We often mock the lack of hard news (like Obama scandal coverage, or Islamic State kidnapping of Christians) on the network morning shows by contrasting it with the luxurious time they reserve to promote their own entertainment products. This week The Hollywood Reporter revealed its week-long study of the ABC, CBS, and NBC morning shows from 7 to 9 a.m. on the week of March 9 to 13 and counted how much time was devoted to "programs and personalities of that network or its sister properties."
They noted that in 2011, new NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke "famously implemented Project Symphony, an effort to synergize better the various corners of the empire to help promote one another. Nowhere has the strategy been more evident than on the morning news show Today, which regularly plugs NBC and its sister properties. But is Today more shameless than its rivals?"
The answer, in this week, was no. They came in third. Between the three, they counted more than 84 minutes of "corporate synergy" in the morning:
Good Morning America (ABC)
Corporate synergy: 36:30 min.
– March 9: Long plug of Cinderella shoes.
– March 10: Top news story is a Bachelor recap, followed by a sit-down with talent. Cinderella actors appear in studio.
– March 11: Long preview of Black-ish blooper special. Frozen Fever preview.
– March 12: More Frozen Fever and Cinderella. Scandal stars in studio.
This Morning (CBS)Corporate synergy: 26:12 min.
– March 10: Patricia Arquette gets six minutes to plug CSI: Cyber. CBS Sports's Jim Nantz previews March Madness.
– March 12: Report on the upcoming Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight, with no mention of Mayweather's $250 million deal with CBS-owned Showtime.
– March 13: Nearly 10 minutes of plugs for stories airing on 48 Hours and 60 Minutes.
Today (NBC)
Corporate synergy: 21:45 min.
– March 9: Elizabeth Hurley scores a five-minute segment for E!'s The Royals. Aziz Ansari talks Parks and Recreation finale.
– March 10: Story on the 30th anniversary of Universal's The Breakfast Club.
– March 12: Plug for Dateline: The Real Blacklist, NBC show that plugs NBC show.
– March 13: E! Fashion Police debate.
This has been a feature of network morning shows from their conception. But in an age of persistent "corporate synergy" combined with the consultants who've told news division executives that consumers don't want any brain-challenging news about government or world events, it's more shameless than ever.
