If you’re going to pursue a career as a television programming executive, it doesn’t hurt to have a strong sense of history and deep respect for the men and women who shaped the medium in the Golden Age.
Like many of the movers and shakers of the broadcast industry, Emmy Award-winning producer Margaret Loesch can remember sitting in front of the family TV in the ’50s and absorbing the wisdom of the pioneers. Even then, she saw how television could influence young minds and help determine their future paths in life.
“I used to watch `Fury’ and `Sky King’ on Saturday mornings,” said Loesch, who grew up to become the architect of the Fox Children’s Network and current president and CEO of the Odyssey cable service. “I wanted to become Penny, but, then, sometimes I wanted to be Sky King too, because I wanted to fly the plane.”
She laughed at the recollection, of course. Still, it was comforting to hear a modern television executive admit to a fondness for something beyond a sweeps victory.
The revamped Odyssey Channel, which has evolved from the old VISN and Faith & Values channels, is trying to stake a claim in the increasingly fragmented world of cable and satellite television. Although it still provides several hours of inspirational and religious programming daily, the company is pinning its hopes for the future on two of the most respected brands in the business: Hallmark Entertainment and the Jim Henson Co.
Odyssey will be one of many new programming services trying to raise its profile at the National Cable Television Association convention, which is being held Sunday through Wednesday at McCormick Place. Even in a 500-channel universe — or, at least, the continuing promise of one — it’s easy to get lost among the niches.
“We hope to let people know that we are different, that we do have a point of view,” emphasized Loesch, when asked what she hoped to accomplish in Chicago. “We want operators to see who we are, and we hope to make some deals. There seems to be a lot of good word-of-mouth, and we’re growing as more people ask for us.”
At the moment, Odyssey is carried by more than 1,500 cable affiliates in the United States, and is available to some 29 million households via cable and the Primestar satellite service (including 500,000 Chicago-area homes). With 35 million subscribers as a target for 2001, Loesch hopes the promise of high-quality entertainment for “today’s family” — plus well-produced and more commercial spiritual content — will encourage operators to find room in their already saturated universe for another network.
The fate of the venture relies on affiliates’ buying into Loesch’s concept of the contemporary American household.
“Our research showed that the traditional family doesn’t exist anymore,” she said, in an interview over lunch near Odyssey’s San Fernando Valley offices. “A recent study, published in the L.A. Times, said there are 26 different types of moms and 18 different types of dads. Another study identified 200 different kinds of families.
“We found that `today’s family’ — a phrase we choose to distinguish ourselves from other services — can be any two people taking care of each other.”
In surveys, she added, “Viewers say they want the family values of the ’50s, but they want the freedom, independence and choice of the ’60s and ’70s. Meanwhile, living in the ’90s, they also want to be relevant and connected to the community.
“So, they want it all.”
The research did confirm, however, that Hallmark and Henson already presented the kind of programming parents said they desired.
“They also said they wanted help in being parents — because there is no book, and half of today’s generation of parents are from broken homes,” stressed Loesch, a working mother who, in her free moments, enjoys spending time at her Colorado ranch with her husband and their 10-year-old son. “So, we set about to develop ideas about how, with new entertainment and informational programming, maybe we could start to deal with issues of parenting.”
Besides Henson and Hallmark, Odyssey is supported by Liberty Media Corp. and the National Interfaith Cable Coalition. The day includes religious programming, children-oriented shows such as “Muppet Babies” and “Alf,” talk shows, and off-network specials such as “Moby Dick,” “Merlin” and “Gulliver’s Travels.”
Original “big event” programming, including a two-hour “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, will begin appearing this fall.
In differentiating itself from other family fare, Odyssey will have to create an identity separate from Fox Family, Disney, Paxnet and the networks, which promise PG-rated material between 7 and 8 p.m., but often deliver sitcoms loaded with sexual innuendo or banal nonsense only a laugh track could find funny. The channel also will have to compete with such kid- and teen-friendly services as Nickelodeon, TV Land and MTV.
“The people we surveyed said Hallmark-Henson represented quality, but what they liked was that even `The Muppet Show,’ in some respect, was sophisticated because it didn’t talk down to the kids,” Loesch pointed out. “And, even though some of Hallmark’s storytelling was very dramatic and geared to adults, they felt parents didn’t have to ask the kids to leave the room. Right now, Disney is saying parents can watch their channel with their kids and enjoy it, but we’re saying, it’s the other way around.
“We’re targeting adults. But, hopefully, there’s nothing on — nor will we put anything on — that would force adults to ask a child to leave the room.”
Inevitably, any conversation about television — post-Littleton — must drift toward the question of violence in the media and protecting children from offensive images. Since Loesch has been associated with shows that run the gamut from “Muppet Babies” and “Bobby’s World” to “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” and “X-Men,” her opinion on how children evolve as consumers of entertainment was sought.
“What’s happening today is that kids are watching everything,” she argued. “For years, we had all our psychologists and teachers advising us as to how to create an environment where children’s television was safe. We learned a lot and we tried to be responsible, but the fact is that kids were watching `Muppet Babies,’ which was designed for preadolescents and preschoolers, and these same kids were watching the 6 o’clock news with their parents.
“In a perfect world, we’d have children only watch shows that were designed for them, and, as they grew, themes dealing with relevant issues to their age would be introduced and stories would become more sophisticated. But, that isn’t how kids watch television.”
Looking back again on her own childhood experiences in front of the tube, Loesch said, “The television shows that I remember as a kid, with only a few exceptions, were those that I watched with my parents. One of my favorite shows, `Alfred Hitchcock,’ happened to be one of my mom and dad’s favorite shows too.
“Now I may not have understood all the ironies that an adult would, but I loved the suspense. Kids are curious, and they love to be excited, swept away and to be scared . . . just like adults.”
Moreover, she continued, “I’m just a little disheartened by my colleagues who are so defensive right now. What the public is looking for — and, I’m certain, politicians are looking for — is a way to do something about the problem.
“It’s clear to me that if a boy smacks a girl or a man smacks a woman, chances are he saw his father do it. I don’t think the media is the root cause of anything, but I sure think we can do a lot better using television to communicate concepts, such as building relationships and finding ways to convey hope, love, compassion, inspiration, right and wrong.”
But Loesch also has learned that there are several ways to deliver these kinds of messages, and they don’t have to look like a public-service announcement.
“I worked with Jim Henson for six years . . . what a fella,” she said. “I remember having a discussion about `Muppet Babies,’ when one of the network executives suggested that maybe we deal with drugs in one of our stories. Jim said, very gently and very quietly, `No. This show is a celebration. It’s about all the good things. It’s about inspiring kids to act and look and see, but in a positive way, and learn and be curious about the arts and about creativity.’
“It was a really interesting moment for me. Once we celebrate that innocence, there’s enough time for them to be introduced to the negative things, so let’s celebrate the magic of life.”
