As U.S. Is Reviled Abroad, American TV Charms

AS US IS REVILED ABROAD, AMERICAN TV CHARMS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Eric Pfanner]
In the parliaments and pubs of Europe, the United States may wallow in least-favored-nation status. But on European television, American shows have been enjoying a popularity not seen since the 1980’s heyday of “Dallas,” “Dynasty” and “The Dukes of Hazzard.” United States producers are taking more risks, creating edgier shows, analysts say, and they are spending more on them in an effort to appeal to European audiences. With revenue from sales of American rights flat, they are also increasingly dependent on international sales to recover costs. Meanwhile, European programming budgets are getting squeezed. Advertising revenues at many of the leading channels are stagnant or falling as viewers defect to the Internet and other new media. Yet broadcasters have to fill many more hours of air time as cable, satellite and digital channels proliferate. Buying the rights to American shows is much less expensive than producing original ones. To be sure, analysts say, the appetite for local content remains strong. And European producers have been adept at developing reality TV series and game shows that can be replicated in export markets, including the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/business/media/16tv.html
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