We asked TVNZ CEO Kevin Kenrick to give us his thoughts on the future of television.
Where do you see the direction of television heading over the next five years?
Asking about the future of television is probably the wrong question – the future of video content is more relevant, and television is one of the ways people experience this content.
The reason television has such broad appeal is because of the video format of its content, not because of the technology of television. The same thing is happening with the internet where video content is the fastest growing driver of usage, and some are predicting it will represent 90+ percent of future internet usage. Mobile devices and networks are heading down the same path – the path to consumer demanded video content.
Technology connection challenges are largely being addressed with developments like fibre to the home, 4G mobile networks, internet enabled televisions, etc. The focus is now moving to consumer connection challenges and this is being addressed with powerful stories told via compelling video formats available across multiple networks and devices.
So the future of television is the future of video, and it feels like we’re at the beginning of this future.
With so many of us able to skip ads, via MySky and My Freeview etc, how will you continue to attract advertisers?
Viewers have been able to skip programmes for years and some now have the ability to skip ads. Just like it is for programme producers, the most successful advertisers are those who reward the viewer with the most compelling stories in the most compelling formats.
In New Zealand, television advertising is the most cost effective way for advertisers to reach a broad audience. No other medium connects with as many New Zealanders in the most preferred video format.
Great advertising that is complementary to the content surrounding it will continue to deliver great outcomes for advertisers. Viewers accept quality advertising in return for free content, and viewers purposefully choose to watch great advertising – the annual Fair Go advertising awards is the highest rating Fair Go programme year after year!
As far as TV shows go, we’ve had plenty of cooking shows, crime dramas and reality shows recently…what do you think the next big thing will be, genre-wise?
If recent international trade fairs are anything to go by, the fastest growing genre appears to be big entertainment formats. Other genres that remain hotly demanded include cooking; constructed reality around families; high concept drama and feature length TV dramas.
How does your company plan to keep up, or even try to lead the way, in the ever-evolving world of TV?
The best way to remain relevant in such a dynamically changing market is to listen closely to viewers. We intend to deliver the most compelling content to the most New Zealanders and create unparalleled opportunities for quality advertisers to tell relevant stories.
To keep ahead of the game we need to think about things the way consumers do – less about television, and more about information and entertainment in video format.
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