"WRONG WAY" by CarbonNYC [in SF!] is marked with CC BY 2.0.
THE LEDE
When I wrote for Lost Remote, at the end of every year, I would pen a column called “Everything I Got Wrong This Past Year.” Part of the concept was serious - I embraced “radical transparency” and wanted people to know what kind of track record I had predicting the success of new technology. (Short answer: Surprisingly good, but not without some spectacular fails including believing in the Segway but not the video iPod: “They’re for running, not sitting and watching a two-inch screen!”)
As a consultant, I would pitch myself as “The guy who will say ‘no.’” That is, if the client was looking for a “futurist,” I wasn’t about to take their money. Instead, I worked with local TV news stations as a “presentist.”
One of my business partners, when asked how a company should change its website told the client: “Blow up your site and start from scratch. There’s nothing worth saving here.” He was right, but they weren’t ready to hear it.
“I’m not trying to get you to the future,” I would tell their general managers, frankly. “I’m trying to get you to about two to three years ago.” And even that was difficult. Broadcast news has missed its opportunity in new media, and the time to be anything more than a bit player has gone. Ask yourself: When was the last time you heard of a breaking news story and went to a local TV news website? There are some, but not in the kinds of numbers one might have predicted 20 years ago.
Why didn’t TV news invent YouTube? Why didn’t radio invent podcasts? Where was Big Newspaper when Craig Newmark figured out placing a free ad would be a nice service? These media faced four primary problems in innovation:
No history of innovation
Fear of being wrong
Unwillingness to change the old model
A quarter-to-quarter method of thinking, rather than longer term R&D budgeting
In the history of television, there have been only a handful of true innovations: Color TV, stereo sound, HDTV and the remote. None of those innovations were driven by content creators. Each development was, in fact, a pain point for the stations. Each innovation meant they needed to spend more money to upgrade old equipment. Just imagine if some of the creative minds of the 2000s working in local news were told to embrace innovation rather than forbid it. Imagine if a station invented YouTube. It could pay for all the local news in the country.
NEWS AND NOTES
THE REAL LEDE: There’s no avoiding the real top story of the past few weeks - the mass shootings that have taken so many lives. Social media is at its best and worst during these times. I have no insight into the shootings. I can tell you that Twitter has proven, once again, that it rewards the radical opinions which coarsen our dialogue by presenting a bunch of false choices, deliberate misinformation and confrontation. This person presented an ironic reply to my Tweet about gun safety:
This is about the level of discourse on social media, and it helps nobody. Friend of the newsletter, CBS’s Dan Patterson, explains about how anti gun-control bots were deployed in the wake of the shooting.
PODCASTS GET INTERACTIVE AD OPPORTUNITY: Spotify announced it is adding Call To Action (CTA) cards to its podcasts. What does that mean? If you’re listening to a podcast on Spotify, you would see ads that creators have chosen that are “clickable”:
(Photo Via Spotify Advertising.)
For example: You’re listening to my baseball podcast and we’re interviewing Hall of Famer John Doe. You might see a picture of John, along with a clickable link to his book. While nobody loves advertising, this is unobtrusive. (Unlike an audio ad, you’re not forced to hear it.) It will give creators a new revenue stream and another chance to stand out from the pack.
HERE COMES ANOTHER “PLUS” CHANNEL: The NFL intends to launch its own streaming service, NFL Plus, according to the Sports Business Journal:
Live games on mobile phones and tablets will be the content centerpiece of NFL Plus, which will sell for about $5 monthly, though a source cautioned the pricing structure may change. It will likely include other content as well; possibilities include radio, podcasts and miscellaneous team-created content.
I don’t care in the least for team-created content. They don’t need my $5 for PR videos. But if I can get my local football game on mobile devices, $5 a month isn’t bad. (Prepare, haters: I’m a Patriots fan.)
NFL Plus joins Disney+, ESPN+, Paramount+, Discovery+, Apple TV+ and the late CNN+ in the “unimaginative channel title” competition.
ATTENTION HULU: It’s time to change your pre-roll on “The Simpsons.” It still says “Premieres September 26”:
It’s been like this for more than eight months. Maybe they should just add “2022” and leave it as a promo for next season…
LINKS AND LIKES
“STAR WARS” COMIC BOOKS HONOR PRIDE MONTH: June is Pride Month, and Marvel has created a series of covers for its “Star Wars” comic books to honor the occasion. LGBTQIA+ artists designed the covers, and they honor the LGBTQIA+ characters from the “Star Wars” galaxy. Check them out. Here’s my favorite:
The artist, Phil Jimenez, tells StarWars.com:
“Star Wars and Marvel are about as culturally relevant as it gets, and to see the support they’re giving the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month is something special.”
Of course, we can expect a small (but loud) group to oppose these. It always happens. Still, one of the reasons “Star Wars” has endured is because we identify with its heroes. This inclusiveness furthers its mission.
COMING TO STREAMING IN JUNE: Here are some of the notable titles hitting the major streamers in June:
NETFLIX:
“Netflix Is A Joke” Festival. This taped in late April/early May. It’s a series of 11 comedy specials from such notables as David Letterman, Bill Burr, Amy Schumer and Pete Davidson. The titles roll out all month starting June 6th, with the wrap-up special “Best of the Festival” dropping on June 23.
HULU:
The Orville: New Horizons. I picked this one in spite of only half-liking the original series. I think there may be promise for this retooled Seth MacFarlane sci-fi sendup that Fox cancelled three years ago. This will be its third season. (June 2)
Only Murders in the Building: This marks the second season of the delightful murder mystery starring Steve Martin, Marty Short and Selena Gomez. (June 28)
HBO MAX:
Westworld returns for a fourth season after a two-year wait. The clever and confounding fantasy left off in an interesting place, and we can’t wait to see how “Maeve” and “Dolores” plot their way through the consequences. (June 26)
AMAZON PRIME:
June 3rd will see the return of “The Boys,” the comic/violent series about a group of vigilantes out to expose corrupt superheroes. Adapted from a graphic novel, “The Boys” (now in its third season) has its own interesting universe, and the twist on the superhero genre is a welcome one.
APPLE TV+:
Season 2 of “Physical” comes out, and it looks great. For those who haven’t checked it out, I give it a strong recommend. It’s about how a woman named “Sheila” started an aerobics phenomenon in the 1980s, and it is spot on with the period look. This year, she looks to expand her brand. Preview here. (June 3)
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