Too hot for TV

This is not yet another post about the “death of Television”. In fact, I don’t believe this will happen in the near future. And if you doubt this humble blogger’s oppinion (shame on you!), you can hear it straight from the mouth of Gary Carter of FreemantleMedia, in a excerpt of his historical speech at the National Association of Television Program Executives in Las Vegas, in January 2007.

True, efforts have been made to integrate Internet resources in TV-like interfaces, with little market success. True, Television’s penetration has stagnated, whereas the Internet’s penetration still grows.

Television in now adapting and playing a different role, that of a massive recruiter of passive Internet users who respond to TV commercials and abandon their couches to go online. So this “old” Media is, in fact, driving consumers to a “new” Media, a more informative and engaging one.

Look around you, the change is happening already in many ways. Every year, more and more commercials are mentioning company and product website’s addresses. Commercials are incorporating visual elements originated on the Internet. Incredible TV ads are being produced that are thought to resemble videogames.

So, it’s clear that this is not TV’s capitulation. It’s adaptation to progress and to social changes, in order to guarantee survival. There’s no winner or looser. Both players win.

Photo: Manuel Faisco