Food Network Canceled?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
04/01/12
POPULAR FOOD NETWORK TO CEASE PROGRAMMING AT MONTH’S END
New York City – The E.W. Scripps Company announced today that after 19 years in production their popular Food Network will cease programming at the end of April. The move took many in assembly by surprise. The press conference was held at Chelsea Market on 75 9th Avenue, home of the Food Network Studios.
Milton Funderburk, Acting Assistant Vice-Chairman of Cable Programming for Scripps was asked why the media conglomerate was closing the doors on its most popular cable franchise, “The time is right. After all when we purchased TFN back in ’97 we thought it would fail miserably. That was the plan.
“We acquired the Network as a tax right off. We never dreamed anyone would actually watch it. Our thought was why would anyone want to watch someone else cooking on TV? I mean if they wanted to see someone cook, they could just go cook something. Apparently we under estimated the American public’s desire to live vicariously.”
Comments from Guy Fieri on Food Network’s pending demise. Article continues below.
Since the Food Network began programming in 1993 viewership has continued to grow though it was shaky in the beginning. Those first shows featured chefs who were virtual unknowns like Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Emeril Legasse. Now it is one of the most successful cable channels in television history which fueled more questions about why Scripps was giving TFN the axe.
Funderburk explained, “It wasn’t long after we took the Network over that we realized, we may have stumbled onto something here. Viewership was growing exponentially and other vicariousity networks were springing up. Not only were viewers watching people cooking instead of cooking themselves but they were watching the Travel Channel instead of going on vacation, eschewing exercise for the Fitness Channel and watching HGTV in living rooms that were literally falling apart around them. I’ve heard that Time Warner is actually planning on unveiling the Sleeping Channel for people who are too lazy to fall asleep for themselves.
“The trend even crossed over into mainstream media. Instead of keeping up with politics America was watching The West Wing. There was no reason to invite the annoying neighbor over when you could tune into Jay Leno. Why watch fact-based news programming when there was MSNBC?”
When asked about the future of Food Network Canada Funderburk replied, “That’s toast, too. Not that anyone will notice, it’s Canada. I know it’s the largest state in the US but hardly anyone lives there. Let’s be honest if it wasn’t for the band Rush America would have never bought Canada from the Alaskans.”
The ultimate reason Funderburk offered for 86’ing their most popular holding was it’s very popularity. The demand for food programming is so high that not only have other cable channels like Bravo and TLC entered the market but so have mainstream networks NBC and FOX.
Funderburk, noticeably angry, proclaimed, “If there is one thing I can’t stand it is being copied. If everyone is going to dabble with food programming then we’ll just wash our hands of the whole thing. It doesn’t matter to us. We’ve always got our newspaper division. That’s not going anywhere.”
WTVC Exclusive: Emeril Legasse
This week I was lucky enough to attend a luncheon and interview session with super star chef Emeril Legasse. Chef was in town plugging both his new TV show Emeril’s Table and also his newest cookbook Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders.
The event was sponsored by Page & Palette and featured a menu of recipes from Emeril’s new book as prepared by the staff at The Wash House. The menu included Chicken Pot Pie w/ Biscuit top, Mussels in a green curry, Pozole, Grits & Grillades and Key Lime Bread Pudding. While everything was good, the mussels and Pozole were easily the best dishes. The interview was conducted by good friend and Mobile Press Register food editor David Holloway. However, I was able to ask one question.
ME: Chef, when you first came to New Orleans you were replacing one of the nation’s great chefs in Paul Prudhomme at one of America’s most historic 
restaurants, Commander’s Palace. Can you speak to what it was like taking the helm of such an important restaurant?
Emeril: Well, and thank you for mentioning Chef Paul. That guy is one of the real greats. It was an honor to follow him at what is one of the truly great American restaurants. When I took over at Commander’s I wanted to subtly make changes. I wanted to maintain the standard already set by Chef Paul and the Brennan family but at the same time start slipping in dishes that were my own and that reflected my interpretation of Louisiana cooking.
In the kitchen, I was kind of like the coach of a football team. If I called play 61 you don’t run play 62. You run the play I called. That’s how I was, I showed the way I wanted things to be done and I expected them to be done that way. And we were making everything from scratch and by everything I mean even ketchup and mayonnaise and even Worcestershire Sauce.
I wanted everything done right and I was not tolerant of things not being done right. When I first started I had a staff of 19, after a rough couple of days dealing with attitudes I fired nine people in one night. Nine out of 19. It was tough the next couple of days but I replaced them and we moved on.
See, I only needed the one question. Chef also announced that he was about to open another new restaurant in Charlotte but I’m not sure of the name or the cuisine. I got some footage of the event including some of David’s interview with Emeril. Watch it:
Review: The Originals with Emeril
I finally got a little more quality time with the Cooking Channel so I am attempting to review several of the shows I have not seen. This time around I’ll take a look at The Originals with Emeril.
If you haven’t seen The Originals yet then here’s the scenario from the Cooking Channel web site:
Chef Emeril Lagasse pays tribute to The Originals — iconic food establishments that have helped shape the country’s culinary landscape. While the restaurant industry is notoriously challenging and the life of a restaurant is sometimes short, every city has those cherished institutions that have stood the test of time. Emeril visits a new city in each episode and goes behind the scenes at three historic eateries. From uncovering the birthplace of famous dishes like Boston Cream Pie in New England and the French Dip Sandwich in Los Angeles to revealing Charlie Chaplin’s favorite ’20s Hollywood hangout and Dr. Martin Luther King’s preferred Atlanta dining spot, Emeril guides us from the other side of the stove. Join him on a fascinating and tasty journey through New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami and his beloved New Orleans.
I knew from the start I was going to like this show. First off Emeril is the consummate host. He’s genuine, passionate and funny. The reason he became a star was not because of his catch phrases; it was because he comes across as someone with whom you would love to spend the day. He’s warm and inviting. Catch phrases or not that has never changed.
Secondly I never tire of the food-travel format. There may be some variations that I like less than others (Kid in a Candy Store, Unwrapped) but I like them all. Right now my favorites are The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food Network and Unique Eats and FoodCrafters on the Cooking Channel. Well, add The Originals to that list.
On the episode I watched Legasse was in Miami where he visited the famous Joe’s Stone Crab which is purported to be the busiest restaurant in America. I used to work for a chef that had been on the Joe’s team in the 80’s and he said back then they’d do 2000 covers for lunch. That’s insane.
Next Emeril went one of the Cuban neighborhoods, Flagami, and visited Casa Larios. The Larios family had fled the brutal Cuban dictatorship of the bloodthirsty Fidel Castro and opened their family restaurant in 1988 featuring family recipes. Legasse ended his sojourn in Miami with a visit to Miami’s oldest bar, Tobacco Road for some good old Southern barbecue. Opened in 1912 has hosted everyone from Al Capone today’s top bands.
Part of the fun of this episode was hearing Emeril say “Cuber” for Cuba and remembering, as he joined blues great Pappa E on stage at Tobacco Road, that he is an extremely talented drummer. What’s not to like about this show? Great host, great premise and the restaurants featured have endured for decades not because they follow trends but because they set them; they are originals.
FREE: Martha Stewart’s Grilling Cookbook
Martha Stewart practically invented branding oneself. The queen of entertaining is a Jill-of-all-trades so when it comes to firing up the grill she knows how to get things going. Of course when you’re Martha you don’t have fuss with things like lighting the charcoal chimney or scraping grill grates. You just call pals like Texas BBQ expert Tim Love, Best in Smoke star Chris Lilly and legendary master griller Steven Raichlen.
For the summer grilling season Martha has put together a cookbook featuring recipes from some of the best in Que and a few of her famous friends like Emeril Legasse and Elizabeth Karmel. What’s more she is offering her Summer Grilling Cookbook for free.
You can download a copy by visiting HERE.
