TVs tune in for 40-somethings
New programs geared for middle-aged tastes
By Baek Byung-yeul
Cable network tvN’s talk show “Modern K-Pop History, Bangjajeon” / Courtesy of tvN
TV stations used to ignore 40-somethings.
All schedules were geared to cater to teens in music, drama and variety shows.
Now programs for middle-aged viewers are popping up.
A popular example is the talk show “Modern K-Pop History, Bangjajeon” on CJ E&M’s cable channel tvN, where hosts reminisce about the pop music scene of the 1980s and ’90s.
“We paid particular attention to the selection of hosts so that we can please people with fond memories of those times” said Bangjajeon producer Kim Do-hyung in a press conference ahead of the show’s launch.
All six hosts are instantly recognizable to anyone near and over 40.
They are comedian and show host Joo Byung-jin; pop star Kim Wan-sun; Jung Won-kwan from the former boy band Sobangcha; 1990s heartthrob singer Byun Jin-sup; comedienne Park Mi-sun; and Kim Tae-won, guitarist of rock band Boowhal.
Mnet, the music channel for CJ E&M, is running a singing audition program with a focus on a dying genre called "trot," the oldest form of Korean pop music developed in the years before and during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945).
The key reason for the wave of nostalgic programming is that TV stations realize who their main viewers are. The traditional primetime audience of those in their teens to their and 30s is decreasing considerably.
“TV dramas have always considered older viewers, but so far entertainment shows have only focused on young people,” said culture critic Bae Kook-nam. “Broadcasters are acting on the necessity to widen the age groups of their viewers. Youngsters are not sticking with TV anymore.”
Some audiences view the sluggish economy as another good reason. “These are hard times, and at least when I watch Bangjajeon, I can revisit a time in my life when I didn’t have to worry about anything,” said Ryu Hei-jin, a 40-year-old office worker in Ulsan.
“When I saw the show, I was so excited about seeing celebrities who were famous when I was in my 20s,” said Lee Jin-soon, a 54-year-old Seoulite. “I personally like Byun, best known for his signature ballads, and I hope to see more of him on the show.”
The confidence with which CJ E&M keeps creating works for the older generation stems from the unforeseen sensation “Grandpas over Flowers,” a reality travel show that cast actors in their 70s to travel around the world.
Dispelling early concerns, the program had average ratings of four percent, which is very high for a cable segment. It showed that programs targeting middle-aged people also can become major players.
tvN channel is airing “Those Days Top 10,” another talk show, stimulating nostalgia of middle-aged viewers by discussing the 10 hottest entertainment topics from more than 30 years ago.
The three big stations — MBC, KBS and SBS — are following the trend that the cable channels initiated.