• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, March 14, 2005

What do syndication's "The Jane PAULEY SHOW" and Spike TV's World Wrestling Entertainment have in common? These two long-time TV brands not only wrestled with low ratings and weak advertising, but stayed at the party too long.

TV programmers seemingly make later decisions on the fates of programs - even later for those shows with proven value based on earlier success. With too much riding on shows, talent, producers, history, and, yes, money, it's hard to ask for much less.

Jane Pauley is an NBC icon. Securing her for a daytime syndicated talk show meant NBC Universal would throw everything behind it, marketing-wise. During its first episodes, the promotion support did just that, creating sampling and generating 2.0-plus ratings. But it didn't last, despite two-year deals with the stations.

Longtime shows from the WWE on Spike TV have also been sinking, while other action-oriented shows like "Ultimate Fighter" series, that targets young males, are rising.

Both WWE and Jane Pauley had the patina of two TV brands that always were able to find reinvention. WWE moved around in syndication and on cable networks, originally on USA Network. Pauley shifted from her longtime gig at "The Today Show" to NBC's primetime "Dateline NBC."

But neither could turn up the volume on their latest programming tunes.

Look for TV programmers to make the same mistakes; it's hard not to. It requires a certain formula. TV programming executives' schedules demand a mix of safe programming bets to help support their unproven program flyers.

Bigger media conglomerates need to project predictable results for investors, even though it's a business that offers little. That's why there are four "Law & Order" and three "CSI" shows on the air.

We wait to see "Desperate Housewives: Atlanta" succeed. But no doubt "Housewives: The Early Poughkeepsie Years" might not score.