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Why is This Show so Dumb? Advertising Revenue and Program Content of Network Television

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  • Keith Brown
  • Roberto Cavazos

Abstract

Economists have long debated how advertising should be treated in a rational-choice framework. Using unique data from the broadcast networks’ 1995 Fall Network Season, we find that sitcoms attract premia from advertisers, while news and police programs get discounted. We interpret our findings according to two important theoretical treatments of advertising. Because the broadcast networks forgo advertising-unfriendly program content, the cable channel HBO responds with a deliberate counter-programming niche strategy, explicitly airing programming with “darker” and “more difficult” advertising-unfriendly content. Copyright Springer 2005

Suggested Citation

  • Keith Brown & Roberto Cavazos, 2005. "Why is This Show so Dumb? Advertising Revenue and Program Content of Network Television," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 27(1), pages 17-34, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:27:y:2005:i:1:p:17-34
    DOI: 10.1007/s11151-005-4836-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Simon P. Anderson & Stephen Coate, 2000. "Market Provision of Public Goods: The Case of Broadcasting," NBER Working Papers 7513, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Goettler, R., 1999. "Advertising Rates, Audience Composition, and Competition in the Network Television Industry," GSIA Working Papers 1999-28, Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business.
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria Battaggion & Alessandro Vaglio, 2015. "Watchdogs, Platforms and Audience: An Economic Perspective on Media Markets," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 43(2), pages 209-228, June.
    2. Kerkhof, Anna & Münster, Johannes, 2015. "Quantity restrictions on advertising, commercial media bias, and welfare," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 124-141.
    3. Matthew Ellman & Fabrizio Germano, 2009. "What do the Papers Sell? A Model of Advertising and Media Bias," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(537), pages 680-704, April.

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