Eric Bischoff now an Executive Producer for TNA

[Zeven_Zion]

According to a report from Jason Powell of ProWrestling.NET, Eric Bischoff has been promoted to the role of an Executive Producer in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

The report notes that Bischoff took up the role within the last month and part of Eric Bischoff’s duties will be to represent TNA Wrestling in various conversations that the company will have with officials from their television broadcast partner, Spike TV.

Bischoff had a similar role back in World Championship Wrestling, before he later became President of the company, helping WCW gain success in the ratings war against World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation). Bischoff’s success during the mid-1990′s helped WCW to beat the WWF for 84 consecutive weeks.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Vince Russo era is over! ​

... well, at least as Executive Producer ...

Personally, I like that move. Say what you want about Bischoff - the guy has a mind for this business. A mind that pisses quite a few people off, not because it's stupid, but because it's ballsy and nine times out of ten - good.

ReAction was a great, great show and it came straight from Bischoff's big ass head. It was produced well, it was different, it was innovative. This is what Bischoff brings to TNA, and now that he has a bigger role, what are your thoughts? How is the product going to change? Will it change?

 

[deforty]

I think we will see some slight changes with him as a EP. I think in his last interview about cutting down the ppv's he was alluding that this might be happening on the horizon. He has the balls to do it, its just a matter of getting some other writers to help remove some of the burden off of Russo.

I think it is a good think this will also help with the production also....I hope.

Eric has a mind for some of these things as long as they get the right people around him things will look good for TNA. Imagine if he could talk Dusty into jumping ship with to TNA to help with the programs like he did during WCW and get some young fresh blood writers, we could see some amazing things in TNA its just a matter of time. I think.

 

[MachoMadness1988]

I personally think this is a good move. EB is the right man for the job. He is an good buisness man, well spoken, and VERY smart. Nobody in TNA knows the TV buisness like Bischoff. I don't know if we will see any changes due to this change, I guess we will have to wait and see.

With this new role in TNA, I see Bischoff staying with TNA after his contract expires in early 2012.

 

[Krobra]

This may be enough reason to get me to watch TNA again. I'll continue reading the spoilers to get a take on the product before watching the programming again. I say get rid of Russo completely so TNA can begin the healing process.

 

[cwcanno]

Well I have to start with the fact that I am not a Bischoff hater. I respect what he did in WCW back in the day, and I watched WCW over WWE until the company went out of business.

But, I have to disagree with this thread. Bischoff is not the end all be all of TNA and will not single handedly turn this company around. If he was so great at what he does, then WCW would still be in business, or TNA would be bigger right now.

I will remain hopeful that TNA does make it to the big times, because there are a few stars there that deserve all the recognition they could get. And I will stay watching TNA until they make me throw up (again). But I really don't think Bischoff is the answer. Another poster said it earlier "FIRE RUSSO".

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

I think its a good move. Bischoff knows how network tv works, he helped WCW defeat WWE 84 weeks in a row. If WCW was still around (Blame the AOL/Time Warner merger) WCW would still be kicking WWE's ass.

 

[MrHashasheen]

But, I have to disagree with this thread. Bischoff is not the end all be all of TNA and will not single handedly turn this company around. If he was so great at what he does, then WCW would still be in business, or TNA would be bigger right now.

Who killed WCW is an argument for another day, but this. Bischoff isn't some miracle cure who'll take TNA to WCW heights. He's decent - perhaps very good -at what he does, but AntiChristDeicide, Krobra, MachoMadness1988 and Zeven_Zion are over-hyping this. I'll wait for the results.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Who killed WCW is an argument for another day, but this. Bischoff isn't some miracle cure who'll take TNA to WCW heights. He's decent - perhaps very good -at what he does, but AntiChristDeicide, Krobra, MachoMadness1988 and Zeven_Zion are over-hyping this. I'll wait for the results.

Over-hyping what? We just said that it's a good move. Better than Russo.

Of course Bischoff is not the end-all-be-all of Exec. Producers, but it's the best TNA can offer right now.

Bischoff has proven himself too many times over the course of his career. If anything, TNA can only benefit from this. The guy knows his stuff.

 

[MrHashasheen]

Over-hyping what? We just said that it's a good move. Better than Russo.

Of course Bischoff is not the end-all-be-all of Exec. Producers, but it's the best TNA can offer right now.

Bischoff has proven himself too many times over the course of his career. If anything, TNA can only benefit from this. The guy knows his stuff.

I was basing it on this:

Personally, I like that move. Say what you want about Bischoff - the guy has a mind for this business. A mind that pisses quite a few people off, not because it's stupid, but because it's ballsy and nine times out of ten - good.

nine times out of ten? I'm assuming the one out of then includes Jay Leno, Dennis Rodman, KISS and a few of the worse ideas to fill WCW's final years. Oh, and Matrats. Because that was a dumbass concept for a wrestling promotion.

 

[Rayne]

I gotta take my hat off to Eric Bischoff. He is perhaps one of the greatest con men to ever try the wrestling game, and that's a wide pool to choose from.

Eric has had one notable television success in his life- Monday Nitro. WCW Thunder was a tremendous failure, despite oodles of money being poured into it and WCW being on top of the televised wrestling world at the time. Meanwhile, the WWF was proving there was a market for late-week wrestling despite Thunder's failure, as Smackdown was being launched at the same time.

From WCW he went to the WWF, where he was given no backstage control and appeared as an actor. (Some people might say that he was able to pitch ideas to people, despite having no formal creative control. To that, I give Kevin Sullivan's admonishment about creative control, "No one ever came to me with an idea for someone else.") From the WWF, he formed a wrestling organization called "Matrats". Haven't heard of it? Ask yourself why.

Now, let's go over his past year within TNA. He encouraged a disastrous move to Monday nights with an undeveloped product. He launched a television show which failed within six months of its debut. He was unable to secure television deals in the United Kingdom, resulting in the loss of his company's programming for a month in their most popular international market, and possibly their strongest market globally. Despite spending the money to lure wrestlers away and to fund an increased advertising campaign, ratings have remained stagnant since his hire. (Not all the "WWE rejects" came cheap- Jeff Hardy and RVD were the subject of offers from the WWE before being hired by TNA, giving them contract leverage. They weren't cheap.) For those of you who say "but he wasn't executive producer then", tell me with a straight face that you think his production company was hired by TNA last year just so that he could play an onscreen role. Just because you don't have the title doesn't mean you don't have the power.

Eric Bischoff's greatest success has been tricking so many people into thinking he's been successful. My fear for TNA, one that is coming true, is that he is trying to burrow himself so deeply into their business that TNA cannot remove him without causing irreparable harm to the company. He will continue on with self-promotion, talking about all the good he's doing TNA, right up to the day he runs the organization into the ground.

 

[Chrome]

But, I have to disagree with this thread. Bischoff is not the end all be all of TNA and will not single handedly turn this company around. If he was so great at what he does, then WCW would still be in business, or TNA would be bigger right now.

What are you talking about.. Eric didn't turn WCW around in the first year either.. it took him 3 years to make that company profitable to the level of WWE. Baby steps man.. TNA was totally messed up business wise.. since he has come on lets see what he has done PRODUCTION wise.. (note* he is NOT a booker)

New TV shows
New set
Impact Zone looks fuller on TV
gone on the road..
better entrance themes
better camera work
more intense feel
some live impacts
* failed attempt in going to Monday nights *


Baby steps.. my friend.. he did that for WCW and TNA has a bright future and will learn from its mistakes..

As for the crap that happend in WCW I have no idea why people are ignorant to the fact not to remember that Bischoff WAS NOT IN CHARGE when WCW started to go under..

WCW's most profitable year was 1998.. (Bischoff was in charge) .. WCW's least profitable year was 1999 (Russo era when Hogan wasn't champ)these are facts my friend. Why people blame Bischoff for what WCW & AOL Time Warner did AFTER he was no longer in control and was simply a character on TV at that point is beyond me.

Eric is a smart man.. is the only one to say he beat Vince.. that can never be taken away from him. In time I think he can do it again.. once they resolve the booking issues, and go ont he road.. and eventually go live.. they will do a lot better and Eric is pushing to head in the RIGHT direction. As TNA fans we should be backing him and his efforts as this is what we all want anyway.

I like this move and think that TNA is heading in the right direction. heck think about this.... back when Bischoff took over WCW the ONLY TV show WCW had was WCW saturday night which was also in the impact Zone.. (history lesson) and look what he did in the course of 3 years for WCW? Lets not kid ourselves.. WCW was great when Eric was in charge.. once he left the screws went loose and they lost controll. Eric was the mind behind the business. Much like how Vince is the mind behind WWE.

I was basing it on this:

nine times out of ten? I'm assuming the one out of then includes Jay Leno, Dennis Rodman, KISS and a few of the worse ideas to fill WCW's final years. Oh, and Matrats. Because that was a dumbass concept for a wrestling promotion.

Him hosting Jay leno that started the whole angle was GREAT exposure for WCW.. I mean WWE has done similiar things back then.. (Bischoff had nothing to do with KISS, no limit soliders, or any other music groups as they came in to WCW when he was not in power) Dennis Rodman vs karl Malone was genuis back then.. they just finished the Bulls vs Jazz for the championship, rodman was all over the place in magazines etc.. it was good publicity.. and it was a one off thing for Malone. (Rodman appeared once before then)
WCW was successfull in bringing in new audiences do to moves like this..

David Arquette UGH I hated that.. but that ALSO had nothing to do with Eric. Geesh people love to blame that guy for everything.

However no one can argue that the only time WCW was any good was when Eric was clicking on all cycles. he made WCW great.. NO ONE ELSE... it was his vision for the product and it worked. Once Aol/time warner got involved he got stressed and tired he left.. when he came back he was NOT in controll.. when he was NOT in controll all sorts of goofy backwards ass shit took place that caused WCW to go under. I think now that Eric has that drive again.. TNA will rise to new hieghts.. I just find it funny that Bischoff is back int eh impact zone (WCW saturday Night) all over again.. work you magic Eric..

As fans we should be behind him.. not tearing him down. We all want TNA to be successfull and he is their best shot at doing it. He has accomplished more than anyone not named McMahon in the wrestling world. he CAN do it.. he has the expierence and the know how.. I look forward to this.

 

[MrHashasheen]

WCW's most profitable year was 1998.. (Bischoff was in charge) .. WCW's least profitable year was 1999 (Russo era when Hogan wasn't champ)these are facts my friend. Why people blame Bischoff for what WCW & AOL Time Warner did AFTER he was no longer in control and was simply a character on TV at that point is beyond me.

Bischoff was in charge until September/October 1999. Don't fudge the facts. Russo's responsible from late 1999 to early January, then there was Kevin Sullivan for two, three months, and then a joint team of Bischoff and Russo did things until around Starrcade, afterwhich guys like Johnny Ace and Dusty Rhodes held the book.

Him hosting Jay leno that started the whole angle was GREAT exposure for WCW..

No it wasn't. Ratings continued to decline after the angle. It did nothing for WCW besides ruining the credibility of DDP and WCW for putting Jay Leno in the ring.

I mean WWE has done similiar things back then.. (Bischoff had nothing to do with KISS, no limit soliders, or any other music groups as they came in to WCW when he was not in power)

Bischoff was the one who signed KISS, and you can get that from an interview that Dale Torborg, the guy who played the KISS demon did.

http://rajah.com/wwf/headlines/6536.php

Dennis Rodman vs karl Malone was genuis back then.. they just finished the Bulls vs Jazz for the championship, rodman was all over the place in magazines etc.. it was good publicity.. and it was a one off thing for Malone. (Rodman appeared once before then)
WCW was successful in bringing in new audiences do to moves like this..

... No they weren't. Ratings continued to decline. What part of that fact of WCW escapes you?

David Arquette UGH I hated that.. but that ALSO had nothing to do with Eric. Geesh people love to blame that guy for everything.

That was all on Russo, and I never even mentioned it.

 

[Chrome]

... No they weren't. Ratings continued to decline. What part of that fact of WCW escapes you?

That was all on Russo, and I never even mentioned it.

I just added it in as something else people have blamed him for I wasn't stating that you said it.

lets look at the facts.. you stated... that jay Leno at at Road Wild in 1998 (WCW's most profitable year)

No it wasn't. Ratings continued to decline after the angle. It did nothing for WCW besides ruining the credibility of DDP and WCW for putting Jay Leno in the ring.

was the start of the ratings decline and did nothing for WCW? on ratings alone.. this PPV was on 8/8/1998 look at the ratings in August 1998? ratings went UP! they got more ratings on Monday nights in 9 out of the next 12 weeks after this. After losing the previous 5 weeks to Raw.

Bischoff was in charge until September/October 1999. Don't fudge the facts. Russo's responsible from late 1999 to early January, then there was Kevin Sullivan for two, three months, and then a joint team of Bischoff and Russo did things until around Starrcade, afterwhich guys like Johnny Ace and Dusty Rhodes held the book.
No it wasn't. Ratings continued to decline after the angle.

Okay look at the chart again above.. Eric was NOT in charge after September 1999 from what you say right? They were pulling on his worst day 3.0 - 5.0+ ,,, similiar numbers to WWE of today.. TNA would KILL to have those numbers now. Also its fair to say that Bischoff was NOT in charge for most of 1999 like he was in 1993-1998 handling everything.

However if you are going to quote wikipedia then you might want to quote the following too:

"His TV presence disappeared, and a demoralized Bischoff began to turn his attention to projects other than WCW. When Bischoff returned from hiatus in April 1999, the company was in bad shape. He would try to unsuccessfully extend the WCW brand outside of wrestling with a restaurant called The Nitro Grill in Las Vegas (which went under in less than a year) and a brand of cologne. Bischoff also tried to bring in musical talent such as Kiss, Master P, Chad Brock, and Megadeth in an effort to co-brand with WCW's product, but none of these performances were able to make an impact in the ratings"

So it seems that in 1999 Bischoff had little to do with the on air booking and direction of the product. So can you fault him for what happend on TV? NO. In my previous post I mentioned that when Eric is clicking on all cycles he is a force.. he seems to have his shit together this time and its apparent to the things he is trying to accomplish/has accomplished. Every company needs someone like Eric who can get things done. he was the SOLE person in charge from 1993-1998 (in 1999 he wasn't the sole person he had the network (AOL/Time warner) changing things.. he had partners in Vince Russo and others like you mentioned.. he was not the SOLE person in charge and was gone for a chunk of 1999 as well) but when he was the the main guy from 1993-1998 you can not argue that WCW was HOT.. it changed WWE it was so hot.. he doesn't get the credit he deserves from teh IWC and half the time they blame him for crap he had nothing to do with and don't give credit were credit is due at the same time. Like I said both Vince and Eric took risks.. some worked .. some didn't.. but I wouldn't say that either are failures. Eric had nothing to do with AoL selling WCW.. that was AOL's descion. However, this time in TNA he is workign with what he has.. he is doing the right things from a production stand point.. I only see good things production wise in the future for TNA he seems to have a new fire lit under him with a proven record of success.. he IS the right guy for the job.

BUT I do stand corrected with the KISS thing.. and after reading the no limit solders crap and chad brock.. ugh.. I guess ALL ideas can not be good ones.. Eric took risks that failed.. i never said he was perfect.. but I still think he is the best choice for the job for TNA. And a lot of what people say about him is blown wayy out of purportion. Vince takes risks too and not all pay off .. its just part of the game. And at least Eric has the know how and back ground to make this work.

Bischoff was the one who signed KISS, and you can get that from an interview that Dale Torborg, the guy who played the KISS demon did.

http://rajah.com/wwf/headlines/6536.php

+Rep to you

 

[MrHashasheen]

was the start of the ratings decline and did nothing for WCW? on ratings alone.. this PPV was on 8/8/1998 look at the ratings in August 1998? ratings went UP! they got more ratings on Monday nights in 9 out of the next 12 weeks after this. After losing the previous 5 weeks to Raw.

Two of those weeks were uncontested. The 21st of September one actually states Raw with the .1 lead, so I'm not sure how its done. But I see your point. Nitro did have a ratings boost afterwards, though attributing it to Leno followers doesn't mean it is. It could have easily been strong cards and hype.

Okay look at the chart again above.. Eric was NOT in charge from September 1999 from what you say right? They were pulling on HIS WORST day 3-4.0+ ,,, similiar numbers to WWE of today.. TNA would KILL to have those numbers now.

TNA would also kill to have the national coverage that TNT and TBS had. Look at ECW's ratings from that same time-period, with the same network TNA is on. ECW did a little worse than TNA generally speaking.

However if you are going to quote wikipedia then you might want to quote the following too:

... when did I quote wikipedia?

"His TV presence disappeared, and a demoralized Bischoff began to turn his attention to projects other than WCW. When Bischoff returned from hiatus in April 1999, the company was in bad shape. He would try to unsuccessfully extend the WCW brand outside of wrestling with a restaurant called The Nitro Grill in Las Vegas (which went under in less than a year) and a brand of cologne. Bischoff also tried to bring in musical talent such as Kiss, Master P, Chad Brock, and Megadeth in an effort to co-brand with WCW's product, but none of these performances were able to make an impact in the ratings"

To be fair to Bischoff, I recall the cologne actually winning an award:

"WCW Nitro for Men cologne has been nominated for a FiFi (the fragrance industry's equivalent to the Academy Awards) for the most prestigious award in the fragrance industry. The 28th annual FiFi Awards for men's and women's fragrances take place on June 6, 2000, in New York. The FiFi Awards are voted on by nearly 1,300 members of the Fragrance Foundation, as well as retailers nationwide. WCW Nitro for Men went on sale on November 24, 1999."

So it seems that in 1999 Bischoff had little to do with the on air booking and direction of the product. So can you fault him for what happend on TV? NO. In my previous post I mentioned that when Eric is clicking on all cycles he is a force.. he seems to have his shit together this time and its apparent to the things he is trying to accomplish/has accomplished. Every company needs someone like Eric who can get things done.

Right, now that I remember, Kevin Nash was booking late 1998 to early 1999. So yeah, I'll give you that.

And thank you for the rep!

 

[Rayne]

What are you talking about.. Eric didn't turn WCW around in the first year either.. it took him 3 years to make that company profitable to the level of WWE. Baby steps man.. TNA was totally messed up business wise.. since he has come on lets see what he has done PRODUCTION wise.. (note* he is NOT a booker)

New TV shows
New set
Impact Zone looks fuller on TV
gone on the road..
better entrance themes
better camera work
more intense feel
some live impacts
* failed attempt in going to Monday nights *

That's what he's done productionwise; what has it done for ratings? We are now over a year into the "new set". A turd dressed up is still a turd. How are any of those accomplishments over the past year? The possible exception would be "going on the road", which is a move almost every single member of these forums has been suggesting for the past two years.

As for the crap that happend in WCW I have no idea why people are ignorant to the fact not to remember that Bischoff WAS NOT IN CHARGE when WCW started to go under..

WCW's most profitable year was 1998.. (Bischoff was in charge) .. WCW's least profitable year was 1999 (Russo era when Hogan wasn't champ)these are facts my friend. Why people blame Bischoff for what WCW & AOL Time Warner did AFTER he was no longer in control and was simply a character on TV at that point is beyond me.

A smart man gets off the ship before it sinks, and anyone who was looking at WCW's financials knew that was a joyride that couldn't last forever. They had great ratings, absolutely, but Eric Bischoff was running those ratings on a bottomless checkbook. Why do you think he was yanked and replaced with, of all things, an accountant??? With virtually unlimited access to money, you can do a lot of amazing things too; what makes someone good is if they can achieve those results with a limited budget.

Eric is a smart man.. is the only one to say he beat Vince.. that can never be taken away from him. In time I think he can do it again.. once they resolve the booking issues, and go ont he road.. and eventually go live.. they will do a lot better and Eric is pushing to head in the RIGHT direction. As TNA fans we should be backing him and his efforts as this is what we all want anyway.

...

However no one can argue that the only time WCW was any good was when Eric was clicking on all cycles. he made WCW great.. NO ONE ELSE... it was his vision for the product and it worked.

...

As fans we should be behind him.. not tearing him down. We all want TNA to be successfull and he is their best shot at doing it. He has accomplished more than anyone not named McMahon in the wrestling world.

For the rest of you- THIS is the kind of attitude I'm talking about; the kind of attitude Eric Bischoff perpetuates for himself, the kind of attitude that he encourages to worm his way into TNA's heart. "Eric Bischoff is a success, and as a TNA fan it's your duty to support him." There's no evidence for his success beyond one television show in the '90s, but because he struck lightning once in his life, people hang onto his every word. The same thinking keeps Vince Russo clothed and fed.

Eric's greatest success has been convincing people he's been successful. It would seem you're one of them.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

I say give Bischoff a chance. If he fails then he fails nobody is perfect. If its a success well we should all give him credit for what he did.

 

[Chrome]

That's what he's done productionwise; what has it done for ratings? We are now over a year into the "new set". A turd dressed up is still a turd. How are any of those accomplishments over the past year? The possible exception would be "going on the road", which is a move almost every single member of these forums has been suggesting for the past two years.

His job has nothing to do with ratings.. he is not the owner.. his job is prodution. You are blaming him for stuff TNA has been doing for YEARS before he ever got there. baby steps my friend.. baby steps.

Eric's greatest success has been convincing people he's been successful. It would seem you're one of them.

LOL WHAT? Eric WAS successfull no matter how you slice it.. HE beat VINCE.. you even admit that production wise he has improved impact. (Which is his job, not ratings)

Lets take a trip down memory lane.. In the early 90's WCW Saturday Night was the ONLY show Eric was in charge of and was the only show WCW had at the time.. (which IS the same arena as the Impact Zone) it took baby steps to get to Nitro.. production IS his job and to that I say he and You both say he did a great job with. Once he was able to convience people to get another show.. then he was able to do more. WCW was crap when Eric got it.. lets not fool ourselves.. the ONLY reason there was a monday night wars and attitude era was because of Eric doing what he did. it DID force Vince to change.. for anyone who thinks otherwise look at how RAW was BEFORE the attitude era took place.

I would say .. TNA BEFORE he got there had some good talent and good matches and crappy booking.. SAME for WCW before he took over.. and booking was not fixed until AFTER Nitro.. I mean remember Kevin Sullivan vs Hulk Hogan over and over??? I mean even Flair vs Hogan was sloppy but Eric had NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.. he wasn't the booker... AND he is NOT the booker now.. HIS JOB.. is production.. which he has done well at.. so when you do well... you should get a promotion. I see nothing wrong with this and I fail to see why you do?

If you were fired from Mcdonalds 20 years ago and you apply for a job today and work your butt off and do well (IN YOUR job not the company as a whole) then don't you deserve a promotion? You seem to not know how to let go of old grudges.. most of which are not even true about Eric. Point blank there is NOBODY in TNA that has the creditionals that Eric brings to get the job done. you can not argue that on TV the camera angles, Impact zone, the setting (NOT BOOKING) haven't improved because they have.

I would say within a year TNA will go ont he road more..then a year after that will go live. it took him 2-3 years using the same approach with WCW to make it work.. and what ever your bias is with Eric does not hold a candle to the fact that at one time Eric WAS successfull.. which you seem to brush over each time you post. When you do a good job you get promoted.. simple. he did his job well and earned him a promotion a year later.. simple.. why is this so difficult to understand?

Your rule of reasoning is the same as "lets fire the clerk for something the CEO demanded".. that approach doesn't work. So prove WHY Eric doesn't deserve a promotion for the production work he has done for TNA?

note* production IS NOT BOOKING.. you fault Vince Russo for that.. (and I would agree 100%) Eric job is production.

let us re-read his job description with this promotion..

The report notes that Bischoff took up the role within the last month and part of Eric Bischoff’s duties will be to represent TNA Wrestling in various conversations that the company will have with officials from their television broadcast partner, Spike TV.

How is Eric NOT qualified to do that?
This has zero to do with booking .. its all production and using a business man to gain new business for TNA and deal with other business folks (TV execs?).. and you call this a BAD move? How???
This is the same man that got a friggin wrestling cologne to the top! Geesh.. (who the hell would have pulled that off)

In TNA you say use the people you got the right way.. well they have Eric Bischoff.. isn't this the right way to use him? People love the double standard I guess.

 

[Rayne]

His job has nothing to do with ratings.. he is not the owner.. his job is prodution. You are blaming him for stuff TNA has been doing for YEARS before he ever got there. baby steps my friend.. baby steps.

LOL WHAT? Eric WAS successfull no matter how you slice it.. HE beat VINCE.. you even admit that production wise he has improved impact. (Which is his job, not ratings)

Do you know what a producer does?

An "executive producer" is a term for a position that has no official job duties, but is responsible for the overall product. They are responsible for coordinating design, advertising, arranging special guests, and anything and everything that affects Impact. "Ratings" aren't the responsibility of one guy in the company- there isn't some guy named Bill in the Ratings Department you yell at when ratings are down. Eric Bischoff is the most responsible for ratings, because he is the guy in charge of ratings. Bad booking? It's his job to present it in a light that makes it appear as good as possible. An executive producer, by necessity these days, has their hands deep within the book anyways.

The executive producer is the boss of the show. There is no one in higher authority responsible for PRODUCING the show.

The "owner" is responsible for nothing but providing capital for the business to use, and how they go about that differs wildly from media company to media company.

I also don't see where I said he improved Impact; in fact, I asked you how any cosmetic changes to Impact reflected positively on Eric Bischoff when they hadn't resulted in any change in the perception of the company or their ratings. But since you didn't know what his job actually was, I can forgive you for that.

Lets take a trip down memory lane.. In the early 90's WCW Saturday Night was the ONLY show Eric was in charge of and was the only show WCW had at the time.. (which IS the same arena as the Impact Zone) it took baby steps to get to Nitro.. production IS his job and to that I say he and You both say he did a great job with. Once he was able to convience people to get another show.. then he was able to do more. WCW was crap when Eric got it.. lets not fool ourselves.. the ONLY reason there was a monday night wars and attitude era was because of Eric doing what he did. it DID force Vince to change.. for anyone who thinks otherwise look at how RAW was BEFORE the attitude era took place.

Yes, we've established that Eric Bischoff was successful once. That was the basis of my original post, that he was successful once, almost fifteen years ago, and has been riding that achievement ever since.

If you were fired from Mcdonalds 20 years ago and you apply for a job today and work your butt off and do well (IN YOUR job not the company as a whole) then don't you deserve a promotion?

Again- what has Eric Bischoff accomplished in the past fifteen years? Not "what has he tried", but can you point to one company since WCW- which, mind you, he helped spend into the ground- that can say "we are better off for having hired Eric Bischoff?"

Don't give me all this crap about "oh, you must have an unexplained grudge you can't get over"- show me one company that's better off for having hired Eric Bischoff since he left WCW. Mind you I'm not even arguing the WCW point with you; he was successful in beating the WWE in the ratings for a year and a half, but he couldn't do it in a cost-effective manner.

I would say within a year TNA will go ont he road more..then a year after that will go live. it took him 2-3 years using the same approach with WCW to make it work.. and what ever your bias is with Eric does not hold a candle to the fact that at one time Eric WAS successfull.. which you seem to brush over each time you post. When you do a good job you get promoted.. simple. he did his job well and earned him a promotion a year later.. simple.. why is this so difficult to understand?

Because I don't think he did a good job??? I think that the whole premise of my original post was that his main skill was convincing people that he was doing a good job despite having nothing to show for it, was it not???

Your rule of reasoning is the same as "lets fire the clerk for something the CEO demanded".. that approach doesn't work. So prove WHY Eric doesn't deserve a promotion for the production work he has done for TNA?

note* production IS NOT BOOKING.. you fault Vince Russo for that.. (and I would agree 100%) Eric job is production.

You do not know what a producer does. Just because I'm a dick, here is a wikipedia link to "Executive Producer" so that you may further educate yourself on his responsibilities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_producer

Production isn't booking; it oversees booking. It's being in CHARGE of booking. You've been drinking the Bischoff Kool-Aid so hard you don't even know what job he's doing before you defend it.

 

[MB1025]

The Eric Bischoff hate is ridiculous. Let me run it down for everyone.


1. Without Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan signing with TNA that don't get Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, RVD, Mr. Anderson, and Ric Flair. Does anyone want to argue that without those names TNA would still have been able to do the two Impacts in NC? If so I would love to know how that happens.

2. When Eric Bischoff was in charge of WCW he was the first person to change the way they did TV. I am not talking about Nitro, but Saturday Night. He tapped shows differently and ran a different schedule. You know what that lead to? The first time WCW ever turned a profit. That is right. He made that big company backed by a billionaire a profit for the first time.

3. ReAction didn't fail and is an opinion by posters on here. The president of Spike TV came out and said ReAction wasn't meant to be a long term show. It was meant to see if there was a audience for a second show for TNA. Then he followed that up with they are currently discussing plans for a different show. If ReAction was a "failure" they wouldn't be discussing a second show after testing out ReAction.

4. The Monday Nights was a failure and he admitted that. Why damn the guy and use it as an example of his failures when he took a chance. Isn't that how you grow your company? By taking chances. If WCW never went with Nitro we know what would have happened.


The fact is is TNA is doing better business right now then they have ever done. You can't argue you that. After DVR views they have over 2.1 million people watching the product. Now the one guy who has the best experience with TV is in a position he should be in.

 

[Chrome]

Production isn't booking; it oversees booking. It's being in CHARGE of booking.

Which he is NOW.. but he wasn't THEN.. why are you putting blame on BISCHOFF for a job he didn't have prior to 3 weeks ago? The OP says he has had this position during the course of last month.. and last week Thursday had the highest rating ever.. I fail to see why you feel he can not do the job, he is the only one on their roster that has the experience to do it.

Why are you blaming him for ratings if he wasn't in charge (producer) before??? You say now its the producers job.. well okay.. he has had that title what 3 weeks? In that time has gotten the highest ratings and 1 show on the road and you call it a failure? You can't have your arguement both ways here.

Someone is drinking Kool-aid.. and it ain't me.

The Eric Bischoff hate is ridiculous. Let me run it down for everyone.


1. Without Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan signing with TNA that don't get Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, RVD, Mr. Anderson, and Ric Flair. Does anyone want to argue that without those names TNA would still have been able to do the two Impacts in NC? If so I would love to know how that happens.

2. When Eric Bischoff was in charge of WCW he was the first person to change the way they did TV. I am not talking about Nitro, but Saturday Night. He tapped shows differently and ran a different schedule. You know what that lead to? The first time WCW ever turned a profit. That is right. He made that big company backed by a billionaire a profit for the first time.

3. ReAction didn't fail and is an opinion by posters on here. The president of Spike TV came out and said ReAction wasn't meant to be a long term show. It was meant to see if there was a audience for a second show for TNA. Then he followed that up with they are currently discussing plans for a different show. If ReAction was a "failure" they wouldn't be discussing a second show after testing out ReAction.

4. The Monday Nights was a failure and he admitted that. Why damn the guy and use it as an example of his failures when he took a chance. Isn't that how you grow your company? By taking chances. If WCW never went with Nitro we know what would have happened.


The fact is is TNA is doing better business right now then they have ever done. You can't argue you that. After DVR views they have over 2.1 million people watching the product. Now the one guy who has the best experience with TV is in a position he should be in.

I agree 100%

 

[Kizzo]

Ironically this was the same position he had in WCW before moving into the President's chair and running the entire company.

In this position he revolutionized the presentation of pro wrestling and really brought some great ideas to the table. RAW is a direct copy of Nitro... of course no one will ever acknowledge it. They pretty much copied all of Bischoff's ideas when it came to TV production.

Executive Producer is a really powerful position... you are in charge of the entire show. You can even fire and hire talent, and etc. That's why the position is one step closer to being the President or CEO. I thought he fit the role of Executive Producer better than being President of WCW... he also was more successful in that role.

 

[Rayne]

Which he is NOW.. but he wasn't THEN.. why are you putting blame on BISCHOFF for a job he didn't have prior to 3 weeks ago? The OP says he has had this position during the course of last month.. and last week Thursday had the highest rating ever.. I fail to see why you feel he can not do the job, he is the only one on their roster that has the experience to do it.

Why are you blaming him for ratings if he wasn't in charge (producer) before??? You say now its the producers job.. well okay.. he has had that title what 3 weeks? In that time has gotten the highest ratings and 1 show on the road and you call it a failure? You can't have your arguement both ways here.

I already answered this, and again, I answered it in the very first post you responded to.

For those of you who say "but he wasn't executive producer then", tell me with a straight face that you think his production company was hired by TNA last year just so that he could play an onscreen role. Just because you don't have the title doesn't mean you don't have the power.

Post #10, if you're curious. Why the hell would TNA hire his production company if he wasn't producing? Do you know what the difference between "executive producer" and "producer" is? A larger paycheck, more of the credit, and fewer people who can second guess your decisions. The job function is identical.

Again, you don't seem to know what Eric Bischoff's actual role within TNA is. This is perhaps why you are so quick to give him credit despite having no successes to point to during his time in TNA. Or, for that matter, being unable to point to anything successful he's done since being fired from WCW almost fifteen years ago.

When Eric Bischoff was in charge of WCW he was the first person to change the way they did TV. I am not talking about Nitro, but Saturday Night. He tapped shows differently and ran a different schedule. You know what that lead to? The first time WCW ever turned a profit. That is right. He made that big company backed by a billionaire a profit for the first time.

And then he turned around, took a load of cash, sunk it into $500,000 entrances for mid-card wrestlers, and got fired and replaced by an accountant. Making a profit once is not the mark of a successful businessman.

ReAction didn't fail and is an opinion by posters on here. The president of Spike TV came out and said ReAction wasn't meant to be a long term show. It was meant to see if there was a audience for a second show for TNA. Then he followed that up with they are currently discussing plans for a different show. If ReAction was a "failure" they wouldn't be discussing a second show after testing out ReAction.

It's been a few months since Reaction left the air- have you heard anything about a new block of TNA programming?

Television companies do this all the time, and they've gotten so good at it that people often don't notice what they're doing. Shows with a passionate audience (do not read that as "large" audience) create an anti-network backlash when they're canceled. So you don't come out and say "we're canceling Reaction", you say that you're giving up on an experiment, and you expect to replace it with new programming from the same company, same actors, same whatever- the point is to create a connection to the canceled show.

Then you just let the issue die like a lost kidnapping plot. Reaction bombed; of course Spike and TNA are going to try to spin that. How often do television companies come out and say their project was a huge failure?


I don't think I'm asking much from people here. Point to one company since WCW that can say "we are better off for having Eric Bischoff." Considering he spent WCW into the ground trying to keep higher ratings than the WWF, I don't think he was successful there, but let's not argue that. Point to one company since WCW that is in a better financial position after hiring Eric Bischoff then before. If he wasn't a one hit wonder getting by on past glory in a business which has always catered well to swindlers and cheats, there would surely be one company out there improved by his presence. Wouldn't there?

Or would he be, so to speak, "selling meat out of the back of a van in Minneapolis"?

 

[MB1025]

I already answered this, and again, I answered it in the very first post you responded to.

Post #10, if you're curious. Why the hell would TNA hire his production company if he wasn't producing? Do you know what the difference between "executive producer" and "producer" is? A larger paycheck, more of the credit, and fewer people who can second guess your decisions. The job function is identical.

Again, you don't seem to know what Eric Bischoff's actual role within TNA is. This is perhaps why you are so quick to give him credit despite having no successes to point to during his time in TNA. Or, for that matter, being unable to point to anything successful he's done since being fired from WCW almost fifteen years ago.

And then he turned around, took a load of cash, sunk it into $500,000 entrances for mid-card wrestlers, and got fired and replaced by an accountant. Making a profit once is not the mark of a successful businessman.

It's been a few months since Reaction left the air- have you heard anything about a new block of TNA programming?

Television companies do this all the time, and they've gotten so good at it that people often don't notice what they're doing. Shows with a passionate audience (do not read that as "large" audience) create an anti-network backlash when they're canceled. So you don't come out and say "we're canceling Reaction", you say that you're giving up on an experiment, and you expect to replace it with new programming from the same company, same actors, same whatever- the point is to create a connection to the canceled show.

Then you just let the issue die like a lost kidnapping plot. Reaction bombed; of course Spike and TNA are going to try to spin that. How often do television companies come out and say their project was a huge failure?


I don't think I'm asking much from people here. Point to one company since WCW that can say "we are better off for having Eric Bischoff." Considering he spent WCW into the ground trying to keep higher ratings than the WWF, I don't think he was successful there, but let's not argue that. Point to one company since WCW that is in a better financial position after hiring Eric Bischoff then before. If he wasn't a one hit wonder getting by on past glory in a business which has always catered well to swindlers and cheats, there would surely be one company out there improved by his presence. Wouldn't there?

Or would he be, so to speak, "selling meat out of the back of a van in Minneapolis"?

Your acting like Bischoff has been around the block bouncing from company to company failing every chance he got. He started in WCW in 1991. WCW went under in 2001 and a year later in 2002 he was in the WWE. He then left the WWE in 2005.

This is what Bischoff has been doing since 2005.....

TELEVISION DIVISION
BHE TV specializes in the creation and production of television content.

BHE has created, developed, and produced both television pilots and series for NBC, VH-1, CMT, A&E, E!, and SPIKE TV, including two seasons of the hit series "Scott Baio is 45...and Single" and "Scott Baio is 46...and Pregnant" on VH-1, and "Home Again" with Billy Ray Cyrus on CMT.
In 2008 BHE produced "Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling" for CMT and is currently in production for an upcoming series on TruTV.


LICENSING DIVISION
The BHE licensing division specializes in creating licensing opportunities for established entertainment properties, as well as helping consumer brands grow their business by partnering with the right entertainment properties.

BHE licensing has developed brand strategies, licensing opportunities, and retail distribution for entertainment brands including WWE, Playboy, Socko Energy, Hulk Hogan, LG, and WalMart.
BHE licensing is currently working with Rainmaker Gaming Technologies and ID Gaming for a November launch of a Hulk Hogan branded line of slot machines at G2E in Las Vegas.

Don't sit here and spew your garbage about him not helping companies because he hasn't tried to pursue that. He started his own production company and is creating TV shows along with many other things.

As far as ReAction goes you are just rambling some BS. Spike TV and TNA said it wasn't a long term idea and it was a test to see if other programming would work. Then it was followed with they are currently in plans to do so. You then turn that into this happens all the time and it was a failure. You have no evidence besides what Spike TV and TNA told us so stop passing off your opinion as fact. For fuck sakes.

ReAction left at the end of December. You can't just push out another show in less than 3 months. You obviously should have known this since you are so knowledgeable about how Spike TV and other networks operate.

 

[MachoMadness1988]

Again, you don't seem to know what Eric Bischoff's actual role within TNA is. This is perhaps why you are so quick to give him credit despite having no successes to point to during his time in TNA. Or, for that matter, being unable to point to anything successful he's done since being fired from WCW almost fifteen years ago.

Bischoff-Hervery Entertainment is acutlly pretty successfull. They produced quite a few reality shows that were picked up by various networks. They were said to have had their best year yet in 2010. Although, any success that BHE has had is due to Jason Hervey, right?

Also, no offense, but what do you do for a living or what are your great successes in buisness to have this high and mighty know it all attitude? You come accross in your posts like you're so much better and so much more successful then Eric Bischoff.

It's been a few months since Reaction left the air- have you heard anything about a new block of TNA programming?

Yes, Dixie and Eric have both made it clear in interviews that additional programing is a necessary for TNA's growth and that they plan on having another show at some point. We don't work for TNA, so its ridiculous to think just because we haven't heard anything on dirt sheets that it's not being developed or discussed.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I gotta take my hat off to Eric Bischoff. He is perhaps one of the greatest con men to ever try the wrestling game, and that's a wide pool to choose from.

I have to agree. The guy who started this thread said: "Say what you want about Bischoff, the guy has a mind for this business." But I have my doubts about that.

After all, if your goal is to lose tens of millions of dollars for your backer......and to see a company that was the unqualified leader in it's industry burned to the ground, I guess Bischoff is your go-to guy.

What I find most interesting about Eric's new position is that it finally answers the question of whether he was really involved in the creative/administrative process, or whether he was just hired as an on-air personality....... the same as the General Managers of WWE. It's amusing that some members of this forum actually believe that guys like Teddy Long and Vicki Guerrero are making administrative decisions on behalf of the company.

So, okay.....Eric Bischoff really is an administrator at TNA. Now we know.

But I agree with Rayne; Bischoff is a very good con man if folks believe him to have a great mind for the business.....despite his dismal performance in the past.