[opendtv] Re: Warner Bros. Television Group to launch TheWB.com
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:46:55 -0400
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> WB has had limited successes in the "Network TV" business. They
> have had a few shows that were a big success with their target
> demographics, however, like the big four commercial networks,
> they have had a hard time getting viewers to stick with the
> network after watching the show that they were attracted to.
Shows like Buffy, The OC, and Veronica Mars were very popular. However,
in the day of PVRs and remote controls, I continue to be baffled by the
notion that *any* network executive might think his network is any
different from what you describe here wrt WB. Honestly, this must be a
case of self-delusion on their part.
The is no "loyalty" to a network. People look for content from whatever
network offers it. The idea that someone would tune to a channel for an
entire evening, and be too lazy to get up and switch the channel, has
been a pipe dream for decades.
> The target demographics for WB are right in the sweet spot for
> the Gen Y crowd, young folks who are more than willing to pull
> content from the net, rather than making appointments to watch
> shows on broadcast TV or cable.
Or TiVo or other PVRs, Craig. The way MVPDs are pushing their
proprietary PVRs on their subscribers, there's hardly any reason to go
navigate through the web to download the content.
> But there is something far more important going on here.
> Something that all of the networks want, but are struggling to
> make happen. That is the ability to build communities around
> popular programs and to actually know who is watching. When
> viewers are willing to participate in the community there are
> many collateral benefits:
I understand their perspective. But what you seem to miss here, Craig,
is that many people will resist these efforts, just as many people
resist filling out forms on the web in order to see the information they
are after. The networks may like to lasso their viewers, but the viewers
will find other ways to retrieve that content without having to get
hooked, badgered, hammered with ads and promotions, spammed to death.
Game shows, where the viewer might *want* the interaction, are a
different matter. Having interaction forced on you will not work. So
networks will have to do a balancing act, or risk losing audience share.
It's really very simple. If one network tries to ensnare its viewers at
every turn, and another network does not, the latter will win out in the
end.
Bert
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