Technological Advances Might Just Save Broadcast TV

Variety.com has an opinion piece that starts off:

The death watch has begun for broadcast TV. At least, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings thinks so.

Hastings says that by 2030 or so, linear broadcast channels will go the way of the horse-drawn carriage. I wonder if that means that in just 15 years, the only place we’ll be able to watch CBS is in Central Park.

Hastings understands that broadcast TV is being squeezed, and he’s happy to help with the squeezing. We all know the litany of woes: Broadcast networks are expensive to run. Audiences are splintering. Ad rates are down. Younger viewers are losing the habit of watching television.

The remaining viewers are impatient with
commercial interruptions. Those in the upscale demographic — the one coveted by advertisers — tend to watch via DVR and like to fast-forward through the ads.

Hastings’ prediction will surely come true if the TV business remains stuck in old technology and obsolete practices. Maybe the next TV standard will help by getting shows onto mobile devices and keeping up with 4K and other improvements. If not, broadcast TV could truly become passe.

Read more at http://variety.com/2015/voices/opinion/technological-advances-might-just-save-broadcast-tv-1201392805/