Shows with broad family appeal are relatively uncommon these days, and most advertisers would not advertise on them anyway. It's much better to spend the money on a lower rating show that delivers more of the people you are specifically targeting. Like Big Brother . Despite all the hype in the months leading up to its debut, it was never going to be the top show in town across all age groups. In fact, its nightly 7 pm edition sometimes comes third in its timeslot with fewer viewers than Sale of the Century and Home and Away .
Market segmentation is nothing new.
It goes back to the late-1970s. Instead of charging standard advertising rates for various time zones and not allowing advertisers to specify where the ads went, Gow suggested that Nine offer advertisers the right to select a specific show that delivered them the part of the audience they most wanted to reach and charge them a premium. The Nine Network's boss at the time, Sam Chisholm, is said to have been unconvinced. So, says Gow in Stone's book, he took the idea straight to network supremo Kerry Packer. He recounts part of their conversation.