Is President Trump Trying to Revive Television Ratings?

Written Laughing Off Our Orange Era by Bridger Cunningham

Please note the editorials of Bridger Cunningham do not represent the opinions, values or remote controls of the TVRG website as a whole.  This article is discussing the state of television and the president's fascination and ties with ratings.  Not the politics everyone is arguing over in the Trumpster Fire that is known as 2017!

Love him or hate him, President # 45 is shooting bullets mentioning television ratings in frequent discussions.  Are his mentions to praise and lambaste, or is he doing what he knows best from his career travels -- s--t-stirring the pot to generate interest?  Trump has referenced various ratings measures in his discussions, from football, newscasts or his former franchise, The Apprentice.  Several have questioned validity or expressed ire over the frequent reference.

It appears Donald Trump is stirring the pot, and it perhaps could not come at a better time.  The last 11 years have demonstrated an onslaught of continual declines in Nielsen Ratings with few to no solutions viable.  In business, shaking things up is a must when interests are limited, no matter what.  That includes, insults, instigating and angering the masses.  Is the president trying to aid a 8+ decade industry's survival with his colorful comments?  This may be more plausible than many believe.

What people forget is Donald Trumps is not a career politician, but has a longstanding career as a businessman.  Unlike recent political figures such as Hillary Rodham Clinton, her husband and 42nd president Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, his father George HW and Barack Obama, Donald Trump only entered the political arena late career.  Before that, he used his antagonistic skills to craft an interest in New York Real Estate, a thriving hotel and industries which experienced a plethora of up and down seasons.  And then, he cracked into the television production scene when he joined the reality TV fad with The Apprentice in early 2003.

Several tuned in, either in awe or disgust.  The franchise delivered phenomenal-respectable ratings well into the 2010's.  Then, the genre as a whole began to fade in 2013, and The Apprentice went downward with it.  After two strong decades of interest in television, Donald Trump's interest is evident as he has had to survive the treacherous production world.  On the other side of the coin, Trump likely enjoyed delivering entertainment to the masses (insert opinion and motive here).  While other presidents took up pet causes such as dietary changes, healthcare and drugs, Trump wants to keep television sets on.

If Donald Trump were to state "I love that show This is Us," it may backlash against NBC's strongest scripted franchise.  Trump knows popularity is not is strong suit as it was with predecessors like Obama, so he is resorting to the contrasting approach.  He's taking potshots at football.  He's insulting Arnold Schwartenagger's delivery on his old show, The Apprentice.  Perhaps angering the masses and insulting people is his hopeful wish to get the viewers angry enough to tune in.  Or bring in people who weren't watching who check out the franchise out of curiosity.  The same strategy which inadvertently put FOX on the map when a bored housewife tried to boycott Married... With Children.

Could Trump's "sugary" demeanor help revive the Nielsen Ratings?  Weigh in and agree to disagree.  One thing we can all agree on in 2017 is this is the year of the Trumpster Fire.  Whether one loves or hates the politicians, this year has been a hot mess!

Share this

Related Posts

Previous
Next Post »