Narrowcasting/Broadcasting

Narrowcasting and broadcasting are two ways to disseminate mass-mediated messages. Narrowcasting indicates that some sort of strategic discretion is being used in the selection of an audience for a message. Broadcasting is the opposite; here the primary consideration is how to reach as large an audience as possible. The strategic decision of whether to narrowcast or broadcast a message can happen at several levels, and across types of messages and different mass media.

One example is television. The traditional broadcast started with three networks, each with its own channel. The object in creating programming was to appeal to the lowest common denominator. With the advent of cable television, narrowcasting became a possibility. The number of channels expanded from three to hundreds—and satellite systems push the channel options even further—with each channel representing new possibilities.

Although increasing the number of channels promotes audience fragmentation, it also promotes demographically better-defined audiences. Content providers can fine-tune (or target) their messages. Advertising and public relations firms are also to be considered. With audience demographics better defined now than ever before, advertisers and public relations firms reap the benefits of being able to further refine messages for a specific audience. Added to this is the existence of two strata in the spots that run between programs—local and national.

Television is not the only medium to consider. The term narrowcasting is increasingly associated with radio. The Internet provides massive bandwidth, with the potential of tens of thousands of channels of content, each of them—creativity willing—unique.

Another medium to consider is the magazine. Technology has made it much less expensive to enter the print magazine business. Some magazines exist only on the Internet, sidestepping the costs of ink and paper. As the capabilities of the Internet grow, television will go through the same upheavals that print and radio have experienced.

Narrowcasting does have its problems. As an audience is further defined, it shrinks in size. That drives up the cost of getting the message (program, public service announcement, or advertisement) out. A balance will always have to be struck between the size of the audience to be reached and the cost of a message for that audience.