In an odd report by Magna Global USA, via mediapost.com, they reported that significant obstacles needed to be overcome before the Internet could become a mass medium like broadcast TV is.
"Despite falling prices for PCs, the potential for the Internet to become a true 'mass' medium remains limited by the lack of ubiquitous access, as a result, endemic advertisers, marketers with e-commerce activities, companies offering deep information to consumers, and those seeking niche audiences will continue to be the primary users of Internet advertising, rather than advertisers focused on mass marketing."
They went on to conclude that "Marketers will actually find traditional media to become increasingly important because of the relative scarcity of ways to reach masses of consumers."
I wasn't able to see the original report, but if the quotes above are accurate, it really is a hit against this company for making such a report. This sounds more like somebody with an agenda trying to make us believe something that simply isn't true.
First of all, people already know that TV isn't a mass media anymore. It hasn't been since cable television has proliferated.
Second, a 10% and growing number of TV viewers use some type of DVR to bypass commercials. This along with the numerous options, shows that their is nothing "mass media" about television. The only place where there is some mass appeal anymore is in unique, occasional sporting events like the FIFA World Cup, among others, that deliver mass audiences.
Even some of the popular shows like "American Idol" draw huge audiences for only part of the show. People tune in toward the end to see the results.
After decades, television isn't in every home by any means. And cable television even less so. According to the National Cable Telecommunications Association, this is the market penetration as of March 2006:
US Television Households 110,600,000
Basic Cable Subscribers 65,500,000
Finally, reports are that the Internet is the force that is growing the advertising medium, not television.
With the report saying that 32 percent of the U.S. population - for the most part lower and middle-income people- won't have an Internet connection. This doesn't seem to be accurate even today, let alone 4 years from now (the writer may have meant broadband access, but she didn't specify that).
When you consider the fragmentation of the Television landscape, DVRs, and large demographic groups abandoning Television in droves (young males), it's hard to say the words "mass media" and television in the same sentence and be taken seriously.
With a lot of companies holding back their upfront money this year from television, so they can have marketing options throughout the year through other mediums (Internet), this seems to be a report trying to convince us that this really isn't happening. Don't believe it; it is.
One other note concerning the writer of the report for MediaPost, she also seems to be someone writing the report with an agenda - for the purpose of advocating government spending to provide free Internet access. Why else would she write so ignorantly about this suspect report?
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