ENIGMA OF MORE CHANNELS:The Investment, Fresh Ideas, Closure of channels

<< TV ADVERTISEMENTS – MONEY WITH ENTERTAINMENT:Early Phase, Getting Spots

ANCHORPERSON:Appearance and Confidence, Job Opportunities >>

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

LESSON 40

ENIGMA OF MORE CHANNELS

Television broadcast is fast heading to a problem radio broadcast had faced years ago the

mushrooming of channels.

More the TV stations, more a sinister situation it is. It is getting increasingly difficult to watch

all the channels available. This state of affairs is entirely different from only a few years ago

when hardly three to four channels could be viewed. But the arrival of dish antenna opened

the flood-gates of channels and off late, the cable services appear completely inundating the

whole scenario of TV viewing.

It is a common sight these days seeing a person sitting on sofa and surfing through a

multitude of TV channels. It is here that a term has been coined to call the person as couch

potato. Are you a couch potato? Or, this program is not meant for a couch potato, are the

phrases you commonly encounter these days.

The problem is not confined to commoner, students of mass communication, who are

supposed to know how to wriggle out of this situation or guide others in finding ways to a

sensible TV watching, themselves are not placed any better.

Here in this session we shall see how this emerging scene in broadcasting should be tackled.

The Investment

We should be aware of the fact that opening of a new TV channel means that some massive

investment has been done by an individual, or a company. In any case it is an indication that

investors supposed to be much more aware about the market than ordinary people, have full

confidence over the success of their new enterprise. From another angle this also establishes

that despite a mess of channels, there is still room for more. For graduates of electronic media

communication it is a very welcome sign for it is bound to generate more job opportunities.

Fresh Ideas

Obviously when a new channel appears it tends to create a space for itself by launching new

ideas about production and transmission of its programs. This generally involves modern

techniques and latest available technologies for mass communication. The people, who are

already in the filed of broadcasting are but all pleased to learn about the latest ideas and

technology in their fields. This also opens more jobs of superior nature for the seasoned staff.

119

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

Leads to healthy competition

There is always quite a sensation attached with the announcement about new channels.

Months before the new venture's surfacing, the channels feeling threatened, order their staff

to pull up socks for a new competition. New programs are conceived, some changes are

introduced in the existing formats of different programs. From viewers point of view things

move towards a healthy change.

The Remote Control

Gone are the days when you would move to the TV set to switch to a station of your choice. In

fact such sets have disappeared from the market. Instead, sets available at present are all

laced with the remote control devices. You sit down on a rocking chair and keep playing with

the channels by a push of a button. All TV channels are aware of this fact. They now know

that a slight weakness in the production may force a viewer to move to some other channel.

This singular factor is also helping to keep sense of competitiveness among TV channels.

The Disadvantages

Loss of business

The advertisements which are main source of earning for the TV channels are always

limited. Or the size of advertisements in the sense of business does not grow as fast as the

growth in the TV broadcasting. With the opening of every new channel, the business of ads

generally gets divided. This may hurt a TV channel which is making good productions but loss

of business may compel it to compromise on its production quality or scrap some of its very

interesting programs.

Staff leaving to other channels

One of the most embarrassing things for a channel happens when some of its senior

and seasoned staff members join the new channels. Generally the new channels offer

reasonably more than what experienced people are getting from their present employer.

There may be more reasons to do so but the fact that the existing channels lose their good

staff members does not go well with them and they have to resort to some negative tactics

which may mar the whole market.

Closure of channels

The situation some times get so adverse that some channels draw the conclusion to

close down the transmission altogether. This renders all their staff jobless and the companies

involved in business with this channels in a very confusing state as all their business in the

pipeline with this channel has to come to an abrupt closing as well.

120

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

How to justify viewing all these channels?

It is a difficult question but it does not mean that there is no solution to it. Monitoring other

channels is a regular feature, and a separate job, at every TV station. The channels are

always divided into different categories like news, sports, music, educational and cartoons etc.

By regularly watching these channels category-wise helps in short listing channels which are

closer to serve your purpose of monitoring and entertainment. It has been studied that an

average TV viewer does not go beyond a dozen channels during normal viewing time. This

means every viewer applies the short-listing technique one way or the other. It is only after

finding no interesting program on the short-listed channels that viewers try other channels. As

far new channels are concerned, they are watched with interest in the beginning but are

registered in the viewers' short list if the interesting programs stay long otherwise the hype of

new channel watching ends in short time.

One thing for sure the inevitable loss

One thing must be admitted here the loss due to high number of channels is inevitable. You

are watching one channel which is airing something valuable but at the same time another

station is also broadcasting an equally good program. You have to lose one in any case. The

situation some time is very agonizing when one member of the family wants to watch a

program other does not want. There is no such plan as yet among TV channels to coordinate

in a manner that people could watch all the interesting programs on different channels,

Mushrooming channels

Couch potato

Remote

Lots of investment goes

Place... equipment .... Capital investment.... Recurring expenses..

Shows potential in TV broadcasting

Creating employment at large scale

More competition... more quality.... channels know remote control in hand will switch over

quickly if programs are not interesting.

But limited business-ads, get divided, loss may see closure, or reduce production cut

employment

Not possible to watch all..

Loss of good program

Good programs from two stations dramas, news.. talk shows... supports...

Cannot watch all; loss is there.

Recording facilities are available as an alternate.. but common people do not do this practice

Like newspapers, radio stations, you can't stop new channels... global phenomenon

121

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

One way if you need to watch, monitor, make categories,,,, local, regional and international.....

or news and current affairs, entertainment, educational watch them regularly... but still not

possible to see all.

122

Table of Contents: