“Audience” in Television Media

Understanding Television Audience

Television audiences refer to the viewers who engage in the consumption of content.
The concept of audience is crucial to television broadcasters and producers - understanding viewer preferences and behaviours drives the creation, distribution, and scheduling of content.
Understanding audiences is also crucial for advertisers, who need to know when their target demographics are most likely to be watching.

Audience Classification and Measurement

Audiences are typically classified according to demographics such as age, gender, social grade and geographic location.
Television audiences are measured in terms of ratings - the number of people or households watching a particular programme or channel.
Measurement also considers audience share - the proportion of the television audience at a given time.

The Active Audience Theory

This theory suggests that audience members are not passive receivers of the media but actively interpret and make sense of the content.
Modern viewing experiences can be interactive - viewers may live-tweet during a broadcast, contribute to discussions on forums, or engage with related content on digital platforms.
Technological advancements have hugely expanded the ways in which audiences can interact with TV content.

Television and Participatory Culture

Participatory culture refers to a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement.
It implies supportive sharing of created content and informal mentorship whereby, what is collectively known, is passed on to newcomers.
New media technologies have progressively nurtured a more participatory culture among television audiences.

The Impact of Technology and Digitisation on Audiences

New technologies such as streaming services have changed viewing behaviours - audiences are able to watch content when they want, how they want, and on multiple devices.
Traditional television is competing with other sources of media for attention. This change in the landscape has implications for how content is produced and distributed.
Understanding these developments is crucial for examining the current and future evolutions in television audiences.

Understanding “Audience” in television media allows individuals to comprehend how television stations operate, how they interact with advertisers and how viewers are integral to the cycle of content creation and reception.