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TIM CLARK
With six new series and five different workshops under way, DIY plans to give American homes a programming face-lift with 130 hours of fresh content. Looks like This Old House just a got a little older.
"It's a strong commitment for DIY," says Jim Zarchin, DIY's SVP. "We're gaining momentum and really feel bullish about where DIY is going and where it's going to continue to grow."
Expansion comes in the form of DIYnet.com, the network's revamped Web site that garners 5 million impressions a month. When DirecTV previewed DIY to introduce a new package, Zarchin says fans flooded DIYnet.com with hundreds of e-mails.
"They watched on-air, then they went to the Web site to download information, which is how we hope people will use the network and the Web site," says Zarchin.
Zarchin says Ask DIY will become the network's signature show because it bridges the Web site/on-air content gap. Questions are taken from the Web site and answered by a team of do-it-yourself experts. Chatrooms are open for the program's hour-long duration and an hour following, at which point more questions are taken.
Other new DIY series include:
- Car Care & Repair - Simple car maintenance tips.
- Complete Fix-It - Home improvement projects from the Time-Life book of the same name.
- Family Sports - A guide to sports and recreation at home.
- In the Workshop - Provides tips and project ideas.
- Just Ask John Eakes - Home repair expert addresses household problems.
New workshops include:
- Build a Boat - Five episodes on building a boat.
- Family Outdoors - Recreation experts suggest family activities.
- Home Office - Shows viewers how to comfortably work from home.
- Home Tech - Helps viewers weed through technology confusion.
- Scrapbooking - Arts & crafts workshop.
According to Zarchin, advertisers are buying time on both of the network's platforms.
"What the website does is create a one-on-one relationship that the retailers want," he says.
Providing viewers information about materials and blueprints leads to purchases, which are just one mouse-click away.
"We try to market our Web site and network together," he says. "We hope to traffic our audience back and forth from one medium to the next."
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