Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Sept 6, 2007 18:50:39 GMT -5
(credit: PWTorch Newsletter, PWTorch.com)
IMPACT EXPANDING TO TWO HOURS
TNA Impact will be expanding to two hours within the next month or so barring a shocking fallout between the two parties - TNA and Spike TV. A press release is expected to be issued as soon as next week regarding the expansion to two hours. The two hour show will air on Thursday nights. It will be taped in Orlando, Fla. at Universal Studios as it is now. The TV tapings will not be at various venues across the country, as TNA is now doing with more PPVs. The TV show will not be live. It will continue to be taped, but tapings will be held more often. The current plan is run a PPV on Sunday, then tape the following Thursday's two-hour show on Monday night, and the subsequent Thursday's two-hour show on Tuesday night, then two weeks later tape one show per night again on Monday and Tuesday, then repeat that pattern. So the TV dates for wrestlers will go from three per month to five.
Spike TV is not counting on Impact drawing a higher rating when the show expands to two hours. While it would be welcome, there is more concern within Spike over the ratings dropping. There is fear that TNA fans may not watch both hours and thus the rating will be watered down. So holding steady in the 1.1 range would be seen as a positive for Spike.
TNA management has said for a long time they hope the expansion to two hours will help them feature longer matches, more character development, more time spent on the now-practically-forgotten X Division, and hopefully appeal to a wider fan-base, thus growing the ratings over time.
TNA TO BEGIN DRUG TESTING
TNA has decided to begin random drug testing within a few weeks, although the details are being worked out. TNA does want to be able to tell Congress that they have instituted such testing. This is in response to a letter Congress sent to TNA. The following is the press release the office of Rep. Cliff Stearns issued regarding the letter he sent to TNA.
WASHINGTON, AUG. 14, 2007 - Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee, joined the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), in contacting additional professional wrestling associations regarding their drug prevention efforts. Stearns and Rush requested this information from World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. last month.
"After I called for a congressional hearings on the use of steroids and other drugs in professional wrestling, I have heard from wrestlers that steroids, pain killers, and other drugs are used frequently in the industry," said Stearns. "Trafficking in steroids and other drugs is a felony and their use without a prescription is also a crime. In addition to ensuring that our laws are respected, Congress has a responsibility to protect young people from the harmful impact of drug use in pro wrestling. Some 1 million children under the age of 11 watch pro wrestling and many emulate the wrestlers they see."
The associations are asked to outline their drug-testing policies and efforts to detect and prevent the use of steroids and other drugs. As a result of the numerous premature deaths of wrestlers, in many cases involving drugs, Stearns and Rush have discussed holding a hearing in the fall to look into drug use within the industry.
TNA NOTEBOOK
TNA Impact drew another 1.1 rating (1.05 rounded up, to be precise), opening with a 1.07, dropping to a 0.98 for the next half hour, and then growing 1.05 afterward. Among M18-49, it drew a 0.72 Among M18-49, it drew a 0.60. Average viewership overall was 1.3 million...
Andrew "The Punisher" Martin (a/k/a WWE's Test) is not part of TNA's roster anymore. He is still pictured on the TNA website, but he is not being booked for any future appearances. He was brought in on a trial basis and to get the "pop" TNA often goes for from featuring former WWE wrestlers in cameos or short stints. He, frankly, showed up so jacked that some members of TNA management were put off by it, especially considering the Congressional inquiries currently happening and the type of unwanted attention he would draw. If he wants to be considered for future work, he's been given indications he should come back sleeker and less Flex magazine cover-ready...
Kevin Nash's contract with TNA expires this month. He is expected to be offered a renewal...
Leticia is on a leave of absence from TNA to do some work with the X Games, Maxim, and other side projects. Her replacement was found in an open casting call in Orlando and management is already very high on her early performances...
Pacman Jones has been nothing but a pleasure to work with so far. He dresses with the other wrestlers, not in a separate "big shot" locker room. He has been openly excited about being around other wrestlers and is good at asking respectful questions. "He seems like a wide-eyed mark," says one wrestler. "I mean that in a good way." He doesn't have an entourage with him, just one friend who accompanies him to most of the shows. Once his NFL suspensions is over, though, he's made it clear that he is leaving TNA...
Jeff Jarrett has been more friendly in the past couple months and seems to be dealing with the death of his wife as well as could be expected. He's been more apt to engage in small talk and handshakes with everyone, not just a select few top acts. He hasn't been wrestling in great part because he cannot juggle being head booker and head of business operations and also care for his daughters who lost their mother. He doesn't have as much help as some might assume because he has not allowed his daughters to see or spend time with his father, Jerry, for the last couple of years since their bitter falling out. Only recently has he allowed his daughters to see his mother, their grandmother. He does allow the daughters to spend time with his late-wife Jill's parents...
Those who knew Karen Angle from her showing up at WWE events and hearing stories about her believed she'd be a handful for TNA. So far, though, there are no incidents or stories of her causing any problems or having "diva fits." She's on time, listens well, and seems very eager to please and play her part well...
Samoa Joe was recently offered a restructured and extended contract. He has about two years left on his existing deal and he opted to not renegotiate, instead deciding he preferred to stick to the existing contract. The new contract probably offered more money, but also had more dates or more limitations that Joe didn't want, plus he may want to see where he stands in TNA when this deal expires and have options at that point...
Alex Shelley worked the PWG show over the weekend in Los Angeles, a group TNA hadn't allowed its wrestlers to work for. Shelley, though, was an exception as TNA for some reason offered a talent to the promoter. He is still under TNA contract with a long time left on it, having just recently renewed his deal...
Jeff Jarrett continues to set the agenda for PPV line-ups, feuds, and major angles, and then leaves it to Dutch Mantel and Vince Russo to script and format the TV shows with the wrestlers he chooses getting pushed...
Scott Steiner used to carry a portable cooler and refrigerator with him to keep his supplements and such fresh...
Jimmy Rave is scheduled to start with TNA at this weekend's PPV or the next TV tapings...
Says one colleague regarding why Jerry Lynn was let go: "He walked out moping all the time like he'd rather be dead than at TNA. He brought the morale down"...
(PWTorch.com)
IMPACT EXPANDING TO TWO HOURS
TNA Impact will be expanding to two hours within the next month or so barring a shocking fallout between the two parties - TNA and Spike TV. A press release is expected to be issued as soon as next week regarding the expansion to two hours. The two hour show will air on Thursday nights. It will be taped in Orlando, Fla. at Universal Studios as it is now. The TV tapings will not be at various venues across the country, as TNA is now doing with more PPVs. The TV show will not be live. It will continue to be taped, but tapings will be held more often. The current plan is run a PPV on Sunday, then tape the following Thursday's two-hour show on Monday night, and the subsequent Thursday's two-hour show on Tuesday night, then two weeks later tape one show per night again on Monday and Tuesday, then repeat that pattern. So the TV dates for wrestlers will go from three per month to five.
Spike TV is not counting on Impact drawing a higher rating when the show expands to two hours. While it would be welcome, there is more concern within Spike over the ratings dropping. There is fear that TNA fans may not watch both hours and thus the rating will be watered down. So holding steady in the 1.1 range would be seen as a positive for Spike.
TNA management has said for a long time they hope the expansion to two hours will help them feature longer matches, more character development, more time spent on the now-practically-forgotten X Division, and hopefully appeal to a wider fan-base, thus growing the ratings over time.
TNA TO BEGIN DRUG TESTING
TNA has decided to begin random drug testing within a few weeks, although the details are being worked out. TNA does want to be able to tell Congress that they have instituted such testing. This is in response to a letter Congress sent to TNA. The following is the press release the office of Rep. Cliff Stearns issued regarding the letter he sent to TNA.
WASHINGTON, AUG. 14, 2007 - Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee, joined the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), in contacting additional professional wrestling associations regarding their drug prevention efforts. Stearns and Rush requested this information from World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. last month.
"After I called for a congressional hearings on the use of steroids and other drugs in professional wrestling, I have heard from wrestlers that steroids, pain killers, and other drugs are used frequently in the industry," said Stearns. "Trafficking in steroids and other drugs is a felony and their use without a prescription is also a crime. In addition to ensuring that our laws are respected, Congress has a responsibility to protect young people from the harmful impact of drug use in pro wrestling. Some 1 million children under the age of 11 watch pro wrestling and many emulate the wrestlers they see."
The associations are asked to outline their drug-testing policies and efforts to detect and prevent the use of steroids and other drugs. As a result of the numerous premature deaths of wrestlers, in many cases involving drugs, Stearns and Rush have discussed holding a hearing in the fall to look into drug use within the industry.
TNA NOTEBOOK
TNA Impact drew another 1.1 rating (1.05 rounded up, to be precise), opening with a 1.07, dropping to a 0.98 for the next half hour, and then growing 1.05 afterward. Among M18-49, it drew a 0.72 Among M18-49, it drew a 0.60. Average viewership overall was 1.3 million...
Andrew "The Punisher" Martin (a/k/a WWE's Test) is not part of TNA's roster anymore. He is still pictured on the TNA website, but he is not being booked for any future appearances. He was brought in on a trial basis and to get the "pop" TNA often goes for from featuring former WWE wrestlers in cameos or short stints. He, frankly, showed up so jacked that some members of TNA management were put off by it, especially considering the Congressional inquiries currently happening and the type of unwanted attention he would draw. If he wants to be considered for future work, he's been given indications he should come back sleeker and less Flex magazine cover-ready...
Kevin Nash's contract with TNA expires this month. He is expected to be offered a renewal...
Leticia is on a leave of absence from TNA to do some work with the X Games, Maxim, and other side projects. Her replacement was found in an open casting call in Orlando and management is already very high on her early performances...
Pacman Jones has been nothing but a pleasure to work with so far. He dresses with the other wrestlers, not in a separate "big shot" locker room. He has been openly excited about being around other wrestlers and is good at asking respectful questions. "He seems like a wide-eyed mark," says one wrestler. "I mean that in a good way." He doesn't have an entourage with him, just one friend who accompanies him to most of the shows. Once his NFL suspensions is over, though, he's made it clear that he is leaving TNA...
Jeff Jarrett has been more friendly in the past couple months and seems to be dealing with the death of his wife as well as could be expected. He's been more apt to engage in small talk and handshakes with everyone, not just a select few top acts. He hasn't been wrestling in great part because he cannot juggle being head booker and head of business operations and also care for his daughters who lost their mother. He doesn't have as much help as some might assume because he has not allowed his daughters to see or spend time with his father, Jerry, for the last couple of years since their bitter falling out. Only recently has he allowed his daughters to see his mother, their grandmother. He does allow the daughters to spend time with his late-wife Jill's parents...
Those who knew Karen Angle from her showing up at WWE events and hearing stories about her believed she'd be a handful for TNA. So far, though, there are no incidents or stories of her causing any problems or having "diva fits." She's on time, listens well, and seems very eager to please and play her part well...
Samoa Joe was recently offered a restructured and extended contract. He has about two years left on his existing deal and he opted to not renegotiate, instead deciding he preferred to stick to the existing contract. The new contract probably offered more money, but also had more dates or more limitations that Joe didn't want, plus he may want to see where he stands in TNA when this deal expires and have options at that point...
Alex Shelley worked the PWG show over the weekend in Los Angeles, a group TNA hadn't allowed its wrestlers to work for. Shelley, though, was an exception as TNA for some reason offered a talent to the promoter. He is still under TNA contract with a long time left on it, having just recently renewed his deal...
Jeff Jarrett continues to set the agenda for PPV line-ups, feuds, and major angles, and then leaves it to Dutch Mantel and Vince Russo to script and format the TV shows with the wrestlers he chooses getting pushed...
Scott Steiner used to carry a portable cooler and refrigerator with him to keep his supplements and such fresh...
Jimmy Rave is scheduled to start with TNA at this weekend's PPV or the next TV tapings...
Says one colleague regarding why Jerry Lynn was let go: "He walked out moping all the time like he'd rather be dead than at TNA. He brought the morale down"...
(PWTorch.com)
helped $lim jinx NXT. Woops
