Futureraven: Beelzebruv
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
The Ultimate Arbiter of Right And Wrong
Spent half my life here, God help me
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Post by Futureraven: Beelzebruv on Sept 10, 2013 8:01:23 GMT -5
Jamie Kellner was right to get rid of WCW from the network. If you saw an entity that lost 60 million dollars, would you get rid of it? The people who were involved with losing that money in 2000 and the downfall in 1998-1999 were responsible and Kellner said f*** this. Eric Bischoff and his financial backers were going to buy out WCW. So all TNT would've had to do is air the show, it wouldn't lose them any more money and they could just enjoy the better than average ratings it delivered. But once Kellner cancelled all WCW programming, the company was basically worthless aside from their tape library. Aside from Spike, no other networks wanted pro wrestling. With the USA Network, it was WWF or nothing (which is why ECW wasn't able to make a deal with them after RAW went to Spike). This is what I came here to say. In fact, by cancelling it, he lost them even more millions of dollars by making it completely worthless so Vince got it for relative pennies and Time Warner were still paying the ridiculous wages of Hogan etc.
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Post by kingoftheindies on Sept 10, 2013 10:02:51 GMT -5
Another thing was they were rebranding TNT, and I guess WCW didn't fit "We Know Drama" (Viagara on a pole isn't drama?!) Were they rebranding that early to that? I know the AOL Merger resulted in them having to sell a lot of assets. I think I also read that Eric's backers eventually just said "f*** It" because Kellner kept making changes to deals after being agreed upon. Like I guess they were still going to buy WCW even after they lost TV, but they offered significantly less. A price was agreed, but Kellner kept making changes to the deal. From what guys close to Bischoff have said, I'm under the impression that he had some kind of deals worked out that would help get WCW on steady ground, but again, the money guys were just sick of dealing with Kellner
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Post by RowdyRobbyPiper on Sept 10, 2013 13:35:31 GMT -5
Another thing was they were rebranding TNT, and I guess WCW didn't fit "We Know Drama" (Viagara on a pole isn't drama?!) Were they rebranding that early to that? I know the AOL Merger resulted in them having to sell a lot of assets. I think I also read that Eric's backers eventually just said "f*** It" because Kellner kept making changes to deals after being agreed upon. Like I guess they were still going to buy WCW even after they lost TV, but they offered significantly less. A price was agreed, but Kellner kept making changes to the deal. From what guys close to Bischoff have said, I'm under the impression that he had some kind of deals worked out that would help get WCW on steady ground, but again, the money guys were just sick of dealing with Kellner Which tells me that Kellner wanted to get rid of WCW no matter what.
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NOwave
Don Corleone
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Post by NOwave on Sept 10, 2013 14:37:39 GMT -5
Most of the things said here are probably true: The ownership of TNT/TBS wanted to distance itself from wrestling, even when they made money. Jamie Kellner let his disdain for wrestling cloud his judgement, he decided he'd get rid of WCW no matter what.
WCW was entity unlike any other program TNT/TBS owned. They did pretty good ratings, even at it's worst, which allowed TNT to make money from selling advertising time, just like any other entertainment show would. However, in addition to a televised product, they also had a live show business, and that was losing money. If Kellner had been smart, he would have sold the business to Fusient for $50 million(or whatever was offered) AND kept the TV product on the air. That way, the network would not be responsible for the live show-business side of WCW, and still would have made the advertising revenue, AND made $50 million to boot!
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NOwave
Don Corleone
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Post by NOwave on Sept 10, 2013 14:38:49 GMT -5
oops-"WCW was AN entity...."
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Glitch
King Koopa
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Post by Glitch on Sept 10, 2013 15:00:42 GMT -5
That man has quite an ego if he sees himself as "dreaming up" all those shows he takes credit for.
This jerk said that even if wcw were able to become profitable, he still wouldn't want it on the network. so that right there shows you he did this entirely based on his tastes.
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Post by ritt works hard fo da chickens on Sept 10, 2013 16:06:15 GMT -5
Another thing was they were rebranding TNT, and I guess WCW didn't fit "We Know Drama" (Viagara on a pole isn't drama?!) Were they rebranding that early to that? I know the AOL Merger resulted in them having to sell a lot of assets. I think I also read that Eric's backers eventually just said "f*** It" because Kellner kept making changes to deals after being agreed upon. Like I guess they were still going to buy WCW even after they lost TV, but they offered significantly less. A price was agreed, but Kellner kept making changes to the deal. From what guys close to Bischoff have said, I'm under the impression that he had some kind of deals worked out that would help get WCW on steady ground, but again, the money guys were just sick of dealing with Kellner That's Eric's side of it. Another story going around is that Bischoff kept changing what he was selling his backers. At first they were getting Hogan and the all the big names that Time-Warner were footing the bill for, kind of like the current TNA arrangement. Then when Kellner axed that idea Bishoff was going to rebuild with a cruiserweight show and a lot of backers got cold feet. Then he came up with another plan and by that time Vince stepped in and said here's five bucks I'll take this junk off your yard. However, as terrible a businessman as Eric was, Kellner was worse and without a doubt the sole reason WCW folded. Ted had the bankroll and desire to keep it going at the losses it was accumulating for a long time. Kellner believed his own hype and make turner networks into the next Fox. The irony is Kellner is perfect for wrestling. He takes all the credit for the out of the blue successes and completely ignores show like Down and Out in Beverly Hills and The Wilton North Show. Weird to how the man who takes credit for some of the most controversial trashy programming of the late eighties thought wrestling gave a network a bad image.
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on Sept 10, 2013 18:39:17 GMT -5
And he cancelled the new batman adventures and Superman the animated series which suck balls, can't forgive him for scrapping Animaniacs though.
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Post by DoubleDare on Sept 10, 2013 21:24:14 GMT -5
TNT's "We Know Drama" rebrand happened on June 12, 2001. So I would think they were planning for it in March 2001 and had an idea of what they wanted on the channel and what they didn't.
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Malcolm
Grimlock
Wanted something done about the color of his ring.
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Post by Malcolm on Sept 11, 2013 0:01:01 GMT -5
What? From the way he words it, it sounds like he's praising Kellner for cancelling those shows.
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on Sept 11, 2013 0:36:56 GMT -5
What? From the way he words it, it sounds like he's praising Kellner for cancelling those shows. I know. Those aren't looks of approval (this was during Miley's now innfamous performance)
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Post by jimmyjames on Sept 11, 2013 4:24:31 GMT -5
TNT was originally created to show old movies Turner had acquired when he almost went bankrupt buying MGM. While it was a lot like TCM only with commercials, they occasionally showed sports, like the World CUp in 1190 and the Goodwill Games (also owned by Turner Broadcasting). They started to change, showing fewer movies, original made-for-tv movies, and other programming, about 1994-1995. Monday Notro was part of that change, along with Thunder in Paradise\ and shows like the great Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs, which Kellner also canceled by sending a letter. True class.
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Post by celticjobber on Sept 11, 2013 4:46:40 GMT -5
along with Thunder in Paradise\ and shows like the great Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs, which Kellner also canceled by sending a letter. True class. Kellner was responsible for killing Monstervision? As Jim Ross might say, "Damn him to hell!".
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Post by wildojinx on Sept 11, 2013 8:08:51 GMT -5
Thunder in Paradise wasnt a TNT show. It was originally a syndicated show and when it was cancelled, TNT picked up the reruns to cross-promote with WCW.
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BrianZane
Team Rocket
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Post by BrianZane on Sept 11, 2013 18:10:39 GMT -5
The ratings don't matter if the show is losing you money. Are you willing to go broke because your show is popular? In business, they call that a "loss-leader."
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