Web TV threat is “Bollocks”
July 21, 2008
A UK media academic has warned broadcasters and national newspapers not to be fooled by “hype” about the Internet. Patrick Barwise, emeritus professor of management and marketing at the London Business School, defined as “Bollocks 2.0” claims about the threat to traditional media from innovations such as social networking and Internet TV.
“Television is not a market going into catastrophic decline,” Barwise told an audience of broadcasters, regulators and analysts at LBS. Advertising was bad, but “it is not falling off a cliff”, he said. This was in contrast to regional newspapers and classified advertising, where a genuine collapse was taking place, he added A UK media academic has warned broadcasters and national newspapers not to be fooled by “hype” about the Internet. Patrick Barwise, emeritus professor of management and marketing at the London Business School, defined as “Bollocks 2.0” claims about the threat to traditional media from innovations such as social networking and Internet TV.
“Television is not a market going into catastrophic decline,” Barwise told an audience of broadcasters, regulators and analysts at LBS. Advertising was bad, but “it is not falling off a cliff”, he said. This was in contrast to regional newspapers and classified advertising, where a genuine collapse was taking place, he added.
Barwise criticised the “obsession” with the threat posed by the Internet. “People who should know better are talking about a digital revolution, about whether or not we will all be watching ‘linear television’ in five years’ time. They have signed up for what I call ‘Bollocks 2.0’.”
Broadband was an inefficient way of distributing content, Barwise said, while digital broadcasting on satellite, the airwaves or cable met the same needs at “much, much greater efficiency levels”.
Detailed research on the use of personal video recorders had reached surprising conclusions, he said. “There is next to no demand for on-demand. The argument is wildly out of proportion about how important this is for television.”
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