Integrated mediums working side by side simultaneously, in real-time is the stuff of science fiction no more as the sphere of broadcast media enters the digital age where the social integration is the name of the game. In fact, the world’s top media industrialists, technologists and market gurus agree that the broadcast media industry as a whole has entered the Three Screens landscape which incorporates television, mobile and PC technology in a convergence of content consumption like never before.
This quite literally means that a broadcast media company or broadcasting agency can no longer captivate or capture the entire attention span of its viewer ship which, in the modern world, is also divided between PC and mobile phone. One cannot separate the “three screens” as they are known due to the advent of social media and its revolutionizing effect on broadcast media as we know it. Therefore the future of broadcast media relies heavily on its ability to adapt and convert its content to serve this immersive media experience that allows real-time participation regardless of geographical boundaries.
The fusion of television, social and mobile technologies is steeped in the resurgence of a demand for relevant and personalized content in broadcast media which in turn demonstrates a significant shift from the way broadcast media was perceived in earlier decades. The fact that the general public has realized that these three screens are the windows through which they gauge the world around them has catapulted this movement and empowered the “passive”, non-participatory audience to demand and control the content in which they wish to immerse themselves in.
And media conglomerates worldwide have definitely noticed and have moved to incorporate the diverse technologies to create an integrated media experience. This is clearly visible in the trending topics of social media sites as they are primarily centred around television programming or news items covered on traditional mediums. This is why most global events also encompass a simultaneous web-cast or social media forum which encourages viewer comments and participation converting the inactive television experience of decades past in to an interactive exercise which in turn drives higher ratings. It would be an understatement to state that the field of broadcasting marketing has also been revolutionized by this trend.
The new digital lifestyle demands integration, interaction and participation from its broadcast experiences as viewers shift from their passive role as receivers of information to contributors that dictate the content and relevance of programming according to their needs. The desired result is of course to create a more fulfilling, individual and engaging media experience that are also more relevant and personal in nature.
