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Show BIZARRO fgj$ Po you ever kave to Jo 1 J tki to get your hu&knJ 11 to listen to vjou? ' mwiiii JT'ii'M w'timini Real estate TV immune n o to slowing home market n CLOSE TO HOME 1 L M David Bauder Spaces" became a sensation, it proved that renovation and decoration could be entertainment instead of simply chores. estate may have The network has concenconsiderably as an but not real trated recently on reviving that franchise, even bringing estate television. House flipping and home original host Paige Davis back absence. renovation programs are still after a two-ye"Flip That House" will bebig hits oh cable. While "for sale" signs sprout on lawns come more reflective of the across the country, TV proeconomy, said Brant Pinvidic, grammers are like developers TLC's senior vice president of who plow ahead with new programming. Not every "flipr per" gets rich quick. The show housing projects anyway. will make sure every time at A new season of the A&E the end to clearly outline how Network's "Flip This House" one of a troika with TLC's each investor did, he said. "If the prograniming reflects "Flip That House" and Bravo's the attitudes in the community "Flipping Out" premiered and what people are feeling it March 8. will do better than if the proA&E has several new programs in development. At least grams feel outdated," he said. six new ones are beginning on The new "Date My House" TLC in the next year, starting reflects how a seller's market with "Date My House," where has become a buyer's market, former "Bachelor" Bob Guiney he said. "At its core it speaks hosts a program where potento the sellers who are now saytial buyers spend a night in a ing, 'what can I do to reach the home on the market. buyers on an emotional level HGTV had its highest prime-tim- e and make them commit to my house,' ". he said. ratings ever in January. Robert Shar enow, senior Nine of its top 10 series deal vice president for alternative with the housing market, including "House Hunters," "My programming, at A&E, said he believes the market has First Place," "Hidden Potential," "Buy Me" and "Design to made people more interested Sell." The network did a spein finding out how to make the most of what they have, and cial Feb. 29 theme day of "taking the big leap," or investing programming should reflect in that first house. that need. "What's driving interest right "Flip This House" is expandnow is that people are worried ing its cast of characters for the about it what's the value of upcoming fourth season, add-- , ing renovation teams in Atlanta my home? How can I increase interest in my home? " said and Los Angeles to join returnJim Samples, HGTV president. ing "flippers" from San Antonio "And then there's the 'life goes and New Haven, Conn. Peter Schiff, author of on' factor. People are still changing jobs, families are still getting "Crash Proof: How to Profit bigger. If anything, they tend to from the (horning Economic nest in this environment." Collapse," said he could understand why networks still love Samples has a personal this prograniming. Some are interest in the topic. He's in the process of selling a home essentially infomercials for in Atlanta and buying one in real estate agents and people in Knoxville, Term., where HGTV the home renovation business, has its headquarters. he said, and advertisers love He admitted, though, that supporting the genre, too. one of his first questions last He's not very surprised that fall upon taking over HGTV the market downturn hasn't led to a downturn in real estate was how the housing mar" id .i THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Real ar : . "Before you're released, would you mind uaniiiy uui oaii auivey ; A 1 NI6HT, PftPCV . SHgWft5PBeT6lJtffJS HeACT f, VY-- F AMD NlSttT -1- HMT5 SRSAT.1 vi I U I VE5 JTHlMKBe7 ! 'WliJ6,SsaW6TO 4'l we ausrcWBemiA. AMWOWY, I'M NOT&J ft MLH4KV TO SET should we )L fD LIK uk 1HAT a Vt eVjaWiap X "fMTAKEWl 4 MAReiep.'M30ST r- - lad 1 3 TALKED wrje ABOUT IT. J LL turn .1 irn.in -- III in ' CT ' woverV indented ! !j PORTABLE SB fl?T'J TELEVISIONS NEVER 4 AN HAP OLDER AS6TER!y Saw. THE WORLD'S SMARTEST GARBAGE fAN SAYS I NEED TO HELP SOMEONE LESS FORTUNATE TO REGAIN fAY SOUL. DONT LOOK AT NE. in HAPPIER THAN A TICKLED CLAM. ket downturn would affect HGTV's programs. I BROUGHT YOU SOttE FLOWERS, DEAD PERSON. I DONT NEED 'EM. IM GOOD. HGTV essentially built itself on the public fascination with property. At its start, the network had shows on crafts and landscaping, but now the home is the focus, "House Hunters," which premiered in 1999, helped introduce real estate as a prime TV target. When TLC's "Trading programming. "The myth dies hard," Schiff said. "It's going to take awhile for Americans to understand the reality that what happened in real estate the last decade was a fantasy." the Net: I www.aetv.com I tlc.discovery.com I www.hgtv.com On 21 |