Rough draft of topics to discuss

YouTube vs Television

One of the main concerns of televisions future is the rise of interactive and online entertainment, and how it is believed to be driving audiences away from the television box towards the computer. One of these major online alternatives is YouTube.

The rise in YouTube reflects a somewhat dismal part of a near to long distance future of free to air commercial television. The reality is people do not want ads and would prefer a more flexible time schedule of viewing their favourite shows.

In defense of not seeing YouTube as a threat, an important factor to consider here is yes, people, especially the younger generation, are tuning into YouTube and viewing television programming, but not necessarily INSTEAD of watching the television. If people preview for example a US series such as Lost or Desperate Housewives on YouTube, a huge majority will watch it again once its broadcast in Australia so they can discuss the shows with friends. There are less problems when its Australian content, as it is broadcast first, so if people view it on YouTube afterwards they aren’t necessarily LOSING an audience, but can be used as a device to draw attention to the show.

At the moment, we are in a time of great uncertainty over the future relationship between YouTube and television networks. Australian television network Ten has claimed YouTube should be welcomed “as allies rather than being treated as the enemy in the emerging online video battle” (article 12) Channel Ten has taken initiative with the online arena in encouraging viewers to interact with the network both through broadcast AND online, for example Big Brother and The Biggest Loser. Channel Ten’s standpoint is the internet can be used as a source to garner attention of their television shows and draw viewers to watching the broadcast, (as well as earning advertising revenue from the internet).

A successful mission Channel Ten has taken in using YouTube as a viable resource for viewing their shows is uploading comedy hit “Thank God You’re Here” with sponsorship announcements at the start and finish of uploaded clips. The sponsorship is short enough to endure without skipping over and isn’t worth someone uploading the clips without them, with enough skits provided by channel Ten for it to not be necessary for any more clips without sponsorship to be provided.

In terms of the short term future of Australian television networks losing audience due to YouTube or the internet in general, digital general manager of Ten Damian Smith states, “I don’t think it’s going to change in Australia tomorrow. There are a whole lot of reasons that things move a little bit slower here, most notably broadband speeds and penetration”.

However, what IS the appeal of YouTube is its flexibility in viewing times. Unless television networks allow episodes to be available outside of one broadcast time, and preferably without cost, will viewers actually partake in seeking television shows through the station.


This is where the rise of pay television stands as a threat to free-to-air television.

Foxtel Digital has tried to slightly accommodate for more viewing times, through making duplicates of numerous channels to air programmes two hours later as well, however its still nowhere near as time flexible as youtube.

But Foxtel IQ DOES offer an updated weekly selection of shows to choose from at leisure. Although cable is not quite the conquering threat that it hopes to be, there are still 25% of Australians that have subscription television and is a constantly climbing figure.

However, the reality is not everyone can afford this kind of television viewing, and the massive appeal of YouTube and free-to-air television is of course the fact that its free.

What does stand as television’s strong point is the quality of the presentation, which is where it prevails over YouTube.

Hopefully in the next few years shall see the rise of digital television, supposedly the “biggest thing to happen to television since colour was introduced” Currently 33% of Australians have free-to-air digital television, and it is hoped that over the next couple of years it shall reach at least 60%. It is intended that Analogue transmission shall be shut down and replaced with digital transmission in 2010-2012, despite initial plans of 2008. We are a far cry from a television demise over at least the next five years. With a constant rise in purchases of better quality and bigger televisions, and of digital set top boxes people clearly aren’t giving up on broadcast television just yet.

When television was first introduced, it was thought to be the end of cinema, yet here it is still going strong 70 years later. Now that there’s a rise in Internet use, its not that it is the end of television, or that viewers are watching less television, they're just multi-tasking. It simply means there’s yet another entertainment medium for consumers, and television should strategize ways to take advantage of the internet to attract audiences and to simply co-exist with it. The Australian Television Network should take some of the success of the interactive environment the internet provides, and apply it to television to reap the benefits rather than see the internet as an adversary.

Hopefully it shall be a better experience for audiences, as Australian television will have to lift their game in order to keep us drawn to their programs, hopefully equating to better quality content, in a better quality format with digital. What Television stations need to ensure is where there’s good content, there shall be an audience.