Ten cuts credits to lure viewers

12Jun08

Source: Michael Bodey, The Australian

CHANNEL Ten will become the first television network to abolish on-screen
credits at the end of programs as it tries to stop viewers switching
channels between shows, but the move is likely to be contested by
industry guilds.

But the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, which represents a
number of TV industry sectors, said the display of on-screen credits
was a convention that it would fight to retain.

"It’s an issue but we haven’t been consulted on it," said the MEAA’s Mark Ryan.

Coincidentally, the MEAA is due to meet Ten today about its
Enterprise Bargaining Agreement. Mr Ryan said the issue would be
raised.

At present, crew members have little recourse. There is no
obligation to screen crew credits, but in drama production agreements
with producers the TV networks are obliged to display cast credits in a
visual, legible fashion.

That requirement has recently been abused by all commercial networks
with credits scrolls being squashed, minimised or accelerated to allow
network advertising or teasers which interrupt closing theme tunes.

Some credits have even been spliced over the final scenes of films.
A rare few directors and producers, including Steven Spielberg,
maintain strict credit-screening clauses in any sales to broadcast TV
that disallow manipulation of credits.

The MEAA has raised that issue with networks although Ten’s move appears to have caught most unaware.

"The new end-credit policy excludes drama and children’s
programming, however, the policy for these genres is currently being
reviewed by Ten," said a network spokesperson.

But the MEAA’s Simon Whipp, who oversees acting agreements, said:
"They can review all they like but the producers are obliged to deliver
a credit."

A number of production companies have anticipated the move by
rolling credits below a final scene or sketch, or incorporating a
teaser for an upcoming program in the credits.

And not all producers are against the move.

"I am not personally worried about losing credits," said Cordell
Jigsaw’s Nick Murray, co-producer of Ten’s factual hit Bondi Rescue.

"Bondi Rescue has a tease for next week running at the same time as
the credits; we have found the audience likes these, as they look good,
have great energy and are often funny or dramatic."

Ten isn’t an innovator though. Last year, the BBC introduced new
guidelines that meant producers couldn’t place programming or other
visuals within their credits because the public broadcaster didn’t want
them to distract from its own larger network advertising running
simultaneously.

The British spy series, Spooks, has taken the initiative to the
extreme with no crew credits. Each episode’s final scene concludes with
a negative image compressing into a flat white line against a black
screen before a teaser for the next episode is shown, followed by the
logos for the BBC and production company Kudos.

But that is a stylistic choice, rather than a programming one, meant
to emphasise the anonymity of its spy characters and heighten the
series’ mystery.

"I think it is unfair to expect the audience to watch credits running on a blank screen," Mr Murray said.

"It is very frustrating waiting for the show scheduled to start after very long boring credits of the previous show.

"As you sit and wait for your own show to start, you can hear the audience switching off."

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