eHomeUpgrade | Television Networks Say DVRs Raise Viewership Ha! I almost spit my coffee all over my keyboard when I read this one.
According to Reuters, the major six networks have released a report trying to calm concerns over DVR usage.
“Far from being the TV doomsday machines that some have predicted, digital video recorders that allow viewers to skip advertising and watch shows at their leisure will actually boost television audiences, the major networks said on Wednesday.”
“While 90 percent of viewers surveyed said they skipped all or most commercials when they watched a show played back on DVR, the networks’ research showed 58 percent paid attention to the commercials in a fast-forward mode and 53 percent have gone back to watch an ad that interested them, the networks said.”
It is totally laughable to me to see the TV networks trying to put a positive spin on DVR usage. This obvious marketing spin is a blatant attempt to allay the concerns of their advertisers — who quite frankly should in fact be very concerned.
While certainly a case can be made for live sports and some extremely hot shows like Desperate Housewives, where people will not time shift them, in general DVR usage is pure poison to the television industry. Rather than adopt and move to a VOD model though, they will drag their heels still for many years while they continue to try and BS Madison Ave. on why they should in fact pay more for ads that people skip.
What’s next, a study from Ford and GM that SUVs don’t cause air pollution?
Even more over the top than the Reuters article though is this other laughable quote over at MSNBC (get it, NBC) by Alan Wurtzel, head of research at NBC. He also noted that 80 per cent of viewers preferred to watch television programmes live. “Most people want to watch TV the way God intended – they want to watch it live,” he said. The way “God intended?” You have got to be kidding me. So I guess the next time I’m sitting there just about ready to fast forward that commercial on my TiVo, I’d better stop and ask myself, “what would Jesus do?”
Somehow I’m not sure that “God” intended me to watch TV at all and if he did I can’t imagine he’d be opposed to my skipping commercials. This quote is unbelievable really.
This latest study and these comments make me think back to the last time Hollywood came up with their ludacrious spin campaign that ad skipping was “stealing.”