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The ECW brand was launched in 2006, a year after the successful ECW One Night Stand PPV. Over time, the idea of bringing back ECW as a separate entity was diluted and the show eventually evolved into a secondary series utilizing veterans who wouldn't be pushed on Raw or Smackdown and younger talents getting their feet wet.
According to sources in the company, SyFy has noticed the fading ratings for the series since its debut and with the current TV deal expiring shortly, WWE is making moves to "freshen" the show up and work with the network to improve the ratings. There was talk of a magazine style show that went nowhere and the most recent pitch I've heard is taking the entire hour and focusing it all on brand new talents exclusively.
One person in the company noted that SyFy was very gung ho behind the ECW series when it debuted as a spin-off entity, since it debuted doing a 2.8 rating, but with the rating currently hovering around a 1.0, it's lost its appeal.
There have also been preliminary discussions about changing the Smackdown brand, since the feeling is that the Raw Guest Hosts have added depth and uniqueness to Raw. What those potential changes might be, I haven't yet heard.
The current plan is to not make any major decisions until after the first of the year.
Monday's Elite audio hotline also featured many additional WWE news items not discussed here or covered elsewhere.
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