Is it a surprise that the big television networks are seeing a decrease in ratings? A Financial Post article describes how broadcasting stations such as Canwest Global and CTV are seeing a drop of viewers in their primetime slots weekdays from 8pm – 11pm. I don’t believe these new numbers should be a shock for anyone in the television industry. There is a very simple explanation for a drop in ratings – viewers hate watching commercials. Commercials are annoying to watch repeatedly and naturally, people prefer to watch an hour long program in forty-five minutes commercial free. Consumers now have multiple substitutes of watching their favourite shows without commercial. Most people have the ability to PVR shows and fast forward through advertisements. Those that don’t own a PVR can simply find their show on the Internet for free and indulge in the latest shows. Consumers also have the option to purchase an entire series of their favourite shows after the season is over. With all of these options, consumers can spend their evenings working, with their family, or watching other shows. They don’t need to worry about missing that new episode because they can find an alternate mean to watch it.
Michael Bean – COMM 101
Just another UBC Blogs site
Michael Bean, I very much agree with you. Especially with the rise of the internet “consumers now have… [lots of ways] of watching their favorite shows” (Bean, Michael. “Where Have TV Viewers Gone?” Web log post. Michael Bean – COMM 101. WordPress, 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. .) other than using a television. The above speaks, thus, the fact of why the number of TV viewers has gone down. Another interesting fact that I would like to point out here, to emphasize even more on the magnitude of the digital and internet shift, is that, interestingly, even the biggest newspaper publishing company in Canada, Postmedia Network Inc., is trying very hard to switch to digital. Early November 2011 Postmedia restructured its executives in hope for a faster to the digital media enterprise (Krashinsky, Susan. “Postmedia Puts Focus on Digital with Management Shuffle.” Globe and Mail. GlobeandMail.com, 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/postmedia-puts-focus-on-digital-with-management-shuffle/article2229287/). This further more elaborates on the magnitude of affects the digital age has brought to the contemporary world. It is changing our means of living, getting information, and everything in between.