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**RawRocks** · 05-26-2005, 04:53 AM

The main reason Smack Down struggles so much is because it is taped and technology can get away with brining in the spoilers. Not to mention, its UPN we are talking about here. UPN has struggled ever since they lost a bid to bring the Sunday Night NFL package to the network in the mid-1990's. The reason Fox Television has been so successful was because they took the risk on the major sports packages and it started with the NFL then the NHL before its sharp decline. UPN has not figured that out yet. If they can get a major sports contract, then the network will begin to prosper. Cancelling Star Trek won't help them either, with Star Trek being their second highest rated program behind Smackdown.

Let's spin back in time when Turner owned WCW... There were several times out of a year where the WWE would pre-record Raw. Turner then got smart.. a few minutes before Raw would go on air with the pre-recorded program, Bischoff of all people would go on to TNT amd announce what exactly would transpire. That was before the major wrestling sites and the internet really took off. This really struck a blow into the WWE's flagship and competition.

Smackdown is in the exact same boat as a pre-recorded Raw was in the peak of the WCW Monday Nitro years. It's not quality and the storylines that is killing Smackdown making its seem like a second rate minor league show. It is the fact that spoilers can and will get out there because it is taped.

Furthermore, you can blame the accidental wardrobe issue with the Super Bowl, UPN is an over-the air free television network. The FCC is cracking down on broadcast networks that are considered as free-over the air networks (ie. ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, The WB, UPN). The cable systems have more leeway here.

With the way the FCC is cracking down on things and the type of product that wrestling produces, it is really and truly a tough sell to keep shows like Smackdown on free television.

Smackdown in my opinion is a little better as a whole but they are limited with what they can put on the air because of the way free television networks are watch dogged over now. Furthermore, any curious idiot, who knows where to look on the internet, would look at the spoilers and easily decide whether they like what transpired and whether it is worth watching.

Moving it to Friday nights certainly doesnt help Smackdown because of two distinct reasons. High school football and its a trational night in which the target audience of the WWE is out and about in towns, parties, shopping malls, etc. Thursdays really didn't help the Smackdown's cause with it being a night where they are consistently going head to head with the major network's top programming. Move it to a cable network on a Tuesday night and as a LIVE show, then the Smackdown brand would be better off and have higher ratings than they have had in all the times they have been on UPN.

You don't have that issue with Raw being a live show. We don't have that benefit at looking at spoilers on the internet because we know at live events, things can change at the very last second.

enough of my two cents on this issue.

05-26-2005, 04:53 AM	#21
RawRocks Wrestlemania Posts: 2,995	The main reason Smack Down struggles so much is because it is taped and technology can get away with brining in the spoilers. Not to mention, its UPN we are talking about here. UPN has struggled ever since they lost a bid to bring the Sunday Night NFL package to the network in the mid-1990's. The reason Fox Television has been so successful was because they took the risk on the major sports packages and it started with the NFL then the NHL before its sharp decline. UPN has not figured that out yet. If they can get a major sports contract, then the network will begin to prosper. Cancelling Star Trek won't help them either, with Star Trek being their second highest rated program behind Smackdown. Let's spin back in time when Turner owned WCW... There were several times out of a year where the WWE would pre-record Raw. Turner then got smart.. a few minutes before Raw would go on air with the pre-recorded program, Bischoff of all people would go on to TNT amd announce what exactly would transpire. That was before the major wrestling sites and the internet really took off. This really struck a blow into the WWE's flagship and competition. Smackdown is in the exact same boat as a pre-recorded Raw was in the peak of the WCW Monday Nitro years. It's not quality and the storylines that is killing Smackdown making its seem like a second rate minor league show. It is the fact that spoilers can and will get out there because it is taped. Furthermore, you can blame the accidental wardrobe issue with the Super Bowl, UPN is an over-the air free television network. The FCC is cracking down on broadcast networks that are considered as free-over the air networks (ie. ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, The WB, UPN). The cable systems have more leeway here. With the way the FCC is cracking down on things and the type of product that wrestling produces, it is really and truly a tough sell to keep shows like Smackdown on free television. Smackdown in my opinion is a little better as a whole but they are limited with what they can put on the air because of the way free television networks are watch dogged over now. Furthermore, any curious idiot, who knows where to look on the internet, would look at the spoilers and easily decide whether they like what transpired and whether it is worth watching. Moving it to Friday nights certainly doesnt help Smackdown because of two distinct reasons. High school football and its a trational night in which the target audience of the WWE is out and about in towns, parties, shopping malls, etc. Thursdays really didn't help the Smackdown's cause with it being a night where they are consistently going head to head with the major network's top programming. Move it to a cable network on a Tuesday night and as a LIVE show, then the Smackdown brand would be better off and have higher ratings than they have had in all the times they have been on UPN. You don't have that issue with Raw being a live show. We don't have that benefit at looking at spoilers on the internet because we know at live events, things can change at the very last second. enough of my two cents on this issue.