Turner Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly says the road to re-branding TBS and TNT to be more suitable for the shifting TV environment will take “the better part of three years to complete.”
Reilly took the stage Thursday at the Television Critics Assn. media tour in Pasadena to discuss the road ahead in reinventing the networks.
“We’re pushing back,” Reilly told reporters. “We are going to be making some moves that are going to be very significant.”
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The transformation includes a substantial increase in spending on original content, integration of digital properties with the linear networks and a slimmer ad load in its drama series to enhance the viewer experience.
Just over a year into his new post, which also consists of serving as president of TNT and TBS, Reilly has been vocal about his plans to overhaul the networks.
He acknowledged that ratings have been down at both networks -- pointing out that’s the case at just about every cable network, which he attributed to Nielsen’s “antiquated” measuring system -- and said the new strategy will better position both networks.
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Reilly, the former head of programming at Fox, told the news media on Thursday that Turner Broadcasting parent Time Warner support his ambitions for the networks as a means to keep up with changing television business models.
“In three years TBS and TNT will be radically different businesses than they are today,” Reilly said. “It’s going to be a hairy couple of years in the business in general. And we’re going to feel it, but we’ll get through.”
Reilly said much as $1 billion is being supplemented to existing programming budgets across both networks during the next three years. Part of the efforts to reinvigorate its slate also entails moving on without perennial favorites such as “Rizzoli & Isles.” The upcoming seventh season of the buddy-cop drama will be its last.
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There are also plans to tweak the ad load on series to improve viewers’ experience. Saying cable has “overstuffed the bird” in terms of its ad ratio, Reilly said there are plans for three of TNT’s upcoming dramas to have eight to 10 more minutes program time from a potential 50% reduction of ad load per hour.
“It’s going to take us some time to get this right and across all the hours on the network,” Reilly said. “But next season starts the beginning of real change in creating a better viewing experience on the linear channel.”
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Nancy Daniels, the general manager of TLC, speaks Thursday during the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Pasadena.
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Turner Entertainment Chief Kevin Reilly says TBS and TNT are embracing new and creative advertising opportunities on the networks. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for Turner)
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Executive producers Craig Piligian and Khloe Kardashian speak Jan. 6 during the presentation of “Kocktails with Khloe” from A&E Networks’ FYI.
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Director and producer Davis Guggenheim, left, and executive producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald speak during the “He Named Me Malala” panel, part of the National Geographic Channel’s presentation on Jan 6.
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Director Tom Harper, left, along with actors Paul Dano, Lily James and James Norton and executive producer Harvey Weinstein, right, speak at the Jan. 6 panel for “War and Peace,” part of the A&E Networks’ presentation.
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Former Army Sgt. Randy Ramaglia and former Army Staff Sgt. Keni Thomas speak during the “No Man Left Behind” panel, part of the National Geographic Channel presentation on Jan. 6.
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Writer/director Benjamin Ross, actor Sean Bean and producer Tracey Scoffield attend “The Frankenstein Chronicles” panel, part of the A&E Networks presentation on Jan 6.
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Executive producers Lori McCreary and James Younger flank host and executive producer Morgan Freeman at the panel for “The Story of God With Morgan Freeman,” part of the National Geographic Channel presentation on Jan. 6.
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Host and executive producer Morgan Freeman and executive producer James Younger speak during “The Story of God With Morgan Freeman” panel, part of the National Geographic Channel presentation on Jan. 6.
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Actress Poppy Drayton, executive producer Jon Favreau and actress Ivana Baquero speak during the Jan. 6 panel for MTV’s “The Shannara Chronicles,” part of the Viacom presentation.
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From left, actor John Rhys-Davies, executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar, actress Poppy Drayton, executive producer Jon Favreau, actress Ivana Baquero, executive producer Jonathan Liebesman, actors Austin Butler and Manu Bennett and executive producer Terry Brooks speak during the panel for MTV’s “The Shannara Chronicles,”part of the Viacom presentation on Jan. 6.
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Host Ellen Page and Gaycation’s Ian Daniel speak during the “Viceland” panel, part of the A&E Networks presention on Jan. 6.
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Nikki Glaser, creator/executive producer/star, speaks during Comedy Central’s “Not Safe with Nikki Glaser” panel, part of the Viacom presentation on Jan. 6.
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From left, Alex Bulkley, Ben Nemtin, Jonnie Pen and Jordan Barrow speak during MTV’s “Greatest Party Story Ever ... And Other Epic Tales” panel, part of the Viacom presentation on Jan. 6.
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Creative director Spike Jonze and the “Viceland” panel, part of the A&E Networks presentation, assemble onstage on Jan. 6.
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Host Craig Ferguson, left, and executive producer Brian Vok-Weiss talk about “Join or Die with Craig Ferguson,” part of the A&E Networks presentation on Jan. 6
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From left, co-creator/executive producer Marti Noxon, executive producer Carol Barbee, co-creator/executive producer Sarah Gertrude Shapiro and actors Shiri Appleby, Constance Zimmer and Craig Bierko speak onstage during the “UnREAL” panel, part of the A+E Networks presentation on Jan. 6.
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Actress Constance Zimmer talks to actor Craig Bierko, left, in the green room at the A&E Networks presentation for “UnREAL” on Jan. 6.
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From left, creator and executive director Glen Mazzara, and actors Barbara Hershey, Bradley James, Scott Wilson, Megalyn Echikunwoke and Omid Abtahi speak during the “Damien” panel, part of the A&E Networks presentation on Jan. 6.
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From left, executive producer Jason Sands, host Kelly Rowland, creative director/choreographer Frank Gatson and executive producer Danny Rose speak during BET’s “Chasing Destiny” panel, part of the Viacom presentation on Jan. 6.
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From left, executive producers Danny Rose, Erica Montolfo-Bura and Debra Martin Chase and actors Brandy Norwood, Dorian Missick and Ignacio Serricchio speak during BET’s “Zoe Ever After” panel, part of the Viacom presentation on Jan. 6.
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Reilly also said announcements would be made at Turner’s upfront presentation to advertisers about some new proprietary technology and platforms that will roll out in the next couple of months.
Turner’s hand in the digital space is a top priority. Reilly confirmed the company’s soft relaunch of digital-content venture Super Deluxe. The downtown-L.A.-based operation, which Reilly described as a “tech product incubator and digital content for mobile first,” has about 45 employees and has already generated 12 million views in its few weeks since going live. The venture originally launched in 2007 as a comedy portal.
Reilly also spoke of eLeague, a new eSports business, which features two 10-week seasons and a game on TV.
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