[opendtv] Re: 20050627 Mark's Monday Memo

At 8:46 PM -0400 6/27/05, Mark Schubin wrote:
>      - Reliance on broadcast TV - This graphic from a story in The 
>New York Times yesterday, indicates that about five out of eight 
>Americans got their local news from TV in 2004, a significant 
>INCREASE over 2001.  As there is very little local news on TV other 
>than broadcast, it means they are relying on local broadcasters, 
>however they get their signals.  And when falling trees take down 
>cable service and heavy rain wipes out satellite, they can get that 
>news ONLY via off-air broadcast TV.  FYI, online accounted for under 
>10% of Americans' local news:
><http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2005/06/26/business/26kansas.graphic.html>

Unfortunately, this graphic does not tell the whole story. It leaves 
out a very important competitor in the news business - broadcast 
radio.

When falling trees take down cable and power, most people turn to 
radio for local news related to the emergency that is causing the 
problem (usually weather).

And while the charts show an increase in the number of people who 
turn to TV for local news, the ratings show another story - less 
people watching the local news. Newpaper circulation, the second 
ranked source for local news is also down significantly.

Add to this the fact that the demographics for both network and local 
TV news are heavily skewed toward people older than 45, and it could 
be that TV news as we know it will expire with "The Greatest 
Generation."

There are many contributing factors, but the real take away here may 
be that in our networked world, people are less concerned and/or 
interested in local news. It is difficult to build a viable business 
model for a broadcaster when the only time people watch the station 
for news is during an emergency.

During the hurricanes that hit our area last year one broadcast 
(RADIO) group stepped up to the opportunity and took home most of the 
marbles. They operate two stations that serve this region; one is an 
FM middle of the road format with local personalities, while the 
other is an FM talker with local drive time personalities (#1 in the 
market). During the storms they combined forces, with the local 
personalities from both stations going 24/7 to cover every aspect of 
what was happening. The local TV coverage (if you could get it) paled 
by comparison.

The FM talker does more to cover local news (and politics) than 
anyone in town. Having the ability to interact with local issues 
seems to be a very different driver than leaning back while the TV 
talking heads focus on crime, accidents, and the Gators.

Regards
Craig

 
 
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