About the Course

Online social networking is booming in size and variety of use, giving consumers the power to make or break a TV show, thanks to the turbo-charged word-of-mouth that online communities have enabled.

Kerry O’Rourke, Director of Studies for GEN TV says ‘GEN TV is Tweeting. It’s important to embrace the impact that social networks have.  If they like GEN TV then they’re empowered to become an advocate by adding our Tweets to their Twitter page, thereby broadcasting our information to all of their contacts. It’s a great way for GEN TV information to be disseminated virally.’

Kerry ads that ‘When GEN TV commences, online channels will be very important in creating audience interest in the show and in gaining audience feedback and suggestions, from online broadcasts.’

Jane Shulze of The Australian agrees that TV show ratings are increasingly impacted by the power of online word-of-mouth. Jane says ‘online communities are likely to be much more important (to TV shows). The (TV) networks are already latching on to this.’

Mike Walsh, MD of Tomorrow, says that consumers are ‘finding the power of connecting to each other through networks. Audiences choose to forward items to their friends: they can’t be made to do it.’

This tips the balance of power back to the viewer so TV networks have no choice but to engage in the way that viewers demand.

The power of social networking sites is further strengthened through its many different uses – it’s not just for socialising. Reporter Caroline Overington, filed 197 posts on Twitter for the Black Saturday bush fires in Victoria earlier this year. Residents, reporters and emergency services all made use of the Tweets that detailed the latest fire updates and road closures.

The Facebook consumer base is so huge that if it were a country it would have the 5^th largest population in the world.  This comes after Facebook announced on April 8 that it registered its 200 millionth user.  With this kind of reach Facebook alone, outstrips the majority of any traditional TV audiences.

‘Social networking sites are growing in members and in application. For TV to continue to thrive it must go online.’ says Kerry O’Rourke.  ‘We are bringing TV online with GEN TV. It’s the first TV course in the country that embraces online social networks and broadcasts.’