Interesting article. Personally I don't watch that much TV and regularly miss things that I'm interested in. Having a Media Centre PC helps and BBC's iPlayer stops me resorting to bitorrent if I miss one of their shows. I think there will always be an audience for quality content but, as you say, how people access that content is changing significantly.
Cure Dream
· 1 year ago
Television is going to die along with it's aging audience.
Even ten years ago, I noticed that the advertisements on television where all for Buicks, prescription drugs, adult diapers, retirement plans, and other products and services aimed at people over 50.
These days it's worse.
Although the stereotypical person who'll lose reception in the digital TV transition is some kindly old lady, most of the old folks I know already have huge honkin' HDTVs -- except for the ones that are destitute or in nursing homes. Statistics show that the person most likely to get cut off is under 25: someone for whom television doesn't matter much.
I quit watching TV on a regular basis back in college. Today our family has a number of computers: if we want to watch something, we watch it via DVD, download or internet streaming.
-- Great Power Of Hope, Cure Dream!
Doug Perlson
· 1 year ago
While radio and the music industry is most definitely challenged, we are seeing innovation here that is quite promising. The fact that internet radio is growing as fast as it is, and that the iphone and other devices are taking streaming radio into the mainstream is actually good for the industry. At the end of the day, radio may need to change how it delivers the content to the end user, and how it is monetized (more choice may mean fewer ads, but hyper targeting will make them more efficient and therefore more valuable) - but by the way things look, there will be more consumption than ever before, and therefore a great opportunity for potential monetization.
Ron Toledo
· 1 year ago
Along the lines of the "veg factor", I know a lot of people (myself included) who watch T.V while using the web on a laptop.
My T.V was in the shop for a while and i missed the combo of T.V and internet.
Michael Daehn
· 1 year ago
Ditto Ron- setting up social sites on the laptop while Wipeout plays on the DVR is a relaxing evening for me.
Pat Bitton
· 1 year ago
Personally, I've never understood the use of television as background. It's a visual medium, so if you're not watching it, why have it on? I use NPR as background all day every day, either on a traditional radio or streaming audio on my laptop, and, as long as quality radio programming is available, that's not going to change. I have to say (and I freely admit this is probably my age talking) that computers are a business tool for me, and I don't want my office in my living room (I still read my local print newspapers every day for much the same reason). There is still some quality TV programming to be had if you look for it - BBC America, PBS, HBO, to name a few.
Jake Lockley
· 1 year ago
Nonsense. Television just as radio has immensive value as a passive broadcast medium. Anyone with an open mind will look to the media stream to be exposed to things they wouldn't otherwise come across if they had to seek out all their media in specific niche channels. Quality programming is subjective, and specific channels target specific niches, so if you want be open to discovering new things and not just fall into the drone mentality you have to monitor the media stream. And let's not forget that radio and television have the greatest reach of all mediums.
karl hungus
· 1 year ago
you do realize those pre-programmed stations are CBS right?
Adam_Y
· 1 year ago
I don't agree with radio dying out... it'll change, radically for sure, but it will persist, mostly because of its very low-tech nature.
Local stations run mostly by enthusiasts mostly delivering local content will probably be the result.
My reasoning behind this, especialyy concerning the UK, is that one of the greatest audiences for radio is in-car. The internet really isn't much use to a driver, nor any of the visual media...
If anything, the internet and mp3 technology have enabled micro-stations, such as my local (Diversity FM) to operate. the low costs, the lack of need for storage space and record archives, it's all about enabling the indy broadcaster... I tried to write a post about that: http://theflowfieldunity.com/2008/07/14/power-p...
All Comments
I think there will always be an audience for quality content but, as you say, how people access that content is changing significantly.
Even ten years ago, I noticed that the advertisements on television where all for Buicks, prescription drugs, adult diapers, retirement plans, and other products and services aimed at people over 50.
These days it's worse.
Although the stereotypical person who'll lose reception in the digital TV transition is some kindly old lady, most of the old folks I know already have huge honkin' HDTVs -- except for the ones that are destitute or in nursing homes. Statistics show that the person most likely to get cut off is under 25: someone for whom television doesn't matter much.
I quit watching TV on a regular basis back in college. Today our family has a number of computers: if we want to watch something, we watch it via DVD, download or internet streaming.
-- Great Power Of Hope, Cure Dream!
My T.V was in the shop for a while and i missed the combo of T.V and internet.
Local stations run mostly by enthusiasts mostly delivering local content will probably be the result.
My reasoning behind this, especialyy concerning the UK, is that one of the greatest audiences for radio is in-car. The internet really isn't much use to a driver, nor any of the visual media...
If anything, the internet and mp3 technology have enabled micro-stations, such as my local (Diversity FM) to operate. the low costs, the lack of need for storage space and record archives, it's all about enabling the indy broadcaster... I tried to write a post about that: http://theflowfieldunity.com/2008/07/14/power-p...