But, it's 2009? Where's the online presence?

Check your calendars. That’s right, it’s 2009. We don’t have flying cars, hologram telephones, or robotic house maids. While we never saw Elroy Jetson posting to Twitter, there are certain things that those of us with an eye to the future did expect to see by this point in time. One such thing was television networks embracing the online environment.

When referencing the ‘online environment’, it isn’t a lofty notion of television stations taking their entire distribution system online, utilising bittorrent, direct downloads, flash content aggregators, or even IPTV services. Instead, it’s simply a reference to the everyday common usage of the online space as used by your average net denizen. Think information-based websites and social networking.

Every commercial FTA station in Australia have an online presence. SBS and Channel 10 ppear to have almost delivered a site of worth. Meanwhile Channels 7 and 9 have become so entangled in their corporate partnerships that any desirable functionality is completely out the window.

Television stations in Australia are content rich media providers. They have archives of old content, content partnership deals with foreign distributors, and (thanks to govt licensing requirements) a bevy of Australian content that should easily be able to find a home in an online environment. Consumers are undoubtedly keen to be able to interact with traditional TV services in an online environment.

Televised Revolution often takes a long-term view at the television industry and its future distribution methodology, but today we’re questioning why networks aren’t doing the obvious by servicing their consumers today. Especially those in younger demographics of whom advertisers love, but networks keep losing to the online space.

So, what is it exactly that your average internet consumer would like to see from a TV network site? We believe this is obvious, but the networks seem to disagree.

*Embeddable video for blogs and to post to social network sites like Facebook.
*Photo galleries (which can be copied from to post elsewhere online).
*Episode guides, which are certainly handy in this day and age of PVR’s, Tivo, and DVD’s.
*Program previews.

It’s really not asking for much. Just the basics. Nor is it asking for networks to give their content away for free. Ultimately, most consumers understand that there are specific venues by which the content they seek can be sought. What they would like though is enough provided for general fair use. And why should the networks complain about that? At its core, it is pure publicity.

And then there is the TV guides. In 2007, Channel 9 sought to prevent Ice TV from using their TV listings, citing intellectual property ownership. This act shows that the networks are keen to ensure that their listings are a valued commodity. And that’s understandable. it’s content they generate and certainly contains privileged information they’d rather their competitors don’t access until necessary. What is questionable, however, is why networks on’t use listings information as a promotional tool.

Television networks need to realise that they are not just competing with one another for viewers, but are also fighting against other media for eyeballs. It seems baffling that they don’t join together and provide a shared online guide in the same way that YourTV operates (owned and operated by NineMSN, incidently). This could even serve as an extension of the shared guide used for Freeview. Use this guide as a means by which to allow users to post listing information to ones social networking sites.

For example, tonight SBS are airing the following documentary. Wouldn’t it be great if I could post this to my Facebook profile and promote it to my friends? Most of them are likely surfing the net with the TV on in the background.

The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs

7.30pm – 8.30pm SBS
Sunday 25 January 2009
In the ultimate clash of the titans, the giants of prehistory engage in mortal combat. This program harnesses new research and technology to discover exactly how the most ferocious dinosaurs really lived, and died. Host Bill Oddie compares dinosaurs with their closest living relatives, crocodiles and birds, and joins forces with a team of experts to scientifically analyse fossilised dinosaur bones and tracks. Part one features a recreation of a dramatic face-off between tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops – two of the most powerful and frightening dinosaurs in history.

Genre: Documentary
Country: UK
Rating: PG
Other: Closed Captions
Widescreen
Repeat

The online media environment encourages fluidity between websites and various media. TV networks need to embrace the fact that the Internet exists and work to its strengths instead of trying to weld it to its corporate desires. It’s 2009 and TV networks still haven’t developed a strong Internet presence. They almost deserve their increasing irrelevance.