h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"They are wealthy, well-educated and watch more television than anyone else yet older people are marginalised by most advertisers, broadcasters and papers. But a new report highlighting the importance of the "grey pound" aims to change all that."

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1190023,00.html

"Channel 4, a public service broadcaster, insists on clinging desperately to its commercial lifeline by styling itself as a channel for the under-50s. More pertinently, the BBC is pouring money into its youth network BBC3, when some think a service tailored towards converting digital sceptics - older people - would be more appropriate."


Given that the 'baby boom' generation remains the largest single demographic group in history, why are they being ignored now that they have passed into their fifties? Does being marginalised by the media also reflect society's viewpoint?


azahar

"More pertinently, the BBC is pouring money into its youth network BBC3,"

What the report ignores, however, is the that the BBC is also pouring money into BBC4, which appeals to the over 50s group.

Has BBC4 changed a lot in the past twelve years? I don't recall it being specifically geared towards over-50's.

What about other forms of media? It used to be that this demographic group pretty much controlled Western production and marketing, which was often based on their needs. Well, talking about people who are now 50-60ish. I know that advertising and such tends to glorify youth but it also seems sloppy marketing to leave out a rather signficant and wealthy section of the market.

az

azahar - BBC4 is a digital only channel which has been transmitting for about a year or so - I think you may be thinking of Channel 4

Speaking as a 22 year old - BBC4 is the only reason to get Freeview in my opinion.

When I lived in England there were (I think) four basic tv channels: BBC1, BBC2, ITV and what I thought was BBC4. Not sure now if I've even got that right. Oops.

az

Well being a baby boomer I can testify that I've been getting SAGA holiday cr@pfor years even when I was not even old enough for it to apply to me due entirely to having a christian name that was severely 'dated'.In fact I've recieved such an eclectic array of advertising literature across the years that any one looking through my refuse might be excused for imagining I was some incontinent 70 year old with a penchant for collecting limited edition plates and building an online website aimed at seeking out my family tree.

And NO I'm not called Gladys.

As for being ignored by the media-well yes of course.They still get my money by aiming at my teenage children!!!!

Incog.

In short, yes we are. Which is one of the reasons I hang about here - there's so little on TV that appeals.

"Given that the 'baby boom' generation remains the largest single demographic group in history, why are they being ignored now that they have passed into their fifties?"

I like to think it's a fairly simple cyclic thing. As time goes on, a new creative generation come through. The Nathans and Tristrams running Channel 4 and BBC3 are right now in about their mid-thirties, but like to think they're about fifteen years younger - so they produce stuff that appeals to people like them, and people younger than them. Such TV ever was. The people actually creating the content have always been mainly people in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties. It takes you that long to get established enough to get a production deal, and you've got perhaps ten productive years before you're stale. This applies to production staff as well as onscreen talent. There are of course a few exceptions, but that's the rule.

To take comedy as an example, one need only look at the generations of British comedy over the last few decades, to see the creative forces behind them were invariably 25-35 at the height of their influence.

Consider:
- Monty Python
- The Goodies
- Not the Nine O'Clock News
- The Young Ones
- Vic Reeves
- Alan Partridge
- The Office

OK - the last one doesn't really work because Ricky Gervais was a whopping FORTY years old when "The Office" came out. Let's say he's the exception that proves the rule.

But this is not a new thing - TV has always mainly reflected the preferences of the people MAKING it, not watching it.

Hence, nostalgia in the '60s for the '40s - Dad's Army.
Nostalgia in the '70s for the '50s - Happy Days, MASH.
Nostalgia in the '80s for the '60s - the return of Juke Box Jury under Noel Edmonds
Nostalgia in the '90s for pretty much every moment and bit of trivia of the seventies, eighties and eventually even the nineties, culminating on one surreal evening with Stuart Maconie presenting a programme entitled "I(Heart) Next Year", in which various talent-vacuum non-entities reminisced about how great it was going to have been to have been to have been going to be alive next year what with all the great TV shows, snack foods, toys and celebrity births/marriages/deaths.

OK so I was lying about that last one. But only a bit.

Anyone reading this who is now about fifteen years old - relax. People your age will be in charge of television programming in about ten to fifteen years time, so expect lots of content around then about what life was like at the turn of the millenium.

By that time, even more people will, like me, have more or less rejected television as an entertainment medium.

>> ..more or less rejected television as an entertainment medium. <<

As age and senility overcome me I'm also losing faith in news and information programming. I have begun to doubt TV's ability to properly inform me of the world around me. So if it can't entertain me, if it doesn't inform of things I might be interested in and it doesn't tell me the truth about what's going on in the world, why should I watch it?

Right, that's settled then. I'm pulling the plug.

~jwf~

Of course we are being ignored. We don't want anyone to see how we control the world....Muhahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.

jwf,

<>

What about newspaper reporting? Do you find this is also being geared towards a younger audience?



Member,

What about the portrayal of over-50's in films and television programmes? Do you think they are shown in a realistic way (when they are shown at all)?

When I was a kid my father was already an *old* man by the time he was forty. Later, forty became the time of life when 'life really begins'. Now 'fifty is the new forty'. Go figure.


az

When men over fifty are "realistically" portrayed, I look at them and see people pretty much like me and my friends, usually. Except for one thing - I only know one guy my age who's in a relationship with someone twenty five years younger than himself. This seems the rule rather than the exception on TV and film.

When women over fifty are portrayed, they're almost never anything like my wife or her friends. One notable exception was "Calendar Girls". Other than that they're invariably either a human version of Yoda, a nasty in-law, or a nutter.

But TV is mostly made by men, so is anyone surprised?

'Other than that they're invariably either a human version of Yoda, a nasty in-law, or a nutter.' Except for the nasty in-law (which has yet to be proven, it was probably just the drink) that pretty much describes my mother and a number of her friends

Of course I am a white male 18-49 everyone listens to me, no matter how dumb the idea. M'mmmmm, nuts with gum Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

Az, you'd be thinking of *Channel* 4. Just to be odd, there's two UK channels with 4 in the title- Channel 4 and BBC4. BBC4 shows documentaries, dramas about politicos, programmes about composers, things like that. Channel 4 appeals chiefly to the 18-29 bracket, I believe.

>> jwf - What about newspaper reporting? Do you find this is also being geared towards a younger audience? <<

Aha! So that's why I stopped reading newspapers ten years ago!

I vaguely recall deciding that TV was a BETTER alternative for the mature modern man. But I see now that I was wrong.

*wonders if they still publish newspapers around here*
*looks around for ten cents*
*anticipates purchase*

~jwf~

50+ people aren't relevant. Look at how pre-teens are now being targeted. Heck - I'm 19, and I'm not relevant anymore. It's simple - you have about 10 years left in you before you retire. And what do you do? Drink pints, watch sports and finish off paying that mortgage. You aren't interested in spending money on things, more saving money and securing what's left of your future. Why should anyone pay attention to you?



*ducks*

"50+ people aren't relevant."

To whom? Name a prominent member of the government front bench who is under fifty. They're pretty relevant to how our lives are...

"It's simple - you have about 10 years left in you before you retire."

I hope not. I'm planning on being well retired by 55...

"And what do you do? Drink pints, watch sports and finish off paying that mortgage."

Mortgage? Oh, yes, I remember those. That's one of those things young people have, isn't it? I have to say it's an unusually reckless or irresponsible (or possibly just plain poor) person who hasn't paid off their mortgage by the time they're 45...

"You aren't interested in spending money on things, more saving money and securing what's left of your future."

And back in the real world, we have more disposable income than any other group, and we damn well DO spend it. I've travelled more in the last ten years than I did in the previous forty, to five continents, usually twice a year but sometimes three times. My friends drive fast sports cars and powerful motorcycles - born again Stirling Mosses and John Surtees's the lot of them (ask your Dad) - fly planes and helicopters, listen to the best music on the best equipment and watch theatre and opera from the best seats. Saving? Heck no, we're *spending*. Just not on anything that gets advertised on TV...

Meanwhile my sister's kids are still living at home even though they're 24, because they can't even afford to rent a place much less buy one.

ONCE my youngest is out of the nest I'm spending ALL my money.I see no point in saving for my old age-some one(mainly the chancellor) will devise a scheme to separate me from my saving otherwise.So what if I end up living in a council run dumping ground as long as I get some 'fun' before I pop off?

Excellent points, Member!

Yesterday I was asking one of my students (mid-fifties doctor) if he felt people his age were ignored by the media and he said that, in terms of advertising, it becomes more individual. He says he gets calls every day from tele-marketing (is that what they are called?) people wanting to sell him everything from Mercedes cars to cases of wine to holidays abroad. Every day! Also on his mobile phone.

Javier only has a mortgage on his recently acquired beach house (his two flats in the city are paid for). I wouldn't say he spends money frivolously (still putting two sons through university) but he certainly isn't hoarding. He has a couple of computers and good quality audio/visual equipment.

Anyhow, I was surprised to find out how aggressively these tele-marketing companies pursue people like Javier. Apparently they buy lists of doctors, lawyers and other professional groups and then bombard them with special offers on their products. I doubt they would do this if they weren't spending.

Re: television programmes. I remember enjoying how Prime Suspect and Inspector Morse showed over-50's as 'real' unglamourised people. Perhaps there are/were more but can't remember at the moment.


az

"Fifty is the new thirty ... so drop the Zimmer frame jokes"

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/focus/story/0,6903,1222722,00.html

"Baby-boomers have become the biggest consumer market - and marketing whizz-kids had better get used to it."




az

I was interested to see the listed top 10 TV programmes & music artists.
As a soon to be 50 year old, there wasn't much there that would be on my top 10. I think that truly illustrates what a wide range of tastes etc the over 50s are.
We have an over 60s club in our village & for one event needed some background music. Someone was dredging up wartime type material until someone pointed out that whereas that might appeal to the over 80s, today's 60 year olds were 20 in 1964 & might prefer slightly more modern music!

I think men over 50 are reasonably well presented in drama, but women, even over 40, don't get a good billing. They seem to come back into their own only when having achieved the status of a wrinkled granny.