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What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?

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#5

re: What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?

PRS, and just what exactly is your point?

Every year after the broadcast someone gleefully reports the ratings were lower this year than they were last year.

SO WHAT?

Network ratings overall are declining every year. Top rated shows now are at least 1/3 below what thet were 10 years ago. People have too many other entertainment options now.

10 Years ago with the shift to Radio City Music Hall and Rosie's first turn hosting the Tony Broadcast logged its best numbers in years: A 9.6 rating and 16 share. (A current hit CBS show, THE BIG BANG THOERY on it's best week gets a 4.6 rating and a 10 share)

CBS has no trouble selling the Tony Awards ads to sponsors who covet the program's unique demographic. Why do you think they wanted that extra hour back from PBS a few years ago?

So, explain why this is of such concern to you.

Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

#8

re: What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?

Even without the competition the Tony Awards telecasts mainly attract die hard theatre fans (like us) and people planning summer vacations to New York. There just isn't a lot there for non-theatre fans to care about, and it's not as if people can easily go see this year's winners unless they live in the tri-state area.

There was a great story in the Times a few years ago in which it was explained why CBS was eager to take on the extra hour that had previously gone to PBS. It gives them an extra 12 minutes of commercial time and the sponsors who buy the Tony awards line up to get air time because it is a program that attracts an audience that does not watch regular network programming, and an audience that actually pays attention (rather than having the program on in the background.)

Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

#10

re: What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?

I think Phyllis was just pointing out to all the ridiculous Tony threads we've had today, in true Phyllis humor re: What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#12

re: What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?

The show will probably have good ratings in NYC area and maybe LA, but for the rest of the country, the ratings will be low. Just a fact of life. 3/4 of the people in Western New York don't know what the Tony Awards are and couldn't really care.
#13

re: What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?

Just out of curiosity, Bwaybabe2, why do you not plan on watching?



Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

Updated On: 5/6/09 at 02:22 PM

#14

re: What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?

Serious thread or not, the numbers SHOULD be better this year - competing TV aside.

The musicals and plays nominated this year are much "bigger" than last year. In the new musucal category, the show grosses for the 4 nominees this week are double what last years nominees did. Billy Elliot is a monster, Shrek is a very well known brand. ROA is very similiar to In the Heights as far as grosses (at similiar stages - pre Tony). But In the Heights was the top grosser last year of the nominees. Basically last year had 3 N2N type shows. This year, there's 1 small show, and 2 big ones.

The revivals Hair and WSS are both bigger than any of the revivals last year, though SP, and God of Carnage has a very well know cast and is doing a huge gross for a play. It's gross alone is larger than all the plays nominated last year together (2 of the plays had closed). The play revivials are a wash, and not really a draw anyway.

The Tonys this year just have bigger, more popular shows. Should boost the ratings a little.

BroadwayWorld TV


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