It is an interesting time for television that we live in. This is not your grandfather's TV, where they had three channels ... and they liked it! And when changing the channel involved telling you to take your Toughskins covered butt over there and turn the big dial. Grandpa's version of TV is being challenged on all fronts by cable, and it's really not fairing well.
Yet another article, this time from the L.A. Times, takes a look at the damage that has been done. Some highlights: For the just concluded sweeps period, NBC was down 27% in adults 18-49. 27%! ABC lost over 20% of young adults. The other networks also posted double digit losses. The scary bit though, for the traditional networks, is that the number of people watching television is up 2%, and for the season the ad supported cable networks are up 7%.
Once again the strike takes a lot of the blame for the dramatic drops in numbers. I think buying into that theory is a dangerous gamble. The strike, as the numbers show, didn't make people stop watching TV. It gave them a reason to stop watching the big networks. If they didn't come back for the spectacle of sweeps, what's to say that those viewers will be returning for the fall premieres? The networks are now at a crossroads where something has to change.
The article makes note of Jeff Zucker's (NBC) plan to develop for multiple platforms, and thankfully points out that developing crap for multiple platforms leaves you with a lot of crap. They also highlight the Fox plan to reduce commercial interruptions for Fringe and Dollhouse. I'm more curious to see how that plays out, but still not convinced either of those plans is going to do much to stop the exodus of viewers. Just what will bring those viewers back remains to be seen. In the meantime, it does make for an interesting story to follow from the sidelines.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-27-2008 @ 11:43AM
scott said...
I say Zucker should send us all money then we will sit and watch his crap
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5-27-2008 @ 12:04PM
0megapart!cle said...
From the recent Joss Whedon interview, it looks like Fox's version of "reduced commercial interruptions" is an extra 4-6 minutes, shown the original time the episode is shown and only that one time. Very underwhelming, and not really going to make much of a difference to most people.
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5-27-2008 @ 12:21PM
claire said...
There's an excellent article on the issue that appeared just the other day, called Blood, Peanuts and the Future of Television:
http://www.cinemarealm.com/2008/05/25/blood-peanuts-and-the-future-of-television/
It basically shows you just how absurd things are and it's backed up by a lot of numbers and studies.
The future of network television is a big issue on the web these days, too bad that the mainstream media aren't giving it that much attention.
Thanks for the post, it's an excellent read!
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8-21-2008 @ 6:43PM
BBB said...
If they go through with the total conversion to Digital TV in 2009,what happens to all the people in rural areas that can't have a cable service simply because there aren't any in their area?
Digital TV hasn't been perfected yet.Our local Digital Channels get glitiches and get stuck.Broadcast has it's merits.My feeling is that it shouldn't be totally abandoned.
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5-27-2008 @ 1:32PM
mj said...
The networks bring out a good show, then get rid of it. They shove reality and game shows down our throats, convinced this is what we want. I'm surprised Lost and Heroes are still around. They are convinced we want to see super thin women living wealthy lives, with their pretty boy guys. Whatever happened to plot? To character? A prime example is Jericho. Great cast, great storyline, gone. I'm surprised CBS gave us 7 more episodes. Bitter? Yes.
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5-27-2008 @ 1:48PM
Carissa said...
Cable has edgier programming. What do they expect? And those edgy programs that we love actually come back for a second and sometimes a third and fourth season! Wow! We can invest more time in cable without the fear that it will be yanked prematurely, because they have lower expectations. Turns out the viewing public is not all stupid after all. Go us!
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5-29-2008 @ 8:18AM
M. Reddick said...
There is a decided lack of imagination in most network TV programing. According to TV, everyone is a doctor, lawyer, cop or a terminally immature adult male. These formulas wear thin after awhile and boredom and disinterest follow.
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5-30-2008 @ 11:14AM
elo said...
I definitely agree that the strikes shouldn't be blamed for the networks' poor viewership. It's the networks own resistance to change that lies at the heart of the problem. I've always been suspicious as to the way ratings are determined, anyway. (I would suspect that there is some correlation between those who are OK with having Nielsen stick a box on their tv to monitor everything they watch in the privacy of their own home and the type of shows viewed...)
I think that putting their shows in streaming format online is very smart. I, for one, am more likely to see ABC's ads on their streaming videos online than I am on TV. Even if I were watching a show at the scheduled time on TV, I would just mute and leave the room. When the show is streamed and the commercial is only 30 seconds, sometimes I'll just grin and bear it and wait for it to be over. (Although this has not by any means increased my fondness for Carnival Cruise lines.)
I think CW made a bad chose in taking their show offline. Some of us prefer to enjoy our guilty pleasures in the privacy of our own bedroom.. (who would possibly want to watch Gossip Girl with me?). Will I still watch the show? Sure. Will I now watch it on TV? No way. I'll just watch it on a chinese youtube-esque site. pfff..
Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor') drew a great comparison between the approach that networks should be taking and the Fisher Cab Company--when it realized that horses and buggies were on their way out, the company partnered with automobile companies - "Bodies By Fisher" - Perhaps not the direction you dream of your product (and brand name) going, but better than burying your head in the sand to the changes around you. (link to Tantillo's post: http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv/2008/05/28/tantillo-on-the-news-2.aspx)
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