30 years ago tonight, the 2nd shoe dropped in the Great Television Realignment of 1994-1996: The launch of the first post-FinSyn network.
The first, obviously, was Fox getting NFC football and the resulting fallout.
The launch of the 5th Network contenders is the second.
The first, obviously, was Fox getting NFC football and the resulting fallout.
The launch of the 5th Network contenders is the second.
January 11, 2025 at 8:42 PM
30 years ago tonight, the 2nd shoe dropped in the Great Television Realignment of 1994-1996: The launch of the first post-FinSyn network.
The first, obviously, was Fox getting NFC football and the resulting fallout.
The launch of the 5th Network contenders is the second.
The first, obviously, was Fox getting NFC football and the resulting fallout.
The launch of the 5th Network contenders is the second.
Reasonably priced shows owned by their creators? This used to just BE how we made TV in the age of FinSyn. Indie filmmakers coming in acting like they invented a model really erks me. Dean Devlin has been doing this since ‘08!
www.vulture.com/article/mark...
www.vulture.com/article/mark...
Mark Duplass Has a Plan to Save Television
The indie film market collapsed. Then the TV business. His model fuses both at a fraction of the cost.
www.vulture.com
June 11, 2025 at 4:27 AM
Reasonably priced shows owned by their creators? This used to just BE how we made TV in the age of FinSyn. Indie filmmakers coming in acting like they invented a model really erks me. Dean Devlin has been doing this since ‘08!
www.vulture.com/article/mark...
www.vulture.com/article/mark...
Given how much viewing is now delayed/streamed/VOD/etc, timeslots for anything non-live have come to matter even less than the distinction between broadcast/basic/premium. I can tell you about the FinSyn rules, but I'm not sure the last time I watched Abbott live, or even on ABC rather than Hulu.
May 14, 2024 at 5:44 PM
Given how much viewing is now delayed/streamed/VOD/etc, timeslots for anything non-live have come to matter even less than the distinction between broadcast/basic/premium. I can tell you about the FinSyn rules, but I'm not sure the last time I watched Abbott live, or even on ABC rather than Hulu.
Combine Fox's rise alongside that of cable, and put the FCC being deregulation-happy in the 80s and 90s on top of that, and in 1993 the FCC decided to vote away the FinSyn rules.
January 11, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Combine Fox's rise alongside that of cable, and put the FCC being deregulation-happy in the 80s and 90s on top of that, and in 1993 the FCC decided to vote away the FinSyn rules.
The last time FinSyn was brought up on this app was 12 days ago… by me.
I think everyone who cares about the state of the entertainment business should give a shit about it.
Here’s a primer:
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
I think everyone who cares about the state of the entertainment business should give a shit about it.
Here’s a primer:
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
What Jon Voight Got Right In His Hollywood Proposals To The White House
Regulation is the way!
open.substack.com
May 19, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The last time FinSyn was brought up on this app was 12 days ago… by me.
I think everyone who cares about the state of the entertainment business should give a shit about it.
Here’s a primer:
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
I think everyone who cares about the state of the entertainment business should give a shit about it.
Here’s a primer:
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
Almost immediately after that, 2 studios with long histories in TV being the biggest beneficiaries of FInSyn stepped right up to make clear their intentions to launch their own networks: Warner Brothers and Paramount.
January 11, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Almost immediately after that, 2 studios with long histories in TV being the biggest beneficiaries of FInSyn stepped right up to make clear their intentions to launch their own networks: Warner Brothers and Paramount.
Used to be required by law until Clinton struck down FinSyn.
November 29, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Used to be required by law until Clinton struck down FinSyn.
Finsyn shoutout in the WGA statement.
I’m telling you now, if any politician ever starts bringing that up as part of their platform, I will become a single issue voter.
I’m telling you now, if any politician ever starts bringing that up as part of their platform, I will become a single issue voter.
WGA Settles Lawsuit Against Paramount-WBD Merger
The WGA settled its lawsuit challenging the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery on Monday
deadline.com
September 21, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Finsyn shoutout in the WGA statement.
I’m telling you now, if any politician ever starts bringing that up as part of their platform, I will become a single issue voter.
I’m telling you now, if any politician ever starts bringing that up as part of their platform, I will become a single issue voter.
I'm reminded of the time a CW employee approached me at press tour and accidentally triggered my FinSyn lecture. Poor girl.
February 11, 2025 at 5:35 PM
I'm reminded of the time a CW employee approached me at press tour and accidentally triggered my FinSyn lecture. Poor girl.
He's right on that count. Elimination of FinSyn was a huge deal with far reaching negative consequences that are still being felt.
May 6, 2025 at 8:27 PM
He's right on that count. Elimination of FinSyn was a huge deal with far reaching negative consequences that are still being felt.
On a corporate level: the death of FinSyn in 1993.
On a cultural level (which came later): the loss of mono-culture that occurred through the 2010s.
On a cultural level (which came later): the loss of mono-culture that occurred through the 2010s.
What do you think the first death knell of the modern media landscape was? When we started conflating art with content or when we stopped being able to tell the difference between audience and community?
December 11, 2025 at 1:29 AM
On a corporate level: the death of FinSyn in 1993.
On a cultural level (which came later): the loss of mono-culture that occurred through the 2010s.
On a cultural level (which came later): the loss of mono-culture that occurred through the 2010s.
If we still lived in a world with FinSyn rules, The Late Show could just move to another network or streamer (if there was a buyer) instead of being shelved by corporate daddy.
I hope the Daily Show and South Park buy Comedy Central from Paramount or something like that.
July 21, 2025 at 4:34 PM
If we still lived in a world with FinSyn rules, The Late Show could just move to another network or streamer (if there was a buyer) instead of being shelved by corporate daddy.
And for the evening crowd:
If you care about the buisness of television, then you absolutely need to know, at least, the basics of FinSyn.
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
If you care about the buisness of television, then you absolutely need to know, at least, the basics of FinSyn.
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
What Jon Voight Got Right In His Hollywood Proposals To The White House
Regulation is the way!
open.substack.com
May 20, 2025 at 12:33 AM
And for the evening crowd:
If you care about the buisness of television, then you absolutely need to know, at least, the basics of FinSyn.
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
If you care about the buisness of television, then you absolutely need to know, at least, the basics of FinSyn.
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
November 6, 2025 at 10:22 PM
1993, the year FInSyn fell, it came to the boil.
FIrstly, in January, an attempt at a Fifth Network was launched on Wednesdays & Saturdays: the Prime Time Entertainment Network.
This was a joint between Time Warner...and Chris-Craft Industries, owners of WWOR in New York and KCOP in Los Angeles.
FIrstly, in January, an attempt at a Fifth Network was launched on Wednesdays & Saturdays: the Prime Time Entertainment Network.
This was a joint between Time Warner...and Chris-Craft Industries, owners of WWOR in New York and KCOP in Los Angeles.
January 16, 2025 at 5:51 PM
1993, the year FInSyn fell, it came to the boil.
FIrstly, in January, an attempt at a Fifth Network was launched on Wednesdays & Saturdays: the Prime Time Entertainment Network.
This was a joint between Time Warner...and Chris-Craft Industries, owners of WWOR in New York and KCOP in Los Angeles.
FIrstly, in January, an attempt at a Fifth Network was launched on Wednesdays & Saturdays: the Prime Time Entertainment Network.
This was a joint between Time Warner...and Chris-Craft Industries, owners of WWOR in New York and KCOP in Los Angeles.
(Apologies in advance for the sensationalist headline. The SEO engine must always be fed and no one reads the “FinSyn is super important” headline.)
May 19, 2025 at 4:03 PM
(Apologies in advance for the sensationalist headline. The SEO engine must always be fed and no one reads the “FinSyn is super important” headline.)
BTW, on the heels of this 7th Heaven reboot announcement:
I don’t think it’s an accident the TV reboot hell we’re in started about a decade after FinSyn’s demise. FinSyn forced the creation of new brands and material because the networks didn’t own anything. Now they own everything and can recycle.
I don’t think it’s an accident the TV reboot hell we’re in started about a decade after FinSyn’s demise. FinSyn forced the creation of new brands and material because the networks didn’t own anything. Now they own everything and can recycle.
The last time FinSyn was brought up on this app was 12 days ago… by me.
I think everyone who cares about the state of the entertainment business should give a shit about it.
Here’s a primer:
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
I think everyone who cares about the state of the entertainment business should give a shit about it.
Here’s a primer:
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
What Jon Voight Got Right In His Hollywood Proposals To The White House
Regulation is the way!
open.substack.com
May 19, 2025 at 9:48 PM
BTW, on the heels of this 7th Heaven reboot announcement:
I don’t think it’s an accident the TV reboot hell we’re in started about a decade after FinSyn’s demise. FinSyn forced the creation of new brands and material because the networks didn’t own anything. Now they own everything and can recycle.
I don’t think it’s an accident the TV reboot hell we’re in started about a decade after FinSyn’s demise. FinSyn forced the creation of new brands and material because the networks didn’t own anything. Now they own everything and can recycle.
- stackable tax credit of 10% on top of state offering (20% if state incentive doesn’t exist)
- bonus credit for indies that shoot in rural areas
- restoration and expansion of FinSyn
- co-pros exempt from tariffs
- job training
Just cut the American purity test shit and I could get behind this?
- bonus credit for indies that shoot in rural areas
- restoration and expansion of FinSyn
- co-pros exempt from tariffs
- job training
Just cut the American purity test shit and I could get behind this?
May 6, 2025 at 8:57 PM
- stackable tax credit of 10% on top of state offering (20% if state incentive doesn’t exist)
- bonus credit for indies that shoot in rural areas
- restoration and expansion of FinSyn
- co-pros exempt from tariffs
- job training
Just cut the American purity test shit and I could get behind this?
- bonus credit for indies that shoot in rural areas
- restoration and expansion of FinSyn
- co-pros exempt from tariffs
- job training
Just cut the American purity test shit and I could get behind this?
Not covered in the post but also worth noting:
FinSyn effectively destroyed the scam of “deficit financing” in the 60s. When it was eliminated, it came back and now is viewed as a healthy alternative to studio financing up to and including Sony now deficit financing a new SWAT without a buyer.
FinSyn effectively destroyed the scam of “deficit financing” in the 60s. When it was eliminated, it came back and now is viewed as a healthy alternative to studio financing up to and including Sony now deficit financing a new SWAT without a buyer.
May 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Not covered in the post but also worth noting:
FinSyn effectively destroyed the scam of “deficit financing” in the 60s. When it was eliminated, it came back and now is viewed as a healthy alternative to studio financing up to and including Sony now deficit financing a new SWAT without a buyer.
FinSyn effectively destroyed the scam of “deficit financing” in the 60s. When it was eliminated, it came back and now is viewed as a healthy alternative to studio financing up to and including Sony now deficit financing a new SWAT without a buyer.
Glad to see this. It’s maybe the most important (and weirdly un-republican) part of the proposal. The destruction of FinSyn is the #1 reason why we’re where we are. The affect of Clinton’s removal on Hollywood was equal to his removal of Glass-Steagall on banking.
deadline.com/2025/05/jon-...
deadline.com/2025/05/jon-...
Jon Voight’s Plan Raises Prospect Of Reinstating Fin-Syn Rules As TV Series Enter Tariff Conversation
Jon Voight's plan to save the movie and TV industry raises the possibility of reinstating fin-syn rules.
deadline.com
May 7, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Glad to see this. It’s maybe the most important (and weirdly un-republican) part of the proposal. The destruction of FinSyn is the #1 reason why we’re where we are. The affect of Clinton’s removal on Hollywood was equal to his removal of Glass-Steagall on banking.
deadline.com/2025/05/jon-...
deadline.com/2025/05/jon-...
FinSyn.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financi...
Arguably the regualtion responsible for TV's golden age.
It was removed, in part, because the studios lobbied they couldn't compete with cable, which was just starting and not bound by the law as they weren't broadcast networks.
However, what...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financi...
Arguably the regualtion responsible for TV's golden age.
It was removed, in part, because the studios lobbied they couldn't compete with cable, which was just starting and not bound by the law as they weren't broadcast networks.
However, what...
Financial Interest and Syndication Rules - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 5, 2025 at 9:33 PM
FinSyn.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financi...
Arguably the regualtion responsible for TV's golden age.
It was removed, in part, because the studios lobbied they couldn't compete with cable, which was just starting and not bound by the law as they weren't broadcast networks.
However, what...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financi...
Arguably the regualtion responsible for TV's golden age.
It was removed, in part, because the studios lobbied they couldn't compete with cable, which was just starting and not bound by the law as they weren't broadcast networks.
However, what...
From the moment I learned about FinSyn a few years ago, I’ve felt like it is, unquestionably, the most under-discussed topic in our discussions of how to fix TV.
May 19, 2025 at 7:23 PM
From the moment I learned about FinSyn a few years ago, I’ve felt like it is, unquestionably, the most under-discussed topic in our discussions of how to fix TV.
It’s time to talk about FinSyn, a vital and very necessary regulation that never should have gone away.
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
What Jon Voight Got Right In His Hollywood Proposals To The White House
Regulation is the way!
open.substack.com
May 19, 2025 at 4:02 PM
It’s time to talk about FinSyn, a vital and very necessary regulation that never should have gone away.
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...
open.substack.com/pub/merrillb...