TV: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Ed Papazian started his career at the large U.S. ad agency, BBDO, in 1955 and was a keen observer of the evolution of TV from a media researcher's perspective as well as that of a time buyer and TV programmer.Along the way, Ed launched the switch from set usage to viewer ratings, pioneered the first TV attentiveness studies, created one of the first computerized media selection models, initiated early cross channel media audience studies, developed new ways to evaluate TV show appeals, and introduced mindset analysis as a way to describe program audiences. He is still active as chief writer and president of Media Dynamics Inc., a well-known media publishing company and consultancy.Based on this experience, this is a firsthand account of how commercial TV started, how advertisers used the medium, how all of the major program genres materialized, and the impact of new forms of access, such as cable in the 1980s and streaming more recently. There are many parts to this story. How was TV's audience measured? When did the first viewer attentiveness studies take place? How did the broadcast TV networks adapt in the face of fragmenting ratings? How do advertisers plan their ad campaigns? How is national TV time, especially in the annual upfront sale, orchestrated? All of this culminates in a detailed discussion of the current situation: the rise of streaming, how the TV networks are coping with the new technologies, and the roles tech giants like Google (YouTube), Amazon and Netflix are playing. The book closes with many observations and commentaries about what is likely to happen in the future and how the various players may be winners, or losers, in this regard. Read more