Thinking Inside theBox

 

These days, any time you turn on Oxygen you'll see the target audience getting what it wants. In an early episode of Good Girls Don't, for instance, Jane, the promiscuous roommate, pretends to be pregnant in order to seduce a prenatal male nurse she meets in the grocery store. And during the premiere episode of Snapped -- Oxygen's new true-crime documentary series about women on the edge of insanity -- horny, homicidal twins named Peggy and Betty plot to kill one twin's husband.

Viewership is way up, but that certainly isn't the result of trying to make better citizens of young women. It's more a matter of ceasing to do so.

Laybourne, on the other hand, is finally coming back from the edge. Chief operating officer Lisa Gersh Hall expects 2004 to be Oxygen's first profitable year, with revenue of $125 million, a 25% increase from last year. "It's only done positive things," says Andrew Donchin, director of national broadcasting at Carat USA, who buys $2 billion in ads (including some on Oxygen) for his clients each year. "It's in a decent amount of homes, and it's really trying to be a point of destination for women."

Donchin suggests, though, that Laybourne tread lightly when it comes to racy programming. Sexy storylines help set Oxygen apart from other women's channels and also make a mark on popular culture: It was a watershed moment for the channel when Saturday Night Live parodied Sue Johanson. But too much bawdiness could also scare off advertisers. "It's okay to push the envelope and be a little risque, but there's that line you can't go over," notes Donchin. "They've walked that tightrope pretty well." Recently, of course, programmers have been looking over their shoulders at the Federal Communications Commission, which has been on high alert ever since the Janet Jackson exposure episode. Laybourne says she isn't worried about the FCC. "Our motivation is not for pure shock value," she says. "It comes from what's right for our audience, so I don't think we're going to be a target on this."

Laybourne was briefed on the conclusion of her focus group on politics. On the tape, her note about the draft doesn't provoke much reaction. Things get a little livelier when Karen Ramspacher hands out pictures of an Urban Outfitters T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan, "Voting Is for Old People." She asks the participants to write down what they think about the shirt, and a few minutes later checks on their responses. "Basically, it's a true statement...I could be wrong, but that's kind of how I feel about it personally," says the fifth-grade teacher. Ramspacher asks the other women what they think. "The slogan shows that voting is just not popular," says the stay-at-home mom. "It's just not the thing to do. And like everyone else is saying... we're just very much into reality, and reality TV."

That inspires the college student. She might follow presidential politics, she says, if the campaign could include a reality show -- maybe George Bush and John Kerry sharing a loft for a week, with like five guys and five girls.

Is Laybourne going to try to defy that kind of sentiment? Sort of. Not through extended programming on politics, but she'll probably commission a series of quick, fun one-minute public service announcements about the importance of voting. "We must leave women better off than we found them," she says. Then she catches herself. "That doesn't mean we have to serve green vegetables and political forums. The problem with me is that when I talk about my mission, I sound deadly serious because I'm a former schoolmarm. I always have to interrupt myself and remind myself that I'm the woman who brought green slime to TV."

Nadine Heintz is a staff writer.

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    • Nadine Heintz

    The Goods is focused exclusively on products and services for business owners. We won't ignore the latest netbook or the hottest smartphone, but we'll also examine the services, software, and Web-based tools that can help make your business succeed. Nadine Heintz, a senior editor at Inc., edits The Goods, as well as Quick Hits. Send suggestions, comments, and deals to nheintz@inc.com.


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