Will Social Media Change Television?

Social Media has created a place for customers and consumers to express their thoughts and opinions about brands, products, services… anything, you name it! Now it’s becoming a platform for viewers to express their love and hate for network programming.

According to Mashable.com, NBC is revealing a brand new network loyalty program in which social media plays a starring role. Fan It is a social media platform with myNBC (NBC’s online community for fans), Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Foursquare integration that rewards users who promote, interact and discuss NBC shows.

Fans can earn points by watching videos on NBC.com, liking shows, chatting and recruiting friends that can be redeemed for NBC merchandise, show previews, virtual goods, badges and sweepstakes entires.

This could be the next step for social media and an important new element in measuring audience engagement, not only for television but for other industries as well. What do you think?