TV Cultures Journal B – Post #3: Reflection
The twenty-first century is awash with a variety of television programs which can be viewed on an assortment of mediums. Gone are the days where the only option was to gather around the television set to watch your favourite television shows according to a schedule. The internet introduced an array of alternatives and these range from streaming services such as Netflix, digital distribution in the form of iTunes and torrenting from piracy websites. The popularity of these new mediums can be attributed the ability they grant audiences to dictate their own viewing schedule, sculpting it around their personal lives instead of having to ensure they are available when it originally airs. In addition to creating a convenience for television viewing, the internet allows for global audiences to connect and discuss programs, yet this introduces a problem for Australian audiences. This global connection is a double edged sword as fan discussion and the potential for ‘spoilers’ online is drastic as there is no sure-fire way to filter out or block any discussion that may ruin a viewer’s enjoyment of an episode. This is a problem for Australian audiences as there is a large delay in comparison to America in terms of broadcasting new episodes. In his investigation into broadcast delay in Australian for the blog website Reckoner, Graham Spencer chose the thirty-one highest rated television shows according to meta-critic and researched the delay between air dates from the U.S. to Australia.
This chart showcases the results of Spencer’s study and provides an insight into my personal viewing habits. I began tracking television consumption in my time use diary on the 10th of August and ended on the 23rd of October and in that amount of time I did not watch any programs on free-to-air or cable television. Reflecting futher back on my television viewing habits, I have not watched Australian broadcast television in over three years, including news or sporting events. Over ninety percent of programs I watched during the last three months were scripted narrative programs, the other ten percent being internet games shows such as Roosterteeth’s ‘On The Spot’ or broadcast game shows such as ‘@Midnight’. The appeal of these game shows is that they deal with topics from the internet instead of national interests which allows me to follow the proceedings without the need for additional knowledge of events I have little interest in.
This is a central conceit to my viewing habits as I am regularly on the internet and therefore am constantly aware of the conversations taking place concerning the programs and topics I am interested in. All of the content I view are from international sources that are not readily available in Australia in time for me to avoid them being ruined by online activity. Out of the thirty-one shows in the above chart, I follow seventeen of them and I do not own Foxtel, leading me to source them online to keep up to date with the global community. “Most people interact with many different media during the course of a single day” (Hart, 1992) and this is especially true for the 18-40 year old audience demographic who use the internet for professional reasons as well as social. Growing up with television sets being a staple of a modern home and the rise of the internet on computers and phones has led to this demographic becoming accustomed to having multiple forms of media at their disposal at all times. As shown in my time use diary, nearly all of my consumption of media happens on my laptop in my room while I am using my mobile phone or browsing the internet. This provides privacy to watch the shows I prefer without being interrupted and giving me the freedom to create my own viewing schedule.
“Aussies pirate because global media and entertainment is a part of Australian culture now. We follow it, we talk about it and contribute back” explains Reckoner author James Croft and this is reflected in my viewing habits. The second I can watch a new episode of my favourite programs, I can and then go online and read American review sites and check social media to see fan reactions to the episodes. I have created a ritual that revolves around international conversation and the Australian broadcasting restrictions does not allow for this 21st Century form of television viewing.
References
Croft, James (2014) ‘Louis CK, Culture, And Why We Pirate All The Things’, reckoner.com.au. Found at < http://reckoner.com.au/2014/06/louis-ck-and-why-we-pirate-all-the-things/ >
Hart, Andrew (1992) ‘Understanding Television Audiences’, Journal of Educational Television, Vol. 18(1), pp. 5-17
Spencer, Graham (2014) ‘Watching TV in Australia: The Australian Delay Under The Microscope, reckoner.com.au. Found at < http://reckoner.com.au/2014/07/watching-tv-in-australia-the-australian-delay-under-the-microscope/ >
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