Social Surplus

[Elspode]

Digital video recording is also changing the face of TV forever. The ability to fast forward through advertising has left producers and networks with no other choice but to drop blatant product placement and advertising, right down to characters discussing name brands and their uses, in the programming material.

[SteveDallas]

I'm sure it's an interesting article Bruce, but I'm having too many martinis to actually go read it.

Originally Posted by Elspode

The ability to fast forward through advertising has left producers and networks with no other choice . . .

Yeah, notice that: producers and networks. What about local stations? They're REALLY in trouble. People want their favorite shows. If you like Heroes, you want Heroes. Do you really care whether it comes to you via WWTF Channel 7, your local NBC affiliate, instead of the national NBC channel? You probably don't, but WWTF's owners (which may or may not be the network itself) sure do. In the past there was no good way to get the show to you, or for you to get the show, besides the local broadcast affiliate. Cable TV started changing that, and the Internet has made it worse. There's now no technical reason that somebody who produces a show can't sell it to me directly without any middlemen (TV networks, local affiliates, etc.) involved. (Well, we do need ISPs.)

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

I'm sure it's an interesting article Bruce, but I'm having too many martinis to actually go read it.

No problem, it'll be there when you sober up.

There's now no technical reason that somebody who produces a show can't sell it to me directly without any middlemen (TV networks, local affiliates, etc.) involved. (Well, we do need ISPs.)

Sell? BitTorrent, Pirate Bay, Limewire? All those others involved, TV networks, local affiliates, etc., insured the producers got paid. Will they still be producing?