Along with BBC iPlayer, Channel 4’s 4OD online catch-up and streaming service has found a public wanting to be able to watch the shows they want but at a time that suits them. On-demand streaming services have let people not worry about having to set the video recorder or even Sky+ to record the latest episode of their favourite show just because they are spending a night in the pub.
However, until YouView starts showing up in TVs and set-top boxes or your have on-demand from Virgin Media – people are left watching these shows on their laptops, PCs and tablets rather than as a group in front of the TV. Moreover, catch-up services are great when you know what you’ve missed – but what about the new and one-off shows that may be to your taste but you just never heard about? Channel4 is looking to answer these problems with 4seven, where the content will be made up purely of repeats of shows from the last seven days, with the schedule picked by what is hot in the world of social media – blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. The people, en mass, get to chose what is shown when.
It’s an interesting experiment, and as more and more people discuss shows online through a second device like a laptop, tablet, or smartphone whilst watching TV – this is one way to explore the value of that information. Nevertheless, there is a problem with this selection method and that is that small niche gems may still be missed, because the masses are the people who tune into Eastenders and Coronotion Street in the millions each night – and surely TV programming and scheduling should be more about vision?
It will be fascinating to see 4seven in action, but this only looks to be a temporary measure in the march to real channelisation with smaller niches with tastemaker control.