Is conventional television in trouble in Canada?
CTV's conventional television operations expect to lose $100 million. I understand that CanWest Global is also facing a bleak year. If the world is changing, leaving the conventional television world behind, what is it changing to? Here at Anchovy World Headquarters, I think we are hopelessly out of touch with the cutting edge of television technology. We still use rabbit ears, and I guess we'll hold out until the bitter end, when digital signals make it impossible for us to pick up any channels on our ancient 13" television. We're so far behind the times, I can't even define the terms. I've heard people say, "I pvr-ed such and such last night". What's that all about? I don't understand terms like hd and blue ray, and the difference between all the different types of big screen units. We're happy enough watching on our crappola little screen.
That isn't to say we don't like television. We watch our share, although we prefer to watch television series on DVD. Over the past year or so, we've watched shows like The Wire, Homocide Life on the Street, The Closer, Cracker, and Prime Suspect.
Is the problem the networks are having because advertisers are putting their money elsewhere, or is it because times are tough and they are simply not advertising?
Fill me in please.
3 comments:
I'm not sure exactly where the problem lies either. I would suspect that it's a combination of the factors that you mentioned.
For the record, I don't know how the heck a pvr works either.
I haven't got a clue, either. I'm just worried some of my favourite shows are no longer going to be available to me.
Isn't Prime Suspect THE BEST? Man, I could watch that over and over and over again! I love Helen Mirren!
A pvr or dvr works just like a vcr...only it doesn't rely on tapes to record programs. It records the programs digitally in a box connected to one's tv set...and because it's digital you can record two programs at a time...and many hours of tv programming. If you have a cable tv subscription this is a worthwhile feature.
One of the reasons ctv and canwest suffer is because they can't afford to continue buying programs made in other countries, especially USA. The tv show LOST and Law and Order have probably been the bread and butter for ctv the last five years.
Consummers are renting v seasons instead of watching tv in a conventional manner.
Why should advertisers pay for tv spots if people aren't watching tv live...but renting the programs...and /or fast forwarding the commercials (on video tapes or digital recordings)?
People have several options for watching programs AND commercials on websites or video website like YouTube...so advertising has changed its conventional approaches too. Sometimes ads are featuring "character profiles" of beloved tv shows.
Tv has been in trouble for decades in Canada...where cbc and ctv try to create and support local writers and actors...but the quality of writing overall has so massively improved that people are watching international programs and US networks have created some really really good programs...but it's too expensive to buy them.
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