[opendtv] Re: NBC turning flagship O&O into 24/7 news channel

  • From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 18:33:14 -0700

What in the hell other type of local tv is there save for over the air
television?

The blind continue to lead (exactly whom?)

John Willkie

-----Mensaje original-----
De: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] En
nombre de Albert Manfredi
Enviado el: Monday, May 12, 2008 6:18 PM
Para: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Asunto: [opendtv] Re: NBC turning flagship O&O into 24/7 news channel


Dale Kelly wrote:

> NBC is forcing OTA viewers to subscription services in
> order to view Networks entertainment programming.

No big loss for me, since the only show of theirs I watch these days is
Medium. They do have the Law and Order franchise, that seems popular enough.

I agree with them that localism is a handicap. Although I'm not positive
this is what Wallace really meant here:

"Wallace told the 'New York Times' that local television 'has a perception
issue right now as to whether it is a sustainable business long term." Once
a huge generator of cash for media companies, local stations now have an
'eroding and aging' audience and have become a 'slow-growth business.'"

Maybe by "local television" he really means OTA television. Hard to say.
Then here's a bit of double-talk:

"The reasons for reshaping WNBC are tied to the coming expansion in digital
capacity for local broadcasters, as well as the sharp decline in
profitability for local stations."

How those two orthogonal concepts are tied together here is a real mystery.
One would think that the coming "expansion in digital capacity for local
broadcasters" would create all sorts of opportunity for improving OTA TV, as
was done in some European countries. For example, there's nothing wrong with
making a 24 hour news channel available on NBC O&Os and maybe affiliates
too. OTA could use a 24 hour news channel. But the "expanded digital
capacity" SHOULD mean that this doesn't need to be the ONLY programming
available OTA from NBC. Instead, the "expanded capacity" is used here as an
excuse to devalue that NBC OTA data pipe completely.

When I see inconsistent, contradictory ideas like that from senior
executives, which has happened more than once to me, it always sounds like
they are trying to bamboozle their people so they won't bitch. Sort of lull
them into submission. Another euphamism for demolishing a company is when
they say, "Our first priority is to the shareholder."

Anyway, if they're trying to coerce people into something these people don't
want, may they fail in peace.

Bert



 
 
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