Brian Frons, the head of ABC daytime, is leaving the network. During his tenure, he played a key role in cancelling both All My Children and One Life to Live, ABC’s venerable soap operas.
Frons has been with the network as the head of daytime since 2002 and his contract ends in January. ABC has decided to merge its daytime and syndicated units into one division. Vicki Dummer, who oversees current series and specials for the network, will head the new Time Square Studio.
Of his leaving the network, Frons said that he’s pleased with what ABC daytime was able to accomplish under his tenure, including the launch of The Chew and the development of The Revolution, the two programs that are replacing the soaps.
The Chew is reportedly averaging half a million fewer viewers than All My Children but is cheaper to produce. The Revolution debuts January 16th, three days after One Life to Live signs off — on Friday the 13th.
Frons defended his decision to replace the soaps to EW and said, “People are really interested in multiple points of view, multiple voices. Daytime viewers are also saying that if they are going to give us an hour a day, we need to give them something that is going to improve their lives… All of daytime is learning to survive on smaller audience shares because there are so many choices. You can’t spend more money for less audience. That’s why you see people going toward programming forms that cost less to produce.”
What do you think? Is Frons correct about today’s audiences and economics? Could they have done something to save the soaps? Possibly cut the casts down to half a dozen performers?
I grew up on those Shows. And TO THIS DAY I AM STILL FURIOUS.
Looking at the photo of Mr Frons I must say that he has that smug or “Mr Know It All” facial expression.Either way his facial expression is relatively annoying.
I had hoped that by now the ABC daytime powers that be would have come to their senses, but I guess they haven’t. I have noticed that several of the soap actors on AMC and One Life to Live have moved to other network soaps. I use to watch those soaps years ago, but am really afraid to invest myself in them again. I have really missed the only two soaps I watched. It would be nice if someone would realize we need our soaps. I have not watched either show that took the place of my soaps and don’t… Read more »
I quess Mr. Frons mommy didn’t pay enough attention to him while growing up because she took an hour or two to watch her soaps. He doesn’t realize women or closet men soap watchers need to get out of the real world for awhile so we can fantasize about another. ABC replacing OLTL with The Revolution was certainly a very big mistake because who wants to hear you’re overweight, you need to exercise, you dress like crap, etc. but are they going to pay for the up keep after the close of show. Look at ABC line up The View,… Read more »
100% agree with this comment especially these showtopics of targeting weight loss, your skin needs help to look better, and eating healthier foods, weigh less… same topics every program on every network.Soaps gave is a story to enjoy. Constant weight loss & you need confidence shows kinda beat people down feeling like is this what we really are? Stopped watching all the five people at a table shows that chatted about “trending topics” but still found their way to fat shaming and politics. I timed into soaps for the fun of the story. I didn’t feel beat up or depressed… Read more »
Please forgive typos in my earlier comment.In the hospital and lights low. Eyesight not good with pain so I think I saw a few words like “face” that should be “fave.” And I didn’t “time” into soaps, but I TUNED into them!! Fun part of the day for sure.
Mr. Frons was only thinking about the bottom line, which is fine for him but the people that give him his bottom line are the public. We have had a comfort zone with our soaps and it was taken away. ABC has cut off their nose at this point and I believe that if they were to reinstate the soaps, there would be a great out cry of thanks. Woman need away to get out of their heads and dream, He took it all away. I sometimes enjoy The Chew, but there is foodnetwork that. As far as The Revolution,… Read more »
Part of what the powers-that-be failed to figure into their bottom-line calculations is that many of the AMC and OLTL fans who are upset at the replacement of long-run shows with lower-cost shows will not watch ANYTHING on ABC, which means loss of revenue across the board. I am one of those fans; my remote is programmed to completely bypass my local ABC affiliate. And the funny thing is, I don’t miss it! Frons totally destroyed daytime TV for ABC and left; reminds me of the captain of the ship that ran aground in Italy…who abandoned his sinking vessel.
Frons lost alot of viewers for ABC,I’m glad he’s gone! Vicki Dummer, I hope ABC can swallow their pride and bring back OLTL. I don’t watch daytime ABC since OLTL left because there is nothing worth watching. I.ve watched OLTL since it’s started. Primetime is full of ridiculous reality shows that I needed OLTL as a pleasant deversion. I can’t beleive ABC went along with that(Frons) idiot!
I think secretly Frons wanted to go out on top…what better way than to watch the network sink after you are gone? And what’s the best way to sink a network? Make sure they lose their viewers! Take away the two top shows that people have bonded to, and replace them with over-done lame shows that nobody wants or cares about. Clever plan…extremely selfish since it hurts thousands of loyal fans.
This guy is “happy” with the decisions he’s made…….he has lost ABC so many viewers! What ABC has not taken into account is that a HUGE majority of AMC and OLTL viewers taped “their” soaps and watched later on, in lieu of the nighttime CRAP. Nobody is taping the Chew or Revolution. The only people liking this change is the Execs at ABC who are not seeing the big picture. I have not started watching any of the new shows on ABC’s nightime line up. Why would I invest me time, only to have the show yanked. ABC….U made a… Read more »
Frons you are the biggest idiot in the world you cancelled both All My children and One Life To live to save money I think you stoled money from the network and how you want to leave no one will miss you ABC soap fans hate you so goodbye and do not get another network job.