Rather than cannibalize “old media,” some online activities can actually boost viewership. In particular, new research shows that social media can significantly increase consumers’ TV time. A majority (58%) of heavy engagers -- i.e., consumers who share related thoughts via social networks at least 10 times a week -- report watching more live TV, according to an iModerate Research Technologies study. Adam Rossow, vice president of marketing at iModerate, says there are several reasons for the synergy. “The respondents in this study consistently remarked that it makes TV more fun,” he said. There is also “the desire to keep up with the conversation” -- especially if and when someone becomes recognized as an online authority on a particular show or genre. An increasing number of viewers also "love the social interaction and frequently add shows to their viewing lineup due to social chatter,” Rossow notes. “That adds up to more time spent on social networks and more hours watching television.” Among some 150 males and females who engage in what Rossow calls “social TV” at least once a week, the emerging behavior has also made these viewers into more active consumers and influencers. To that end, one-third of respondents said their primary reason for engaging in social TV was either to give feedback to the television network or to show support for their television program. What sort of consumers are participating in social TV? iModerate found three specific types, which it groups as “The Spots Nut,” “The Extrovert” and “The Girlfriend.” Sports nuts are 25-54 males who partake in social TV primarily for “big games.” They post more than five times a week on social media and enjoy debating sports, talking trash, celebrating and venting about their teams and showing off their sports knowledge. Extroverts are 18- to-34-year-old males who have a vast network of virtual and personal friends. They make new friends online in chat rooms. By posting about social TV, they consider social friends to be “real” friends. Finally, “the girlfriend” is a 25-44 female who mainly engages in social TV while watching dramas and reality shows. According to iModerate, she relates deeply to her favorite shows and looks forward to the “girls’ night out” aspect of interacting with them through social TV. The study also found that beyond giving feedback and supporting their shows, individuals engage in social TV to be relevant and recognized, be part of a community, maintain relationships, and have virtual “hang out time” with friends.
GSN’s official description no longer uses “Game Show Network” -- and for good reason. The network is moving aggressively to offer its twists on reality TV genres that have helped networks from truTV to Spike to Food Network. In the crazy-family-business genre, GSN is developing “The Family Trade,” about a family GMC/Ford dealership in Vermont, where founder Gardner Stone is happy to trade a customer a new vehicle for something he thinks he can sell, from pigs to coffins. His son and daughter aren’t always in agreement with him about what marks a good deal, and they are left to sell what Dad has acquired. In the auction-gems category, the network is prepping “War of the Rose Sisters,” about a family of female auctioneers who sell big bucks worth of jewelry, cars, antiques, etc. Story lines come from the auction battles and competition among the sisters and one daughter. In the window-into-wacky genre comes “Crowning Glory,” which focuses on an assortment of pageants across the country that “celebrate virtually every type of subculture,” such as Miss Rodeo America and the Zombie Pin-Up. The show will follow a trio of contestants getting ready to compete all the way through the results. That’s not to say GSN isn’t looking to continue resuscitating old game-show formats or offer up new ones. Its version of “The Newlywed Game” will return for a sixth season and a new take on the “$100,000 Pyramid” is set, while comedian Jeff Foxworthy will host “The American Bible Challenge,” a trivia competition in the pilot stage where victors will donate winnings to faith-based organizations. It’s also hard for networks to avoid food -- and GSN has given the green light to “Beat the Chefs,” where regular folks put prized family recipes to the test in competition against professional chefs with expert food critics as judges. GSN, which is in 75 million homes, made its announcements Wednesday to stir up interest in another sort of auction: its upfront market. The programming is the first slate developed under new programming chief Amy Introcaso-Davis, who stated that GSN sees “an opportunity to expand our brand promise by broadening the definition of television games to include a variety of programming that stays true to our core attributes: the excitement and fun of winning, entertainment for the whole family and viewer engagement.”
CIMM is taking a pro-active role in advancing new media nomenclature and processes with both its Lexicon(terms and definitions associated with return-path data measurement) and Asset Identification Primer (glossary of asset terms). These documents form the basis of this column, which offers a common language for RPD nomenclature that can expedite the rollout of the data for its many industry applications. As with last week’s column on Average Frequency (Return-Path Data Lexicon: 'Average' Frequency Metrics), we examine the definitions of Frequency’s companion metric, Average Reach. Interestingly, while Average Frequency definitions include interactivity components, so far the various definitions of Reach tend to remain television-centric. This might be because it is much harder to measure unique, unduplicated usage across platforms. Average Item Reach (%)See also: Reach & Frequency CIMM DEFINITION: Total unduplicated reach of a single item (e.g., a channel program spot or version) for a specific time period based on the underlying data. (Source: Kantar Media Audiences) Average Item Reach (in thousands)See also: Reach & Frequency CIMM DEFINITION: Total unduplicated reach of a single item (e.g. channel, program, spot or version) for a specified time period. (Source: Kantar Media Audiences) Average Monthly Reach (%)See also: Reach & Frequency CIMM DEFINITION:T he average monthly number of unduplicated homes or impressions reached expressed as a percentage of the measured universe. (Source: Kantar Media Audiences) 2: The average of the monthly number of unduplicated impressions expressed as a percentage of the measured universe based a tuning minimum of 6 minutes. (Source: Nielsen) Average Monthly Reach (in thousands)See also: Reach & Frequency CIMM DEFINITION: The average of the monthly number of unduplicated homes or impressions reached in thousands. 2: The average of the monthly number of unduplicated impressions based a tuning minimum of 6 minutes. (Source: Nielsen) Average Weekly Reach (%)See also: Reach & Frequency CIMM DEFINITION: The average of the weekly number of unduplicated impressions expressed as a percentage of the measured universe. (Source: Kantar Media Audiences) Average Weekly Reach (in thousands)See also: Reach & Frequency CIMM DEFINITION: The average of the weekly number of unduplicated impressions. (Source: Kantar Media Audiences Please refer to the CIMM Lexicon online at http://www.cimm-us.org/lexicon.htm for additional information on these and other terms.
Layoffs aren’t happy affairs, but given the increasingly fickle nature of journalism, entertainment and even media agency positions, comings and goings can be a fact of life. The Oprah Winfrey Network recently laid off 30 staffers after cancelling Rosie O’Donnell’s low-rated series. The Los Angeles Times says it will cut more staffers – anywhere between 12 and 20, mostly editorial, positions. These are two different types of companies: One is newer media, the other is definitely older. OWN’s decision was that the “economics of starting a cable network didn’t fit OWN’s cost structure.” The history of startup troubles at OWN are well documented, as is the recent history of layoffs at the Los Angeles Times. The employment world of the communications industries would seem to be in flux. Until recently, one wouldn’t imagine that jobs in cable TV -- a business that continues to see overall growth -- would be in danger. But with newer digital industries afoot, everything is changing Take mobile. During February, more than 19,000 new U.S. jobs were filed for the likes of mobile developers --- up 82% from February 2011. The news could be good for older men: Some of those mobile developers can be found working for entertainment companies or news organizations Bigtime media mergers can put a ding in employment, as when Comcast’s takeover of NBCUniversal forced some departures. Right now, the U.S. unemployment rate is still over 8%, but the under-employment rate is probably still in the mid-teens. That’s not good. Say all you want about information industries versus older construction and manufacturing businesses. Information industries seemed to have better growth potential, but there always seems to be some rough road ahead.