I have to share this blurb from an industry publication. TV Newsday wrote an article about a new book on media. Here's a quote from the article.
"Live. Local., authored by the troop of news consultants at Dallas-based AR&D, is a call to action for broadcasters and a 263-page strategy for how they can claim their spot as the top local news source on the Web and extend their dominance to mobile."
AR&D is a company that's been around for years. They typically consult tv news broadcasters, and now they're outlining a path to progress. Checkout the article, and the comments. I'm picking up a copy of the book, and report my comments in a future blog. Off hand I can only say that I welcome any, and all ideas. I think we need more fuel to stimulate discussion, and debate. If you have ideas of where this business is headed, or tips on a new business model, bring em' on!
The Federal Trade Commission is also getting into the act! This was from Broadcasting/Cable, "Can News Media Survive the Internet Age? Competition, Consumer Protection and the First Amendment," and will consider a range of fixes including possible non-profit models." Wow, that's right up our alley. The government is scheduling workshops on the topic. The meetings will focus on all aspects of the current business model, and look ways for TV, and newspaper shops to survive in the age of the internet.
Speaking of trends, I want to follow up on a past blog on news video sharing. Five Chicago tv stations are sharing news video between themselves. Now, stations in the Boston market are doing the same. The Fox, and CBS local stations in Boston will coordiante coverage of breaking news, (fires, car crashes, accidents) along with coverage of scheduled events such as press conferences. The practice is growing around the country, much like the flu. Some stations in Philly already have an agreement. Proponents of video sharing say its the wave of the future, something to stem the loss of revenue. In this case one person does the work of five, or six journalists.
One interesting comment that sticks out concerns the coverage of the collapse of the Dallas Cowboy practice field a few weeks back. That was a typical scheduled event that turned tragic. What if one photographer representing several stations was the only one there?
