TV Providers Want More Info About Viewers -- But Will They Pay The Price?

[Commentary] There is a need for media to better identify who's calling -- and what they are actually selling.

This is especially true for how those new areas of social and digital media will relate to television. Media companies want to seed interest in TV shows, networks, and services, on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and other places -- but not everyone is interested in building a relationship with a brand. What's the payoff for me reading this tweet, or sampling that TV show? View a viral video. Did it come from ABC, a happy fan, a silent TV network freelance "tastemaker," or a dispassionate prankster? You might be a user/viewer who instantly clicks on this stuff. Then again, you might be skeptical and move on. The key for future marketing of TV content will be whether those bits and pieces supposedly produced from real professional TV providers are really legit - and, more important, are what the viewers really want.