By Debbie Mitchell
With the 2012 TV Upfronts behind us, television is gearing up for the the Fall season. If you missed my post last week, the Upfronts is a week long meet and greet for broadcasters and advertisers. This is a chance for the networks to show off their fall show lineup to the people who are paying big dollars for airtime. As I mentioned in the post, Networks Battle For Advertising $$$$$, each year the week long event and parties get bigger and more expensive (except a few years ago when the economy was way down) as networks try to impress advertisers with shows they hope will attract an audience.
But the reality is, television is losing it's audience in big numbers ; losing it to the Internet. People now have another way to watch what they want, when they want, where they want and it is online. Technology is changing the media both behind and in front of the camera. Behind the scenes, networks no longer need a producer, cameraman and audio person to get a story on the air. All it takes now is a "digital journalist" or a producer with a hand held camera to shoot and a computer to edit their stories. Today, viewers don't change their plans or race home to watch a show live anymore, instead they record on DVR or watch it online when they have the time.
As of 2010, it's reported that 26 percent of US consumers watch TV programming online more than once a week. That's a lot of online viewers, enough for companies like Hulu, Netflix and now YouTube to invest in developing original programming. But some may ask, who is actually watching programming online? Well it turns out that a May 2011 poll by Adweek revealed "that the younger demographics are more likely to watch TV online than their elders. A whopping 77% of younger people watch television on the Internet, with 64% of the 55+ demographic tuning in online. The 55+ crowd had the lowest percentage for any demographics, but 64% is still a majority."
This younger generation just wants to be entertained and they don't care what platform they get it, on the computer, mobile device or tablet. In the recent CNBC—Stay Tuned: The Future of TV special, one expert said, "There is a changing of the guard with each generation. Kids today don't differentiate between television and shows on the web. To them it's all entertainment." With this in mind, YouTube has made a $100 million dollar investment in 100 YouTube channels. YouTube is one of many companies moving in this direction. Take a look at inside some of the other big names creating original content channels online. From Disney to new production houses, companies are taking advantage of the sea change in viewing patterns and expanding their brands on the Web.
And while it might be clear to some in the industry that it's time to jump on the online bandwagon, others are still slow to catch on. In his article, published over the weekend Why Are TV Networks Still Discounting The Value Of An Online Audience? Josh Feldman looks at the TV networks resistance to embrace the internet. In his piece, Feldman refers to a conference last month run by the National Association of Broadcasters where Digitas executive Ashley Swartz spoke on the topic. Swartz claimed that since advertisers continue to spend the majority of their budget on traditional TV, networks are not motivated to change their routine. Swartz went on to say that “The misperception needs to get thrown out that [the online] audience is less valuable.”
Now that I am on the outside of the network and working in the midst of the social media change, I can see the shift very clearly. At one of last week's Internet in New York City food blogger conferences a panelist asked fellow bloggers "why do you think more bloggers aren't featured on television"? As a veteran television producer I raised my hand to answer the question, but time was up, and I never had the chance to answer it. The answer is, I don't think anyone in television even realizes how influential and impactful bloggers have become online. It's going to take the next generation of executives who have grown up with bloggers, social media and viewing media online to completely change the landscape of how we get our information and who gives it to us. Which leads me to believe that the week long and expensive UpFront parties will eventually become a thing of the past.
TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is an Emmy nominated producer who is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards Committee. If you are a brand interested in blogger outreach campaigns, a blogger or personality interested in television placement follow Debbie Mitchell @TVProducerDeb or contact TheBloggerConnection.com.
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