texasmesquite

Putting Bam! On The Back Burner
Melinda Peer, 05.21.08, 11:30 AM ET
Source: Forbes

Too many cooks in The Food Network’s kitchen pushed Emeril Lagasse to its sister network, Fine Living, the host of Emeril Live! said Tuesday.
Ratings for the explosive chef, known for catchphrases like "Bam!" and "kick it up a notch," have been simmering lately as the network’s crowded line-up of telegenic chefs and suspense-filled cooking challenges like Iron Chef and Dinner Impossible have made it more difficult for instruction-driven cooking shows to attract viewers.

"As you know in television, things have to evolve and this is a little evolution for me," Lagasse was quoted by The Associated Press as saying.

Last year, Emeril lost his primetime slot for the first time since debuting on the network in 1997. According to Nielson Media Research, the show lost about 140,000 viewers in the past year.
Both Fine Living and The Food Network are majority owned by Scripps Network, which spun off from The E.W. Scripps Company (nyse: SSP - news - people ) last October to better develop its cable operations and online shopping networks (See: Scripps Separates).

Fine Living lacks the audience base and star power that The Food Network has, but Emeril hopes the move, where he’ll share the limelight with Martha Stewart, will allow him to reach new viewers.
The two celebrities are already aligned. On Feb. 19, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (nyse: MSO - news - people ) bought Emeril’s line of kitchen utensils, cookbooks and television shows (See: Martha And Emeril: Cozy In The Kitchen).
Starting July 7, Fine Living will air Emeril Live! at 7 p.m., seven nights a week, and reruns of the show will be broadcast on The Food Network in the afternoon.
Emeril began his career in a Portuguese bakery where he cooked his way to a culinary doctorate, before opening his own restaurant in New Orleans.
The TV chef's latest move dices his baseline audience: Fine Living is carried by roughly 40 million fewer households with televisions, than The Food Network, and the overshadowed network is counting on Emeril and Martha Stewart to change that.
“It’s really what I consider to be a network-defining moment for us,” said Bob Baskerville, the president of Fine Living.
Nielsen Media Research is slated to begin rating the Fine Living network this fall.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.

HellsChef

This is a complete load of crap, and I can't believe they are doing this to Emeril!

He was one of the last good hosts Food Network still has, and they are throwing him on the MTV2 of cooking channels?

The worst part is, Emeril is not some darn has-been!

He still has legions of fans!

Marlene

Hi,

Emeril is "not a has been" and that is why he took control and decided that he didn't want to be apart of Food network any longer. Food Networks fan base as a whole is declining.

Food network has gotten rid of all professional chefs, Emeril, Mario, Tony, etc. They want reality shows which cost nothing to make and produce.

There whole concept of cooking and entertainment has changed and so has there audience.

On the other hand Martha and Emeril both stand for basic good cooking and no nonesense. That whole channel is picking up the audience base that Food Network has cast aside and I am sure it will do nothing but grow.

I know that in these tough times it certainly has helped Emeril recoup financially. Emeril has taken a beating with the hurricane, (fixing all his eateries, homes and not to mention moving employees and their familes to Florida and Atlanta). Now he has had to close the Atlanta eatery.

Emeril had to recoup his empire along with his career. This is a great chance for him to really do what he believes in and what he wants to do. He has always been about the food and organic.

You may not like Martha being his partner but this looks like a good choice for Emeril when you look at the whole picture.

So think about it and don't be so upset, I know Emeril is laughing all the way to the bank. I know he certainly has a whole lot less stress!!!!!!


Marlene

HellsChef

You know, after thinking this over some more...maybe the move to another channel is the wise decision.

Food Network has been going downhill for a while now, so maybe a new television station will help regain him the limelight again.

Emeril's always hosted a fairly traditional cooking show, and I wish more shows would stick to the same format that he uses.

Don't get me wrong, I do like some of the reality shows too though.

Marlene

Hi HellsChef,

I totally agree that FN has been going down the drain for a long time. One of the things that drives me nuts is the same person being on 3 or 4 different shows!!!! Nothing against that person(s) but enough already, one show or possible two TOPS!!!!!!

Let me say this and it is only my own personal opinion on reality shows. Are they really reality shows when they do so many takes, or pick people for tv factor or entertainment factor?

No offense but look at Hells Kitchen, they have picked some real MORANS that I would never let near my kitchen or near a knive!!!!!! Is that really reality? To me that is staged and is all phony and not my meaning of reality.

What is your take on this topic? I didn't know where else to bring this up and would love to get others opinions.