Is A Sense of Curation Lost On Broadcast TV? — Televised Revolution

What you see on broadcast TV and when you see it is not lovingly considered. It’s a numbers game generally, with TV programmers scheduling for specific audiences on certain nights, while counter-programming and attack-programming against their rivals. It’s a cutthroat game of chess with maths supporting them with every move.

And the audiences can feel it.

Audiences know that they’re watching two and a half hours of a dancing reality show because it’s relatively cheap programming that attracts a high number of viewers and that the network can stretch out a show to two hours and retain the enthusiasm of that viewership. They also know that they’re watching two episodes back-to-back of that sitcom with the four nerds and a sexy blonde lady because the network knows it is a reliable performer that offers little risk of audience erosion.

TV has always been a numbers game, but the audience perception of it has altered. In years gone by, those decisions seemed to exist much further in the background than they do now. Seeing shows pulled after two weeks of terrible ratings tend to reinforce the idea that it is a business in the minds of the viewer. But it never used to be this way. There were spots on the schedule that felt hand-crafted. These curated segments felt almost artisanal with hosts introducing segments. Whether that was Bill Collins introducing The Golden Years of Hollywood in the afternoons on weekends, or on the ABC and SBS with presenters like David Stratton, John Hinde, Des Mangan, and Ivan Hutchinson.

Of course, Bill Collins can still be found on Fox Classics introducing the films of yesteryear and Marc Fennell can be found on SBS2 introducing cult movies as part of ‘Movie Mayhem’, but they serve as the last vestiges of a time gone by. It all seems so quaint today.

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But, is it really such an old fashioned idea?

Audiences today can access movies and TV shows through distribution channels that are far removed from broadcast TV. Content is now streamed from the likes of Netflix, Presto, and SBS On Demand among other sources. Or audiences are illicitly downloading material. Or buying it off iTunes/Google Play. The viewing options for on demand content are endless. What can a broadcast network do when fighting off competition that allows their users to watch what they want to watch when they want to watch it? They need to offer a compelling reason to watch the TV that can only be offered on a linear broadcast service. Broadcasters need to play to their strengths and not just come across as a mathematically driven automated content delivery system.

TV needs to feel curated again. And it doesn’t just have to be movies. TV is ripe for this sort of treatment today.

Consider SBS. They screen all manner of international series that have limited name recognition and often deal with cultures that have interesting quirks that differ to our own. It would be fantastic to see a dedicated time-slot each week that presents a foreign language TV show that also comes with a recognised critic/presenter/commentator who can deliver a 90 second guide to the episode that is set to air, advise on interesting cultural quirks, and build upon the viewers understanding of the show prior to air.

It’s a more difficult proposition on the commercial channels where it’s riskier not launching straight into a series for fear of losing casual viewers to a show. But there are ways to implement it. On Friday nights, why isn’t Ten employing a Couch Time style party show to introduce their Eleven Friday night trash fun line-up of series like Snog Marry Avoid and The Graham Norton Show? On Saturday nights why isn’t Nine extending their Kids WB brand to incorporate the children-orientated Saturday night films that they schedule.

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Presenters can be annoying, but employed in the right way, presenter-based content can deliver a compelling reason to tune in to otherwise lifeless timeslots. It delivers a belief (as false as it may actually be) that the programming has been hand-picked and is an integral part of the audiences viewing experience.

Broadcast TV has a number of advantages in their arsenal against a world of growing alternatives to their services. A sense of curated content can go a long way to reminding us why broadcast TV is still relevant.