Should Cable Nets Stick With What They Know?

Cable networks that established themselves with niche programming aimed at very specific audiences have been branching out in recent years to chase broader audiences and advertiser pools. But at least some are finding it might have been better to stick with the genre they came in with, lest they dilute their brands and lose focus on the programming they do best. As content moves across platforms and services, there's an even stronger need for brands to mean something, said Brent Poer, president at Starcom MediaVest Group's LiquidThread North America. Networks need to make sure their content is recognizably their own even when it appears on services like Netflix instead of the regular TV channel.