[opendtv] Re: 20050627 Mark's Monday Memo
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, tvmark@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 06:26:22 -0400
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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