One Man And His TV Broadcast

Jeff Jarvis details how inexpensize and easy it is for an individual to create their own television output using sites like YouTube, a digital camera and iMovie. He does warn, however, that while the audience can become the producer, the quality of his programming may not yet compare to the that of the BBC or Channel 4 (though have you seen Hollyoaks in the City?)

Game On

The Science Museum has a great exhibition on the history and future of video games running from now until February 2007. It's a great opportunity to play games going back to the 70's and to trace the development of technology, especially the graphics and sound, over the years. There's also the opportunity to play with the latest, most interactive games like Nintendo's new Wii system. What you'll notice is how much more immersive games have become over the years. As the graphics, sound and gameplay develop, players become more involved in the world of the game. Some would say that this is a bad thing, leading players to become detached from reality and those around them. However, the development of online gaming allows players to experience this virtual world with others from all over the world - increasing our connectivity. Even if you don't get to the exhibition, you should check out the museum's site to find out more (follow the link in the title of this post.

YouTube Proves Its Worth

YouTube has just been bought by Google for a small fortune, proving the popularity of watching video online rather than through your TV. Google are likely to have been attracted to YouTube because of two things: its current popularity earned through viral publicity and the distributon deals it has signed with Universal Pictures and CBS television in America. The signing of these deals are a clear sign that the big traditional media institutions are convinced of the future of online, bitesize viewing, where viewers watch their favourite programmes or movies online rather than on the couch.

SFX Media Blog

The good people over at SFX College have their own media blog, which is well worth checking out. It covers more than just new media and carries links to a wide range of media related articles.

Blogs Breaking News

All you keen news watchers and politicos out there are sure to be aware that the government is under even more pressure because of the failure to deport foreign ex-cons. Well yesterday it got even worse when it was revealed that someone who is now a suspected terrorist is among those the government (the prison service) failed to deport. This was the lead news story across most of the broadcast news yesterday. And where did the story originate from? A blog. Admittedly the blog is attached to an establish political magazine, The New Statesman, but the fact that it exists and is considered important enough for broadcast journalists to read is further evidence of the way that the internet is changing both the way media is produced and consumed. Established or traditional media outlets are increasingly turning to new media as a way of maintaining their status within the media market. The New Statesman is a weekly magazine but by allowing its journalists to publish blogs it allows audiences to access its content on a daily basis and develop a reputation for breaking news as well as commenting on it.

http://www.buzzmachine.com/

This blog has lots of discussions around the whole phenomenon of blogging. It includes discussions around the issue of citizenmedia.

Why Sky and My Space are new family members

ITV bought the Friends Reunited website and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (owner of Sky, Fox, 20th Century Fox, The Sun, The Times, the list goes on) bought My Space, among countless other popular websites. If you want to know why, this article gives just one reason - advertising revenue. It's expected that the amount of money spent on Internet advertising will exceed that spent on news press advertising during this year. So you can see why traditional media companies want to get in on the internet act.

You Make The News

This is a real crossover story - relevant to New Media Technologies in Year 12 and Broadcast News in Year 13. You may remember all those great pictures from inside the tube tunnels after the London bombings last July. Obviously they weren't taken by the BBC, Sky or ITN's news crews. They were taken on the video enabled mobile phones of the survivors of the crash. The idea of an ordinary member of the public (citizens) generating such pictures (content) for news programmes is what has become known as the growth of citizen reporters or journalists. They make the experience of watching the news all the more powerful and immediate for the audience and could have a significant impact on the financial resources of broadcasters (who needs to employ all those journalists and camera crews when the public can do their job?). There are, though, signifcant issues to resolve -the two As - accuracy and access. The 3 mobile phone network is trying to resolve the access issue (read the article for more on this) and claim that broadcasters have to do their bit to ensure that the citizen generated content is truthful and accurate (a cornerstone of news reporting).

How to get a record deal in the new media age

Tooting resident Sandi Thom just signed with major record company RCA/SonyBMG. She didn't play dive bars for years on end, waiting for an A&R man to stumble in and be blown away by her. She didn't send a demo to hundreds of record companies in the hope that one might get listened to. She didn't audition for Louis Walsh type managers in dance studios around the country. Nor did she go on Pop Idol or X-Factor. To be honest I don't know if she did any of these things or not, however I do know that none of them led to her getting a record contract. What did get her signed was the massive popularity of concerts held in her living room and seen by people all over the world through her webcasts. Yet another way that the internet is changing the workings of the media - see also Arctic Monkey's fastest selling album. Do you think this makes getting signed easier? Is the consumer truly becoming the producer? Check out Sandi's site (link in title of post) to find out more.

Leo's beady eye on media

If you want even more musings on the media, especially games, check out Leo Goldsmith's blog. See what he has to say about the new Godfather game - EA games cashing in on a classic film that's been expolited in every conceivable film format. It makes perfect sense to get a very loyal audience to spend again on a game.

Music Downloads - the end of CDs?

I presume you all know that Gnarls Bakley made music history yesterday by going to No.1 on the basis of downloads alone. This is a real sign that the CD single could become a thing of the past. It's worth considering, though, that one of the major reasons behind the song's popularity is the widespread exposure it received from traditional broadcast media - it featured as part of a BBC promo for the Zane Lowe show on Radio 1. Read more about it by clicking on the title above.

Problems with the take up of Digital TV

This article (click on title above) neatly summarises just one of the problems surrounding the launch of Digital TV - lack of awareness, especially amongst older audiences. If you haven't converted by now, you should - the government will begin to switch off the analogue signal in 2008.

High Definition TV - another money spinner?

Sky are about to launch High Definition TV - at a cost. To receive it you will have to pay £299 for a new set top box and an extra £10 on your monthy subscription to Sky. And what exactly do you get for this? A better quality picture. This was also one of the main selling points for Digital TV. Are you starting to see a pattern in why new media technologies are so important to institutions? If I'm implying that it's profit that motivates the development of new technologies, why then is the BBC also launching HDTV? Well, they have to compete with the commercial channels for viewers and so need to keep up with the Jones. Two key drivers behind the growth of new technolgies: Profit and Competition. Click on the title above to read the full story on the BBC News site.

The Death of TV Advertising?

The Media Guardian has another great report on the future of advertising and traditional TV doesn't look likely to have a very big place within it. It discusses all the reasons for TV advertising decreasing effectiveness. These include the fact that under 25s are spending more time on the internet than watching TV and the increasing popularity of PVRs (TiVO and Sky+), which allow you to skip the ads and just watch your programme. However, TV is fighting back. KFC have launched an ad that encourages viewers with PVRs to slow down rather than fast forward ads. If they do so they get to see special offers others can't. Will this work? Is it a Sisyphean effort (look up Sisyphus)? You decide.... Go and read the article, it's really comprehensive and is structured almost like an exam essay should be.

The Web's Future As A Content Distributor

Thanks to Damien, who sent me this today. I haven't been able to listen to it yet (no speakers). However, I'm sure it's worth watching if Damien's billing is anything to go by.
Check this out (might be of interest to your students too)...
This webcast went out last week – the focus of which is the ‘web as platform’. This is billed as a Keynote by Bill Gates, but just fast forward to the good stuff - a great presentation from BBC online guy Ashley Highfield (after 39 mins approx) – who previews their new solution for content distribution via online platforms & Windows Vista.

The End Of DVD?

Universal Pictures are allowing people to download movies - provided they pay for them.

Internet, Social Networking, Teens - How Worried Should We Be?

This is a recurring debate in relation to new media technology - will they have a negative effect on us? In particular, will they have a negative impact on children and teenagers - who are traditionally the first to adopt new technologies. This article discusses one area concern - social networking sites like Bebo. It's feared that they may share too much personal information with strangers etc.

BBC and Digital TV

Sir Christopher Bland, former chairman of the BBC, says that is unfair that the BBC should have to use the licence fee to help promote digital television to the masses. This is important in relation to how new media technologies are adopted by the audience and how institutions encourage their take-up.

Advertisers Creating Content As Living, Breathing Adverts

I saw a report on Channel 4 News last night that I was hoping to find on their site this morning. Unfortunately, Cheryl Tweedy's status as Sexiest Footballer's Girlfriend was considered more important. In any case, it was all about the future of advertising in the digital age and reported on developments at advertising agencies like Satchi & Saatchi, where they are developing a girl band with the intention of selling them to companies as an advertising medium. This was linked with the wider fall in advertising revenue for traditional mass media like TV broadcasters and newspapers. A representative from Nike was interviewed to confirm that more and more of their advertising budget is being spent on things like viral and other internet advertising. You can find out more about how advertisers are reacting to the digital age at the Saatchi site (accessible through the link in the title of the post) provided you can get past the nonsense speak that is common to many in the industry.

The Internet And Advertising - A Viral Future?

Channel 4's Ideas Factory has an accessible article on the future of 'viral' marketing and advertising. Instead of advertising to the mass market through mass entertainment outlets like broadcast tv, viral marketing uses the combined power of the internet and bored office workers to spread the advertising message. Only those messages which are strong enough, 'infectious' enough, will survive and reach a useful audience. Wider access to broadband will of course increase its effectiveness as video messages can be the most infectious.

Key Concepts

Go to http://rssmedia.blogspot.com/2005/01/key-concepts.html for an excellent overview of the key concepts related to the new media unit of study.

Digital TV - what's in it for the Institutions?

It's from 2004 but the BBC News site has a good article on the launch of Sky's free to view digital service. It provides a decent if brief history of subscription TV and hints at how Digital provides a new way for institutions like Sky to increase their customer base.

Institutions Converge In Preparation For Convergence

The Media Guardian website has an interesting article, http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1735822,00.html, on the BBC getting together with major technology companies like Microsoft and Apple to make Internet TV a reality. As ever, the issue of the BBC and commercial interests looms large.