Donny explains Pyramid issue and asks for help

[pyrawoman]

This post is for all those who want to save Pyramid. (The rest of you can feel free to ignore it!) Donny has explained what is going on with the show on his site, and is asking for the help of Pyramid fans. He has specified who is best to write to, and has provided a petition to sign. Here is the link for the petition:

http://www.donny.com/pyramid.pl

Here is what Donny had to say:
------------------------------------------------
 
Dear Friends,

With the deepest humility, I ask for your help.

VIACOM just pulled PYRAMID off their stations! They own quite a few all over the country, including Philadelphia (KYW-TV3), Boston (WSBK / UPN38) and Los Angeles (KCAL). Unless we pull off a miracle, PYRAMID will not be back next year.

We have already been renewed in so many great markets for season 3, including the number one market, New York. If Sony doesn't find a replacement station for LA, Boston & Philadelphia, we won't be back. It's as simple as that. With February just around the corner (one of the 'sweeps' months where our ratings are determined), we will need a dramatic jump in order to play a part in affecting any decisions. The annual television programmers conventions is going on in Las Vegas right now. If the station managers return to work on Tuesday or Wednesday to find their stations are being flooded with calls to the switchboards as well as emails and snailmails asking for Pyramid to be saved, it could make a difference. And of course, if the same emails were sent to the local program sponsors, you just never know what might happen... Maybe a miracle!

Just to fill you in on what is going on, Viacom owns CBS TV, UPN TV as well as Paramount Pictures (and Blockbuster Video, MTV, VH-1, TV Land and so on). Paramount produces television shows (such as Entertainment Tonight) and so it is safe to assume that Viacom is probably making room for one of its own programs. This unfortunately, is just the nature of the television business.The dirty part is that they waited until just before this NATPE convention in Las Vegas to announce this, presumably to pull the rug from beneath our feet by giving us very little time to respond or to replace the Viacom stations that currently air our show. It's nothing personal against me or the show, it's just a dog eat dog scenario. Those are the facts.

You may be the only ones that can affect whether or not Sony Pictures Television cancels us or keeps us on by making calls and sending your letters to the appropriate people and you'll find that information following this email. I appreciate it so much and If you can get your friends and family to do the same, it would even be more effective.

Thank you very much for your continued support of me and PYRAMID.

Sincerely,

Donny Osmond

Important Contact Information
Dennis Swanson
Executive Vice President and COO
Viacom Television Station Group
524 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019-2985
Phone: 212.975.8263
Fax: 212. 975.1004

General Manager:
Don Corsini, KCAL 9
5515 MELROSE AVENUE HOLLYWOOD, CA 90038
MAIN PHONE: 323-467-9999
NEWS PHONE: 323-960-3899
NEWS FAX NUMBER:
323-469-4979
Don's number:323-960-3636

General Manager: Peter Dunn
KYW, Channel 3
101 South Independence Mall,
East Philadelphia, PA 19106
Telephone: (215) 238-4700 Fax:
(215) 238-4703
WSBK TV Channel 38 WSBK DT Channel 39

Owner: Viacom, Inc.
General Manager: Ed Goldman
1170 Soldiers Field Rd.
Boston, MA 02134
Web Address: http://upn38.com/
(617) 787-7500

Find Your Location Station
Find your local station that currently airs Pyramid by visiting

http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/pyramid/station.php

Online Petition
Also, after contacting the people above, if you still have time, please sign our online petition.

http://www.donny.com/info/save_pyramid

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'pyrawoman\' date=\'Jan 18 2004, 04:17 AM\']
VIACOM just pulled PYRAMID off their stations! They own quite a few all over the country, including Philadelphia (KYW-TV3), Boston (WSBK / UPN38) and Los Angeles (KCAL). Unless we pull off a miracle, PYRAMID will not be back next year.
 [/quote]
 WGTW channel 48 in Philly could use a companion show for Feud or Street Smarts, Pyramid would be a good choice for that if they wanted to pick it up.

Obphillysportscurse:TEAGTL=The Eagles are Going to Lose, and the 21 year Philly sports championship curse will continue

[Jimmy Owen]

Maybe if enough people write to Viacom they'll show Pyramid again, of course Viacom has hundreds of Cullen Pyramid shows they own outright, so why not cut out the middle man.  Seriously, a letter writing campaign is too late, Sony will never have the clout of owning stations in the US as many of the other studios do, Pyramid is flawed and doesn't have the ratings so it is a lost cause.

[cmjb13]

Online petitions have been rendered useless these days.

Remember the Rod Roddy petition? How well did that work?

In this age we live in, people seem to write nasty e-mails or make nasty demanding phone calls (mostly because of laziness) forgetting that a well written letter has more impact than the former methods combined.

Get over it Donny and move on.

[ChuckNet]

I've added my name to the petition...a longshot (no pun intended), yes, but in this ongoing effort to save Pyramid, anything can happen...

Chuck Donegan (The Optimistic "Chuckie Baby")

[TheGameShowGuy]

Great...I'll spend 37C on a stamp and snail mail them.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jan 18 2004, 11:17 AM\'] I've added my name to the petition...a longshot (no pun intended), yes, but in this ongoing effort to save Pyramid, anything can happen...

Chuck Donegan (The Optimistic "Chuckie Baby") [/quote]
 Darn Chuck, you may or may not help with Pyramid's fate, but you might resurrect Whew! with that petition.

[Thad Dixon]

Darn Chuck, you may or may not help with Pyramid's fate, but you might resurrect Whew! with that petition.

At the risk of sounding like an idiot (or continuing to sound like one), how do you figure that?  (I can't see what he had to say)

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Thad Dixon\' date=\'Jan 18 2004, 01:35 PM\']

Darn Chuck, you may or may not help with Pyramid's fate, but you might resurrect Whew! with that petition.

At the risk of sounding like an idiot (or continuing to sound like one), how do you figure that?  (I can't see what he had to say) [/quote]
 The term Longshot was used on Whew! by a contestant trying in a last-ditch effort to win a round. I'll let the WHew! experts fill in more.

[Thad Dixon]

The term Longshot was used on Whew! by a contestant trying in a last-ditch effort to win a round. I'll let the WHew! experts fill in more.

Oh, that won't be necessary;  I see what's being said now.  Mr. Donegan had used that term in this thread, and what I was thinking of was in terms of comments he may have had to offer when signing.  (and I have seen three episodes of Whew!:  the ones with the late Randy Amasia, and Matt Kaiser's production of it.  Yes, it's only three episodes but I do know how the game works and what happens in those three eps.)

[gameshowguy2000]

Well, I just signed the petition. I hope there's enough signatures to keep the show running.

[rugrats1]

If Pyramid does leave the air after this season, it'll be another game show cancellation, after Squares, in which it's Viacom's fault.

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'rugrats1\' date=\'Jan 18 2004, 05:37 PM\'] If Pyramid does leave the air after this season, it'll be another game show cancellation, after Squares, in which it's Viacom's fault. [/quote]
 There is a bright side, Viacom (through its subsidiaries) is allowing TPIR, WOF and J! to continue.  In addition, Sony is involved in a a gaming-related network on which Pyramid could air, if they really wanted the show to continue.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'pyrawoman\' date=\'Jan 18 2004, 04:17 AM\'] This post is for all those who want to save Pyramid. [/quote]
 Would you please stop posting this multiple times?  We don't need to have this beat into the ground.  Thank you.

[tommycharles]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 18 2004, 08:11 PM\'] In addition, Sony is involved in a a gaming-related network on which Pyramid could air, if they really wanted the show to continue. [/quote]
 That's certainly an interesting thought - is the budget on Pyramid outside of GSN Original range (if you eliminate the tourney, perhaps)??

I know GSN would kill to get Pyramid's ratings (yes I know ratings for a syndie show are apples and oranges compared with a niche cable net)...do you think it would succeed on GSN?