[opendtv] Re: A Perfect Storm Hits Media Businesses
- From: Albert Manfredi <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 18:19:40 -0400
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> It might be useful to categorize the types of
> TV watching you (or any of us) do:
>
> 1. Dedicate follower of a series of TV programs
> - you make time to watch every episode;
I submit to you that even those who watch a given series every week MAY not be
inclined to do so if they had to pay $24 or $50 just for that one show. I
suggest that most TV watching is done to relax, not necessarily because one is
an avid fan of the show, akin to "trekkies."
> 5. Specifically seeking information including
> news, weather, etc.
> #5 is a weakness of broadcast TV, as the program
> format makes seeking information on demand
> tenuous at best.
In general, certainly I agree. On the other hand, with DTV, this has suddenly
become possible for news and weather, EVEN OTA. I can tune in any time of day
or night and get excellent 24-hour news channels that give diverse points of
view. It's great to have our MHz Networks station 10 multicasts. Always
something to watch.
> We had dinner last Sunday night with a close
> friend who was recently widowed. She decided to
> drop DBS service because of the cost, and now
> only watches TV via DVD or her computer. She did
> not drop her DSL service.
Right. And my bet is, she isn't watching pay TV over the Internet. You should
set her up with OTA DTV.
> Remember the Golden Age of Broadcast TV? Do you
> remember paying a significant charge for a
> telco landline and VERY HIGH per minute charges
> for long distance (and even higher per minute
> charges for for "long distance calls" inside
> the service area of your telco provider?
>
> Technology changes. We have evolved from high
> per minute charges for long distance, through
> the AT&T MCI price wars that were just
> slightly higher than the local connections
> charges for the Baby Bells, to the Baby Bells
> getting into the Long Distance business, which
> in turn led to unlimited long distance
> packages. Along the way we started moving to
> VERY costly wireless phones with per minute
> and long distance charges. As the telcos moved
> to digital technology charges for long
> distance nearly went away.
>
> Cellular plans today make no distinction where
> the call is placed within the U.S. Skype and
> others have made global long distance
> virtually free. Most young people are
> abandoning wired phones all together.
>
> In short, these things evolve.
Thanks for making my point, Craig. Things evolve, and they have always evolved
toward NOT paying per the event. Whether it's telephone, cellular phones, or TV
over the Internet, over cable. You pay a flat fee for all the service you care
to use, only difffernetiaing bundles for MVPDs.
Internet distribution of music and TV has been successful because the vast
majority of it is free, aside from the flat broadband hookup fee. If you start
charging for it, you watch as people either don't use the service, or they drop
theri MVPD subscriptions.
Oh yeah, just as your recently widowed friend did?
You're advocating going back to the old model, as far as I can tell. Paying per
event.
Bert
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