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Why FX Boss John Landgraf’s Netflix Warnings Ring Hollow (Guest Blog)

Exec rightfully talks about boosting quality and diversity on TV — and he should practice what he preaches

Ben Weiss Guest Writer | August 15, 2016 @ 3:33 PM
John Landgraf fx tca

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For the last two years, John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions, has used a portion of his allotted time at the Television Critics Association’s annual gathering to bash Netflix. Last week, Mr. Landgraf complained that Netflix is putting out so many shows that audiences are having a tough time distinguishing “the great … from the merely competent.” He warned of a Netflix monopoly, noting, “I don’t think monopoly market shares are good for society.” He punctuated his concern about Netflix with a plea: “It’s a point of real emotional meaning to me — storytelling and storytellers have a unique place in our society and in human culture.”

For someone morally opposed to monopolies, committed to diverse storytelling and supportive of consumer choice, Mr. Landgraf has a funny way of showing it.

For starters, FX’s parent company, 21st Century Fox, grew its market value to $50 billion (about 20 percent bigger than Netflix) in part by engaging in textbook monopolistic practices: forcing consumers to buy a bundle of cable networks at steadily rising prices in a market that lacked viable substitutes. Conversely, Netflix charges a low monthly price, is sold a la carte and allows for easy cancellation. If Mr. Landgraf’s new pet cause is to combat the anticompetitive effects of monopolies, he could start by pushing Fox to unbundle the FX channel from Fox’s other networks, price it separately and sell it directly to the consumers that actually want it.

Also Read: FX Chief John Landgraf Predicts 'Peak TV' Boom Will End by 2019

Mr. Landgraf may preach the virtues of diversity in storytelling, but his programming strategy is at odds with his sermon. Few FX original series feature non-white leads, and a report released in 2015 found that, of all leading television providers, FX’s record of hiring women and minority directors was among the worst.

On the other hand, Netflix shows such as “Orange Is the New Black” and “The Get Down” feature racially and ethnically diverse casts that depict segments of society never before represented on TV. Showrunners like Cheo Hodari Coker on “Luke Cage” or Melissa Rosenberg on “Jessica Jones” bring a contemporary point of view to iconic source material. As an evangelist for the value of diversity in storytelling, Mr. Landgraf should commend Netflix’s bold choices. He could live the gospel by following suit.

The most aloof position taken by Mr. Landgraf at the TCA was his contention that so many new shows are being made that audiences cannot tell which ones are good. The notion that there are objectively good and bad shows, and that only a tastemaker like Mr. Landgraf can discern which is which, is condescending to viewers and antithetical to the virtue of consumer choice. People have wildly different tastes. The power of the Internet to account for these different tastes through the personalization of content ensures that more shows can get made. That is a huge step forward in the name of consumer choice.

Also Read: FX's John Landgraf Calls Google, Amazon Monopolies 'A Terrible Thing for Our Society'

If Mr. Landgraf is truly concerned that too many shows are being made, there is an easy solution: FX should produce less. Otherwise, maybe next year, Mr. Landgraf will use some of his time to praise Netflix for advancing the causes that he holds so dear.

138 Fall TV Shows: Every New and Returning Series (Photos)

  • Fall TV 2016
  • Finding Prince Charming Lance Bass Robert Sepulveda Logo
  • Better Things FX
  • One Mississippi Amazon
  • Quarry Cinemax
  • The Circus Showtime
  • PBS
  • Masters of Sex Season 4 Showtime
  • Dancing With the Stars ABC
  • Blindspot NBC
  • American Horror Story Season 6 FX
  • Documentary Now IFC
  • South Park Comedy Central
  • Legends of Chamberlain Heights Comedy Central
  • Lifetime
  • Fleabag amazon weekend binge watch Amazon
  • Z Nation Syfy
  • HBO
  • The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey CBS
  • The Big Bang Theory CBS
  • voice adam levine NBC NBC
  • Fox
  • kevin can wait cbs CBS
  • Lucifer Fox
  • The Good Place NBC
  • NCIS CBS
  • Brooklyn nine nine Fox
  • New Girl wedding episode Fox
  • bull cbs CBS
  • Scream Queens Fox
  • NCIS New Orleans CBS
  • This Is Us NBC
  • Agents of SHIELD ABC
  • Survivor CBS
  • Lethal Weapon Fox
  • The Goldbergs ABC
  • Speechless ABC
  • Law & Order SVU NBC
  • empire taraji henson terrence howardempire taraji henson terrence howard Fox
  • Modern Family ABC
  • blackish ABC
  • Chicago PD NBC
  • Designated Survivor kiefer sutherland donald trump ABC
  • Easy Netflix
  • Superstore - Season 1 NBC
  • Rosewood Fox
  • Greys Anatomy ABC
  • Chicago Med NBC
  • Pitch Fox
  • Notorious ABC
  • The Blacklist NBC
  • How to Get Away With Murder ABC
  • Longmire Netflix
  • Transparent Amazon Jeffrey Tambor Amazon
  • Van Helsing Syfy
  • macgyver cbs CBS
  • Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon Season 1 NBC
  • Hells Kitchen Fox
  • Last Man Standing ABC
  • Dr Ken ABC
  • Hawaii Five 0 CBS
  • The Exorcist geena davis Fox
  • Shark Tank ABC
  • Blue Bloods CBS
  • Bob's Burgers Fox
  • bond aidan turner poldark PBS
  • Homer Simpson The Simpsons worst dads Fox
  • Once Upon a Time ABC
  • son of zorn Fox
  • Family Guy Fox
  • Secrets and Lies ABC
  • Last Man on Earth Fox
  • Quantico ABC
  • Channel Zero Syfy
  • Aftermath Syfy
  • Drunk History Comedy Central
  • Criminal Minds CBS
  • Big Brother Julie Chen CBS
  • CBS
  • Younger TV Land
  • Impastor TV Land
  • Crisis in Six Scenes Amazon
  • luke cage trailer Netflix
  • Versailles Ovation
  • Starz
  • Starz
  • Shameless Showtime
  • Westworld HBO
  • NCIS Los Angeles CBS
  • Madam Secretary CBS
  • Elementary CBS
  • Scorpion CBS
  • Timeless every time travel change NBC
  • Conviction ABC
  • The Mindy Project Season 5 Hulu
  • The Flash Potential Energy CW
  • No Tomorrow CW
  • Arrow CW
  • Frequency CW
  • The Ranch Netflix
  • Divorce HBO
  • Issa Rae Insecure HBO
  • Supergirl CW
  • 2 Broke Girls CBS
  • Bachelor Ben and Lauren Freeform
  • The Middle ABC
  • American Housewife ABC
  • The Letter Freeform
  • Fresh off the Boat ABC
  • The Real O Neals ABC
  • Chicago Fire NBC
  • legends of tomorrow CW
  • Supernatural CW
  • falling water usa network USA
  • Goliath Amazon
  • Haters Back Off Netflix
  • Wolf Creek Pop
  • The Durrells on Corfu PBS
  • Berlin Station Epix
  • Graves Epix
  • Eyewitness USA
  • Jane The Virgin Season 2 finale CW
  • odd couple matthew perry thomas lennon CBS
  • Chance Hulu
  • Black Mirror Netflix
  • CW
  • Crazy Ex Girlfriend CW
  • Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency BBC America
  • walking dead season 7 negan jeffrey dean morgan AMC
  • AMC
  • man with a plan cbs CBS
  • the great indoors cbs CBS
  • Mom CBS
  • life in pieces CBS
  • pure genius cbs CBS
  • Good Girls Revolt Amazon
  • comedy bang bang cancelled ifc IFC
  • Tracey Ullman's Show BBC
  • People of Earth TBS
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From returning favorites like ”Empire“ to highly anticipated debuts such as ”This Is Us,“ TheWrap’s guide to Fall 2016 premiere dates

Find out when the most hotly anticipated new shows and your old favorites return. We'll keep updating this gallery as more Fall 2016 premiere dates are announced.

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BIO Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss is the founder and chief investment officer of 8th & Jackson, a New York-based investment fund. The fund focuses on media and telecom. Mr. Weiss resides in New York City.