3 million donated to the Save Enterprise Campaign!

[Cougar 0]

3 million dollars has been donated to trekunited and Save enterprise.

 

http://saveenterprise.com/3m_contribution.htm

 

http://trekunited.com/news.php?id=13

 

http://www.trektoday.com/news/010305_02.shtml

[FredM 0]

Hey there,

 

I had heard about a week ago this was in the works. Given this figure, it does equate to being able to fund about 9 1/2% of the total cost required to produce a full fifth season by Paramount.

 

It will be interesting to see what response this generates from CBS/UPN/Paramount. I don't believe the CBS management exactly expected there to be another seriously organized campaign to save this show. It's the type of thing they've never experienced, nor do I really think they thought it would happen. Now having several million dollars to backup the support, I would think, does change the equation in a serious manner.

 

Any "loss" (which I seriously doubt exists, I don't care what they claim) in producing the show would likely be made up with 9 1/2% of production "assistance." On top if it all, what really strikes me, is the fact neither UPN nor CBS has announced what replacement they have for the Friday 8:00pm ET timeslot. The crazy thing is that I question if they really do have one...meaning ratings for this slot will go even below what Archer and company were holding steady at.

 

Even possibly more confusing is the fact within the past month, during one week Enterprise was the highest rated show on UPN for the week. Things are getting interesting...

[WxMurray 0]

Rumor has it that two Fortune 500s are also looking to make donations.

[Cougar 0]

I have heard that other companies and oraganizations are interested in donating.

[Seiben 0]

I heard about that too.. I agree.. I think it would be interesting to see what Paramount and UPN has to say about the $3 million domation. <_<

[Cougar 0]

I heard about that too.. I agree.. I think it would be interesting to see what Paramount and UPN has to say about the $3 million domation. <_<

well I want them to see how much fan support there is for Enterprise, even before we got the donation, we've managed to raise 60 000 some, which is still good. Now the 3 million throws in a huge factor, now I really want to see what UPN's reaction. The "set" of Paramount already know about the donatiom, I assume that the execs will find out soon or already know. I really want to know what Les Moonves thinks of all this, after all he cancelled Enterprise.

[Apollo 0]

::sigh::

 

I really hate to be the negative one around here, but I am sorry to say that I doubt Viacom (a multi-billion dollar company) is going to re-think canceling the show.

 

Sure they've came up with $3 Million, but at best, that's buying what, another season. What about the next season, or the season after that...you get the picture.

 

And in all likely hood, I am sorry to disappoint you, I'd say the Paramount execs haven't shed one tear or lost sleep over it, nor have their bosses at Parent-company Viacom.

Edited March 2, 2005 by Apollo

[John_Anderson 0]

Actually, UPN has said that if the ratings for the show drastically increase over the next few episodes (And I mean drastic, not like 20 million, but ya know... a good number) , that they just might reconsider cancelling the show, and let it go on for one more season.

 

Some food for thought. <_<

[Cougar 0]

::sigh::

 

I really hate to be the negative one around here, but I am sorry to say that I doubt Viacom (a multi-billion dollar company) is going to re-think canceling the show.

 

Sure they've came up with $3 Million, but at best, that's buying what, another season. What about the next season, or the season after that...you get the picture.

 

And in all likely hood, I am sorry to disappoint you, I'd say the Paramount execs haven't shed one tear or lost sleep over it, nor have their bosses at Parent-company Viacom.

3 million can cover about 2 episodes.

[NDak 0]

If they do bring it back, it will be hard to convience some that this wasn't one brillitantly executed PR-Stunt.

[NDak 0]

3 million can cover about 2 episodes.

That's not the point, (speaking from the correct log-in)

 

What about after Paramount spends the money, is the trek community going to continue to funnel Paramount money to keep them producing the show?

[Seiben 0]

3 million can cover about 2 episodes.

Wow, two whole episodes?! You know there's like 26 in the season? As I said earlier, I've heard about the donation plan earlier reading it on Save Enterprise and the Startrek.com boards. But really, I serioussly doubt all of them could raise that much money. (Unless one of you wins the lottery <_< ) I said it'd be interesting to see what Paramount thinks of the donation.. but really.. I meant it'd be intersting to see Leslie Moonves slam the door on their faces. :angry:

[WxMurray 0]

Actually, Enterprise has been reduced to the standard 22 episodes per season, about $35 million per year.

[Nemesis 0]

$35 Million - $ 3 Million= $32 Million dollars

 

Well um that's not that much of a differance

[Seiben 0]

Actually, Enterprise has been reduced to the standard 22 episodes per season, about $35 million per year.

Yeah, well still.. $35 million is a lot of money, and there's no way in the world people like the Save Enterprsie people can raise that kind of money. You people have got to start accepting reality, and get your heads out of the clouds. Life goes on all the same, even after Entperprise is over.

[Cougar 0]

Actually, Enterprise has been reduced to the standard 22 episodes per season, about $35 million per year.

which I doubt we'll get....

 

 

Oh and I meant that 3 million can cover about 2 episodes in a sarcastic way, well I meant it can't cover a lot.. plus I was just pointing out the fact.

[Nemesis 0]

Aren't there homeless who could benefiet from 3 million bucks? Why the heck are people raising this amount of money for a stupid tv show, and yes it is a stupid tv show when people are starving or dying of diseases eachday? This is a sad world we live in.

[WxMurray 0]

Yeah, well still.. $35 million is a lot of money, and there's no way in the world people like the Save Enterprsie people can raise that kind of money. You people have got to start accepting reality, and get your heads out of the clouds. Life goes on all the same, even after Entperprise is over.

We know we might not succeed. But we will not give up without a fight. If there was a chance that would've worked and we didn't try it, we'd be kicking ourselves for it. When all is said and done, we will have at least tried.

[Dumbass 0]

If they do bring it back, it will be hard to convience some that this wasn't one brillitantly executed PR-Stunt.

Kinda like the "New Coke" stunt in the '80s.

[NDak 0]

Kinda like the "New Coke" stunt in the '80s.

Thank You!

[FredM 0]

I really hate to be the negative one around here, but I am sorry to say that I doubt Viacom (a multi-billion dollar company) is going to re-think  canceling the show.

Hey there,

 

Your remarks are not without foundation. However, one thing every business degreed individual learns early in college is this: You never want bad press. You can spend a decade attempting to recover from sixty seconds, depending on the severity of the situation. Some large corporations have collasped simply because of it.

 

Given negative press CBS has had within the past year, especially with it's news division, all they need is another group of people screaming at them. They are now faced with what is becoming a public relations nightmare. How they deal with it is yet to be seen.

 

You now have a solid percentage of the global vocal fan base of the Star Trek franchise (a show known worldwide, not just within the US), who are the "power behind" the millions of dollars Paramount (thus Viacom, thus CBS) earns each year, who are upset about this show being terminated at this point. Realistically, I doubt this would have happened a year ago. However, given the show's increase in quality...you have a fight.

 

Regardless, this same vocal and media attracting fan base has now announced a public funding of three million dollars they are willing to use to help with production costs for a fifth season. This means the fan base has essentially told CBS they are willing to physically give almost ten percent of what it will cost to make the show. To my knowledge, this has never happened before.

 

From a media perspective, saying no has the potential to be a disaster. The Star Trek Franchise itself is at a crossroads. Some, myself included due to personal experience with relatives and friends, feel that given Enterprise's direction under Manny Coto...you might be regaining some of the lost TOS/TNG crowd. Without them, the franchise will not continue to be successful. Alienation of the fan base will doom the franchise. If Paramount proceeds with the cancellation, you have bad press and the possibility of further killing any successful incarnations within the next five to ten years. If the show is allowed to complete another season (and a seven year run), you maintain the integrity of show while putting into account the fact you just had a ton of "free advertising" with news reports.

 

The underlining question gets back to "higher ups" taking advantage of Star Trek fans (including Rick Berman). The mindset that you can simply terminate a show that's finally starting to get legs and simply announce you're making a movie that will feature a new cast, expecting that to calm the masses, is completely moronic. Personally, given his remarks, I think Rick Berman is afraid to let the show continue. He wants to move onto other pilots with CBS. He's afraid that if Manny Coto successed in bringing this series back from the dead, it's going to cause executives to question "What was going on the first three years?" Not a positive thing for one's job security, considering the additional failings of Nemesis.

 

Viacom/CBS is a multi-billion dollar company. However, Star Trek itself is supposedly worth multi-billions of dollars. You do not want to jeopardize that. I honestly do not believe anyone expected any type of organized effort to save this show. I do not believe CBS honestly believed anyone cared about this show. This time last year, I would have said they were right.

Edited March 2, 2005 by FredM

[NDak 0]

::is a Public Relations Major, and understand very well the prinicpals of a PR Disaster....or as we prefer to call them Crisis (since PR is a subset of Journalism...and not Marketing...as the evil Marketing people would like people to believe...but I degress)::

 

Here's my point: This is now the second time that the show has been on the bubble, and this time actualy got axed. Obviously the management had already decided that continuing to produce the show was no longer in their financial best interests.

 

Further, from a PR stand-point the CBS Memogate (to which I could write you a thesis on about how it mostly media-canabalism--but I'll save that for another day) doesn't really enter into the situation, because for the most part Paramount and CBS aren't operated togather (they aren't really that contiguous). So all Paramount (thus Viacom) is really interested in how to deal with the "massive" outcry of fans.

 

As anyone in the PR field can tell you, there are four basic steps to dealing with such a crisis, and right now, they are...or should be, in the recovery phase.

 

I honstly don't think that bringing the show back is part of the plan. Plain and smiple.

 

And if anything, all of this screaming by Enterprise fans/trekkies may only just show them that Trekkies will accept anything, and thus result in a new series down the road, or worse, they do bring back Enterprise and don't improve it.

 

Again, I said I hate to be the negative one, but I think I am actually being the realist. Enterprise has been officially canceled now, for what? A Month or so. If Paramount has any one decently schooled in Public Relations (and I would think they do) they'd know that timelyness is very important. Thus, I would think that they would a) have already had a press release regarding such, or or had some kind of response.

 

That said, at least to my knowledge none of that has happened.

 

To be honest, I really don't think that canceling Enterprise is going to be as destroying to the trek franchise as some people seem to think. Sure it may lose some "popularity" for a while, but maybe it needs some time off. After all how long did the franchise go in between TNG and TOS...and it still lived.

 

 

So to conclude, I guess what I am getting at is: Go ahead and yell and scream all you want (I personally am impressed that people are actually taking up a cause); just don't get so upset if Paramount/Viacom doesn't respond the way you want them to.

[Darrik 0]

Does anyone else think that this might just be a hoax?

[NDak 0]

::cough:: New Coke ::cough::

[Travis Kroells 0]

You guys make it sound like Paramount wont do anything, unless 35 million is coughed up. The idea, is that some people actually donated that much to keep Enterprise alive, maybe there is still some public interest in the show.

 

I mean geez, what did those geeks do to get that Farscape minseries anyway?