Fox Publicity Department Trying To Exert Editorial Control Over Dollhouse Fan Site?
from the that's-not-how-it-works... dept
It's no secret that some entertainment companies have had trouble recognizing that fan sites help promote a show and add value to the show for free. In spite of these benefits, they still seem to have trouble with fan sites, sometimes threatening them over intellectual property violations or simply trying to shut them down. Now Blake points us to the news that someone in Fox's publicity department is apparently trying to exert editorial control over the fan site Dollverse, which helps promote the TV show Dollhouse. From the details, it really does look like a single person in the publicity department writing a too-sternly-worded letter demanding: "Moving forward do not make any further announcements on your site regarding network scheduling unless you receive notification from the network that scheduling is confirmed." It sounds like, otherwise, the network had been supportive of the site (and this didn't come backed up with any specific legal threat). However, it's still quite an amazing move for a "publicity" department to first demand that a site no longer write about stuff without confirmation, and then to later claim: "Clearing up your misperceptions of the show has become very time consuming and frankly takes away valuable time that could be spent actively marketing the series in the proper way." That's not exactly embracing the fan community.
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Filed Under: control, dollhouse, dollverse, fan sites
Companies: fox
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'Tards
Fox is run by the biggest bunch of dumb-f*cks to ever run a major network. Seriously, why do they even BOTHER to make shows anymore? All they do is lock up interesting shows in development deals, then cancel them the INSTANT people start to like it. Soon, in an effort to feed their greed even more, they will start to pre-cancel shows before they air, thereby freeing up all that money that would have gone into production so they can line the pockets of their executives.
Idiots.
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Re: 'Tards
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Re: 'Tards
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Re: ReTards
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Re: 'Tards
You could replace Fox with pretty much all networks.
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RE: 'Tards
Anyway, I also second what RD said. RIGHT ON!
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No More
They have my ratings for theis current shows, (Bones, House,24), but they are not going to dissapoint me again with another one season (good) show.
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Re:
A better and more tactful way of going about it might have been to, you know, ask. Or, if this site is really seen as a prime source of information for their fans, FOX could've better served their customers by offering to release information to this site, or provide a designated contact for getting confirmation of releases before they're posted.
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Re: Re:
Or, if this site is really seen as a prime source of information for their fans, FOX could've better served their customers by offering to release information to this site, or provide a designated contact for getting confirmation of releases before they're posted.
Whaaa? Talk to your fans? That's crazy talk! They will get what we deliver, when we deliver it! Any speculations before the fact are trampling on our IP!!!
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Way to miss the point...
No, I was satirically suggesting that the FOX execs believe that the way to profit is to pre-cancel shows to "Save production costs" so they can line their pockets.
These arent funny if they have to be explained, man.
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Over-reaching much Mike
Who is looking out for the fans of the show here, really Mike? Fox marketing for making sure the fans know what the actual schedule for the show is or the careless Dollverse admin who can misguide fans into watching/setting DVRs to 8pm instead of 9pm? C'mon, you said it yourself, there was no legal threatening and with Fox marketing asking that the site confirm the schedule does show that Fox is willing to confirm that to the site if they would just ask.
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Re: Over-reaching much Mike
You actually think the Dollverse is the problem here? From a marketing and PR perspective, Fox has financial obligation to work with the fan sites and other show supporters. So far, they seem to think that traditional paid spots on their own channel and maybe a few print ads will cut it. Not so anymore. The lengths to which fans go to save their shows are expanding with every good show that is canceled. It started with Farscape where fans created the first fan-paid ad on public TV and has grown exponentially since. The fans and supporters are a huge PR engine that Fox, and frankly any other network, has yet to figure out they can tap into. I read the post and the response by Fox. Yes, the post was in error. But BIG DEAL, we're talking about in JULY here folks. If Fox REALLY wanted to get the information out, they would put tidbits of info, and official info out through fans and traditional press releases. Oh, and the PR dept. might also want to start returning the phone calls of major fan site operators.
If I were an executive at Fox? I would have fired Mr. Adair for creating a MASSIVELY larger problem and PR issue for the whole network.
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Re: Over-reaching much Mike
A simple email correcting the info would have worked wonders. Telling them not to report on such things without approval from corporate is something entirely different.
The site simply posted a rumor about when the show would air, it wasn't confirmed and fans understand that. No harm is done. It helps get fans excited.
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Advertising Fail
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Re: Advertising Fail
Unless there's some sort of legal problem-- as, sadly documented here, there too often seems to be-- you should never find yourself telling your biggest fans, "You're enjoying it wrong."
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time-consuming accuracy?
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Fox are *so* predictable.
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It's FOX they hate to renew SCI-FI
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And whose fault is it?
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I dont see what is the problem here
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Re: I dont see what is the problem here
Hi Ranon, I think the issue goes beyond that. If they had just asked the site to correct the info, it would be one thing, but instead they issued a demand that the site never publish any info on scheduling without confirmation from the network. That's well beyond asking them to correct a report:
"Moving forward do not make any further announcements on your site regarding network scheduling unless you receive notification from the network that scheduling is confirmed."
It's quite common for fansites to post rumors about when a show might air -- it's part of being a fansite or a fan to discuss such rumors. It's not clear why Fox feels threatened by this. Most people realize it's only a rumor from a fansite.
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Re: Re: I dont see what is the problem here
It's not uncommon for fan sites to come to be seen as highly reliable-- sometimes *more* reliable than an official source. Case in point from a competing media empire: I'm a big fan of Disney theme parks, and there are three fan sites I check regularly which give me the details of major changes, upgrades, and closures long before they make it onto the official Disney sites. The only difference is that Disney appears to be sensible enough to not feel threatened by this.
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