Does anyone know why craft shows are being dumped???

Question

Quite a few of my favorite shows have disappeared from HGTV and DIY. It used to be when I checked the schedules for DIY, it would be one craft show after another....now it's one home repair show after another...It's not that I don't like the home repair shows, but DIY and HGTV were my main source for craft shows. Since I like all types of crafts, it was great having a huge choice of programs.

I have found some craft shows on various other networks, but it's hunt and peck-not like it used to be on the two above mentioned networks

Help!!!

Answer 1

Everything goes in cycles and now with tough times people want to know how to fix their own houses.If you ever had to hire anyone to fix something in your house then you would want the Fix-it shows too ;)))

Answer 2

I think any TV shows longevity is fueled by it's ratings.  I can't believe that almost everyone, including the millions of people that rent their home or apartments, are into home repair, though.

I loved the craft shows, too, and it's so hard to find them now.  It's puzzling why their schedule changed so drastically and they got away with most of the craft shows.

Maybe they're trying to appeal to more men.  Like CourtTV changed so much a little while back when they changed their name to TruTV, and is now mostly a high speed chase, whacky video, men's type shows, and so few crime and true life CSI shows.

Answer 3

I completely agree with you.  I sew....a lot!   I was hooked on Sew Perfect with Sandra Betzina.  It's gone.  Sewing with Nancy is something I don't catch because it comes on at odd times.  Plus she goes off on stuff I'm not interested in.  There was another sewing show that came on, but the hostess was an idiot and they really didn't cover anything interesting.  Might spend the entire show on buttons or cuffs.  There was Simply Quilts(but I'm not a quilter) and there was this craft show that was mostly gluing stuff together and making scrap books(not my cup of tea) I also enjoyed Kitty Gritty.  I don't even know if that still comes on.  I use to watch my sewing show, then right after that, Knitty Gritty.  It was the best hour in the day...I just don't think I'll ever be the type of person who enjoys tearing out walls and pulling up floors!  Home repair is nice, but I'm all for paying someone to rip up my walls and floor and have it fixed within days, rather than weeks.   Maybe if we can get through to the HGTV website we can start making some strong suggestions.  I'm going to go have a try at it right now.  Thanks for asking this question...it was just the push I needed to do something about it!

Answer 4

There has been a LOT of discussion and complaints about this on the HGTV message boards! There are a few things that seem to be informing their decisions on this:

The first is that they're convinced that most of their viewers really want only passive entertainment, not to really do anything themselves...in other words, to just kick back and watch (and vicariously participate) in "stories" rather than actually trying to learn to do something later on.

That's part of the emphasis on the "personalities" too. That's also why you have so much home and yard decorating shows on HGTV ...plus they generally save the woodworking (mostly repeats) and other fixit stuff for DIY--both channels are owned by the same company.

Also, they want to appeal mostly to the prized younger and "hipper" demographic who they think spend more money, and who'll be potential customers for longer...

The advertisers are the most important people to be pleased here, followed by cutting costs (from doing things like house decoration where nothing has to be shot in a studio, not having shows with guests which they have to provide travel and boarding for, etc., etc.)

Combine all that with the fact that the guys who run these networks seldom know anything about crafts/etc. themselves... and I'd say also don't recognize talent when they see it either :( -- they're just businessmen who're trying to have profitable ventures.

Sorry, but just that's the way it is now . . .  

Most viewers who want to actually do crafts themselves and learn have just stopped watching anything but reruns of the few oldies-but-goodies that are left, plus a few others.  

At least nowadays, to make up for those losses there are all kinds of good things in video or photo format at various blogs, websites, YouTube, etc. that we can resort to (but the HGTV-DIY folks will have shot themselves in the foot).

P.S.  HGTV and perhaps DIY also have something called Video Center which allows you to watch "featured" segments from old programs --including Carol Duvall and Simply Quilts-- but even better you can search and find any of their old programs there to play right on your computer too.  

If you want more info on that, check out this page of my site:

http://glassattic.com/polymer/Books_on_P...

(...click on the category called "Online Lessons--Free"...)

P.P.S.  Public television stations (PBS,etc.) have picked up a few of the craft shows, and also have some of their own shows, so be sure and keep up with what they have (mostly on the weekends).

My 2 cents,

Diane B.