The 4 newly launched South Korean general programming service channels, JTBC, MBN, Channel A and TV Chosun, recently happened to coincide in adjusting the business strategy due to low viewership ratings of drama series and other reasons. Not only canceled the production plan of new drama series, even the drama series that is currently airing such Korean Peninsular (Hanbando) is affected, the number of episodes been reduced.
TV Chosun announced in mid March 2012 that Hanbando that originally scheduled to broadcast 24 episodes will cut short by 6 episodes. The final episode 18 broadcast on April 3rd, 2012 will ring down its curtain. The official in charge said that this is the adjustment made according to new business strategy of TV Chosun, and hopes of understanding from majority of the audience.
Although TV station said so, but it’s widely believed that the biggest reason for Korean Peninsula to have grand finale brought forward is the sluggish audience ratings of the drama. According to one informed source, the ratings performance of Korean Peninsula which costs $10 billion is really unsatisfactory. In this case, TV Chosun thinks that there is no need to insist on completing all the remaining episodes, as it’s better to end in advance and save on expenses.
When the Korean Peninsula premiered on February 6th, 2012, it used to recorded the audience ratings of 1.6%, making TV Chosun rejoiced. But since then, not only the ratings did not rise, but it gradually falls, recently it even falls below the bottom line of 1%, hovering around 0.7%. The dramas that ratings falling into trough are more than Hanbando, in all drama series that broadcast by 4 new channels of JTBC, MBN, channelA and TV Chosun from December 2011 till now, and three other new broadcasting television drama broadcast in December last year to now, there are only a handful with ratings that more than 1%, cannot match the TV series by SBS, KBS and MBC TV stations that can achieve ratings exceeding 10% and above easily.
In the early days of JTBC, MBN, channelA and TV Chosun, they regarded SBS, MBC and KBS as the rival, not hesitated to spend big money to hire away talents, producing drama series without regards to costs, but the reality forces them to reflect on business strategy, and adjust operational direction substantially. An informed source revealed that in the beginning, JTBC, MBN, Channel A and TV Chosun still can attract big-name actors to film drama series by virtue of huge monetary reward, but along with the decline of the ratings of these dramas without any exception, more and more actors are not dare to star in drama of these TV stations. So even if these TV stations maintain current strategy, the drama production in the future will also be difficult.
It’s reported that JTBC, MBN, ChannelA and TV Chosun will reduce the production of TV series in future, replaced by broadcasting movies and importing excellent TV series from abroad, the funds saved will be used to create a more attractive entertainment programs.
via MyDaily
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