 Emeril Lagasse: Shifts to 'Fine Living' network
Emeril Lagasse has taken the decision of leaving the prime time schedule program of ‘Food Network’. The celebrity chef-cum-restaurateur is making an entry at ‘Fine Living Network’.
More news on Emeril Lagasse’s switch-over has been gathered from various sources. The show that juxtaposes varied elements of entertainment viz. cooking, music and the chef's own energetic personality is one of the hot favorite programs at Food Network's prime-time lineup since its start in the year 1997.
However the popularity of Emeril Lagasse’s show started loosing its popularity. Last year only the Food Network changed the timing of the show from ‘8 p.m. Eastern to 7 p.m. According to a popular public survey research organization, within a span of three years its average audience has declined from 717,000 to 579,000 this year.
The Food Network will repeat telecast Emeril Lagasse’s program titled "Emeril Live!" in the afternoon slot. But the Fine Living Network will telecast the show at 7 p.m. First episode will be aired on 7th July.
To be specific, the Fine Living Network spokesperson is saying that the show will be aired 7 nights a week in that time slot. In its first week, 5 original episodes will be shown and, for about two months, a new episode will be shown every Monday. Rest of the episodes is repeat telecasts only.
Fine Living has captured audiences whose number is as high as 50 million households, which are fewer than half the nation's one hundred and ten million homes who watched television. In comparison The Food Network has captured audiences of over ninety million.
"As you know in television, things have to evolve and this is a little evolution for me," added Emeril Lagasse.
Admitting the fact that his prime-time showcase is less popular, Emeril Lagasse commented that it represented an opportunity of expanding his fan fellowing. The report says that Emeril also is planning to be paired with Martha Stewart. On weekdays Fine Living also reruns Stewart's syndicated program on the following day the episode is shown on broadcast television.
"It's really what I consider to be a network-defining moment for us," added Bob Baskerville, the president of Fine Living Network.
Emeril Lagasse has high hopes that if the reruns do well on Fine Living and on the Food Network during the daytime, corporate owners of the Scripps Networks would decide to order a new run of "Emeril Live!" episodes in their network as well.
"Who knows what's going to happen?" added Emeril in a mood of elation.  |