The LA Times’ Michael Hiltzik suggests today that the recently announced merger of the UPN and WB broadcast television networks shows “there simply isn’t enough compelling entertainment material to go around.”
(Hiltzik’s column appeared in today’s LA Times, and in another sign that Hiltzik is one of the more Web-savvy journalists in the newspaper world, he’s also posted it to his blog, where you don’t need to register with latimes.com to read it.)
He continues:
“As for the Internet, as a breeding ground of new entertainment talent, so far it’s largely barren. Companies from iFilm to Amazon.com have tried to make a commercial mark with Web-only film clips, but it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that the most popular downloaded moving pictures on the Web (outside of pornography) are snippets from ‘The Daily Show’ or ‘Saturday Night Live.'”
Harsh words, but I’d suggest taking a step or two to the side and looking from a different angle. No, there’s not enough *mass market* entertainment to support a sixth broadcast network, or even to densely populate another mass-market Web video portal.
But services like iTunes, and iFilm, can operate as both mass marketplaces and niche delivery systems. Look beneath the “top downloads” lists on such services and one can find compelling entertainment that appeals only to limited audiences. Music fans can find podcasts of genres rarely heard in most broadcast radio markets. Film fans can find intriguing student and independent work that would never find its way on screens in the average American city. But the limited appeal of such work, even when of top quality, assures that it rarely will show up on “top download” lists.
The Internet’s never going to generate enough mass market entertainment talent to support new mass market networks and studios because the Internet’s greatest strength is as an *alternative* to the mass market. This is where artists can go to distribute works that won’t generate enough money or buzz to get a major studio or network deal.
I’m awaiting the day that a “Freeks and Geeks” — any top-quality, quirky, low-rated broadcast TV show — gets the ax, but instead of shutting production, its producers start selling new episodes for a buck each on the Web.
Most TV shows fail miserably. But the lure of hitting it big keeps thousands of artists working on pilots every year. Perhaps, with the demise of one more network raising those odds, a few more professional artists might instead try to bypass the networks and reach out to their potential audience directly, via the Internet.
About Robert Niles
