Editorial: I’m one of the people they’re talking about

Last night following the new episode of NBC's The Office, I, at the behest of my television set, logged on to DunderMifflinInfinity.com, which appears to be some kind of social networking website for fans of the show. I didn't stay long, but the mere fact that I went online to investigate complimentary TV content caused me to take a second and reflect on just how much things have changed. To give some background on my TV-consumption history, and certainly to date myself, the CBC's Family Hour was a must-watch after Sunday dinners in my household. I remember when I wasn't allowed to watch Degrassi Jr. High because the content was too mature for my age - although my older sister was forced to watch it - and when my bedtime was extended a half hour on Thursday nights so I could watch the Cosby Show. In other words, I come from the consummate TV-watching household. But I don't live there anymore. In July Canadian Communications Reports featured a story about the Nordicity Group Ltd.'s Jim, a character who removed himself from the regulated broadcasting system over time due to cost and inconvenience. Jim resides on the pole opposite of people, like my parents for instance, who continue to consume all of their TV content through legal cable at the schedule set by the broadcasters. And without any conscious effort, I find myself right in the middle. On the traditional side: I pay for digital cable. On the unregulated frontier: I watch clips of the HBO comedy Flight of the Conchords on YouTube and will likely buy the first season of the show on DVD, thereby completely bypassing our broadcasting system. And in the relatively new middle ground: I consume my news in 30-minute intervals at any time of the day on CTV NewsNet or CBC Newsworld; I watch reruns of Arrested Development on CBC via time-shifting at 4:00, 4:30 or 5:30 depending on my schedule; I pay 99 cents for on-demand episodes of Survivor; and this weekend I might watch an episode of Mythbusters from the Discovery Channel's selection of Rogers On-Demand's free TV offering. It occurs to me that as the BDUs and broadcasters debate how best to cope with changing viewer habits, their goal is to monetize the behaviour of consumers like myself. And I can tell them that while it's unlikely I'll ever pay for the top cable package available, it's even more improbable that I'll abandon the convention of watching TV from my couch entirely to sit in my desk chair and stare at my computer screen. But I will do a bit of both. I'll go online for additional TV content just as quickly as I'd pay a minimal fee to watch a show that I've already paid to watch through my cable subscription fee. So although I feel like I'm in a greater position of power when it comes to my TV entertainment choices, the reality is the broadcasters and BDUs have me in a much better position than when I was lying on the couch in my jammies watching the Cosby Show. The only question is what will they do with me next?

Editorial: I’m one of the people they’re talking about

Broadcast | November 2, 2007

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