Free Republic

” WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT. “

I beg to differ....

For a variety of reasons - geographical and financial - I’ve been getting all of my entertainment TV experience through Hulu, and, to a lesser extent, Fancast... (FoxNews I can get ‘live streaming’ via TVPC and BLINKO)

My issue with Hulu and Fancast is the lack of predictability — I remember back to the days when I did have traditional TV available, and I knew that I could catch, say, NCIS at 8:00 Tuesday evening.. With the online providers, they may post the latest episode on any day, or, in a disconcerting number of cases, not at all....

Maybe I’m spoiled, but I think it’s much more convenient to ‘check the TV guide’, than to run a nightly search to see which, of any, of the programs might be updated and available....

Ues, but they can also tie their commercials to specific shows, and get the exact demographic they want, no matter when the shows are viewd. Personally, there have been a significant number of shows, that I Likely would never have becone a fan of, as they premiered up against returning favorites of mine, during the last couple of premier seasons., because I watched them online, in my own good time. I watched them, and I watched all their sponsors commercials, that I never would have watched, if my only way to watch them was on a regular broadcast schedule.

I think it woulkd be an interesting experiment, if for a month. a Regular broadcast news program were to try the Online ad method, and do only 3o second ad breaks for only a couple of advertizers, actually increasing the amount of news program time in the block, and see what vieweers had to say about the show, and about the ads.

I’m fixing to leave in a few minutes, but when I get back this evening, I’ll see if I can dig up some numbers. I understand what you’re saying about how many viewers miss the ads on regular TV for bathroom, food, etc breaks.

Think of this though. The REAL change is if TV is watched via the internet, you watch WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT.

With regular TV, it’s the other way ‘round. THEY dictate what and when.

A huge change.

I’’m just not sure about that data. Here’s my reasoning:

We all have been conditioned since birth, to the regular 2 to 4 minute commercial broadcast TV breaks. And I am quite sure that Most people do whay I do, and use them for bathroom breaks , to snag a drink, or even to make a quick sandwich and grab the bag of chips, and have learned how to time themselves to get back to the room they are watching TV in, within that time frame. And that means that many people usually onlty catch the first few seconds of the first commercial, and the last half of the lasxt commercial in the break. Whereas with the inline ads usually only being 15 to 40 seconds long...heck you have to be a track runner to even be able to snag a pop out of the frige in time to get back before your program restarts. And you can forget *that8 if you have to pour your beverage from a larger container. It just works out easier, to pay attention to the com mmercial, and then pause it when the program restars to dfo what you need to do.

I think online watchers pay a lot more attention to the ads they see than the ones on braodcast TV, with thheir viewers actually out of the room for most of the commercial breaks. If they aren’t seeing bang for their buck, I fauylt the data collection metythod, or their ads as not being properly adjusted to the new market place, and shorter ads that zing their watchers.

When AOL and TimeWarner merged one pundit described it as “two decrepit old companies joining hands to flee into the future”. This Comcast/NBC merger is pretty much the same. Nothing will come of it.

Can’t put my hands on the numbers right now, but the issue is online ads don’t bring in near the cash that regular TV ads do for similar length ads. It’s a huge gap - nowhere enough money to fund the huge TV infrastructure that has been constructed over the past 60 years.

I don’t buy this hysteria at all. I watch both DirecTV and a large percentage of programs from netwotrk sites and places like Hulu. They mostly all have ads in them, and for the most part I don’t mind them. They are usually shorter than “regular” channels breaks, and if it keeps the content “free” ...well, we’ve all been conditioned to it. I probably pay more attention to the online ads, specifically, because they are shorter, and go back to the show so quickly, that it is better to watch the ads, and then pause the prg, to go to the bathroom or get a drink/sandwich. They are doing a bit of a chicken Little in my mind. Sure, more and more people are watching shows online, but it’s not like they can’t get eyeballs for their sponsors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/business/media/04paper.html?ref=business
Some Dallas Editors Will Report to Ad Sales

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/business/media/04nbc.html?ref=business
G.E. Makes It Official: NBC Will Go to Comcast

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/business/media/04mag.html?ref=business
National Geographic Adventure Magazine Folds

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107104574573723762400050.html
NBC in Hand, Comcast Now Faces New Hurdles

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/
The man who may supersize non-profit news

http://www.dankennedy.net/
Coakley gets it wrong on shield law

http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/12/feinstein-and-durbin-seeking-to-narrow-shield-laws-scope/
Feinstein and Durbin seeking to narrow shield law’s scope

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/429328-Comcast_NBCU_Copps_Says_Deal_Has_Steep_Climb_.php
Comcast-NBCU: Copps Says Deal Has ‘Steep Climb’
Commissioner has questions on prices, diversity and net neutrality

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/432766-Comcast_NBCU_House_Judiciary_To_Hold_Hearings.php
Comcast-NBCU: House Judiciary To Hold Hearings
Joins House Energy & Commerce Committee in holding hearings on the acquisition

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/425174-FCC_Requests_Information_on_How_Set_Top_Boxes_Can_Spur_Internet_Viewing.php
FCC Requests Information on How Set-Top Boxes Can Spur Internet Viewing
Commission believes set-top innovations can help with broadband adoption

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/agency/e3i6328aaffeb014c13ee923aceec35b486
NBC-Comcast Pact Faces Regulatory Hurdles
The Free Press and Consumer Federation of America argue that the union poses a threat to competition

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=140840
Online Ad Industry: Advertising Is ‘Creepy’

ping

Walter Abbott, (b. 1950), Media observer, blogger and commentator