The Future of Television: from the boob tube to YouTube

Abstract

In this paper we will evaluate the strategies that the major American broadcast TV networks have adopted in order to survive in a fragmented media environment where consumers now have unprecedented power over when, where and how they consume media. The broadcast television industry and the ad industry in the United States are well aware that they are experiencing a seismic shift, and both have developed strategies to respond to the crisis. The advertising industry has struggled to transform itself, to invent new formats, and to find consumers on new platforms, while the broadcast networks have cut costs and created new revenue streams. Television networks face diminishing audiences and lower ratings, pushing them into a crisis that is having a powerful impact on content. According to our research the crisis is influencing content development mainly in four areas: Event programming, Variable-length programming, Narrative sophistication and Brand integration.