The Hollywood Reporter released this list of the 50 most influential players in reality TV. I cross-referenced each name on this list against Twitter to find out which members of the group had an account. Not surprisingly, very few of the non-celebrities actively tweet or even have an account. So, either these Hollywood players aren’t hip to Twitter yet, don’t think their personal brand is worth managing, or think they can still remain “behind the scenes.”
Two surprising omissions from this list are Oprah and Ellen. With Oprah reaching over 1 million Twitter followers in less than one month and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” challenging Ashton Kutcher for the top Twitter spot, an argument can be made that the creators of these shows are the truly influential “reality” TV players. So my advice for reality TV producers is to watch and learn from how “Oprah,” “Ellen,” or even “The View” engages their respective audiences using Twitter. The most successful reality TV programs in the future will be the ones that allow the largest audience participation, preferably live and in real-time over the internet. If FCC regulations are too great a barrier for this to happen, then first-run shows may have to air over the Internet. (For advertising reasons, this may sound crazy, i know) It is the producers themselves who need to become social media enthusiasts in order to understand how to best integrate social features into a particular show, including the on-air and online experience.
One of the key competitive advantages of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” is its high level of audience participation, namely the “Phone-A-Friend” and “Ask the Audience” lifelines. I realize that this show is coming back for a 10-year anniversary run. However, it would be even easier to breathe new life into this franchise by adding new lifelines that utilize Twitter. In addition, what if a game show, like the “Price is Right,” had contestants that played along on Twitter? We will almost certainly continue to see social media and interactive technology further impact reality TV plot lines and allow characters to engage in two-way conversation with the audience before, during, and after production.
Therefore, I challenge the reality TV producers mentioned below to step up in a traditionally tight-lipped industry and make your web presence more public. There is no shortage of ideas for how social media can be incorporated into new or existing shows. The technology is certainly no longer a limitation. However, show producers will need strong web teams in place to help them execute their vision.
Here is the full list, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with their corresponding Twitter name.
- Simon Cowell – Well, Simon has made it very clear what he thinks about Twitter
- Mike Darnell
- David Goldberg
- Mark Burnett
- Cecile Frot-Coutaz
- Vicki Dummer & John Saade
- Mike Fleiss
- Simon Fuller
- Paul Telegdy
- Jennifer Bresnan – @JenBresnan
- Howard Owens & Mark Koops
- Chris Coelen
- Tony DiSanto
- Ryan Seacrest – @RyanSeacrest
- Jeff Olde
- Craig Piligian
- Francis Berwick
- Paul Buccieri
- Cris Abrego
- Arthur Smith
- Jonathan Murray
- Jane Lipsitz & Dan Cutforth
- Kristen Connolly-Vadas (THR.com misspelled your name!)
- Nancy Dubuc
- Nick Emmerson
- Thom Beers
- Gena McCarthy
- Rob Sharenow
- Michael Davies
- Gordon Ramsay
- Jeanne Newman – @newwmanje
- Ken Mok – @kenmok
- Sally Ann Salsano
- Eileen O’Neill
- Bertram Van Munster
- Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg – @aplusk
- Tyra Banks – @RealTyra
- Allison Grodner
- J.D. Roth & Todd Nelson
- Conrad Green
- Nigel Lythgoe – @dizzyfeet
- Lisa Berger
- Holly Jacobs
- Diddy – @iamdiddy
- John Irwin & Dr. Drew Pinsky – @drdrew
- Matt Kunitz
- Randy Jackson
- Tom Forman
- David Lyle
- Jeff Tremaine
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Do you really think anybody gives a damn about whether or not reality producers twitter? They work for a living! Some people are too busy to waste their thoughts at 160 characters a shot… GET A LIFE!