A&E TV Systems Chief Abbe Raven: Why Customers Crave Original Programming (Q&A)

You'll need to excuseAbbe Raven for gushing.our editor recommendsEmmys: How 'Pawn Stars' Was Created (Q&A) So far this summer time, her portfolio of cable systems includes four from the top 5 fundamental cable shows within the coveted 18 to 49 demographic. Included in this: History's Pawn Stars along with a&E's Storage Wars, which lure 3.a million and a pair of.7 million audiences, correspondingly, within the demo. Both systems rank one of the top ten cable nets one of the more youthful audiences too. As ceo of the&E Television Systems, Raven also runs systems like Bio, History en Espanol and also the Lifetime Movie Network. By having an eye towards ancillary possibilities, she's also centered on their worldwide expansion, DVD sales and social networking extensions. The Hollywood Reporter swept up with Raven, a 1-time school teacher, to go over the development, the difficulties and also the intend to add much more original programming towards the network group. The Hollywood Reporter: Within an era of growing options, your systems keep growing their viewership. What's working? Abbe Raven:Right, and customers tend to be more demanding than ever before. What's happened is we've had the opportunity to place a genuine focus on our original programming. Customers want and crave originality they're not likely to broadcast reruns how they did years back. They want quality and originality, and our systems happen to be in a position to provide that. We don't take one hit and run it 25 occasions per week. We've seen our rivals do this, where they are doing five versions of the identical show. Frankly, we obtain lots of credit from your audiences because we don't do this. THR: You'll need only consider the many Pawn Stars spawns to determine that it is really an industry fueled by copycat fare... Raven: That's right. A part of me says are you able to develop something original, please? The first from the gate is the one which really sets a dark tone and works. We glance whatsoever from the copycats of Pawn Stars --there's twelve or even more-- plus they perform a fraction from the rankings that people do. They don't even compare and i believe that's because audiences be aware of difference. We consider the copycats and say, 'It's a fascinating type of flattery.' We are saying we're not going to achieve that by ourselves air because we now have more pride than might we all know that people could be more creative. THR: While you noted, broadcast reruns are no more the kind of destination viewing they were in the past proper care of growing options, but cable has typically depended on off-internet repeats. How have these altering viewer habits influenced your strategy? Raven: You've hit on something which shows the vulnerability of other network groups, which is they're just a few broadcast reruns. There just aren't a lot of large hits decreasing the pipe and definitely very few which are repeatable. We haven't permitted ourselves to get involved with that position where we become exclusively reliant, even majority reliant, and that's why when comparing the quantity of original programming that people dress in our systems holiday to a network group we're far ahead. And So I'd say you will find there's completely different philosophy about repeats and i believe we've situated ourselves for future years in way others haven't. THR: [Background and Lifetime gm] Nancy Dubuc has spoken openly concerning the challenges that off-internet series like Gray's Anatomy have triggered at Lifetime... Raven: Correct. Now, that's not saying that occasionally good off internet will help you...About ten years ago, A&E network was heavily just a few Law & Order [reruns]. It had been really at about the time which i was there to consider on the&E also it would be a very obvious illustration of putting yourself inside a vulnerable position because we lost the series and didn't have sufficient original programming to pay. We vowed then that people would not allow ourselves to become for the reason that position again. It's not saying that you simply couldn't take one quite strong franchise and employ it. We bought The Sopranos at that time also it would be a great starting pad for original programming. However it was one series not getting a selection of off internet programming.By creating original programming we've had the opportunity to produce our systems all over the world this will let you large library that people're able to utilize in many different media. THR: Lifetime is certainly going via a reinvention of sorts under Nancy.Provide us with a standing report. Raven: I'd give kudos towards the Lifetime team for really escaping . there and developing new programming. We've greenlit about 175 new hrs in an exceedingly short time. However I'm a large believer in steady but very slow wins the race, and that we're likely to still unveil our triple threat strategy or drama, movies and reality series.I'm very bullish. THR: What's the greatest challenge facing you at this time? That factor that keeps you up during the night like a cable executive? Raven: It's where may be the media world going? How are consumer actions likely to change within the next couple of years? Individuals are still likely to Best To Buy to purchase large screen televisions, so there's hope. However with the proliferation of other products, how can we make certain our customers understand what our brands are? It's really about wrestling using the future. THR: Whenever you consider the growing cadre of streaming shops, like Netflix, could they be friend or foe? Raven: We glance whatsoever of individuals automobiles which are supplemental to the business and then try to work out how it might allow us to -- how can we understand this being an chance to carry on to advertise what we should do. THR: So that they're not really a threat? Raven: I believe we approach this stuff being an chance, and then try to get the most from them. But that's challenging, there's no questions regarding it. And every one of us as developers are searching only at that. THR: Moving forward, where would be the major possibilities for growth? Raven: We're always searching for what's next. It's always nearby and you simply don't understand what it's likely to be, and that i discover that exhilarating -- that something jumps within the culture that resonates the way in which Pawn Stars has resonated for History audiences, or Storage Wars for any&E audiences, or Returning Home for Lifetime audiences. The way in which we operate here's that people give our creative team lots of latitude. You will find there's large amount of stability within our management and what that enables individuals to do would be to be creative. On the practical point, it will likewise actually cover growing the Lifetime brand all over the world. We now have 10 systems. There's Crime & Analysis, History Worldwide, Bio, Lifetime Movie Network, History en Espanol -our brands are extremely strong. I believe one thing that people're searching at and dealing very difficult at is actually pushing not just customers but additionally our partners to identify the need for individuals other systems. They perform perfectly -- we're not only a three trick pony. The efforts for that development of we is our purchase of marketing and original programming in individuals systems too. THR: Therefore we'll begin to see more original programming on these systems? Raven:Yes, and that i guarantee you will notice individuals systems take center stage within the next year. Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com Twitter: @LaceyVRose Related Subjects Abbe Raven A&E Pawn Stars