While it’s been proven for centuries that people can’t get enough news, in 1991, the scope for television news program got even bigger with the launch of E! News. Hosted on the E! network, the hour-long show focuses exclusively on celebrity reporting an gossip.
Thought up by Lee Masters, the show was originally created to feed the public’s need for celebrity gossip in a way that evoked “controlled publicity.” Creating a show was humble at first, only requiring about 8 cameras to gather footage from red carpets, etc., and only costing about $15,000 per episode. While the show had a sizable viewership, it gained many more during the trial of O.J. Simpson. Lee noticed a rapid drop in viewership on the E! news network when the trial first began. Viewers opted for outlets who could provide live court reporting and 24/7 coverage. It was then that he decided to give E! its first “hard-hitting” story with full coverage.
His forward-thinking strategy to gain viewers has been proven effective. WIth 40 million viewers and a popular daily news site, Lee changed the way many viewed celebrity news. He opened the door for it to be more than just sensational fodder.
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