Thursday, September 02, 2010

Patience. Watch The Whole Thing. It's Worth It

OK, look: I wrote this for WWM as an experiment. Didn't work out. So just pretend you're reading a TV blog, otherwise none of this makes any sense. (No malice towards WWM, of course. It totally doesn't fit on there)

If there's one thing this has taught me, it's that I have absolutely no sense of my own writing skillz, cos I think this is the best fucking idea I have ever had. Good Lord, I'm an idiot. Anyway, here you go...


The Role Of The Digital Economy Versus, Um... OMG Meme!

No-one can deny that the traditional model of broadcasting is going through a rum old time at the moment. We live in an age where everything is on demand, tailored to our every whim, sweetened to our satisfaction; there's no such thing as appointment-to-view television in an era where you can watch EastEnders on your phone on the train the next morning, series-link Sherlock and watch it all on a rainy Sunday, or download whole boxsets of the latest US hit drama for free before it's even reached these shores.

So how do the broadcasting giants respond to these threats? Project Canvas, Apple TV, all attempts to claw back revenue and channel brand loyalty by offering streaming, multi-platform content with added value to stop the wily P2P consumer in their tracks. "We make this stuff," they claim, "someone's got to pay for it." And with advertising revenue at an all-time low, they may have a point. But what about the new creativity that comes from video-sharing sites like Vimeo and YouTube? In a time when TV is in compliance meltdown and in a commissioning rut, these sites are a place where new and out-of-favour talent can broadcast exciting, taboo-busting shows. The internet is truly a place where every voice can be equally heard.

So what does this mean for the increasingly tired-looking five-channel terrestial broadcast model? Do we have to retain them as a quality arbiter? Will we tire of the lo-fi nature of YouTube creativity? What will be the sustained link between the internet and television?

Do you want to have that discussion?

Or do you want to use that as an excuse to see the latest LOLmeme sweeping the internet on what is ostensibly a TV blog?

Thought as much.

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