Welcome to the blog of Dr. Lisa Burns' Media Studies senior capstone class (Section B) at Quinnipiac University. If you're looking for the latest on media industry trends and insightful media analysis, you've come to the right place.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Lifestyle & Niche Media Blog 3, Question 1 (Feb. 21st)
What is the appeal of lifestyle and
niche cable TV channels and/or programming? How are these channels/programs
managing to retain viewers in the SVOD era? Limit: 7 responses
Cable channels are scrambling to stay relevant as many people are beginning to cut the cord or are cordless in the first place. Providers are experimenting with new ways to bring in an audience and some that are doing this well include HGTV and Discovery Channel. HGTV had a “good” 2016 being ranked the 3rd most watched according to Gerry Smith’s article “HGTV Will Never Upset You: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016.” The reason I say “good” is because like most cable networks they are still losing an alarming number of viewers. However what is making this network more successful then a CNN, which garners a lot of buzz from the news. The answer seems to lie within the “escapist appeal of looking at other people’s beautiful homes” (Smith 1). People feel comfortable when they watch this channel and the harsh reality of the news of the past year has been too much to handle. Thus those looking for a way to stick their heads in the cloud can turn on anyone of HGTV’s handful of similar feel good programming. This is also a profitable model as many advertisers have targeted HGTV, since the average viewer is usually decently wealthy. The home-improvement model of the channel warrants “commercial time and on-air graphics that urge viewers to “shop this look” on the company’s website” (Smith 1). It is an incredibly efficient television model that advertisers are happy to be a part of.
However there are other ways for cable channels to survive in the SVOD era. Discovery Channel has been doing well for itself as it has aligned with the media trends and decided to focus on their SVOD growth. Discovery’s CEO David Zaslay has decided to focus on reaching niche markets through the release of content on Amazon and other SVODs. Zaslay talks of the advantages of such a strategy by explaining, “In niche categories where we have a dominant consumer and brand advantage… we see huge potential to expand these genres on and off the traditional TV screen” (Lafayette 1). They are creating content with the niche market in mind before creation. They are not hoping that people stumble upon this niche material; instead they are using SVOD to bring the content to the audience first. This proactive approach is what cable has to do in order to stay relevant. Finally another strategy of the niche cable channels is to accept a lot of new original television. Writers are becoming the new kings of content as “ultimately, the hunger for richly detailed characters and robust plot development benefits writers, because ideas have to start somewhere” (Stelter 1). This is why there is a lot of original programming on channels such as VH1. They are slowing trying to diversify from the reality show model, because there is a huge interest in original programming in todays media landscape. Also the threat of losing hit shows to Netflix has made some cable networks hesitant about refusing to try out new shows. The world of cable is a confusing one, but there is hope for survival. Proactive networks are the ones that will survive the upcoming years of media upheaval.
Work Cited Lafayette, Jon. "Discovery Puts Numbers on Direct-to-Consumer Business." Discovery Puts Numbers on Direct-to-Consumer Business | Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcastingcable.com, 15 Feb. 2017. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
Smith, Gerry. "HGTV Will Never Upset You: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016."Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 28 Dec. 2016. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
Stelter, Brian. "In Cable Niches, Less Reality and More Original Shows." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 May 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
Some of you might start asking yourselves what is the major appeal or the lifestyle and niche cable TV channels and programming? I would say that either they are good to watch if you have nothing better to do and it’s a lazy Sunday, or if you are doing something and you just have it on in the background because it’s one of those types of channels and shows where you don’t really need to pay attention to see the ending or to follow what’s going on. I know that I do this all the time when I am doing work for my job or something else where I just like listening in the background. Nikki Justice was someone who at first thought like most people and never really expected herself to be a fan of one of these niche programs but ended up finding herself enjoying it and tuning in each week to watch these shows. (Smith, 2016) To me this is how these niche shows are surviving and maintaining viewers in the SVOD era.
This is what lifestyle and niche shows need to do to stay on track and keep up viewership is to keep pumping out these shows that can be used as background noise, or just something to tune into keep it on in the background until the end of the show, because it doesn’t matter if they are really watching the show or not the TV channel and program are still getting the viewers and money so both sides win and that is what is key in this era and for these types of channels to stay alive in the SVOD era. Another smart thing that these niche channels are doing is putting their shows on the SVOD sites and making a profit off of them. One of the first ones to start doing this is the Discovery Channel they are charging viewers $4 a month and so far, it has attracted around 10,000 new subscribers for Amazon. (Lafayette, 2017) So this version of the niche channels to sell their product to SVOD subscribers on these websites is just another way for them to be able to say alive and keep up viewership.
The final way lifestyle and niche TV channels and programs are staying alive in the SVOD era is through the use of social media techniques to keep viewers interested and involved in the shows. With social media becoming “The most valuable weapon for any brand or agency.” You have to imagine how doing live in show interaction could help viewership and attract more people to these network shows. You can look at the Super Bowl adds or the puppy bowl, social media is the way you get things out and it’s the best way to get to people and get them interested. (Box, 2017) These things here are what lifestyle and niche shows need to do in order for them to keep up a viewership and greater fan following in the SVOD era, and with the way things are looking so far the future looks very bright for them.
Work Cited
Smith, G. (2016, December 28). HGTV Will Never Upset You: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-28/hgtv-will-never-upset-you-how-the-network-beat-cnn-in-2016 Lafayette, J. (2017, February 15). Discovery Puts Numbers on Direct-to-Consumer Business. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/discovery-puts-numbers-direct-consumer-business/163348 Box, T. (2017, February 9). Here’s What to Expect in Social and Content in 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from http://www.adweek.com/digital/toni-box-pmx-agency-guest-post-social-content-2017/
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCable channels are scrambling to stay relevant as many people are beginning to cut the cord or are cordless in the first place. Providers are experimenting with new ways to bring in an audience and some that are doing this well include HGTV and Discovery Channel. HGTV had a “good” 2016 being ranked the 3rd most watched according to Gerry Smith’s article “HGTV Will Never Upset You: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016.” The reason I say “good” is because like most cable networks they are still losing an alarming number of viewers. However what is making this network more successful then a CNN, which garners a lot of buzz from the news. The answer seems to lie within the “escapist appeal of looking at other people’s beautiful homes” (Smith 1). People feel comfortable when they watch this channel and the harsh reality of the news of the past year has been too much to handle. Thus those looking for a way to stick their heads in the cloud can turn on anyone of HGTV’s handful of similar feel good programming. This is also a profitable model as many advertisers have targeted HGTV, since the average viewer is usually decently wealthy. The home-improvement model of the channel warrants “commercial time and on-air graphics that urge viewers to “shop this look” on the company’s website” (Smith 1). It is an incredibly efficient television model that advertisers are happy to be a part of.
ReplyDeleteHowever there are other ways for cable channels to survive in the SVOD era. Discovery Channel has been doing well for itself as it has aligned with the media trends and decided to focus on their SVOD growth. Discovery’s CEO David Zaslay has decided to focus on reaching niche markets through the release of content on Amazon and other SVODs. Zaslay talks of the advantages of such a strategy by explaining, “In niche categories where we have a dominant consumer and brand advantage… we see huge potential to expand these genres on and off the traditional TV screen” (Lafayette 1). They are creating content with the niche market in mind before creation. They are not hoping that people stumble upon this niche material; instead they are using SVOD to bring the content to the audience first. This proactive approach is what cable has to do in order to stay relevant.
ReplyDeleteFinally another strategy of the niche cable channels is to accept a lot of new original television. Writers are becoming the new kings of content as “ultimately, the hunger for richly detailed characters and robust plot development benefits writers, because ideas have to start somewhere” (Stelter 1). This is why there is a lot of original programming on channels such as VH1. They are slowing trying to diversify from the reality show model, because there is a huge interest in original programming in todays media landscape. Also the threat of losing hit shows to Netflix has made some cable networks hesitant about refusing to try out new shows.
The world of cable is a confusing one, but there is hope for survival. Proactive networks are the ones that will survive the upcoming years of media upheaval.
Work Cited
Lafayette, Jon. "Discovery Puts Numbers on Direct-to-Consumer Business." Discovery Puts Numbers on Direct-to-Consumer Business | Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcastingcable.com, 15 Feb. 2017. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
Smith, Gerry. "HGTV Will Never Upset You: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016."Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 28 Dec. 2016. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
Stelter, Brian. "In Cable Niches, Less Reality and More Original Shows." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 May 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
Some of you might start asking yourselves what is the major appeal or the lifestyle and niche cable TV channels and programming? I would say that either they are good to watch if you have nothing better to do and it’s a lazy Sunday, or if you are doing something and you just have it on in the background because it’s one of those types of channels and shows where you don’t really need to pay attention to see the ending or to follow what’s going on. I know that I do this all the time when I am doing work for my job or something else where I just like listening in the background. Nikki Justice was someone who at first thought like most people and never really expected herself to be a fan of one of these niche programs but ended up finding herself enjoying it and tuning in each week to watch these shows. (Smith, 2016) To me this is how these niche shows are surviving and maintaining viewers in the SVOD era.
ReplyDeleteThis is what lifestyle and niche shows need to do to stay on track and keep up viewership is to keep pumping out these shows that can be used as background noise, or just something to tune into keep it on in the background until the end of the show, because it doesn’t matter if they are really watching the show or not the TV channel and program are still getting the viewers and money so both sides win and that is what is key in this era and for these types of channels to stay alive in the SVOD era. Another smart thing that these niche channels are doing is putting their shows on the SVOD sites and making a profit off of them. One of the first ones to start doing this is the Discovery Channel they are charging viewers $4 a month and so far, it has attracted around 10,000 new subscribers for Amazon. (Lafayette, 2017) So this version of the niche channels to sell their product to SVOD subscribers on these websites is just another way for them to be able to say alive and keep up viewership.
The final way lifestyle and niche TV channels and programs are staying alive in the SVOD era is through the use of social media techniques to keep viewers interested and involved in the shows. With social media becoming “The most valuable weapon for any brand or agency.” You have to imagine how doing live in show interaction could help viewership and attract more people to these network shows. You can look at the Super Bowl adds or the puppy bowl, social media is the way you get things out and it’s the best way to get to people and get them interested. (Box, 2017) These things here are what lifestyle and niche shows need to do in order for them to keep up a viewership and greater fan following in the SVOD era, and with the way things are looking so far the future looks very bright for them.
DeleteWork Cited
Smith, G. (2016, December 28). HGTV Will Never Upset You: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-28/hgtv-will-never-upset-you-how-the-network-beat-cnn-in-2016
Lafayette, J. (2017, February 15). Discovery Puts Numbers on Direct-to-Consumer Business. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/discovery-puts-numbers-direct-consumer-business/163348
Box, T. (2017, February 9). Here’s What to Expect in Social and Content in 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017, from http://www.adweek.com/digital/toni-box-pmx-agency-guest-post-social-content-2017/