Boomers, TV and Digital

The New York Times reports in "More Channels are Coming. Will Anyone Be Watching" that the move to the all-digital TV world opens up more channels and more opportunities for channels than ever before.

In some markets, local stations are already broadcasting 24-hour weather reports on their new digital channels.

A reader asked us today if this new availability will open up new opportunities for Boomer-focused content. The short answer is "yes," provided there are local (and national) marketers interested in a Boomer audience. Without advertising sales, it is hard to run a TV network for very long, no matter how large a niche it occupies

Already there are major media players (and others) investing in created Boomer-focused content. The largest and perhaps leader is Viacom's TV Land brand, which created new programming for the "TV Generation" like "Family Foreman," a reality show launching in July about the hijinks of George Foreman and his ten children (five of whom are sons named George II, III, IV, V, and VI). And don't miss the 2008 TV Land Awards on June 15th.

Then there is Retirement Living TV ("TV for Your Freedom Years"), the brain child of innovative senior living developer, John Erikson. Much of the programming feels older than Boomer-specific, but they have a new half hour newsmagazine show called "My Generation," produced by AARP at their world headquarters in Washington, DC.

The third player is American Life TV (with a vanity URL of goodtv.com), which runs classic TV as well as original programming. If you haven't seen an episode of "Land of the Giants" in the last 40 years, well, now you can. Our money isn't on these guys, yet.

The broader point is that the first generation raised in front of the TV isn't done with it yet.