TLC chief Eileen O'Neill on the pros and cons of 'Jon & Kate'

"Heaven and hell" is how Eileen O'Neill describes her first year at the helm of TLC, the cable network that is home to the controversial reality hit "Jon & Kate Plus 8."

O'Neill, 42, took over as president and general manager of TLC last July after the channel's ratings had dropped by 30% under predecessor Angela Shaprio-Mathis. Now she's wrapping up a record month. The channel averaged more than a million viewers in prime time, a 43% gain from the same month a year ago, including a 43% jump in female viewers ages 18 to 49, one of its target demos. The improvements are even more striking given that there were no new episodes of "Jon & Kate" during that period.

So that's heaven, and now here comes hell.

Next week, "Jon & Kate" returns. The show, which follows the life of Jon and Kate Gosselin and their eight kids, went from timid to tabloid. The couple's very public marital woes have played out on the small screen and in every gossip rag, and earlier this summer TLC put the show on hiatus after the spouses split.

Although all of this has been great for business -- the audience for the show has skyrocketed with the last episode, which ran in June and drew a record 10.6 million viewers -- it also has led to criticism that the network is exploiting the couple's problems for commercial gain.

The guarded O'Neill, who was instrumental in the development of "Jon & Kate" when it initially premiered on Discovery Health Channel, acknowledges that documenting the rocky road that the Gosselins are traveling has been "tough to navigate."

"Their status as a couple has obviously been disappointing; we can't change anything about people's lives," she said, adding that the show had "delivered for the family things that were important to them ... opportunities for them and the kids." 

It also has delivered things that were important for Discovery Communications-owned TLC. Before O'Neill took over, the knock on TLC was it had lost its way creatively and financially. Though she won't talk money, industry consulting firm SNL Kagan said TLC's ad revenue tumbled 5% to $270.5 million in 2008, a figure the channel should easily beat this year, according to people familiar with the situation. TLC also is now positioned to negotiate better distribution fees from cable and satellite operators. According to SNL Kagan, the channel currently gets 16 cents per subscriber. That is less than half of what cable networks such as USA and FX command and below the industry average for a network of its size.

Although no network would turn down the ratings and revenue that "Jon & Kate" have brought to TLC, the flip side is that the pressure increases on O'Neill to capture lightning twice.

"Now we have to grow over ourselves," O'Neill says. "That's the hard part."

She's off to a good start. TLC's new show "Cake Boss," about Hoboken, N.J., baker Buddy Valastro and his family, has averaged more than 2 million viewers and has just been renewed for a second season. Getting some traction on new shows is key because sooner or later the "Jon & Kate" juggernaut will fade.

Fortunately for O'Neill, Valastro's biggest personal problem appears to be his nagging mom, Mary, and they can't get divorced.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: From left, TLC President Eileen O'Neill with "Cake Boss' " Buddy Valastro and Jon and Kate Gosselin at a presentation to advertisers earlier this year. Credit: Amy Sussam/Discovery Communications

Comments

[Denise]

How does this monster sleep at night? This family is disintegrating on screen and she is only worried about the ratings.

TLC has become a carnival side show.

There will be a place in Hell for O'Neill.

[cindy grange]

This show needs to be taken off of the air. It is a train wreck and exploiting the kids for TLC's gain. It is obvious that the parents are only in this for the money and are exploiting their children. Do all of us a favor and put us and them out of our collective misery.

[Whatevs]

I could care less about those over-populators. Boo Hoo. I say TLC should give more airtime to Stacy and Clinton!

[Jim]

And if they take "Jon & Kate" off of TLC, guaranteed somebody else will get it, and heaven only knows what they would do with it. Undoubtedly TLC will find a graceful way to conclude this thing and move on.

[GM Owner]

TLC is supposed to be "The LEARNING Channel," not Tabloid Losers Chatter. These so-called "reality" shows are just there because the person(s) whom are being chronicled are pimping themselves out for $$ because they can't get honest, gainful employment.

In this wretched economy, the only way the Gosselins got over on everyone WAS to pimp out their kids. Did the two dolts think there would NOT be repercussions of NOT having a private life? Now look at they joke they've become. Jon is nothing but a man-whore who is trying to sell himself on his "beaten with the ugly 2x4" looks, and Kate with her whinny "self-empowered" attitude.

Yet, who's going to pay for their ridiculous $1 million dollar plus home that's more than what most normal people have? Are either one of them going to obtain any REAL employment any time soon, or are they just going to pimp themselves out, like Jon has no problem currently doing?

What's the big deal about having 8 kids, especially by playing God, anyway? Were they too good to adopt? Obviously. But then one of those two chuckleheads had the idea to pimp their family out and saw the $$ at the end of the tunnel, so they wouldn't have to work.

Now look at these pathetic losers. The kids will undoubtedly need professional therapy dealing with their parents mess of a marriage, the fact that they were forced to grow up in the public eye and will be pounded on and so forth in school.

I knew of some families growing up that had this many kids, but they didn't go around asking for help or hand outs. The kids were raised by two parents that worked hard and raised them right. Good, hard-working honest members of the community that gave their time to help others.

These chuckleheads, along with the ones in charge of TLC need to go away and leave us alone. Oh, and take that psycho hosebeeotch Nuttya Soiledman with you.

[Mary]

While this show is by no means over-it needs to be taken off the air. These 2 need to get a reality check for real in life-they are ( both the parents and TLC) exploiting these kids for financial gain. I don't care how you slice it. What happened to the Christian T-shirts that they wore? How hypocritical can you get? I think that along with TLC and the parents, the state of PA has done a dis-service to these kids. They should have stepped in a long time ago and appointed an attorney/guardian to make sure that money is not squandered and the kids emotional well being is protected. Lets face it TLC and the powers that be, the show was about the 8 kids..if they had not had the twins and sextuplets, they would still be living in their little house and we would not have to put up with seeing their "everything we do is for our kids" mugs on TV and magazine covers. Replace them with the Bates family, keep Table for 12 , the Little Couple and The Duggars-the world could learn something from them... THE LEARNING CHANNEL!!!

[Lindy]

TLC is destroying the lives of eight children and all they worry about are the ratings, It should be against the law to use children for financial gain. These children should not be used like puppets to entertain people and make their bosses rich. Stop now before these children are totally destroyed.

[Dianew]

My God woman 'WAKE UP!!!" -- These are childrens lives we are talking about here! 8 little innocent lives that you and their parents are making money off of. You, Eileen O'Neill & TLC make me sick!!!

[Emma]

Wow, until I started reading some of the comments about Jon and Kate I had no idea there are so many unhappy,angry people in the world. In most of the negative comments I find what sounds like a lot of jealousy. Do these poor people not have a remote that they can change the channel or do they want something to control...like stopping other people from enjoying a show they want to watch. Are those tabloid magazines jumping off the shelf endangering people in some way? It sounds like some of these commits want Jon and Kate to be taken off the air so these people can see others as unhappy as themselves. Yes, it a fact that some people in their lifetime need psychological council unfortunately more people need it than actually receive it. Personally, I will choose to watch the episodes that Kate and the kids are on and not watch any episodes with Jon. That's my person preference and is not meant to stop anyone from watching Jon's episodes.

[Bev in Tx]

Now that BOTH genetic donors have purchased CONDOS (no less!) over 3 hours away from the production studio cum orphanage.....how can people NOT see that this IS the modern Dionne Quintuplets tragedy? The local judiciary should immediately appoint Guardian ad LItems to ENSURE the kids even have any money, and to verify that the PAID HELP who is watching them are safe.... this is ridiculous and insane for these 8 innocent souls. FREE THE GOSSELIN EIGHT!

[b daves]

i am 72 years and don't socialze much anymore; please don's drop the gosselins (except for jon) i adore the kids and admire kate, it's obivous she puts the kids first and is working toward their future, realizing it could be over in a minute. jon seems to put jon in first place and puts fun (drinking, smoking, women, parties etc luxery apartments,and hot sports cars) could also be over in a minute .Kate may be bossy, but with a lazy husband it sometimes has to be that way. again, please renew the show with or without jon (and totally without his "friends". thanks for allowing me to have my vote.

[JUJUBEE]

TLC is responsible for this train wreck. TLC took away the very premise of the show by showering too much on the family. In doing so, they made the daily challenges faced by a normal couple with 8 very young children, nearly non existant. The constant over-the-top indulgences provided to them by TLC, coupled with Kate's abusive behavior toward Jon, soon gave way to folks tuning in hopes of seeing Jon fight to regain some of the dignity Kate managed to publicly take from him. I could see the handwriting on the wall a long time ago for the demise of this show.
If TLC is putting together a show for Kate, it is huge mistake, and one that will soon cost them dearly once the public curiosity wears off. My opinion is that Kate is an unlikeable person who has chased family & friends away. TLC, you will never be able to change this, so give it up!

[sue]

Hello, I never thought I would go this far to as to comment to the creator of J&K but, I think Ms. O'neill should stop taking sides with Kate. I'm not fond of Jon either but, I think Ms. O'Neill has created a "Joan Crawfordesque" monster and I think it's time for TLC to knock Ms. thing down a couple pegs. I'm from Pa.. I know a few older women who only tried to help Kate for her just to chew them up and spit them out. Again, Jon is not my fav but, these ladies had nothing but nice things to say about him at the time and although they do not condone his actions as of recently they feel that the treatment he endured at the hands of Kate at the time is the reason for his crazy freedom actions. We do believe at some point us folks from Pa. will be questioned and we do intend to have our voices heard for the "sake of the kids". Ms. O'Neill maybe its time for you to show the kids that their mother does not rule the world and everyone is accountable when you hurt people who are just trying to help....The almighty dollar never brings happiness in that capacity!!!!