Years ago I was having lunch with Fran Tarkenton and his wife Linda in a beautiful oceanfront resort in Georgia right around this time of the year.
We had fun playing golf that day and Fran had given me a lot of insights and perspectives about life in between laughing uncontrollably as we played golf.
This morning I thought about Fran and his career. Fran once had a technology company (technology is so tricky) that he ran and sold. You can hit the mother lode or you can lose your shirt in technology and Fran discussed in detail mistakes he made in technology deals. Like Fran I've had a massive winner in technology and a loser. I've decided to focus on what I understand going forward in life.
Technology has shot a giant cannon ball at TV and if the networks don't adjust they won't survive.
Let's take the smaller problem first...why would anyone take their valuable prime time programming and allow viewers to see it on demand without commercials? It's beyond me that anyone in their right mind would do this.
Now let's address the real problem, the audience has migrated from television to the Internet so what do you do if you are running a network? Do you just wait for the final spike in your heart or do you flow with the audience and migrate with it? Pretty good question isn't it? Hulu is an impressive endeavor but why hasn't anyone at the network level gone to Google or Facebook to edge in on the audience and get more eyeballs? It's astoundingly obvious isn't it? Why let the internet and its technology make obsolete what has been the fabric of the United States entertainment industry, (Network TV) for over 50 years?
I guess it's obvious to me because I don't have a job to protect at any Network but if someone wakes up at the Networks and has an original idea albeit mine maybe things will change for the better and we won't be closing shop anytime soon at NBC, CBC, ABC, or FOX. Hopefully we can save an industry and swim with the tide rather than against it.
written by Bradford Richdale copyright 2011 all rights reserved
blog by Brad Richdale
