Posted on 11/19/2006 8:53:37 PM PST by Snickering Hound
NEW YORK — Americans born between 1946 and 1964 are accustomed to being catered to, but that's not the case with much of television today. Now there's some new evidence that they're finding this mighty irritating.
A study conducted by Harris Interactive suggests that the television industry's obsession with youth is backfiring.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they believe that most TV programming and advertising is targeted toward people under 40, the survey said. More than 80 percent of adults over 40 say they have a hard time finding TV shows that reflect their lives.
A significant number of baby boomers — 37 percent — say they aren't happy with what's on television, according to the study.
"The amount of people dissatisfied with television overall was a pretty big eye-opening thing for us," said Larry Jones, president of the TV Land cable network, which commissioned the study.
To a certain extent, the generation that decades ago warned against trusting people over 30 can blame itself for the predicament. The TV industry's slavish devotion to ratings within the 18-to-49-year-old demographic started when most baby boomers fit into that group.
The theory among advertisers is that it's important to reach young people as their preferences are forming — get them hooked on a certain toothpaste or soda early and they'll be hooked for life. Advertisers will pay a premium for young viewers: $335 for every thousand people in the 18-to-24 age range that a network delivers, for example. Viewers aged 55-to-64 are worth only $119 for every thousand, according to Nielsen Media Research.
That's why ABC and NBC conduct all of their business with advertisers in the 18-to-49 demo. From a financial standpoint, if you're 50 or over, you mean nothing to those networks' executives. For Fox, the CW, MTV, BET and countless other networks, even 40 is too old.
The peak year for births within the baby boom, Jones noted, was 1957 — meaning all those people are turning 49 this year.
Much of the television industry isn't aging with them.
"They've just never changed or haven't realized that the population has moved on," said Randy Berkowitz, vice president of research for Combe Inc., which makes health products and beauty aids.
Berkowitz believes that "people are just not in tune with TV because they can't relate to it anymore."
Jones, who's 46, said he wants to come home at night and see an entertainment program that appeals to his sensibilities. Some people may find Paris Hilton funny on "The Simple Life," for example — not him.
To a surprising extent, advertising is also alienating. The Harris Interactive study found that half of baby boomers say they tune out commercials that are clearly aimed at young people. An additional one-third said they'd go out of their way NOT to buy such a product.
"I'm not saying that every show, every network should reshape, but that's an awfully high level of dissatisfaction among the largest generation group of all time," said Ken Dychtwald, a psychologist who worked with Harris Interactive on the study. (Harris conducted an online survey of 4,220 adults between April 28-May 15 this year, with a sampling error of plus or minus 1.5 percent).
Some advertisers have responded to the aging population. Financial services firms, for example, see many potential customers advancing toward retirement. Two decades ago drug companies didn't advertise on TV; now you could fill a medicine cabinet with all the products hawked on the evening news.
But these were cases where the companies making these products saw the opportunity, not necessarily the TV industry, Berkowitz said.
TV Land's Jones is already using the survey in his business. The results have convinced him that, more than ever, his network of mostly classic TV shows should be boomer-centric, he said. He also comes armed with the survey when he meets with the Madison Avenue types who buy advertising time.
One statistic he's sure to cite: The survey found 51 percent of the postwar generation describe themselves as "open to new ideas." Meanwhile, only 12 percent of young adults think the older folks feel that way.
Why does that matter? Jones said the average media buyer or planner is under 30. Many are undoubtedly hired for their know-how in appealing to a specific generation, and it isn't the baby boomers.
"There is this huge perception versus reality situation in the marketplace," he said.
Jones is pushing the idea of a "middlescence," about 40-to-59-year-olds who don't feel young anymore but don't feel old, and have plenty of discretionary income.
With the continued carving of the television audience into smaller slices because of all the networks on the air, the chance for advertisers to reach particular niches increases, said Evan Shapiro, who had his own marketing firm and is now head of the Independent Film Channel. Shapiro, 37, doesn't buy the idea that there's nothing on TV for older viewers.
"If you are a 50-year-old male or female, there is an enormous amount of television for you," he said. "It's just not on all the places that it used to be."
Still, Shapiro said he senses that marketers are slowly waking up to the potential in older TV viewers.
But by the time it happens, the children of the baby boomers will be the focus, making their parents even more irrelevant in television's eyes, he said.
ROME was the best TV show, ever. I can't wait for the second season. However, I couldn't watch the show with my wife, because she'd boot me from the room for knowing the fate of all the characters.
Mrs. Melas says it's time that you discovered Macy's where you can get clothes that are more flattering on adults than teenagers.
Sorry man, I don't get the attraction. The Unit is about as entertaining as a root canal, only my dentist is a better actor. Nice concept, lousy delivery.
There is one thing that I think the advertisers are missing:
It is my experience with my peers that our generation is far more likely to have strong product or company loyalty than the younger persons.
Discussed this with 2 other ladies a week ago, and I have bought the same undies brand for over 35 years. Appliance and furniture doesn't get replaced often, but clothes wear out, no matter how carefully one buys.
I won't change from At&T because the new "phone companies" are basically piggybacking on the infrastructure that Bell and AT&T built. I am product loyal in a wide range of categories. Autos & trucks and gas , oil, tires and maintenance items for same. Food items, from literally soup to nuts. Non-food items used in running the household, along with OTC medical items.
It's alot like finding an author who keeps my interest thru a book. I seek out that author again and again.
Not respecting my purchasing power now after 30+ years of loyalty isn't very smart.
But then, the "executives" making these decisions are mostly under 40, also. They don't even understand the application of the word loyalty.
TV programming stinks. If it weren't for a few sports games, 24,FOX, and a handful of history channel shows, I wouldn't even own a TV
You and I think alike!
Thank God for the History Channel.
I have Directv and am always surfing - can't believe I pay for this etc. So then I look at PPV movies and what's on Starz, HBO etc. - still nothing I want to watch.
The only things I want to watch on satellite are HGTV, football, CMT and rarely RFD. The only shows I tape are Jeopardy, House, and Friday Night Lights - all are over the air.
I did watch the last 3-4 weeks of DWTS to see how Emmitt was doing and was surprised at the quality of the dancing near the end of the series - outstanding. Clips from earlier in the series showed most couples mailing it in, but that's why they were eliminated.
The other night a Neilsen interviewer called and wanted my opinion on tv (he said he was from Neilsen - he was brusque, eating chips or something noisy).
I was never given a "none of the above" option but had to pick my favorite channels etc. - I tape from 3 different networks so that was difficult at best. Anyway this type of thing went on for 6-7 minutes and I finally told him it was taking too long and I did NOT care enough about tv to go through this because I would rather surf the net, read, work on my photography or talk to friends/family on the phone - all before watching tv.
There is a particular demographic in their commercials thats always the chump loser. Always.
"Screw TV. What about radio? I live in a sizeable market and there is not a single 'Oldies' format FM station here. I'm not a Boomer myself (Gen-X, born in '75) but I like the music of the '60s better than anything else available.
There used to be a series on the radio in KC, late nights on Friday and Satuday nights, called "When Radio Was," and they'd run the old radio comedies and serials. They were GREAT!"
Better yet, get an XM Radio, they have a great 60's channel.
"I have Directv and am always surfing - can't believe I pay for this etc. So then I look at PPV movies and what's on Starz, HBO etc. - still nothing I want to watch. "
I do too, and I've found the same situation. What do I do? Turn it off. It's just TV.
Of course, I tend to not watch channels with commercials, except Discovery, Science, History, and Comedy Central. I hate being yelled at every 5 minutes to buy crap I don't want or need, and I resent the way corporate America sells us stuff now, it's either a guilt trip or it's manipulation of the basest sort. I also find the "kids" and "baby" commercials to be cloying and insufferable, I can't wait for this culture to get over it's children obsession.
I opted out of the consumer society/rat race a couple of years ago, and I learned that commercial TV is the syringe for the drug, where people mainline their addictions.
The best feature of my TV is the "off" button.
I thought the whole point of make believe was so that it didn't reflect your life. Why would you want to watch something that mirrors reality? When I watch TV, it's because I want to be entertained and get lost in a fantasy, not because I want to watch my day get replayed.
Everybody loves Raymond except me - I think he's a moron.
House is a self-proclaimed atheist and acts like one. THe only thing on network TV worth watching is 24 on Fox.
Grey's Anatomy is a cheap copy of Sex in the City. The same lisping narration by the same over-sexed tired old actress leads smarmy soft-core porn story lines that teen age girls love to watch.
Brother Cavil (Dean Stockwell) is the most interesting Cylon of all save for Caprica 6.
No, I'm sorry to say that I missed it. When I was a boy, my heroes were my father adn James Arness. They were about the same size. But to me, the were 10 feet tall.
No, I'm sorry to say that I missed it. When I was a boy, my heroes were my father adn James Arness. They were about the same size. But to me, the were 10 feet tall.
Ah! Well, my daughter is 25. By your description, if she was a teen, I probably wouldn't allow her to watch it.
This just in: Boomers continue to want the entire world's resources to be directed towards their whims. Me me me me me me me me me.
(The above is a generalization only and is not directed at any particular individuals, especially FReepers. It's mostly the other crowd that exhibits this behavior anyway.)
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