John Ordover-Trek Editor <72674.1362@compuserve.com> asks:
> You ever feel that all the networks (and many companies) would
> run better if they "inverted" the company every once in a while,
> ie, put the people currently on the front lines in the back
> office, and vice versa?

I dunno...sometimes I think that's the *problem*. It used to be
the case that network suits stayed in one place for a long time, and
held sway for years...now you've got kids coming in who know nothing
BUT TV running the show. The median age at the networks is very low
these days, and the turnover is quite high. The longer you can stay at
the job (within common sense limits) the more confident you can get and
start taking some chances (until you get TOO comfortable, natch). Now
the rule seems to be "cover your ass and don't make trouble" competing
with "I've gotta do something big to make a splash so I can get a
better deal with I go to another network."

Very few people make decisions based on what they think will
work, it's all based on research now, focus groups and other means of
being able to point to someone else and say, "I did my job, research
said it was a good show, it's not my fault."

Most of the really imaginative work being done in TV these days
is happening in cable, frankly.

jms