some newspapers are getting a bit defensive about bloggers as this comic from Hearst shows..they think the dream of blogging is ...wealth? ha! No..the dream of blogging is leveling the playing field..taking the power away from wealthy faux-publishers who try to censor, control and silence their critics and give free press to their political pets....and that's where blogging works best, exposing the frauds...in other words, blogs cut thru the bullshit.. score another win for the digital age...so, is broadcast TV the next media to go as people scamble for power?.. I say.. POWER TO THE PEOPLE..POWER TO THE PEOPLE, RIGHT ON!!
As the long-dreaded switch to digital television finally takes place, several competitors are waiting in the wings, eager to take a bite out of the pie that has so long been dominated by broadcast TV. While many consumers will make the switch, this could also be the step that shifts the paradigm from standard television to alternate methods of entertainment. Several new media -- including cable, satellite TV, the internet, and even cell phone TV -- are poised to take huge chunks of broadcast's market share. With advertising rates already falling on traditional television, it is worth taking a moment to consider what could happen if broadcast TV no longer dominated advertising in America.
One big change would be political.
In the movie Bulworth, the title character melts down during a news interview, rapping out a startlingly effective explanation of why politicians are often morally compromised: I got a simple question that I'd like to ask of this network [. . .] How come they got the airwaves? They're the people's, aren't they?Wouldn't they be worth 70 billion to the public today If some money-grubbing Congress didn't give them away for big campaign money?[. . .]You've been taught in this country There is speech that is free But free don't get you no spots on TV. If you want to have senators not on the take Then give them free air time They won't have to fake.
While it's reductive to blame all political corruption on the high price of television advertising, it is also worth noting that politicians who wish to run successful re-election campaigns have to raise thousands of dollars every day that they're in office; most of this money goes to paying for high-priced television ads. Of course, the largest campaign contributors tend to be lobbyists for groups that are seeking either government assistance like non-profits or reduced government regulation, like big business.
It's hardly accidental that the government often ends up passing laws that are endorsed -- or even written -- by these companies.
As if all of this wasn't enough, many consumers are now getting their TV programming off Hulu or similar services. The growing popularity of the internet as a channel for entertainment and news also bodes well for politicians looking to circumvent the traditional television media.
A few years ago, Howard Dean's failed internet campaign was considered evidence that the web was not yet as powerful as traditional television. However, with TV undergoing a major shift, it remains to be seen if HDTV could offer a death-knell for the old money chain of lobbyist-politician-broadcast and even newspaper ad.
As if all of this wasn't enough, many consumers are now getting their TV programming off Hulu or similar services. The growing popularity of the internet as a channel for entertainment and news also bodes well for politicians looking to circumvent the traditional television media.
A few years ago, Howard Dean's failed internet campaign was considered evidence that the web was not yet as powerful as traditional television. However, with TV undergoing a major shift, it remains to be seen if HDTV could offer a death-knell for the old money chain of lobbyist-politician-broadcast and even newspaper ad.
One can only hope...
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