Found a really interesting tidbit from this week's Observer Newsletter. It involved the history of RAW as part of Meltzer's report on RAW 25th anniversary show.
Apparently the reason RAW went to 2 hours was due to USA Network having no confidence it could compete as an hour show against Nitro especially during its taped era. The reason RAW has an over-run was simply to give the show extra help at beating Nitro.
RAW itself was also originally planned to be canceled in 1998 but USA Network changed their minds because of the huge success of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
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Originally Posted by Observer
After losing in the ratings for several straight months to Nitro, the USA Network, to counter, expanded Raw to two hours and also gave them the overrun which has remained part of the show to this day. Until recent years, the overrun was a great television idea because the wrestling audience would stay past 11 p.m., since the main event was usually in progress, keeping viewers tuned to the network, plus people tuning in for the 11 p.m. show would see the end of Raw with its final match and angle, potentially creating new fans. The overrun until recent years was always, for those reasons, the most-watched part of the show. But now, with the three hour show and viewers tuning out in the third hour, while some of those reasons still exist, it also adds to the length of a show that is already too long.
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Originally Posted by Observer
Raw moved to two hours in February, 1997. In 1998, the decision was made by Barry Diller to cancel Monday Night Raw and Tuesday Night Fights, a boxing show.
But suddenly, WWF caught fire with Steve Austin off the Mike Tyson and Vince McMahon angles, and ratings skyrocketed, not only saving the show, but making it the hottest show on cable television.
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