The Internet Stole Traditional Broadcasting?

It’s 8 PM on a Sunday night and you’re getting ready for the newest episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s. But is the rest of the U.S.? According to NYPost.com,  “traditional TV usage has been falling among viewers ages 18 to 34 around… [and in] 2011, 21.7 million young adults tuned in to their TV sets. By the end of last month (January 2015) the figure had fallen to 17.8 million.” In the era of iPhones and Netflix, it’s really no surprise traditional TV is losing its popularity for younger viewers. TV is on demand and the consumers have more control than ever before. 

The ease of online streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube poses a threat to the cable industry’s traditional model of television programming. Google’s video giant, and my personal favorite, YouTube is not just for cat videos anymore. YouTube is a place for super niche demographics and interests. And more and more people are turning to Netflix in Hulu in refuge of lengthy advertisements and on-demand viewing.

We are beginning to see the same thing happen in traditional radio listening. According to PCMag.com, “about 50 percent of the U.S. Internet population aged 13 and older listened to an Internet radio or on-demand music service in the past three months.” The popularity and ease of Internet radio appears to be cutting into traditional music listening.

Slowly, but surely, “Internet broadcasting” of video and radio will eventually rise as the new media STAR. Which will be the new challenge for media industries.