Source:
www.abcnews.go.com
Chef, Channel Parting Ways, but Observers Say He Has Little to Worry
About
By RUSSELL GOLDMAN
Sept. 6, 2007 —
"Molto Mario" means "a lot of Mario," but fans of the Italian-
American master chef Mario Batali will be seeing much less of him on
Food Network this season.
The network has decided to stop airing "Molto Mario," the program
Batali began hosting a decade ago but which despite regular reruns
has not been in production for nearly three years, a Food Network
spokeswoman told ABCNEWS.com. Batali will, however, continue to
appear on "Iron Chef America."
Batali, known for his innovative variations on traditional Italian
dishes and often described as a revolutionary chef and brilliant
businessman, has been at the Food Network since 1996, helping to
simultaneously raise his profile and that of the channel.
Though Batali has had a long and successful run on the Food Network,
observers say he has little to lose by pulling back from the channel.
Batali owns 14 restaurants in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas,
has written several best-selling cookbooks, has a sponsorship deal
with NASCAR and is reportedly in talks with PBS to produce a special
on Spanish cuisine.
"Mario Batali is still part of the Food Network family," Carrie
Welch, a Food Network spokeswoman told ABC NEWS.com. "Sometimes
family members go off and do other things. We completely blessed his
decision to go to PBS. & He is still going to appear on 'Iron Chef
America.'"
While trying to maintain its association with one of the country's
most recognizable chefs, Food Network is making a concerted effort to
replace older personalities with fresher faces and more reality-style
programming, industry insiders told ABCNEWS.com.
"Batali was there from the very beginning, and it was a mutually
beneficial relationship," Anthony Bourdain, host of the Travel
Channel's "No Reservations," told ABC NEWS.com.
"This is a completely natural progression for the Food Network model.
A look at the lineup shows they're looking for new personalities and
have contempt for professional chefs," he said.
Ed Levine, a food writer and founder of Serious Eats, agreed that the
network was moving away more toward home-style cooks.
"Food Network has made a sharp turn away from celebrity chefs," he
said. "They're not featuring great chefs; instead, they're creating
their own stars out of good home cooks like Giatta De Laurentiis and
Rachael Ray." Though some observers have wondered why the network and
Batali would part ways after such a successful partnership, industry
insiders said the split came as no surprise.
"There was an acknowledgement by both Food Network and Batali that
they didn't really need each other any more," said Ben Leventhal,
editor of the food blog "Eater." "Batali is more than just a TV chef.
He's a personality who has written cookbooks, owns restaurants and
has a deal with NASCAR. Food Network helped him get as big as he is,
and he helped them get big too. & It is the right time for him to
part ways with the Food Network. It is expensive to keep a guy like
Batali, and while I can't imagine he has poor ratings, it comes down
to how much they can afford."
Food Network is currently one of the top-rated channels on cable and
is distributed to more than 90 million American homes.
The network averages about 260,000 viewers a day.
"Counting only traditional ad revenue and license fees, Food
[Network] is projected to take in $757.9 million annually by 2011, up
from $488.1 million this year," reported the trade publication
Broadcasting and Cable.
Batali has done equally well in his endeavors beyond Food Network. In
2002, he was named the best chef in New York City by the James Beard
Foundation, and in 2005 he took home that same organization's
Outstanding Chef of the Year award.
Two of his New York-based restaurants, Babbo and Del Posto, have
received three-star reviews in The New York Times.
"Mario has been very smart in using Food Network as a means to an
end," said Levine. "But he is a chef and restaurateur first and
foremost. Celebrity chef status just enables him to create more
restaurants and gives him a bigger canvas to work on."
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures
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