Commodity Audience 200309 Ct

The Commodity Model: Audience as Value

Content • Introduction • Commodity Model (Present) • Commodity Model & Limitations • ‘Evolution’ of Commodity Model • Case Study: MediaCorp TV & MOBTV • Conclusion • References

Relationships Audience – Media: Foundation of economic power Audience is an asset/property

Advertiser – Media: Provide financial support

Advertiser – Audience: Capture audience’s awareness

Government protects local media’s economic interests by ensuring that the broadcasters are still working on an advertiser-supported system.

Dallas Smythe

Zz.

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Audience Commodity

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“all non-sleeping time is working time”

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Work time is devoted to the production of commodities, producing and reproducing labour power.

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Time away from work, but not asleep is sold as a commodity to advertisers.

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By consuming media, audience performs labour for the advertisers and media.

Commodity Model Broadcaster

Ratings

Audience

$$$

Advertiser

Commodity Model & its Limitations •

Maxwell (1991) and Streeter (1996) argue that audiences do not produce any commodity or sell labour power, but some are paid by ratings firms to produce the ratings commodity.

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“Media capitalists buy in the ratings commodity and replace audiences’ labour power with constructed audience image”.

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Advertiser support needs to be consistent with public interest as broadcasters are required to “give people what they want”.

Commodity Model & its Limitations •

In reality, the broadcasters cater to the advertisers, instead of to fulfill the public’s wishes.

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Broadcasters are expected to maximise their audiences and sell them to anyone who is willing to pay.

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Broadcasters are trusted with the responsibility of public interest and compelled to provide programmes

Commodity Model: New Media ENV •

Commodity model exists in a world whereby media is financially supported by advertisers.

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With the introduction of new media, the concept about commodity value of audience will change.

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One approach - the value of audiences to advertisers (ratings).

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Other approach - ability of audiences to pay fees (direct payment).

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In both cases, the audience will still be the key source of revenue.

MediaCorp TV & MOBTV •

MediaCorp’s Revenue = Mainly from advertisers.

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MediaCorp introduced MOBTV (MediaCorp Online Broadcast Television).

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Audiences are able to pay directly for programme viewing.

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MOBTV subscription fees = Revenue to MediaCorp.

Commodity Model: New Media ENV Broadcaster

$$$ Ratings

Audience

$$$

Advertiser

Conclusion •

Model evolves to suit the conditions of the new media environment.

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Sustainability of the commodity model is constantly challenged, esp in a technologically advanced environment.

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Money is still an independent variable.

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Definitions and concepts of audience value and media environment are subjected to changes.

References Kellner D and Durham M, (1991), Media and Cultural Studies, pp 230-321 Webster, J. G, (1991), Audience Models in Communications, Policy

Chang, De Li, Making identical audience commodities across countries by global sports: NBA and global advertising in Taiwan and the US http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/OldSiteBackup/SubmittedDocuments/archivedp

Cynara M. Medina, Ugly Betty and The Latino /A Commodity Audience, Downloaded on 9 March 2009, http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/5/9/6/3/pages259631/p259631 Glass G, (2006), Audience Labor: The Asymmetric Production of Culture http://www.geof.net/research/2006/audience-labor Gould, Stephen J. ; Gupta, Pola B. (2006), Journal of Advertising, "Come on down": how consumers view game shows and the products placed in them. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15385145_ITM

Thank You! Presented by: Adrian Ng Bertrand Tay Charine Tan Ken Chua Nicole Lee Pearlyn Hoon Vernia Lim