Archive for November, 2007

Here is an editorial written by a college student who is one of four winners of this Fall Semester’s Weekender College Edition contest, and which brilliantly encapsulates what it means to be a young adult consumer in the new media lansape. This and the other three winning entrants can be seen on www.cynopsis.com

“An Open Letter From The On-Demand Generation:
by Michael Krepack, Senior/New York University, Major: Entertainment, Media & Technology

We, the On-Demand Generation, would like to respectfully inform you that the future of TV is here. No longer will we be bullied into watching TV on your time. Welcome to a new era: “Appointment TV” is now “Instant TV.”

We’re well aware that today’s media landscape is rapidly changing, but for those of us in the On-Demand Generation our lifeblood necessitates consuming content in myriad platforms. We read The New York Times online; we scan YouTube for the latest viral videos; we download music from the iTunes Store. We require one thing: instant gratification.

Yet, you insist on distributing content the old fashion way (especially you, the five major broadcasting networks, you’re on notice). Granted, you have begun to embrace new media (mobisodes anyone?) and made some inroads in distributing your TV shows online (and, from what we garner from the WGA strike, at a financial loss), but you’re selling us short.

While you toil developing the right platform to deliver your content (as if there has to be one correct method), the era of “Primetime TV” has vanished just as fast as Viva Laughlin! Until we take over as gatekeepers, we request you give us what we want, when we want it. How about embracing, instead of admonishing time-shifted viewing?

As we shy further away from the TV dinner programming schedule, take a page out of the Pay-TV playbook - repurpose your shows on an on-demand platform. Create a world where each broadcast channel has its own on-demand channel where full episodes of shows appear alongside made-for-demand programming.

In terms of a revenue source, why not charge a monthly premium for subscribers? Then again, you could make it free and tack-on commercials in the same vain you do now for shows online (just air them in HD, please).

This new interactive TV connects you with us. Directly. Adapt or lose. The On-Demand Generation is here to stay. Armed with our DVRs, iPods and Slingboxes we are loud, proud and always tuned on.

Sincerely Yours,
The On-Demand Generation
Sent Via iPhone, while watching TV on the iPhone”

It’s amazing what a bit of consumer outcry and healthy competition will do.

First Apple decides to reverse its previous decision on letting third party developers create applications for its new iPhone. At launch, Steve Jobs said it was a closed shop, but more recently, after a bit of consumer criticism on his stance, he have them the green light to develop at will.

And earlier this week a consortium led by Google announced plans to launch the OpenSocial social networking platform, enabling professional and amateur developers to create applications that can be used on all of the participating platforms. As of today these include Google’s Orkut (it’s big in Brazil, apparently), LinkedIn, Salesforce.com, Ning, Hi5, Friendster (I thought they were friendless and had now folded, but I guess I was wrong), Viadeo, Oracle and - announced today - the big kahuna of them all, MySpace. This is of course in response to the success that Facebook has had since it opened up its own platform earlier this year to third party developers, helping build its numbers of subscribers to 50 million.

But the biggest shake-up of them all is going to be in mobile. In a couple of week’s time Google will reveal its plans to launch software that will be “open,” so allowing developers to create services that take advantage of Google’s applications - using GPS to find a store on a GoogleMap, for instance. Google has been talking to phone manufacturers as well as to the service providers here and in Europe, although the (dis)likes of Verizon and ATT&T clearly hate the thought that they won’t be able to control what their customers can access through their networks (so if we’re a Verizon subscriber and want music on our handsets we have to take their V-CAST service).

If this duopoly doesn’t want to play ball, Google has an ace up its sleeve - it will almost certainly try and set up its own network and will bid in next January’s Government auction of the wireless spectrum. The winning bid is likely to be around $15billion, and with over $200billion in the bank it’s a price big G can well afford.

So, Apple, Verizon, ATT&T and all other corporations desperate to wall in your customers, read the signs. And learn the lessons of AOL when it too tried to tie subscribers into its own set of ‘approved services’ - subscribers who then left in their millions once they realized there was a better life outside the corporate confines.