Thursday, March 26, 2009

Finally!

I have finally decided on a topic for my paper #3! It is focusing on why networks are ignoring the baby boomers when creating television shows when they seem to be the most reliable, and instead are developing their shows around the demographics of 18 to 34 year olds.

I find it interesting how much the entertainment industry is changing in this day and age. From the moment that the television set was created it has been able to captivate the world. Other than the radio it was the only way to obtain an outside source of entertainment with out leaving the house. Much has changed since the early days of television with the ability to find entertainment with many other devices that make us look like the Jetsons. With all of the other products that are available, television networks have to constantly stay on their toes to make their shows the latest and greatest, with the newest ways to stay connected. With first things first they have to decide who their important demographics are to use as their basis for their television shows.

The reason for the networks focusing on the younger, 18 to 34 year olds, is because they are faster to embrace new media like video games, the Internet, and cell phone propaganda. The advertisers are also willing to pay premium to these networks to have their products aired toward this demographic. They find them to be the ones purchasing their products and engaging in their sales. Life styles are continuously changing to allow for a more diverse group of viewers during the prime time slots, so finding that key demographic leads to the success of the television show and without it results with it being canceled. I have found out that in the 1960's demographics were focused on different strategies than age groups, the networks focus was to find the right people in general. This concept did not last long when they decided to focuse on finding the right age group that would help them to make the most money and increase their ratings. Online sites seem to be their largest source of promotion that the different networks use for their shows. The online sites that are developed allow for the young audience to find other ways to connect with the show which eventually creates loyal fans. They can engage in different ways that most likely result in longer term fans. This young demographic is a positive for both the network and advertisers, while the network makes the money from the advertisers the advertisers do in return.

My focus has changed dramatically as I watch television today. The characters problems do not seem to captivate me as much as how the networks are promoting other products through out the show and what key words the actors are saying or cars they are driving. One of the first shows that I noticed this in was "Gossip Girl". Cell phones prove to be a main prop that is used in almost every scene in the hour episode, and every time that it is referenced to the audience has the ability to take a glace at the name of the phone and wireless provider's logo, Verizon. Both of these allow for Verizon to show the "Gossip Girl" audience that the phones that are constantly being used are the new hot item that they too should have. At the end of each episode they tell the audience to log on to the CW website to check out the music that was played throughout the episode. I decided to log on and see what their site has to say to their audience, they provide them with the ability to all things related to the show, from reading postcards from the characters trips, to shopping for clothes that they wore on the show. This site has created the ability for their fans to look and act just as the characters do, and ultimately sucks them into buying in to their products. Not only does "Gossip Girl" use outside sources and product placement to connect their audience but they are also formulated to attract the demographic of the 18 to 34 year olds.

This invigorating demographic transformation keeps me enthralled as the networks continuously work on their ways to keep them connected while the demographics 50 and older are left in the dust.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

The Topoi Tactic

As the television industry is continuously changing the topic for my paper # 3 continues to as well. I used the Topoi tool to help me to brain storm my thoughts on television demographics, to figure out how I should go about writing my paper. The first Topoi tool that I used was contrast. I came up with magazines, and books, then I had to figure out television’s values. I realized that their views can be unethical at times because it is easily able to persuade people into believing certain things. It reflects a change in the way that we receive news, entertainment and way we spend our time, and how the networks structure their format for their shows. Television has affected how networks structure the format for their shows. Television has affected the way that society functions by showing how to act, and what to wear.

Next was cause and effect, this allows for the networks to have a focus on and organization for each one of their shows and how hey create and grow there audience this allows for a better understanding with the networks and what their audiences want. Change is the third step that I took in forming my thoughts. I realized that television networks have had to change the ways they create an audience, they have to develop outside sources to keep their viewers connected at all times. Throughout the years more networks have developed on cable that have created a niche market that allows them to have a focus on who is watching their shows. My final step that I took was to figure out the form/structure. I concluded that more networks are forming which creates more options for the viewers to choose what they want to watch and ultimately makes the networks work harder to attract their viewers to get the ratings. The different television shows attract different demographics, and each network also ahs different ways that they use to create strong fan bases, with websites being the most popular.

After using this tool to look at my topic more closely I have created a new approach on how to format my essay. I have decided to focus on why 18 to 34 year olds are so important on television and how are the different networks changing to create that stronger fan base.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Pageflakes

I welcome you to my TV Demographics pageflake site by clicking on the link provided. There you will find sites related to all things that involve demographics in the television industry. The first flake you will find under RSS Flakes is Flypaper.tv, this site offers stories and information on the “fast-evolving online media climate”. This site allows me to stay updated with everything that is happening in the entertainment and television industry by having the access to stories about Nielsen ratings, and the buzz that is surrounding the online world of network’s attempt at branching out their shows to different markets. Next is TRAC media services, here I am able to gain a better understanding about the public television audience, membership, trends, and community. This particular article explains why demographics are so important in television. A table of this demographic information is also given to allow for a better understanding of who is watching the most television during the day.

Below that is MediaPost News Online, this particular article explains how much the younger generations have shaped the way networks feature their television shows. It explains how many of their fans use their online sites to catch up on missed shows during the week. Along with news this site also had different blog categories and the TV Board in particular has been very helpful. WIRED blog network is next which contains news on entertainment changes and improvements. Freepress, right below WIRED, is beneficial to me as I try to understand why and how different media sources are connected. The “Big Six” link shows me all of the 6 major corporations and how they control what it is that we watch, and read.

USA Today is also another site that is more readily available to the public with information on television show’s changes and advancements. Next you will find The New York Times Media and Advertising, TV Decoder blog by a contributor to the Times. He frequently writes about different tv shows, demographic changes, and the entertainment industry. Fancast provides episodes, movies, trailers and clips from recent Hollywood events, and not to mention all of these viewings are free. Blogging on this site is also available to those that want to voice their opinions about the site and different shows that are aired here. MSN TV contains recent news on all kinds of television information from tv picks, to tv news; there’s no excuse for a popular show to go unnoticed. The final pageflake under my RSS Flakes is CNET News, this site has access to Digital Media news articles.

At the top of the right hand column is Diigo Bookmark Flake, this flake is for all of the websites that I have found interest in as I have surfed through the web. The majority of them are focused around my central topic, television demographics. Next are my Search Flakes, the Universal News Search, Universal Blog Search, and a Google search. The key words that I have used in the search bar are television demographics, this links me to all things that relate to television and the networks demographics. Below that is a Bibliography Flake that contains the Citeline site, where all of my information is for the sites that I will be using in my paper number three. The sites consist of four web articles, and two book sites. Many of the articles that I found help me to understand why the demographic age of 18 to 34 is so vital in the television industry. Their young impressionable personalities allow the networks to test out their market strategies to strengthen their numbers. One of the articles Will Hollywood Act its Age provides me with the latest technique that networks are using to provide their viewers with alternative ways to view their television shows; they are taking advantage of the Internet and cell phones. The final flake on my pageflake site is my Soulmate Flake. My assignment to find someone who has common interests as me was a challenge I overcame. Fortunately I was able to find one, his name is Matt Kramer. He and I share many common interests, with television being the major one.

My pageflake site seems that it will be extremely useful to me by allowing me to constantly be updated with changes in television. It is also easily available for others to see and navigate themselves through. Who knows maybe I’ll be able to convince more people to get involved in the world of television demographics!

Check it out!