The Net and the Set Fight, You Decide
Caitlin Carter
January 11, 2010
Filed under A & E
2009 saw a massive decline in profits for newspapers nationwide. The most oft-cited reason for this financial landslide is the rise of internet news sources replacing print. If you happen to be reading this article at the moment, you’re looking at the proof.
However, news is not the only daily staple being supplanted by the popularity of newer media. The television, cultural altar of American society, has been marked as a potential victim to the internet beast.
NBC, the major network founded in the 1920s for radio broadcast, reached records lows in viewership last year, resulting in budget cuts and the maligned decision to replace a slot of primetime with Jay Leno talking. ABC has met similar if not equally disastrous hardships.
Americans have not simply stopped watching. Instead, they have nursed their pop culture addiction with more convenient alternatives on the internet.
Hulu, begun in early 2008, ballooned into mass internet stardom last year. The newest internet juggernaut built its popularity on providing free online streaming for seasons of older shows and recent episodes of shows still on the air in addition to a selection of films. Their promotional line “Hulu: an evil plot to destroy the world” may not be that inaccurate.
Another technological advancement has functioned as a kind of replacement for traditional television and movie theaters: iTunes and the iPhone. Tech fiends are now able to purchase films for relatively low prices off the former online store and watch it in complete privacy at their utmost convenience.
In addition, online sources provide a greater array of choices for television fans. Lacking an ultra-expensive satellite dish, viewers are limited to a specific amount of channels, often being restricted to American networks. Student Jon Leverett admits using the internet as a way to find rarer foreign shows. “I watch shows online that we cannot get here. In my case, I watch a really popular European car show called Topgear,” he explains.
While for the most part new technology has adversely affected the profit of major television networks, FOX, reputed as the major network with the youngest outlook, has used it as an effective marketing tool. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the success of Glee, which was rabidly promoted through internet viral campaigns and even featuring the pilot episode online for months before the season premiered.
These new avenues of entertainment are not without their own disadvantages. While television is constrained by strict schedules that impede universal viewership, the internet is cursed with less accessible advertising and a lack of significant financial gain as a result. While online stores like iTunes have practical ways to make money, reduced commercials on streaming sites like Hulu mean less money for everyone involved.
Despite the new competition television faces, the transition from set to net is slow at best. Senior Ashley Steele admits that she uses the internet to catch up on missed episodes of favorite shows, an occurrence that happens at a rate of about once a week. However, others remain relatively ignorant that they even have options. Brittany Windham admits, “I’ve heard of Hulu, but I have no idea what that is!”
In addition, the iPhone has been the brunt of criticism from inside Hollywood as well as from regular moviegoers. Acclaimed director David Lynch condemned the practice, saying, “You will never in a million years experience a film on a telephone. Get real!”
The distaste in alternatives’ quality is a complaint shared by common TV-watchers. As Joshua Wright says, “I generally watch on my HDTV and not on the internet just because of the quality.” Brittany corroborates this opinion, stating, “I don’t watch episodes or movies through iTunes and iPhone because I would rather watch it on a larger screen.”
Thus, the art of celluloid is at a crossroads. With the internet siphoning viewers away from television screens and major advertisers being too reticent to invest in the risky online business, neither is the winner. The only foreseeable result for the time being is the further distraction of the attention-deficit-plagued masses from reality.
