Style Network

World Screen Weekly, June 28, 2007

COUNTRY: U.S.

LAUNCH DATE: October 1, 1998

OWNERSHIP: E! Networks, a division of Comcast Corporation’s Comcast Entertainment Group.

DISTRIBUTION: 57 million homes via cable and satellite

DESCRIPTION: Style Network is geared primarily towards women aged 18-49 with a passion for the best in relatable and inspiring lifestyle content. The channel offers up a variety of programming that spans categories such as home, wedding, advice and information, relationships and fashion. With a focus on story-driven programming, Style aims to “help women look and live their best, and feel their very best,” says Salaam Coleman Smith, the executive VP of the Style Network.

EXECUTIVE VP, STYLE NETWORK: Salaam Coleman Smith

SENIOR VP, DEVELOPMENT, STYLE NETWORK: Elaine Bauer-Brooks

EXECUTIVE VP, FINANCE & BUSINESS OPERATIONS,

COMCAST ENTERTAINMENT GROUP: Steve Dolcemaschio

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: According to Coleman Smith, there is a common misconception that the channel only features fashion programming. “We’re really about lifestyle and about delving into all aspects of the modern woman’s life,” she says. “We’re really dedicated to serving up a broad range of women’s interests.”

While the Style Network is skewed towards an 18-to-49 demographic, there is still a lot of variation within that range, says Coleman Smith. During the day, the channel tends to focus on the older end of the group—35- to 49-year-olds—but makes a strong effort to cater to the younger end—18- to 34-year-olds—on weekends. The home series Dress My Nest, hosted by former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy star Thom Filicia, is doing particularly well among the younger set. The show uses one’s wardrobe as a starting point for decorating an interior space.

Style has also seen success with the branded block Style Nightcap, launched in January, which airs at 11 p.m. and features signature shows such as Clean House, How Do I Look? and Whose Wedding is it Anyway?. In the same way that men might watch The Daily Show With Jon Stewart on Comedy Central or other late-night programming, Coleman Smith says that women are searching for similar offerings. She notes that the modern woman typically has a very packed schedule and has little time to unwind until the end of the day. “One of the things that we noticed from our research is that 11 p.m. is kind of an optimal time to target female viewers, because that’s when they really take time for themselves,” she says. “The real drive behind [the block] was to try to target women when they were available.”

Wedding-themed programming also continues to draw in viewers. Style Network does two major wedding stunts a year. In June, the network airs 21-Day Wedding Party, featuring 21 days of non-stop wedding programming. This year, the event features the new series I Propose—which sees a groom-to-be attempt to plan and execute the perfect surprise proposal—as well as specials highlighting the best and worst in wedding planning. Style also hosts a wedding stunt in December. “Those are our two key tent-pole months for wedding programming—June and December—but we find that wedding programming outside of those months still does incredibly well because weddings make people feel good,” explains Coleman Smith.

Split Ends is another show that is notching up high ratings for the network. The series features two hairstylists from radically different parts of the country who swap roles and settings to the complete surprise of their unsuspecting clients and co-workers. Coleman Smith bills Split Ends as “a really fun fish-out-of-water show” that reflects the range of people, diversity, accents and hairstyles that exist within the U.S. “[The show] is about embracing real people—every-day people—and not just this notion that style can only emanate from elite circles in New York,” she says.

WHAT’S NEW: Coleman Smith is particularly excited about the launch of Kimora (working title), a new “reality comedy” series focused on the life of Kimora Lee Simmons, a fashion designer, former model, and the ex-wife of music industry mogul Russell Simmons. She says that the show is broadening the type of program offerings that have traditionally been on Style, which often fall within a makeover context.

In August, the network will be launching a new one-hour culinary series entitled Pantry Raid, which sees host Michael Schulson, the executive chef of the modern Asian restaurant Buddakan New York, make surprise house calls in the hopes of changing the way people think about cooking. He uses only the ingredients he finds in the pantry, cabinets and refrigerator to create delicious meals out of the sparse or oddly matched items he discovers.

WEBSITE: www.stylenetwork.com

—By Irene Lew