Commentary

When TV Shows Attack Each Other -- And Get Better Ratings

by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, March 17, 2009

It's a TV programming trend that begs development: When TV shows attack TV shows.

Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and CNBC's Jim Cramer proved once again there's no bad press in TV land -- only big opportunities for TV program promotion.

Stewart has been jabbing Cramer with his comments that Cramer wasn't journalistically responsible when he told his TV viewers late last year that much of the banking system problems weren't that bad, and that the likes of financial banking giant Bear Stearns would survive (It didn't).

Cramer has apologized repeatedly for some of this stuff. That's not news. But some months hence, Stewart has amped up coverage, blaming the likes of business news cable networks like CNBC for not only failing to warn about the credit crisis, but helping to inflate the big financial bubble of the last few years.

What was the result? Even before Stewart's attacks, CNBC's ratings had been at some of its highest levels ever.

Everyone gets their share: Last week's Cramer/Stewart showdown performance gave "The Daily Show" 2.3 million viewers and a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49, one of the best performances in 13 years for the show.

For years networks have been subtly digging into each other: Fox News/CNN; CNN/MSNBC. Not to forget MSNBC's Keith Olbermann's consistent fun with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly.

Marketing execs at Lifetime and Bravo might have a go at it soon -- "Project Runway," anyone?

In this fractional TV marketplace, where on-air promotion is increasingly hard to come by, there's a need for new TV marketing spin.

In the past comedians just went after politicians -- NBC's "Saturday Night Live," for example. Now it's open season on TV shows, news columnists and anchors, and, of course, reality shows.

Stewart should keep going -- and it shouldn't be hard to get guests. I'm sure Cramer's "Mad Money" on CNBC is probably seeing some additional viewership from all this.

What's the downside? Bitterness, embarrassment, and highly awkward relationships -- which are also good components for a TV show.

2 comments about "When TV Shows Attack Each Other -- And Get Better Ratings ".

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Monica Bower from TERiX Computer Service, March 17, 2009 at 1:05 p.m.
Stewart is considered a legitimate news source more and more - and considering how many people get their news there, why shouldn't he be? That said, it's hard to translate the wrestler-esque pre-game shouting match to 'legitimate' news and TV - by which I mean the staid programming that still takes itself fairly seriously. The old Late Show with David Letterman used to do all kinds of bits with the today show and others who shared the studio back in the day, and really in a lot of ways it hearkens back to the days of zany radio dj promotions.
In any case, while it's not for everyone, I can see how 'stirring the pot' can be a legitimate way to boost ratings for a good number of shows that already play in that space.
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Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, March 17, 2009 at 5:42 p.m.

Stirring the pot is seriously not new. The Stewart-Cramer case was more like a pot boiling over in this case that created the confrontation.