Video killed the radio star...

... sang the Buggles in 1979.  Well remembered as the first music video shown on MTV, the modern pop classic laments music's evolution from radio to video. 

In the hospitality TV industry, it’s hard to ignore the parallel.

UK traditional TV viewing sees record decline, Ofcom report says...

Ofcom's Media Nations 2023 report, released on the 3rd August 2023, highlights the sharpest ever decline in traditional terrestrial TV viewing (click here to see the corresponding BBC article), detailing the huge upward trend in the consumption of on-demand media services, such as BBC iPlayer, Netflix and YouTube.

Is that good news, or bad news?!

It's good news. On-demand TV services provide flexibility and choice, meaning hotel guests can watch what they want, when they want. 

Theoretically speaking, on-demand services provide an infinite amount of choice - there is a universe more content, then hours in the day to watch it.

So, no more channel-surfing marathons, no more missing the first few minutes, and no more half-watching a nondescript repeat from 2016

TV or not TV? 

So, what does this mean for the hospitality TV industry? 

If guests can essentially enjoy an infinite amount of content on the guestroom TV, where does terrestrial TV fit in? Is it becoming less important? Is it still necessary?

Well, let's make this very clear: terrestrial TV is a critical component in a modern guestroom entertainment system. 

The power of TV

Firstly, and most importantly, on-demand services are great, they're the future of TV. But not everybody is tech savvy, not everybody has access to streaming services and simply speaking, not everybody wants to watch on-demand content!

In today's world, where inclusivity is an intrinsic facet of society, why remove a viewing option for even the smallest percentage of guests? (actually, it's not a small percentage, it's approximately 20% if you’re interested). 

And anyway, isn’t there something nice about the immediacy of terrestrial TV? Or being able to watch content without having to search for it first?

And let's not forget the glut of programming that can't be watched 'live' via on-demand services - live sporting events, news and special reports, awards shows & live performances, telethons and fundraisers etc

The verdict

Terrestrial TV is an important component of a balanced TV entertainment system, complementing, not competing with its line-up of on-demand services. Most importantly, it provides viewing options for every guest, not just most guests….

Airwave strongly recommend the implementation of a balanced TV entertainment system, most definitely including terrestrial TV with a curated list of channels.

....what, been humming Video Killed the Radio Star?!  As a thanks for reading, here's a present for you: