Daytime
television is faced with a new era, as Oprah Winfrey ends her
syndicated talk shows run this week, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Along
with Winfrey's show, two of the six remaining soap operas are headed
off the airwaves, as daytime TV braces for a shift in strategy. The baby
boomer generation, which has long been the bread and butter of
daytime's audience is beginning to move out of the target demo, women
25-54, the article reports.
Network
execs are "ripping up the script" for daytime programming, as a new
generation of viewers awaits. Katie Couric (who is still in
negotiations) and Anderson Cooper will both have syndicated talk shows, according to the article.
Both are said to be excited about what daytime programming can offer
them, for instance the freedom to show more personality. Outdated
programming like soaps are being cast aside for reality shows that
appeal to younger audiences and cost 30% less to make.
Winfrey's
show alone leaves a 6.5-million viewer hole that needs to be filled.
Execs don't expect one show to fill the gap, insisting that the audience
is becoming too fragmented, the article said.
