The Introduction chapter to “The Television Will Be Revolutionized” sets the stage for an instance in industrial foresight, first by explaining the history of television and second by making note of changes we are presently experiencing due to innovations in hardware and technology. This was an exciting chapter to read because most things Lotz claimed seemed to be true to me. The history element of this set-up was mostly repeated information from Mittell’s “Exchanging Programming”. It went over the Network Era, the Multi-Channel Era, and the Post-Network Era.
The Network Era was the first stage of television that lasted until the mid-1980′s and was characterized by the control held by networks in the times in which programs could be viewed (linear). The networks also held power because there were only three competitors (ABS, CBS, NBC) and each competitor had affiliates all over the nation who would broadcast their programming.
If only we could watch Andy Griffith right now. I guess we’ll watch this I Love Lucy rerun first.
The Multi-Channel Era was the second era that lasted from the mid 1980′s until the mid 2000′s. This era was characterized by the technological innovation of cable and satellite transmitters that allowed for new channels to emerge and succeed due to the distributors reaching a national audience. This took power away from networks and made television programming less “safe” and more aimed at niche audiences.
Watch out, TV isn’t just for you crusty straight white families anymore!
The era we currently exist in is somewhere in-between the Multi-Channel Era and an era defined by the dominance of user-determined time frames of media consumption. The technologies that Lotz makes note of are not adopted by the majority however, so this era is considered transitory from the Multi-Channel Era into something else characterized by the majority use of user-determined media consumption time frames. I liked how Lotz made sure to state that this era, the Post-Network Era, is transitory because I absolutely agree. Due to generational differences, distributors must accommodate both the tech-savvy youth and the old dogs who aren’t going to learn any new tricks. As new technology is being adopted (smart phones, tablets, Netflix, Hulu, etc.), the future of media consumption is apparent; television will see an end in popularity of prime-time in lieu of user-determined viewing schedules.
Screw off, TV execs! I’m the boss now.
Questions:
1: With the options of fast-forwards, rewinds, and pauses, what kid of advertising can we expect to dominate the future era? I expect to see more snipes (YouTube seems to have adopted it).
2: I wonder how remote controls will change as technology changes. If the cable/satellite become obsolete, maybe we will see something more similar to an XBox controller. I anticipate the number pad on remotes to disappear. Maybe the WiiU will lead the remote control change to include its own screen where a user may live tweet from their remote control and thus build stronger TV audience community and promote “viewsing”.
3: Websites have been broadcasters for awhile now (Homestar Runner- gotta reference it again). What can we expect in the media industry as far as independent productions? I think the shift in eras will be great for independent producers who are willing to entertain niche audiences. This might make the entertainment industry more appealing to entrepreneurs instead of the make-it-or-break-it structure that is in place.
4: Random question: What is fin-syn? I saw it referenced in Table 1
You believe “television will see an end in popularity of prime-time in lieu of user-determined viewing schedules”. I’m slightly iffy about this. Most people I know don’t want to wait to watch their shows. They watch a new episode of a prime-time show during the assigned time-slot unless a conflict occurs. You make a valid point regarding the viewers decided when to watch. The Wii-U is not too different from a Kindle or iPad or any tablet device really. The main difference is that is connects to the Wii. I do not see remotes going that large scale, however, manufacturers are bound to make them at some point. They are already trying http://cnet.co/WcQEyN.
Lotz addressed the advertising as product placement in the programming. Have you noticed how many Apple products have made there way to almost every home and office on television? Almost every show I watch has product placement.
Good point. I just think that the “prime time” might be broadcasted over the internet in addition to the television in the future. I believe the internet version will be more successful too. For example, I don’t get the Logo channel on campus, but I can stream their shows online. If they make the shows available online at the same time as they are aired on TV, there is no reason for people to pay for premium cable when they can just use their internet service.
Also, my dad has a remote like that kind of! It isn’t very good though. How cool would it be if we cold use our phones/tablets as TV remotes? It doesn’t seem too farfetched.
I agree that product placement has become more popular. Even music videos use it! Plenty of Fish (dating website) used product placement in Til The World End (Britney Spears), Telephone (Lady Gaga), and We R Who We R (Kesha). Telephone itself uses product placement to a campy degree and i love it! I just noticed that when I see snipes on TV, it is almost always advertising for a show coming on later in the day. What if TV snipes advertised Dove soap like on YouTube?
Great post Brian, in regards to question 3, I think we will begin to see more independent online TV programs. Popular online programs such as Homestar Runner and Red vs. Blue have been around for awhile now and have been quite successful. With Netflix releasing ‘House of Cards’ I think we are going to see grudging acceptance/embracing on the part of studios, networks, and advertisers, which will in turn allow for broader content.
In response to your comment about controlling your tv with your tablet or phone Brian, I don’t know about all of the cable providers but for Dish Network (the provider I have) does in fact have an app that you can download for free that allows you to control your box from anywhere. One of the biggest things that they promote with it is if you forget to set your favorite show to record and you are away from home you can just use the app to set it to record. Its really cool, I just don’t know if direct tv, or cable one, or any others have it too.