Television: Back to the Future
Byron Sharp, Virginia Beal and Martin CollinsEhrenberg-Bass Institute, University of South Australia
INTRODUCTION
What scientific knowledge do we have about TV?
We review how well certain empirical generalizations (EGs) have held up over 40 years and use this knowledge to construct an empirically grounded opinion on the future of TV advertising, encompassing:
Is there program, and/or channel loyalty?
Do genre specific channels attract segmented audiences?
Why have ratings dropped?
Why is TV advertising more expensive?
Will DVRs destroy the advertising model?
To start, we look at the three distinct eras...