"Advertising is one of the most conservative industries imaginable"
What does the distant future of television look like? The first TV 2.0 Summit in Zurich addressed this question. In the ballroom of the Kaufleuten, experts from the media, advertising, and agency sectors shared their insights. There were exciting and promising presentations to be heard.
The event opened with a forward-looking review by Helmut Thoma. "I have already seen various futures in the past," TV veteran Helmut Thoma introduced himself to the audience. The founder of RTL estimated that he had probably already appeared as an expert in over a thousand such discussion panels on the future of television since 1984. "I could portray every panel member myself." On the subject of "technical development", Thoma remained matter-of-fact: "The biggest technical revolution was the switch from black and white to color in 1967. The rest are technical enhancements". But some of them were definitely worthwhile: "Radio RTL is a kind of license to print money, simply without using paper."
Later, television was also able to take a slice of the advertising money pie. However, this required a rethink: "We discovered a completely new target group: the viewers. Before, we only knew fee payers." However, Thoma doubts that they now want a completely different kind of television: "Turning a couch potato into an active employee is expecting too much." Apart from the fact that interactive television is nothing new: "We've had interactive television for a long time with the button to switch it on and off."
Thoma also exaggerates the hype surrounding digital television: "If I push a pallet of yogurt into the supermarket on an electric scooter, that's not electric yogurt either." For the private TV pioneer, every technology reaches a point where development comes to an end. "Quadrophony has failed because we only have two ears. The very high frequencies only interest the dog anyway." And when it comes to content, the former head of broadcasting at "Tutti Frutti" has little hope: "Since the first Greek comedy or tragedy in antiquity, they've always shown the same thing, people are just dressed differently."
Thoma also expects little new in terms of news: "It's no longer possible to report closer to the event than you can today live from a tsunami or war. That would be in the realm of clairvoyance." And Helmut Thoma had even less faith in the future when it came to advertising: "Advertising is one of the most conservative areas imaginable." Nevertheless, he offered a small glimmer of hope: "Once advertisers get moving, much more will be possible with the moving image." (Summary: Andreas Panzeri)
