to act lets all act together, delete TBS from your guide. I will never stop until we boycott TBS, BOYCOTT tbs
thank you
Posted by: Anonymous at March 8, 2009 11:10 PM
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