TTFN TRL It’s On, let’s Tweet before we get a TWIT-Ticket

I was never in the demographic for MTV's Total Request Live, I was 30 when the show premiered and the target was screaming teens and the twenty-something crowd. Despite the demographic divide, it was a notable change in the TV landscape when the show, which was cancelled in November, aired its last repeat episode last week.

TRL launched the career of Carson Daly (which skyrocketed and then faded back to insomnia heaven at 1:30AM on NBC) and many other D-list host/celebrity wannabees. TRL created a window to the world with its studio overlooking Times Square that for years drew sidewalk-clogging fans hoping for a glimpse of 'N Sync, Britney Spears or Kanye West. And the show may have predicted the future trend that will influence its replacement and many other broadcasts of today - TRL introduced the interactive viewer short messages about who, where and what's up in their world, broadcast as a crawl along the bottom of the TV screen.

TRL's replacement is a show called "It's On with Alexa Chung." It's On is a daily loft party of music, celebrity chat, trends and more broadcast from a studio overlooking Times Square. WAIT! WHAT? That sounds just like TRL. How's It's On different and what's the trend that TRL influenced that is the core of the show? Interactive viewer messages - but this time delivered and socialized by Twitter. MTV seems to be trying hard to over emphasize that It's On is very different from TRL and that Tweets are why. According to a New York Times article, "Twitter commentary will be featured regularly on the screen, home viewers will be able to submit video questions for celebrities on the show, and stars of viral videos will be shown in regular segments."

Twitter and its Tweets aren't only inching their way onto MTV - they same to be everywhere you turn the channel. Many networks, like CNN and E! have incorporated social networking via Twitter into their programming. Even local stations are creating Twitter account and ask viewers to sign up updates. But just because television shows can Tweet, should they?

Twitter is the element that media experts hope can link the fast-paced growing world of on-line media and networking with the sinking broadcast television industry - a lifeline that will stop the drift away from TV and instead make it a component of 21st century media which is being dictated by social interaction. Though early in the game, this observer thinks that link isn't strong and it has muddled the socialization by creating confusion.

News programming seems to be the major user of Tweeter. CNN devotes a daily, afternoon hour with Rick Sanchez to interactive news with viewers Tweeting and Facebooking their thoughts, and also somewhat dictating the content of the show. It seems every news network's anchors and reports are on Twitter and sharing their show tweets and observations with the world. And local television stations are Twittering instant news and happenings within 140 characters, too!

You see the problem that Twitter on television is already creating? The issue that needs to be addressed before tweets can really lead to broadcast nirvana? Its tweet overload and running amock! 

Call the authorities and send up a Bat signal for some help! CNN, ABC News, local Nashville TV stations WSMV and WKRN are the worst offenders and need to be issued "TWIT-Tickets" for the violations!

Almost every CNN anchor and major reporter has a Twitter account, each account with a different, inconsistent format of their Twitter identity and no management of the number of tweets sent by the individuals or networks. I currently follow 4 CNN Twitter streams - CNN Breaking News, Rick Sanchez, Kyra Phillips and Anderson Cooper. Last week, the daily average of tweets from just these four CNN twits was 12. Imagine if there was breaking news or I added favorite reporters like Jon King or Candy Crowley how the tweets would grow. TWIT-Ticket issued to CNN for too much news in multiples of 140 character headlines!

ABC News get's TWIT-ticketed for trying to find too many different uses for Twitter all at the same time. They are sendingTwitter information updates, reporters are doing direct Twitter stories, Twitter-only interviews with newsmakers and more. ABC News has caused Twit-tanic confusion for the general population, many of whom are still trying to figure out why they need to read and communicate with Twitter in the first place.

I opened my incoming Twitter messages the other day and half of the visible messages were from Nashville TV station WSMV. During the day, which I guess is when the channel 4 news team is at its peak, the station seems to tweet every headline or event that happens in the world. Tweets about stories that wouldn't make newscasts even on the slowest news day. Tweets about things few people really care to know. TWIT-Ticket issued to WSMV for Useless News Twitter.

WKRN News 2 in Nashville just began using and promoting its Twitter links over the last few days, but I am thinking they did it too soon. Why's that? Over the weekend the station's tweets were anchors and reporters saying hello to each other, not delivering news or infomration about anything.  TWIT-Ticket issued for mindless banter disguised as Tweeting.