more evidence TV is dying

On December 5, 2007 By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

At least TV, as we know it

… Silicon Alley Insider attended a power breakfast on the topic “Economics of the New Television Marketplace” and had some choice notes. Featured attendees were Google’s president of advertising Tim Armstrong, Digitas EVP and global media director Carl Fremont, NBC U chief digital officer George Kliavkoff, and Turner Entertainment president of ad sales and sports, David Levy.

Myers: “[W]ithin four years 40% of all video consumption [will] occur outside of the television set. That’s according to a poll of nearly 300 media execs by Myers and video tracking firm Teletrax.” (Silicon Alley Insider)

Kliavkoff: “‘As an industry we have to fix the mobile video distribution platform.’” The carriers, he said, are keeping 70% of the revenue for themselves and sharing only 9% with content creators. “‘We have to work with the carriers to fix that or we will have to go around them.’” (Silicon Alley Insider)

And here was a nugget from a story by Nigel Hollis on MediaPost’s Online Video Insider about stats YouTube rarely gives out:

Jeben Berg, product marketing manager at YouTube: YouTube sees “an average of 8 hours of content being uploaded every minute. Every minute! And what is more, that content comes from only 2% of the site’s user base.” (Video Insider)

…

MultiMedia Intelligence: “Worldwide shipments of multimedia-enabled mobile phones will exceed 300 million units next year, surpassing shipments of television sets, according to a research report being released this week by MultiMedia Intelligence. …

Numbers You Should Know: Beyond TV; YouTube Uploads; 5,000 ?s for GOP « NewTeeVee

Battlestar Galactica: Razor – strong women

On December 4, 2007 By Rick McIn movies, philosophy, product endorsements, TVLeave a comment

The only two TV shows I follow religiously are The Colbert Show and Battlestar Galactica.

A 2hr flashback special called Razor aired recently. It goes on sale (somewhere) on DVD on the 6th.

I have some criticisms of Battlestar. (It’s “Hollywood” enough to have explosions make noise in the vacuum of space.)

But there’s no other TV show in history that has such strong, complex female characters. Women completely overpower the male actors.

Razor is the best yet. They should study it at film school.

Michelle Forbes plays unforgettable military psychotic Admiral Helena Cain:

Cain later made a name for herself as a smart and ambitious officer in the Colonial Fleet. She was something of a rising star: Commander William Adama later remarks that she was promoted “to Rear Admiral over half the Commanders on the list”.

Prior to the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, Cain’s flagship, the Battlestar Pegasus, was docked at the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards for a major refit. The refit team included a civilian network analyst, Gina Inviere, with whom Cain initiated a lesbian relationship. At the time of the attack, Admiral Cain, like many of her crew, was preparing to leave the ship on shore leave. The initial Cylon strike destroyed five Colonial vessels in Pegasus’ immediate vicinity and severely damaged the Pegasus herself, killing 700 crew members. In a desperate gamble, Admiral Cain ordered a “blind jump” that took the Pegasus out of the combat zone. The stress of losing so many crew members appears to have contributed to Admiral Cain’s later extreme behaviour and possible alcoholism.

Helena Cain

Even more fascinating is Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen, a Portuguese Chinese Norwegian English Aussie, born in Hong Kong. She has degrees in philosophy and English literature.

She plays Kendra Shaw, a smart, tough warrior ethically torn by the commands given by Cain. But who obeys. And who rises rapidly in the military hierarchy.

She numbs her pain with drugs.

OK, I want to buy this special as a download. …

Oops — NBC yanked it off iTunes in a pricing dispute. Oops — it’s not available on NBC.com …

Ah, NBC will make it available from Hulu.com … Oops — Hulu is in Beta, AND not available for Mac.

Oh, well. I don’t want to, but I can buy the DVD from NBC. Mail it as a Christmas gift to my empowered women friends.

Oops —

Never mind, if NBC doesn’t want my business, I know how to get their product. Without all the roadblocks to commerce.

Do you see why I am so critical of old media?

ripped off on high-speed internet?

On November 27, 2007 By Rick McIn internet, product complaints, TVLeave a comment

CBC TV Marketplace did a brilliant investigation into how little of the promised “unlimited way fast” internet speed you actually get.

They compared the 4 major providers in Toronto. Certainly, I thought, hated TELUS would be worst. …

Actually, Bell was by far worst.

Are you getting the high-speed internet you’re paying for?

When the telephone and cable companies are trying to sell you internet access, speed is everything. Some promise speeds of “up to 8Mbps.” Some go as high as “up to 25Mbps.” But how well do they explain what those numbers mean?

Pay attention to two small but important words: “up to.” Sometimes they can be a shorthand way of saying “up to a theoretical maximum speed you may not actually experience, because your wires are old, or you have a lot of neighbours sharing the connection, or because we’re still upgrading our equipment in your area.”

You can see the TV show on-line: CBC.ca – Marketplace

U.S. Comptroller General projects Fall of the American Empire

On November 26, 2007 By Rick McIn bad news, economics, government, TVLeave a comment

David M. Walker speaks truth to power.

How can he do that in the USA?

He has a 15-year appointment as Comptroller General of the USA and cannot be brought down by the President nor anyone else.

Walker has compared the present-day United States with the Roman Empire in its decline, saying the U.S. government is “on a ‘burning platform’ of unsustainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a legislative branch agency founded in 1921, whose mission is to help improve the performance and assure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. Over the years, GAO has earned a reputation for professional objective, fact-based, and nonpartisan reviews of government issues and operations. …

David M. Walker (U.S. Comptroller General) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The USA is a great nation. But with no political accountability beyond the next election. Walker’s budget projections are “the dirty little secret that everyone in Washington knows, but no one will talk about”.

Watch an excerpt from the TV show 60 Minutes on YouTube, or click PLAY.

I don’t expect things to change.

Not until full out disaster forces the issue.

Thanks Barbara Anne for circulating this video.

quickchange artists – AMAZING

On November 16, 2007 By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

How do they do it?

Not even Brian knows.

On the America’s Got Talent TV show:

Quick Change Artists

quick change artists – Wikipedia

60 Minutes – interview with 7yr-old Afghani

On November 7, 2007 By Rick McIn audiocasts, government, product endorsements, TVLeave a comment

Yes, the Russians were worse. The Taliban were worse. It will likely be worse when Coalition forces, including Canada, finally leave.

But ask the 7-year-old survivor of an American bomb strike in Afghanistan (not Iraq) what he thinks of the USA after his entire family was killed. Not by accident. They targeted his family home because intelligence said two bad guys were being sheltered there.

This makes me angry. What would I do when I grew up if I was this young boy?

The TV show 60 Minutes is one of the best of American media. I rarely see the show, but can subscribe to the podcast.

A recent episode blew me away. The President of Afghanistan, an ally, asked George Bush privately to reduce the number of air strikes on his country. When that had no effect, he went public on 60 Minutes.

Turns out the American military has a formula for how many civilian casualties are acceptable when trying to blow up one bad guy with a computer guided 2000lb bomb.

This is not new. My hero Gandhi spent many years weighing how many hundreds of thousands would die when the British left India.

Problem for the US military, however, is that they rarely blow up the bad guy. Air strikes are easy. They only cost money, not American soldier’s lives.

Needless to say, there were no bad guys in the 7-year-old’s house. American troops had searched it just the day before.

You should listen to to the audiocast of that show.

President Hamid Karzai tells Scott Pelley that too many civilians are being killed in U.S. bombing raids on Afghanistan.

60 Minutes Archive, – CBS News official website

You can see some of the (slow streaming) video here.

what NIKE does right

On November 6, 2007 By Rick McIn audiocasts, sport - pro, TVLeave a comment

On the fantastic This American Life audiocast I was reminded of the story of how a local kid, Luis Da Silva, was made a TV superstar by NIKE.

He stole the show on this series of commercials from about 6yrs back featuring basketball professionals.

NIKE products are good — but their advertising has been the secret to making the company #1.

TV commercials like this. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Joel Lovell visits 19-year-old Luis Da Silva, one of the stars of a popular series of Nike commercials featuring professional and amateur basketball players doing dribbling tricks. Luis didn’t even start for his high school basketball team. (17 minutes)

This American Life

Here’s the solo video featuring only Da Silva.

Jon Stewart through 2010

On October 30, 2007 By Rick McIn government, humour, TVLeave a comment

Good news:

Comedy Central’s most valuable gem, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” has the most uncanny knack for satire on everything today’s news can dish out, but before Jon Stewart, the show was barely a blip on the radar. (I dare you to recall any significant, memorable episodes when Craig Kilborn hosted; many of you are probably wondering who that even is, if you’re not asking when he ever hosted “The Daily Show.”) …

But if you’re wondering who will mock the next President Elect of the United States after he is elected, never fear! Jon Stewart will still be here! Comedy Central has extended his contract to 2010, according to a report by ComingSoon.net, which quoted Stewart on the good news.

“I love doing this show,” Stewart stated. “I feel like I work with and for the best in the business. I look forward to using this extension to having great fun at President (Stephen) Colbert’s expense.”

Jon Stewart Will Dish It Out Daily Through 2010 – MoviesOnline

rs1013jon-stewart-and-stephen-colbert-rolling-stone-no-1013-november-2006-posters.jpg

I much prefer Colbert, myself. Here’s a thoughtful article from the LA Times:

Colbert vs. Stewart – Has the student surpassed the master?

You can watch clips from both shows whenever you want on-line, commercial free, on a number of legal sites. I use NewsCloud.

America watches the most TV

On July 27, 2007 By Rick McIn health & fitness, TVLeave a comment

USA. USA. USA.

The Economist notes that TV is as popular as ever, and that America takes the couch-potato crown, with households goggling at the box for an eye-straining average of 8 hours and 11 minutes every day.