Audience fragmentation and the erosion of major network viewership are an accepted part of the media landscape. Diminished viewership, though, can at times result from concentrated media ownership and/or greed (arguably a redundancy). And I wonder how the advertising/media community feels about that.
For example, akin to the ad slogan “This isn’t your father’s Oldsmobile,” the granddaddy of college football bowl games isn’t your grandfather’s, your father’s or for that matter yours anymore, if you don’t happen to have cable or satellite television.
As the “granddaddy” moniker reflects, the Rose Bowl has a storied tradition. But one tradition came to an abrupt end this New Year’s Day. I tuned into ABC to watch the Rose Bowl. But the game wasn’t there. So I flipped over to ESPN. But flipping isn’t so easy for seniors or shut-ins with fixed incomes who cannot afford cable or satellite TV, or families who have cut back due to job loss or the sorry state of the economy. Those households could not watch the Rose Bowl at home.
Perhaps there’s research showing that shifting the Rose Bowl from free TV wold impact an insignificant number of households. How many fans are there in an “insignificant”?
During the time of our granddads, ABC would have fought to retain the Rose Bowl. But now Disney owns ABC and ESPN so ABC happily relinquishes the game to a sister network; so much for unbridled media ownership (Comcast/NBC?) being somehow good for everyday people.
Still, though, ESPN, ABC and Disney are in the business of making money. We shouldn’t be surprised to see them exercise their right to do so.
What’s more surprising is the deafening silence in terms of media scrutiny. With 24/7 sports talk radio, web outlets, newspapers, TV–all supposedly “looking out” for us–there’s nary a question or discussion regarding the Rose Bowl’s (or the BCS title game’s) move to ESPN.
To the conspiracy theorist, the lack of discussion might be due to that concentration of media ownership. I wouldn’t expect ESPN, ABC, NBC, Comcast or other media conglomerates to delve into the matter.
This silence goes beyond the Rose Bowl. Several years ago I met an elderly couple nursing soft drinks at a restaurant so they could watch the Angels play a postseason baseball road game against the Red Sox on TBS.
The same scenario holds true for NBA Western Conference Final playoffs. Lakers fans sans cable could not watch the games. The solution for hometown fans of the Lakers and Angels: a concurrent local telecast on free TV. Ah, but that would eat into what TBS would be willing to pay–which leads to the question how much money is enough MLB and the NBA? I’d at least like to see the question asked of MLB and NBA commissioners Bud Selig and David Stern, respectively. Ask Stern how he reconciles the “NBA Cares” slogan with the decision to cut off TV access to playoff games for inner city kids who love the Lakers. Or ask Selig how he reconciles his decision with MLB’s initiative to revive baseball in inner cities. It seems that such a revival would entail enabling inner city kids without cable to watch the excitement of playoff baseball.
Or ask the head of the Tournament of Roses to explain why some fans should no longer be able to watch the Rose Bowl at home. Maybe media coverage triggers a public response that forces the powers that be to do what’s right. Maybe it has no effect at all. But at the very least consider it a New Year’s resolution that journalists (and perhaps ad agencies and media buyers) start asking questions on behalf of their readership (or ignored demographics), no matter how insignificant some of those readers/TV viewers are in the eyes of network executives.
Edelman Global CCO Judy John Named AICP Next Awards Judging Chair
Judy John, global chief creative officer at global communications firm Edelman, has been named as the 2025 AICP Next Awards judging chair. In this role, John has assembled a roster of jury presidents who will, in turn, select judges for all AICP Next Awards categories.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be named AICP Next Awards judging chair,” said John. “I’ve served as a Next jury president, and I know the caliber of work that’s entered and the level of talent judging that work. The Next Awards are special, as they recognize achievements through the lens of boundary-breaking innovations in marketing. Like great art, this work creates awe in the viewer, and reflects the times and culture in which it was created. The fact that the honored work is preserved in The Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film’s archives for future generations adds a whole other level of significance.”
“Judy’s career in many ways reflects the DNA of the Next Awards, in that she is a globally-recognized expert in creating work using a wide range of techniques, media platforms and content formats,” said Matt Miller, president and CEO of AICP. “Her complete fluency in the current marketing communications landscape makes her an ideal judging chairperson. We’re delighted that she is serving in this role.”
The AICP Next Awards is much more than an awards competition; it’s also a platform for examining work through thought leadership and analysis. The entry deadline for the AICP Next Awards, along with the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial and the AICP Post Awards, is Wed., February 26. Details can be found here.
Two new categories are joining the Next Awards this year, for... Read More