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Writers Guild of America approved a new contract this week that the LA Times hailed as a “new beginning for writers in the digital age.” Online programs and Internet material are key to the contract, and the agreement comes none too soon. The number of consumers watching online television programs has skyrocketed in the past year.
Recently released data could give the industry a clearer picture of online viewing habits. According to early findings from Neilsen Online’s VideoCensus, women ages 18 to 34 are almost twice as likely as men to tune into online TV shows, while men are more than twice as likely to watch consumer-generated online videos on sites like YouTube. The popular site led all others as the most watched.
The online TV bug has bitten Tish Maust, 28. About six months ago while home sick, she decided to catch up on the ABC show, “Lost.” She went on to watch “Ugly Betty” and then the first and second seasons of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights.”
With access to only a few network stations, Maust used to watch an hour of TV a week. She estimates she watched between six and seven hours a week while watching “Friday Night Lights,” even viewing episodes during lunch breaks. She’s not watching as much now that new episodes are scarce.
Maust wasn’t the only one watching during lunch. Neilsen reports that noon to 2 p.m. were the most popular viewing hours for online programming.
“I don’t think it’s a good thing that I watch so much TV online,” Maust laughed. But she likes having access to previous seasons and fewer commercials.
Rachel Anderson, a 30-year-old mother of two, hasn’t had a television for more than 10 years and began watching “Ugly Betty” on her laptop in the fall. “America’s Next Top Model,” a CW program, followed.
With two young children to raise, Anderson has found online programming to be a good fit. “Now I understand why people like TV,” she said. “It’s not as much of a time commitment.”
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Off-key
I like getting TV shows on DVD, when I can watch a whole season over the course of a few days. Especially shows that have complex and long-running arcs — the kind where if you miss one episode you don’t have important information when you come back — it’s ideal.
In addition it lets me watch when I have the time and mood to do so. The DVR helps with time-shifting too. Since I got those two devices I probably watch more TV than I used to, but I also watch it smarter. I see the shows I want to see, those that have value to me, rather than the ones that happen to be on when I’m able to watch.
They help balance TV with other social activities. I don’t have to choose between going out with friends or staying in to watch a show I like.
I don’t watch on the computer, because I just don’t find it a comfortable way to do it, but it carries the same advantages for those who like it.
he estimates she watched between six and seven hours a week while watching “Friday Night Lights,” even viewing episodes during lunch breaks.
This makes no sense at all. FNL is, as I understand it, an hour long program. How could she cram six or seven hours of TV into the hour it took to watch FNL while simultaneously watching FNL?
This makes no sense at all.
Night Train: She was catching up on two earlier seasons of the show. Having episodes immediately available online (or on DVD, as I do it) means you can watch several episodes a week, as your time allows.
So six or seven hours means she was watching six or seven episodes per week. At that rate, she could watch an entire season in about a month.
It’s not very clearly written, that’s for sure. If that’s what she intended to say, she failed badly. Much of the article is written in the muddled, confusing style.
Seemed clear to me, but that’s what it means.
Night Train: How about discussing the issue instead of bashing the writing style?
Rebecca: Interesting topic…I’ve started to watch more tv shows online this year.
How about you minding your own business and writing what you want to write, and I’ll write what I want to write? How about that?
Ah, but that’s what Conductor did. The commenter wrote as he/she wished. You just didn’t like it. Tolerance, tolerance.
On topic, I have watched several shows online. Somehow it seems easier than messing with the DVR, which also means I have to watch in our cold basement (where our only tv is). Watching online keeps physically closer to others in the house, plus they don’t have to listen to the show, since I use headphones.