tv channel loyalty/ratings in the USA

[The Mask]

can someone explain how it works? like if the exact same show switches channels it seems it will gain or lose millions of viewers which doesn't make much sense to me. like someone mentioned conan going to FX and it being a step down, yet i think fx was pretty much my most watched channel over there.

[thedamndest]

It depends on what the situation is. If you take a show like Monday Night Raw and move it from USA to Spike it isn't that much of a difference because you're going one cable channel to another. If Conan goes to FX (not Fox) that would be a move from network to cable. Not only would he be competing with Letterman and Leno, but he would be losing viewers that don't have cable.

But by going to FX he probably wouldn't need to cater his show to the masses. I don't know what their target looks like, but I'll bet it isn't anything like NBC's.

[The Mask]

ahhh that makes sense. so which are the network channels?

[Indifferent Clox]

nbc,abc,cbs,fox

[LoDownM]

CW is "kinda" network as well. Not as big as the others tho.

[Droford]

Hosting a show anywhere on Cable is a step down from hosting the Tonight Show on NBC, I should have said that.

FX is carried by most cable/sat providers and its considered a basic tier channel by most as well which means he'll still have the availability.

Having a show on FOX runs into the issue of most of the affiliates having sold out their 11pm timeslot for syndicated shows which they get 100% of the revenue from advertising. Putting a national show at 11pm like Conan means they lose some of that revenue which is what they are opposed to giving Conan a show (and why FOX doesn't program 3 hours under normal circumstances .. the 24 premiere was a rarity). FOX seems to be 50/50 on Conan right now and thats where FX comes in, if FOX wants him but the affiliates don't, they can put it on FX instead.

[Jura]

Also NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS can be seen with an antennae for free.

[The Mask]

do that many people not have cable? i figured basically everyone in america had some form of it unlike over here where lots of us just had 4 channels for the longest time.

[The Jayman]

if your house has had cable before then all you would have to do is hook up a lcd/led/plasma that has a built in tv tuner and you can get multiple channels without having to have actual service

[Droford]

Supposedly there are 21 million people/households that do not have cable/satellite and only get Over The Air broadcasts.

That number might be going up due to the availability of stuff on the internet and how expensive Cable/Internet are getting.

[Xero]

Hosting a show anywhere on Cable is a step down from hosting the Tonight Show on NBC, I should have said that.

Hosting any show anywhere is a step down from the Tonight Show.

[PapaGeorgio]

I just bought a house and only use Over the Air stuff. Especially with what I can do with the internet. And I run the TV through my computer, so there is a DVR, plus can watch any other media stuff on there. There are ways around it all, just somewhat inconvenient at times I guess.