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In a matter of a generation, the region's viewers have gone from famine to a feast of channel choices. But have broadcasters stayed abreast of the fragmentation curve with content that is compelling enough to keep viewers coming back for more?

Perhaps one of the defining features of the region's rapid development over the past 15 years has been the explosion of viewing options available on television.

The widespread advent of cable and satellite broadcasting ushered in a new era, one in which viewers were no longer limited by the confines of terrestrial programming, and could more readily plan their viewing to watch the kind of specialised content that was previously unavailable.

Fast forward to 2005, and TV programming has become a business defined by segmentation. A whole generation of Asians has grown up with cable television, making the distinction between platforms an immaterial one. Instead, content is truly king.

In targeting young consumers, the challenge is to ensure that programming accurately reflects the hopes and aspirations of a notoriously fickle demographic, and one which, furthermore, demands communication on a range of fronts - from TV to the internet and mobile. Research remains key to these efforts, but the dangers of relying on data are well-documented,particularly for an audience whose attitudes can shift dramatically, in the time it takes to change channels.

For the older, mass-market demographic, TV shows have begun to appear increasingly homogenised.Terrestrial programmers have responded to the growth of pay-TV by upping their own investment in the type of international programming that has become almost generic by virtue of ubiquity.

Reality television is a perfect example plugging Asia into the international community and transforming popular culture in the region. The key for broadcasters will be to successfully localise such programming, in the manner of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Star's hugely successful Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The Idol format has seen similar benefits from market customisation, while other shows, including The Weakest Link, have made varying efforts to connect with local viewers in a meaningful manner but with mixed results.

As one of the driving forces behind the growth of 24-hour television, the region's dedicated news channels are meanwhile reaping the dividends of a renewed hunger for international news, not just in Asia but across the world as seismic events such as wars and natural disasters occur with alarming regularity. A quarter of a century after Ted Turner pioneered the all-day news feed in the US, as many as 70 all-day channels now compete globally, underlining the intense competition for eyeballs at a time when the internet delivers news with equal speed. However, as coverage of recent wars show, a need for impartiality is crucial in Asia, as are sophisticated distribution strategies that can maximise the different platforms now available.

Despite growing appetite for 24-hour news, primetime remains the most lucrative component of a programmer's arsenal. Today, however, competition has intensified, fuelled not only by competing television channels, but by the full range of entertainment options on offer.

The need to effectively segment primetime programming to reflect local market and demographic consumption habits has become crucial, indicating the larger forces at play. Lifestyle broadcasters, for example, continue to refine their offerings by carving up their audience into ever more specialised niches, pointing to the overriding consideration that all television stations are having to make.

The viewers are well and truly in charge, and finding out precisely what they want remains the key to unlocking long-term success in this hotly contested marketplace.

Copyright Haymarket Business Publications Ltd. Aug 12, 2005