Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Broadcasters Embrace Multiplatform Future

Las Vegas hosted the annual NAB Show, where broadcasters, programmers, content producers, and equipment suppliers get together to show off the new and discuss the trendy.  And one of the biggest trends is the growing emphasis on all forms of distributed media.
"It is still about broadcast, if you will, just a new definition, driven by the need to deliver content in a multiplatform environment when and where the consumer wants it," said Chris Brown, executive vice president of Conventions and Business Operations for NAB.
  On the conference side, there are sessions addressing new ways to create, manage, distribute, and monetize content.  There's also a focused conference-within-a-conference on Disruptive Media looking at online and mobile content distribution, and the emphasis on branded content.  On the trade show floor, organizers have moved from setting things up by type of equipment, to focus on the various stages of content production and distribution.  "The premise is that the tools, services and technologies that are required apply whether you are in broadcast television, film, cable, satellite, Internet, mobile, whatever," Brown said.  New theme areas include the Start-Up Loft (for new market entrants), a Content Market pulling together exhibitors showcasing programming for digital distribution, and a new Cloud Computing Pavilion.
  It's good to see a media industry taking a serious look at the changing media and technology environment, before they loose too much to new, more innovative, competitors.  Still, it was an outsider who framed the underlying issue:
"People have to think about looking at their business as a content business and a delivery business, and look at the way that they can profit from each one," said Peter Tannenwald, a member of the media and technology law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth.
 Source -  Convention Embraces Multiplatform WorldNAB Show Daily News

6 comments:

  1. This is an interesting concept. Professionals from all types of media joining forces to discuss efficient monetization in the ever-changing media environment. I especially enjoy the quote at the end of the post. It mentions that the media business as a whole is now essentially the combination "content and delivery." While media, whether through newspapers, magazines, television,etc. has always been about delivery of content, it is great to see professionals working together to find ways to help each other monetize efficiently in this changing media world.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There are so many avenues to obtain media that it's hard to find a structured way to charge people. The fact that media is everywhere and it has always been relatively free makes this even harder. I do believe that creating some kind of pay system would help keep the media market afloat. Now with all of the big conglomerates in media it wouldn't be as difficult to implement prices. Disney owning ABC gives them power over all of the ABC networks and affiliates. Therefore there could be one set monthly/yearly cost for all ABC content. This content would be available on your phone on your computer on your television and everywhere else you can access it. This would create revenue for media venues and also create some type of exchange value for content that people are so used to getting for free. This would not only help the conglomerates, but it would also create a model for smaller media markets to branch out into the industry. Where ABC might charge $30/month for all of their content a local newspaper could charge $5. This would also create objectivity in the media world having different sources that are able to stay in business.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't say that I'm really surprised by this as many forms of media that we consume today exhibit multiple platforms when they are displayed. Online news stories usually have video or audio soundbites to accompany the actual story, and many other traditional mediums have begun to take advantage of the online medium. Many radio stations, including UT's own WUTK, are very active in social media, online streaming of their content, and even blogging so this conference is really more of a physical manifestation of something that has already happened to the world of media.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As long as we live in a capitalistic society, people will constantly be reinventing products in order to make more money. There is not an exception with the media industry. I do applaud the multiplatform premise and would like to see media content more streamlined which I think is their intention. Too often, people get sideswept by outside distractions that they do not see that even multiplatform media is virtually the same across a wide array of mediums in reference to means of production, models, trends, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like the idea of this conference. It is imperative that we find the newest ways to stay on top of the technological curve. Not only does it open up more avenues for communication, but it also helps companies learn new ways to make money. This is something of dire importance. Must I beat the dead horse by talking about the difficulties the journalism profession has seen due to a lack of willingness to evolve (newspapers). We need more helpful information sessions such as this conference to really get journalism back on the technological curve.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This conference would have been something excellent for local/smaller media outlets to attend. So often these smaller businesses either don't have the resources to stay up to par with technology or are too foolish/stubborn to embrace the changes to the media field. For a small or local media outlet to succeed and hold out against the mighty hand of consolidation and mega-corporations it must embrace new technology and fully utilize (monetize) its content in formats people are growing to expect.

    ReplyDelete