After recent news that Canwest Global has placed it’s E! Channel stations up for sale, and is thinking of shutting them down if they can’t find a buyer, I decided to put in my 2 cents about why such a thing may be happening. Following further news that CTV’s A Channel, which operates a local station here in London, was shutting down it’s Wingham and Windsor stations, I realized it really needed to be done.
Speaking about E! Channel specifically, I think the network is in trouble mostly due to a large lack of quality programming. Think about it. The entire channel is based around the concept that potential viewers are so obsessed with “celebrity culture” that they will tune-in to shows like Dr. 90210, TMZ.com and True Hollywood Story (THS). I think that potential audience base has already been diluted by equally pointless shows like Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which airs on MuchMoreMusic. I won’t dignify them by linking to them, sorry.