This is a paper on audience fragmentation in television. It explains the ramifications that television and cable advertisers face due to audience fragmentaion.

Essay by rackelCollege, UndergraduateA+, April 2006

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With new digital advances in the television industry, stations are growing in numbers and variety. With the hundreds of channels that are available, niche stations make up the majority of them. While these changes may be positive for the viewers, it has a negative impact on the companies that advertise by means of commercials.

The idea of mass television as we have come to know is becoming obsolete. Instead, stations will concentrate on a more individualistic basis whether it be by hobby, religion, race, or interests. This type of convergence has come into play as stations are beginning to segment their already audience fragmented channels. The Discovery Channel, a specified interest channel, has gradually done just that. Not only do they have the Discovery Channel but they also offer Discovery Health, Discovery Home, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times, Discovery HD Theater, Animal Planet, FitTV, Military Channel, The Science Channel, TLC, and BBC America..

Now that such options are being presented, those who choose to can watch customized programs which match their interests at any time they wish.

With television channels being so niche oriented, it results in some difficulty for advertisers. When a station is solely directed towards a specific interest group, that group is generally smaller than the target market advertisements intend to reach. With this in mind the amount of commercials a company would have broadcasted on mass televison, can not be as effective in the new era of audience fragmented channels.

If Clorox wanted to advertise a product such as bleach, their market consists of anyone who does laundry. So right away they need to break up campaigns into target markets, one of which may be a working mom. Now if they want to air a commercial they have to look into the times...