My Boys is a good original, but you are right: TBS consistently makes terrible decisions. All of the other originals and many of the reruns are abominable.

I know that Americans have nearly perfected the art of watching television, but do you remember the shifts in content/philosophy TBS made from whatever it was to "The Man's Network"? That bombed and it shifted to "The Woman's Network" (bombed) and then to whatever it is now.

That was a little before my time as well, but I am assuming that TBS was then (as it was before it started these new original shows a couple years ago) more or less a syndication platform. Back in 1990, TV guide was the only reliable way to get show listing information. Also, with no TIVO, viewers had no way to search the airwaves for their favorite shows. So, while I agree that "Turner Time" is indicative of some basic issues that are going on over there, in and of itself it was a decent marketing strategy to increase awareness of their syndication schedule. They were airing shows that had an established fan base, so all they were trying to do was get the message to the fans that they could see that show, on TBS, at X o'clock. Then again, if that wasn't the basic format of the channel back then, this all goes out the window.

I had other comments, but I have a migraine, so I will post them tomorrow

"You're going to be able to direct the direction of, if not your company, at least your group within the company."

Please tell me that was a typo.

Fatman -- You'd think that I would proofread these things huh? Anyway, it's fixed.

Bryan -- I fundamentally disagree that Turner Time was "in and of itself ... a decent marketing strategy to increase awareness of their syndication schedule." I think that there are better ways to let their target audiences know about their schedule without trying to game the system. Which is what I see 'Turner Time' as.

But I'd like to hear the rest of your thoughts, because maybe I'm not understanding what you're saying there. Or maybe I'm wrong.

In your first post you questioned the power of your rant. I just read an article by Jeff Jarvis about the AP trying to threaten some blog. Jarvis is calling for a boycott of the AP, along with some other important dudes whom I don't know about.

This is important to watch, because this is your question playing out. Does it really matter than some people are ranting about TBS? Well, we'll see the power of Jeff Jarvis and Michael Arrington posts, and if it'll change the AP's ways.

Hey Dumb Jock,

Do you have a link to that? I'd like to follow it.

You don't win in business by going toe to toe with your competitor where he's strongest (i.e., by competing on show quality when you're TBS). You win by finding a position in the market that nullifies your opponent's advantage and owning it. In this case, TBS tried to be the network of crappy television that you could still tune into after exhausting the other options. Ultimately it may have failed but the concept is perfectly valid.

Hey Nick,

I don't disagree. If syndicating shows and selling ads around them nullifies the opponent's advantage (because they're creating original content) then yes, it's a valid business strategy. I just don't want to work there. Repackaging someone else's creative work doesn't sound like all that much fun at the end of the day. That's what part of this entry is about, are you doing it because it's a paycheck or because you love it.

I never said TBS didn't have a valid business strategy. 'Turner Time' and these new ads that TBS is showing isn't a business strategy, it's marketing strategy and I think it shows a lack of respect for the viewer.

Fair enough, but not every TV show is going to be 'The Wire,' and not every network is going to be HBO. There's still a market for syndicated crap, obviously, or else these guys would be gone from the market. So is it really showing disrespect for the viewer to provide them with secondhand content when someone out there is obviously lapping it up? Is it really that inferior a calling to build Geo Metros rathers than Rolls Royces? I can certainly take your point about wanting to work for more than a paycheck, but just because you'd see them as sellouts doesn't make them so.

Nick,

I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. I'm not saying that there isn't a market for TBS to run syndicated shows. Until they started running the Bill Engvall ads, I watched TBS. That's where this whole thing started.

I'm not saying that syndicating TV is disrespectful to the viewer. I'm saying that the manner in which TBS advertises their shows is disrespectful to the view. There is a difference there.

And I'm not calling anyone a sellout. If you, or anyone, goes to work simply for a paycheck and they're happy with that, then great. I've tried doing that and it didn't work for me.

But just because someone goes to work everyday for the paycheck doesn't let them off the hook for making bad decisions. On the flip side, just because someone believes in the work they're doing, that doesn't let them off the hook for bad decisions either. But I believe that it's easier to make the right decision when you're personally invested in what you're doing.

You keep trying to turn this into a debate about the business model that TBS uses. I'm not talking about that, I'm talking specifically about their marketing practices.

Here are the links. His first post is FU AP

Next, he writes his proposal post

His third post he talks in response to the AP

I will also send you the links through del.icio.us in case they don't work here.

As far as the Engvall ads, I think you need to ask one question to see if they're good stategy: do they create value, or do they steal it?

Dumb Jock,

Thanks for the links. I'll check them out now. And you're absolutely right. The question at the heart of all of this is 'does it create value or steal it' Maybe I should have put it that way from the start.

A bit late, but I personally think that it steals value, especially because it seemed so insulting. We already have to sit through about eight minutes of commercials during their regular showings, but then to have one of the wittiest shows on TV shat on just for an ad of an inferior show? It's ridiculous.