J. Max Robins: 'Television Could Become a Commodity Like Long-Distance Service'
The TV Guide columnist says that the very means of program distribution could change radically and television may evolve into total pay-per-view.

I Want Media, 08/15/01

J. Max Robins writes the "Robins Report," a consumer- and business-friendly television column in TV Guide. Robins joined TV Guide just over five years ago after serving as a TV editor at Daily Variety. Robins spoke with I Want Media about the new fall season, the CBS News-Chandra Levy story, and running into Rupert Murdoch in the elevator.

I Want Media: How is your approach to covering television different from other TV columnists?

J. Max Robins: I try to write a column that is interesting both to TV Guide's general readership and people who are in the business. Television is probably the most powerful medium there is, and I think people have a keen interest in how it works, or doesn't work, for that matter.

IWM: What's the biggest story in television right now?

Robins: One of the big stories is the media consolidation that seems to be going on unabated, and what impact that will ultimately have on what we see on television. Another big story is what's happening with technology. As we get closer to broadband becoming a reality, the very means of program distribution are changing. With the advent of the personal video recorder, TiVo and UltimateTV, all of this is going to have a profound impact on the business.

IWM: Getting back to so-called regular TV, how does the fall season look to you?

Robins: I haven't seen everything, but it looks like a pretty good crop this year. A couple of Fox shows are really jumping out at me. The pilot for "24" was fascinating and well executed. I thought "The Bernie Mac Show" was hilarious. Bernie Mac has a compelling presence, and I thought the pilot was really funny.

My favorite midseason show last year was ABC's "The Job," the Denis Leary comedy, which will be back. I think that show is a total stitch. ABC has a new show called "Alias," which is kind of interesting. It's about this young woman who's a graduate student by day and a CIA operative by night. It has some zip to it.

IWM: There was some talk recently about "Bob Patterson," the new Jason Alexander sitcom, possibly having some trouble.

Robins: Yeah. What I've seen so far looked pretty mediocre. It doesn't look very promising. There's an old thought in television that shows make stars, stars don't make shows.

IWM: What do you make of reality TV? Is it a trend, or here to stay?

Robins: Reality TV has been with us for a long time. "Cops" and "America's Most Wanted" are two of the longest-running shows on television. The reruns of "Unsolved Mysteries" do extremely well on Lifetime. It's a very durable genre, which we're seeing new spins of with "Survivor," "Big Brother" and "Fear Factor."

Will reality TV continue to be as ubiquitous as it is now? I don't think so. I think we'll see less of it as the economy comes back. This stuff is inexpensive to produce, and right now the advertising markets are depressed.

IWM: You mentioned media consolidation a moment ago. Is that going to help or hurt television?

Robins: Generally, the fewer voices you have, the less opportunity there is for things that are new and fresh. But sometimes when new management comes in, they can re-jigger something and make it more interesting. For example, in the wake of the CBS/Viacom merger with TNN, they've tried some interesting programming. However, we need to be wary of consolidation. It puts a lot of clout in very few hands.

IWM: Speaking of clout, News Corp., which holds a stake in Gemstar-TV Guide, shares the same building in New York with TV Guide editorial. Does [News Corp. CEO] Rupert Murdoch ever call you up?

Robins: Rupert Murdoch has never said boo to me other than running into him in the elevator and saying hello.

IWM: You've run into him in the elevator?

Robins: Yes.

IWM: What does he say?

Robins: "Hi, how are you?"

[LAUGHTER]

You know, I laugh when people sometimes think that there's some kind of sinister thing going on when we do collector's covers of "The Simpsons" or "X-Files" [both of which air on News Corp.'s Fox network]. They say, "They're doing that because of the News Corp. connection." No, we're doing it for the same reason we do multiple "Star Trek" or Elvis covers -- because there's a lot of interest among particular fan bases that will buy copies at the newsstand.

IWM: Was the CBS Evening News's refusal to cover the Chandra Levy story a blunder? Did it hurt them?

Robins: Ultimately, the ratings would tell us no. It might have been a good way to distinguish themselves from their competition. They got a lot of publicity out of it. They might have taken it a little too far, but they made a valid point in that there has been overkill on the story.

IWM: In the August issue of Ziff Davis Smart Business, ABC's Sam Donaldson says that in the future the networks won't rely on affiliates because all programming will be on the Web. Is that a possibility?

Robins: The means of distribution could change radically. That might mean broadband on the Web. We're getting closer to a time where television could become a commodity like long-distance service. If you want to watch "ABC World News Tonight" at 8 o'clock instead of 7 o'clock, you'll be able to do that. And if you want to watch "The Simpsons" on Monday night instead of Sunday night, you'll be able to that. It might be like a total pay-per-view universe. That's one possibility that's being floated around.

IWM: What's good and bad about television today?

Robins: In a sense, the best of television is better than ever. You see in a drama like "The Sopranos" a real celebration of the uniqueness of the form. "The Sopranos" is so rich, like an epic novel. There's plenty on television to be critical about, but I think we'll be surprised as programming continues to evolve. And, hopefully, it won't be all about your next-door neighbors eating maggots and trying to push each other off islands.

IWM: What's your favorite TV show?

Robins: I think "The Sopranos." That's probably not an original answer, but I really love the show. The writing and acting are first rate. And "Six Feet Under," another show on HBO, I think is extremely well done.

IWM: But by being noncommercial, isn't HBO allowed to do a lot of things the broadcast networks can't?

Robins: Well, that's true. But on ad-supported television there are a number terrific shows, like "Once and Again" and "The West Wing." Of the recent crop of comedies, I think "The Job" is really hilarious.

IWM: What shows are your least favorite?

Robins: I think I'll take a pass on that.

IWM: I understand. So, the next time you see Rupert Murdoch in the elevator, what advice would you give him?

Robins: I'm not going there with you, not even off the record.



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