What's Prime Time?
from the that's-so-last-millennium dept
Prime time TV may quickly be a thing of the past. While the rise of personal video recorders like TiVo mean time shifting shows out of prime time (or, into prime time) is playing a role, new studies are suggesting that many people are simply giving up television programming for alternatives like the internet, DVDs and video games. Broadcasters were so surprised by the severity of the numbers in one recent ratings report that they originally claimed that the data must be bad. However, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that there’s quite a large movement away from broadcast television. What the broadcasters still don’t realize is that people are beginning to realize that they want more control over their entertainment time. They don’t want to be force-fed what a producer picks. They want interactivity or they want choice – which goes against the entire broadcast mentality. In the meantime, the advertisers are realizing that this shift is happening, and thus are moving their advertising dollars to other venues such as the internet and video games.
Comments on “What's Prime Time?”
Reality TV is the reason
The networks don’t make an effort to make good quality TV programming. Therefore we don’t make an effort to watch it. I’ve got a Tivo but I’m starting to wonder if it was even worth purchasing. There is hardly anything worth recording.
Re: Reality TV is the reason
I bet that there is also a correlation between the drop in ratings and the inconsistency of the schedules. You’re really not guaranteed that the same thing will come on at the same time each week any more, so you can’t get habitual in your viewing tendencies. Also, they have shows that start at times like 9:05 and end ay 9:50, what is that? If you tune in at 9pm and your show isn’t on, you might go read a book or something, not wait until the producer decides to toss you a bone at 9:05. Television popularity is dipping because media companies are playing games with consumers, constantly trying to give less and less service for more and more money and advertising attention.
No Subject Given
They wanter it eh? Mike, I wanter you to start proof reading your web site.
Re: No Subject Given
Ahh, abuse comes in many forms. Read for content, the man is busy.
Re: No Subject Given
Oops. Thanks. Fixed.
No Subject Given
So tired. Doctor shows, seen it. Cop shows, Seen it. Lawyer shows, seen it (that takes care of the 10 o’clock time slot). Family show, seen it. Kids hanging out together show, seen it. Cut kid/puppet in straight family show, seen it. (That takes care of the 9 o’clock time slot). Same show’s they’ve been showing for the last 3 years, seen it (there goes 8 o’clock time slot). Reality shows …. I have my own life to live and would shoot myself if my own life was so uninteresting that I’d tune into some one elses … and then buy the DVD set so I could watch it again.
Think that covers Prime Time TV, 6 days a week, 3 hours a night.
Bout the only thing I’m watching these days is PBS music related documentaries. And unfortunately, a lot of the musicians they cover are old and dying.
My playstation … cobwebs growing on it. Can only frag so many bad guys. And the game engines really are getting old / repetitive. Heed to warning game world. I’m not buying Quake III, Duke Nukem III, Halo II, whatever II+.
Reading a book is back in vogue for me. I’d unplug the cable if my internet feed didn’t require me to subscribe … and my wife is still a TV zombie.
Maybe I’ll be back in a couple of years if they come up with something new … or I’ve forgotten enough of the old stuff to make it seem new again.
Re: No Subject Given
Yep, all the stuff we like is on the smaller cable net’s – WB, UPN. Down to 2 shows now that we watch, both SF or fantasy. Nothing on the big nets to care about. (How can these damn cop shows still be getting great ratings? What is this obsession with justice and crime? Criminal gets caught or doesn’t. Next.) The Sopranos was great, but with their wacky, “whenever” schedule we stopped caring. Dropped HBO completely.
The Daily Show is about the only consistent thing we watch – if we’re up that late. 2 – 3 times a week? Thankfully, the cable is still great for the kids. And my wife watches Trading Spaces, etc. on occasion, usually weekends.
But we’ve both spent more nights on the computer/internet in prime time (two systems, shared cable modem, same room) than on the couch.
Don’t get me wrong – with 300 channels, if you’re in a mood to veg there’s lots of stuff – particularly documentary or educational things – to watch.
But forget selling me a new Toyota at 8pm. They’d be better off to jam it in the middle of a Duck Dodgers episode! (Which the kids and I will agree to watch together…)