★★★★★ 0/5

Are you ready for #hashtags on TV?

US TV shows have started adding Twitter #hashtag watermarks permanently throughout their broadcast.

37
Leave a comment

American television shows have begun adding permanent Twitter #hashtags on screen throughout their broadcast.

At the right hand corner at the bottom of the screen during a recent Bones episode, #bones was visible.

#glee was also broadcast throught an episode of Glee. Fringe and Christian Slater’s new comedy Breaking In also added hashtags. All of them are FOX shows.

FOX marketing president Joe Earley has told  TV Guide, “We’ve noticed shows like Glee and Idol trend while the show is on, but fans often use different hashtags.

“We thought if we provided the official hashtags, then more posts would aggregate.”

Social networking is increasingly being seen as a saviour to Free to Air television, by encouraging viewers to watch live and participate in mass discussions. How ironic given that online audiences have long been viewed as undermining Free to Air.

NBC is even launching NBC Live, a whole site devoted to promoting its shows via social media, while CBS just  held its own “Tweet Week” devoted to its shows.

Most international editions of shows such as Glee and Bones are delivered “clutter free” to other markets, so it’s unlikely we’ll have to endure these hashtags, but as we know American trends are often picked up here at one point or another.

Watch this #hashtag space?

37 Responses

  1. Bo said:
    Tv just seems to be getting worse and worse. First the station watermarks, then blatant advertising popping up throughout programs, then product placement within programs, the sizing down or complete removal of end credits and now this. ”

    And I agree 100%. It’s too much.
    That’s why I’m here on my computer rather than watching TV.
    I’ll watch a DVD later.

  3. I watched more broadcast television back when there were on only five channels to choose from. Between the watermarks, obnoxious Harvey Norman style shouting ads and product placement the enjoyment has been ruined.

  4. I noticed it during last week’s episode of Fringe. It seemed unnecessary to have it there above the usual FOX logo for the entire episode but at the same time it didn’t really get in the way or anything. Once you get immersed in the viewing you don’t notice it, kinda like normal network logo watermarks.

  5. I’m sure I saw a hashtag pop up in the corner of the screen on Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight. I don’t mind if it pops up for a few moments, however, if it’s up permanently, it won’t be a popular idea.

  6. Tv just seems to be getting worse and worse. First the station watermarks, then blatant advertising popping up throughout programs, then product placement within programs, the sizing down or complete removal of end credits and now this.

    Is Tv made to entertain anymore or is it just one big money making extravaganza for networks and advertisers?

  8. umm, for a one word show like Bones or Glee, what other hashtag are people going to use? Or, if they need reminding, what does it say about the intelligence their twitterers?

    1. If Aussie networks want to embrace this concept there is a middle ground without going the whole hog. Just before each commercial break we have been getting more “Back Soon” titles. It could easily go as a reminder there without being permanently on the show.

  10. Hope this doesn’t start in Australia. It’s bad enough networks advertising all their shows during programs, now more permanent watermarks. Nine is actually the best when it comes to having no in-show commercials, Seven and Ten love it! I can definitely see Seven doing this, maybe during Today Tonight… just what that show needs, to be even more annoying!

  11. This will surely spell the end of free to air TV and turn people to other methods of viewing their favourite programs. The large channel waterwarks that were introduced about 10 years ago are bad enough.

  15. Horrible idea. Twitter users don’t make up a big enough share of free to air viewers so it would end up annoying the majority of those watching tv. This is one invention that can stay in the states.

  16. I hope that our shows are never infected with these vile hashtags, but I have a sinking feelings that they eventually will. The large channel ID logos that are slapped onto shows are bad enough, and these hashtags are just going to add to the distracting clutter.

    This is yet another reason to buy the DVD sets of one’s favourite shows.

  18. Jeff Probst has been tweeting live through Survivor episodes recently. It gives a different perspective and he also answers questions about the show. I like it 🙂

  19. It sems like a good idea, but I do not want to have tweets in it, like what MKR did in mid-series. Should they do it here in Australia too, like putting the #masterchef hashtag in the Ten watermark during MasterChef?

  22. So I believe about 10% of the Internet uses Twitter. So 90% of the viewers are going to hate this right? I certainly would, I’d create a Twitter account just to tell them to get off the f-ing screen.

  23. Even more electronic graffiti. Ugh. I’ll admit that will make me love the DVDs/Blu-Rays even more than I do already. Probably the point. Get people to buy the DVDs instead of watching on broadcast television. Of course that might kill broadcast TV. Too bad they can’t get that some of us like no, or brief (if you must) , electronic visual torture devices; and that they ruin progammes IMO eg. watermarks. The less graffiti the better. Is that really hard to understand? Unfortunately childrens channels or shows are often the worst cases of it especially on the ABC. I’ve seen horrible green or red or yellow (over many years) during those shows with seemingly no let up. Makes me glad I don’t watch them. I guess they are accidentally training children to accept that graffiti is the way to go as well. Because everything has to be tagged! Again ugh.

  24. Ok i can so understand showing it at the begining of an ep and maybe at the end of it but not all the way through.

    Theres already too much distraction with the evergrowing station watermark that no matter what the stations do you can still see it.

    Just give us a break from all this distractions that are spoiling our tv viewing enjoyment thats all im asking.

Leave a Reply