Geek Syndicate Issue 3 | Page 10

Geek Syndicate But Fringe doesn’t have that sort of revenue stream; it relies on the advertising revenue generated by the network, not peoples’ subscriptions. Advertisers’ value loyalty, not just numbers - a show which has a specific audience is valuable because an advertiser can buy time in an ad break having a fair idea what sort of demographic will be watching the show. They buy the slots and the network makes money. It can also make money from DVD sales, as Firefly showed, enough money to take a punt on a film, at least, and finally if the show can produce enough episodes to be sold downstream into syndication, there can be money from that too. Community is in a pretty similar state - a show with a small but vocal fan-base which came in at a pretty appalling 2.5 million viewers at the end of its third season, a figure probably not helped by the network sticking it on hiatus for the early part of the year. Another show in the shadow a larger show that probably helped it get made, Community