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.

1. Simon Cowell – Well, Simon has made it very clear what he thinks about Twitter
2. Mike Darnell
3. David Goldberg
4. Mark Burnett
5. Cecile Frot-Coutaz
6. Vicki Dummer & John Saade
7. Mike Fleiss
8. Simon Fuller
9. Paul Telegdy
10. Jennifer Bresnan – @JenBresnan
11. Howard Owens & Mark Koops
12. Chris Coelen
13. Tony DiSanto
14. Ryan Seacrest – @RyanSeacrest
15. Jeff Olde
16. Craig Piligian
17. Francis Berwick
18. Paul Buccieri
19. Cris Abrego
20. Arthur Smith
21. Jonathan Murray
22. Jane Lipsitz & Dan Cutforth
23. Kristen Connolly-Vadas (THR.com misspelled your name!)
24. Nancy Dubuc
25. Nick Emmerson
26. Thom Beers
27. Gena McCarthy
28. Rob Sharenow
29. Michael Davies
30. Gordon Ramsay
31. Jeanne Newman – @newwmanje
32. Ken Mok – @kenmok
33. Sally Ann Salsano
34. Eileen O’Neill
35. Bertram Van Munster
36. Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg – @aplusk
37. Tyra Banks – @RealTyra
38. Allison Grodner
39. J.D. Roth & Todd Nelson
40. Conrad Green
41. Nigel Lythgoe – @dizzyfeet
42. Lisa Berger
43. Holly Jacobs
44. Diddy – @iamdiddy
45. John Irwin & Dr. Drew Pinsky – @drdrew
46. Matt Kunitz
47. Randy Jackson
48. Tom Forman
49. David Lyle
50. Jeff Tremaine