• by Paul Gough , April 30, 2003

As the old season comes to a close and the new one begins, one concept that isn't going make the transition at HGTV is its Design at Nine.

The hourlong weeknight programming block featured many of the Scripps TV network's most popular shows, including Designers' Challenge, Decorating Cents, Room by Room and Designing for the Sexes. But as HGTV's new season begins, the network's top programmer said the nightly hourlong block had served its purpose but more was now needed.

"Design at Nine has been very successful for us, but it's unintentionally sort of made us commit to programs that are design only," said Michael Dingley, HGTV's SVP of programming. Instead of horizontally integrating across the week from 9-10 p.m., HGTV is going to focus on horizontal integration through nights. The majority of the shows between 9-10 p.m. will remain design-oriented, although some won't.

Plans haven't been completed yet, but they could include bringing House Detectives - a show that does well on Saturday and Sunday afternoons - into Wednesday nights with a fresh approach. Other programs that will receive a new spin include House Hunters, which will travel to new locations beyond southern California.

Some of the shows will premiere in the third quarter, with the goal of having fresher programming while other networks are in reruns. And in the fourth quarter, when other networks are starting their schedule, HGTV could increase the number of airings of new episodes from some already popular series instead of beginning new shows that would have to fight for attention.

"It's not a new approach for us. It's an evolving approach from what we've been doing from day one, continuing to find innovative, resourceful ways to provide quality programming for a greater number of viewers, to what home is about to many people, not just homeowners and how-to people," Dingley said.

As other cable channels find success in what HGTV has built its success around, HGTV isn't going to change its core strategy. Dingley says that when the design-flavor-of-the-moment fad dies down, HGTV will still deliver what it always has, creative ideas with a good deal of how-to mixed in.

Dingley said HGTV has always stayed on course with its core programming philosophy, or the three I's as it's called: Ideas, Inspiration and Information. "We have remained true to that throughout our seasons and are going to remain that way," he said. But for this coming year, HGTV plans to infuse its schedule with three E's: Entertainment, Energy and Excitement.

HGTV's been on the air for a decade but recently, some of what could be called its turf - design makeover shows - have been appearing on other stations like Discovery, TLC and even VH1 to those channels' ratings success. (HGTV started doing these types of shows in 1996 with Surprise Gardener.) Dingley said that these design makeover shows are hot on TV right now but that the fad won't last and many will go the way of the game show or the Western. But HGTV will keep doing what it's been doing, providing takeaway information for viewers in an entertaining format.

"Coming up this season, we're looking to attract the interest in viewers in the brand while still remaining true to what we're about," said Dingley. HGTV has a base of viewers that include the loyal viewers who have looked to the channel as a way of finding ideas and inspiration to do their own designs, crafts or fix-its around the house. The network wants to find a way to keep those longtime viewers happy while at the same time expanding the definition to include people who don't own their own house but are still interested in what HGTV is all about.

"We want to be bringing more people into the tent, people who love what home is all about. Home can mean many things to many people. You don't necessarily need to be a homeowner. Home is about the emotion," Dingley said. "We want to lengthen the spectrum of viewers that are watching us, people who basically enjoy what home means on many different levels," he said.

And while the surprise makeover shows feature hammers, nails and drapes - just like on HGTV - Dingley said that his network doesn't go for the shock and awe of a surprise reveal, sacrificing a chance to show people those ideas and inspiration for entertainment's sake.

"We don't do reality programming. That's artificial and contrived. We offer real people with real problems and we provide real solutions. It's not set up as an artifice or something. We know that we have a very strong connection with viewers. We speak the language. It's not a totally controlled environment" like many other unscripted programming, be they be about design or dating or anything else. Or as someone from a Scripps focus group said about HGTV: "It's realer than reality programming."

He points to some of HGTV's existing programming, like Designer's Challenge or Designing for the Sexes, which offer reveals just like Trading Spaces but always provide a takeaway. "We're about giving information," Dingley said.

That doesn't mean that HGTV isn't about having fun. One new show, pegged to begin in January 2004, is called Date with Design. The show - which HGTV calls a cross between The Dating Game and Designing for the Sexes - features a single woman redesigning a bachelor's abode. And while Dingley promises Date with Design is going to be a lot of fun, there's no question that HGTV will have its own stamp on it. "With Date with Design, when you watch that show, the number-one priority is that it's a design show with a takeaway for the viewer, all around the fun carriage of a dating show," he said.