Why is A&E wasting so much money on " Growing Up Gotti " ?

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

And the next question is , why am I watching it ?

[MADem]

1. The mob probably can't afford to pay the family stipend anymore

...so they beat up some dumb A and E producer, and Bob's yer uncle! The Gotti's still get the cash they need, and the mob can disown them for going "too" public. It's like a GOP wedge!!

I find it unwatchable. Three minutes, max, and CLICK.

[elperromagico]

2. How much *are* they spending?

I mean, it's reality TV. I thought the whole idea of reality TV was that it's dirt cheap.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. I don't know--that station is sinking into the mire at an

incredible rate.

It's hard to believe that 15 years ago, their specialty was British and Australian dramas and movies.

[pinniped]

7. AMC is going down the shitter too.

Their idea of a classic is showing those stupid Haloween slasher movies all weekend long. Sick, bloody bastards.

[tuvor]

4. Is A&E about A or E anymore?

[elperromagico]

5. I'll answer with a question.

Is The Learning Channel about learning anymore?

[CanuckAmok]

6. Short answer: they are losing their share to reality TV.

Since it's virtually free to produce, the other networks keep launching relaity TV shows until they come across a 'hit'.

A&E is jumping on the bandwagon, since they've seen the numbers reality TV brings in, and because it's even cheaper to broadcast than their other programming, which, last time I checked, consisted of two documentaries on the final days of WW2 (rebroadcast three times during the programming day) and five episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" shown in near-constant rotation.