Gaming to Please

Image credit: Family Feud: Photofest

''The classic games weren't being celebrated,'' laments Cronin, who still has the Barcalounger he won on ''Face the Music'' in 1980. In addition to launching ''Let's Make a Deal'' and upping ''Family Feud'''s daily profile, Cronin began digging through Sony's vaults, which he says house the largest game-show library in the world. There the exec saw a bonanza of timeless gems, including famed producer Chuck Barris' ''$1.98 Beauty Show,'' a campy '70s pageant/freak show hosted by Rip Taylor. (If you're wondering why that other Barris classic -- ''The Gong Show'' -- isn't in permanent rotation, Cronin says it and another heavily requested favorite, ''Name That Tune,'' are mired in music rights clearance issues.)

The Golden Oldies strategy is working: After being added to GSN's lineup in September, '80s phenom ''Press Your Luck'' -- famous for its mantra ''Big money! No whammies! Stop!'' -- is already one of the net's top-rated shows, pulling in an average of 358,000 viewers. ''Press'' host Peter Tomarken practically lost his cue cards when he heard about its comeback: ''It's taken 15 years for the awakening to occur.''

If Cronin has his way, it won't be that long before GSN is a name brand like MTV, CNN, and ESPN -- and he's hoping to win over more than just the traditional (read: old) game-show fanatic. Besides stepping up development on original shows, he recently acquired ''Who Dares Wins,'' which he calls ''the Australian 'Fear Factor,''' to profit from the NBC show's successful summer run.

''Our passion for game shows has got to come across every minute we're on the air,'' adds Cronin. ''The people at MTV just live and breathe rock & roll. That's what you need at a network. That's essential.'' A thumbs-up from Angelina and Billy Bob can't hurt either.