NBC Rise to Prominence Under Grant Tinker

The competitive environment of the networks changed drastically during the 1970s, with the advent of overnight ratings. A single rating point came to mean millions of dollars gained or lost. Greed and desire for success gripped executives of all three networks. They scrambled for larger shares and higher revenues:

The process of finding, producing, and placing new television shows became an elaborate kind of planned waste, costing the networks $100 million a year by the decade's end. The number of programming ideas inundating each network zoomed from 800 a year in the late sixties to 2,000 a year in 1979 . . . that increase resulted in failure on an even grander scale.

This report will examine the decline of NBC under Fred Silverman and the radically different philosophy of Grant Tinker, which transformed NBC into a successful competitor in the television marketplace.

Fred Silverman came to NBC during a period of maximum network competition for booming advertising dollars. Silverman was largely responsible for the panicky, short-term profit mentality that reigned at the networks during this time. If a program was not almost immediately successful, Silverman would yank it. Further, his programming attempts led to a decrease in quality. He became caught in a self-perpetuating downward spiral and was undone. The much maligned "Supertrain" is a perfect example. It was rushed onto the screen in about one-half the time it needed to have even a chance at success

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Tinker, everywhere called "the most liked man in Hollywood," was known for his hands-off management style, his support of quality shows, and his readiness to leave creative people alone. Arriving at NBC from MTM, he was the first network head in years to come from the production community. Tinker was known for his modesty and self-effacement. Steven Bochco, creator of "Hill Street Blues" and "LA Law," said fondly that "Grant's a little full of bull." Tinker acted like he had done nothing and refused to accept credit. Yet therein lay a major factor in his success. He had a reputation for great personal charm and integrity that had survived almost 40 years in the television industry. He had obviously done great things and he knew it. When Tinker first arrived at NBC, the main thing he did was restore morale and secure a stable environment. He knew that massive firings like Silverman had perpetuated would only worsen the situation. So he took what might have been considered a great risk and kept Silverman's people aboard. He was hailed as a savior by the creative community that he had led for years. These producers began coming to NBC because they knew Tinker would not interfere in their productions, and they like

Category: Arts - N