Posted by chicagomedia.org on September 16, 2008 at 10:13:16:
TV goes online to lure viewers
Hulu.com spotlights new shows while letting fans catch up with older programming
Online video has not killed the TV star. While YouTube has forever changed how many of us watch television, it is still mainly a directory of amateur and user-generated programming. For legal and other commercial reasons, the Google-owned service is not the best place online to find the hits. Going into the fall season, Hulu.com is the place in cyberspace that will not only broadcast but also premiere some of the most anticipated shows, including NBC's "30 Rock," "Knight Rider" and "Lipstick Jungle."
A joint-venture between NBC Universal and News Corp (which owns Fox), Hulu is a free, advertiser-supported service that shows a mix of new and old programming from more than 90 content providers. While catering to viewers online invariably keeps them away from their boob tubes, local television executives see promise in capturing and nurturing wider audiences that will eventually dial in to their stations.
"To the extent that it helps make our shows bigger, I'll be a fan of the model," said Larry Wert, the Chicago-based president, central and western region for NBC and longtime head of WMAQ-Channel 5. "We are still in the high-reach, high-quality game, and this allows us to have another business model going and growing."
Only a few years ago, local television executives resisted efforts by the national networks to put any programming online or in areas not transmitted through their stations. This was for good reason as their primary source of revenue remains selling 30-second advertisements within and around their broadcasts. When a program is shown elsewhere, they will not attract as many viewers to their own stations and potentially earn fewer ad dollars.
Today, there is a recognition that television viewing habits have forever changed. More and more people now expect to be able to watch programs on their own time via multiple delivery formats. Online programming is no longer seen as cannibalization but rather a method to promote and cultivate shows that have yet to find large audiences on television. Wert noted that "The Office," one of NBC's most acclaimed shows, might not have succeeded without the following it attracted online.
"One of the toughest things these days is to introduce new programming," said Pat Mullen, vice president and general manager of WFLD-Fox 32 and WPWR-My50. "This is a method to attract people who have not gotten familiar with a show or, if they have recently become a fan of a show, allow them to catch up. Rather than avoiding that opportunity, we embrace it."
Stay tuned.
(Sun-Times)