April Showers Bring May Flowers (GRPs)
As we’ve said in the past, April can be such a tricky month to schedule in PTV land. With the recent shakeup of Tuesday and Wednesday nights of the NPS, it seems to be even trickier this year. The reprise of The Civil War around the 150th Anniversary gobbles up the entire first week, which could in turn hamper core series viewing for the balance of the month. Fortunately, the major core series present new episodes that should generate interest amongst our core viewers: Masterpiece Classic bows new episodes of “Upstairs, Downstairs,” and American Experience premieres three new docs. Along with new episodes of Antiques Roadshow, April has promise and challenges. Never underestimate the power of sliding and splitting the NPS to your local advantage. More often than not it works!
April 2011 NPS – A Walk Through the Week-by-Weeks
Week 1 (4/1 – 4/2) / Title (Common Carriage in bold) / Projected RatingFriday, 4/1 / Washington Week
Need to Know
Masterpiece Classic “The 39 Steps” (r)
· April Fool’s Day brings the standard Friday fare with the addition of a repeat of Masterpiece Classic “The 39 Steps.” Most stations already have solid Friday skeds in place and April probably isn’t the month to make any sudden moves.
Week 2 (4/3 – 4/9) / Title (Common Carriage in bold) / Projected RatingSunday, 4/3 / The Civil War “The Cause – 1861” (r) / 1.2
Robert E. Lee: American Experience (r) / 1.0
Monday, 4/4 / The Civil War “A Very Bloody Affair…” (r) / 1.2
Fort Niagara: The Struggle for a Continent (r) / 0.8
Tuesday, 4/5 / The Civil War “Simply Murder…” (r) / 1.2
Independent Lens “The Desert of Forbidden Art” / 0.5
Wednesday, 4/6 / The Civil War “Valley in the Shadow of Death” (r) / 1.1
Smitten (r) / 0.4
Thursday, 4/7 / The Civil War “War is All Hell” (r) / 1.1
Friday, 4/8 / Planet Forward “Energy Innovation” / 0.5
· It’s true –war is hell. The NPS delivers a lot of hell this week with the encore of Ken Burns’ The Civil War. Given the sheer number of broadcast hours there is very little wiggle room to localize your schedule. However, if you want this stunt week to retain some semblance of normalcy for the regular schedule consider sliding The Civil War to start each night in the second hour of prime, thereby freeing up the first hour of prime for a play of Nature on Sunday, ARS on Monday, so forth and so on. This is a strategy for grabbing GRPs at the start of the night and buying some insurance in case The Civil War turns out to be a repeat dud. Plus, there’s no Common Carriage hit for going this route!
Week 3 (4/10 – 4/16) / Title (Common Carriage in bold) / Projected RatingSunday, 4/10 / Nature “Cuba: The Accidental Eden” (r) / 1.2
Masterpiece Classic “Upstairs, Downstairs” / 1.6
Earth: The Operators Manual / 0.4
Monday, 4/11 / Antiques Roadshow “Billings, MT” / 3.0
Great Famine: American Experience / 1.3
Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton / 0.6
Tuesday, 4/12 / The President’s Photographer: Fifty Years… (r) / 1.0
Frontline / 1.1
Independent Lens “Jean-Michel Basquiat…” / 0.5
Wednesday, 4/13 /
Secrets of the Dead “Battle for the Bible” (r)
/ 1.3NOVA “The Bibles Buried Secrets” (r) / 1.2
Thursday, 4/14 / Antiques Roadshow “Billings, MT” (r) / 1.4
Secrets of the Dead “Battle for the Bible” (r)
/ 0.7The This Old House Hour
/ 0.8Friday, 4/15 / Masterpiece Classic “Upstairs, Downstairs” (r) / 1.0
· The war is over. The north won. Let’s move on. The NPS launches the week with a repeat Nature episode followed by the much-anticipated premiere of “Upstairs, Downstairs” on Masterpiece. Given that the mini-series is 3/60’s there’s an interesting opportunity to slide to the third hour of prime and run a strong title (Poirot?, Sherlock?) in the split. Or, if you’re skittish about a split the post-Masterpiece slot could also be a strong spot to veer away from the NPS. New episodes of ARS starting this week are a good boost for the schedule, particularly after a long month of pledge and repeats. “Great Famine” on AMEX is a tricky topic because of dubious audience appeal. Monday may be a good candidate for a second hour split from the NPS, particularly since Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton doesn’t look very strong. The balance of the week wallows in repeats and has some potential for creative local scheduling.
Week 4 (4/17 – 4/23) / Title (Common Carriage in bold) / Projected RatingSunday, 4/17 / Nature “Survivors of the Firestorm” / 1.4
Masterpiece Classic “Upstairs, Downstairs” / 1.6
Forgiveness: A Time to Heal and a Time to Hate / 0.8
Monday, 4/18 / Antiques Roadshow “Billings, MT” / 3.0
American Masters “John Muir in the New World” / 1.1
Games of the North / 0.6
Tuesday, 4/19 / Black in Latin America / 0.5
Frontline / 1.1
Independent Lens “Waste Land” / 0.4
Wednesday, 4/20 /
Secrets of the Dead “Lost in the Amazon”
/ 1.4NOVA “Power Surge” / 1.4
Saving the Bay “Marvel of Nature” / 0.8
Thursday, 4/21 / Antiques Roadshow “Billings, MT” (r) / 1.4
Secrets of the Dead “Lost in the Amazon” (r)
/ 0.8The This Old House Hour
/ 0.8Friday, 4/22 / Masterpiece Classic “Upstairs, Downstairs” (r) / 1.0
· This week is a tough one to figure out. Yes, we get new episodes of Nature and MAST, but then two week of Forgiveness: A Time to Heal and a Time to Hate. While the segment we watched was quite good it’s difficult to see an audience sticking with this doc. The series is not Common Carriage, so…? Monday brings another new ARS and “John Muir…” on AMEX. Not a bad lineup, but again the opportunity for a strong split does exist. The first hour of prime on Tuesday (for 4 weeks) is particularly troubling. Black in Latin America is undoubtedly an important subject, but certainly not a way to lead off the night. For stations that keep Frontline at feed, Black in Latin America would best be placed in the third hour of prime (if you already move Indy Lens). Wednesday looks bright as the NPS delivers new episodes of Secrets of the Dead and NOVA. Two weeks of Saving the Bay is perched in the third hour and may not be useful in the schedule. Nevertheless, Earth Day is coming up.
Week 5 (4/24 – 4/30) / Title (Common Carriage in bold) / Projected RatingSunday, 4/24 / Nature “Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions” (r) / 1.3
Masterpiece Classic “Upstairs, Downstairs” / 1.6
Forgiveness: A Time to Heal and a Time to Hate / 0.7
Monday, 4/25 / Antiques Roadshow “Billing, MT” / 2.9
Stonewall Uprising: American Experience / 1.3
Yellowstone: Land to Life (r) / 1.2
Tuesday, 4/26 / Black in Latin America / 0.6
Frontline / 1.1
Independent Lens “Marwencol” / 0.5
Wednesday, 4/27 / Secrets of the Dead “Escape from Auschwitz” (r) / 1.1
NOVA “Mt. St. Helens Back from the Dead” (r) / 1.1
Saving the Bay “Harbor of Harbors” / 0.9
Thursday, 4/28 / Antiques Roadshow “Billing, MT” (r) / 1.4
Secrets of the Dead “Escape from Auschwitz” (r) / 0.9
The This Old House Hour
/ 0.8Friday, 4/29 / Masterpiece Classic “Upstairs, Downstairs” (r) / 1.0
· Sunday contains the same basic schedule as the prior week, with the exception of a repeat episode on Nature. Again, there is plenty of opportunity here for a strong split between Nature and MAST, and/or a stronger title in the third hour to replace Forgiveness: A Time to Heal and a Time to Hate. AMEX presents a potentially strong episode on Monday with “Stonewall Uprising.” Granted, LGBT subject matter on PTV is not a real GRP-getter, but it is a very strong documentary – whether you air at feed or slide to the third hour.
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