The email capped off a bruising week. "Build Your Channel" says a leader in online video, soliciting me again in the email, hoping to boost viewership on my two "channels."
I couldn't help but think it a bit serendipitous given a hellish week for the giants of media. It began with Disney, the world's largest entertainment company, admitting television holdings are underperforming. CBS had already raised concern the day before with its quarterly earnings report. Investors "panicked," slashing almost $60-billion in value from companies like Viacom, Time Warner, and Fox.
It has been "the golden age of television," with an unbelievable amount of programing available on what increasingly seems like an unlimited number of platforms. It has, at least, up until now.
"Too much"
Now there's word the industry itself is overburdened with programing at a time when digital content is mushrooming. The head of FX Networks says viewers are going to have an increasingly difficult time cutting through "the clutter:"
Here's more on FX Network CEO John Landgraf's comments from the Los Angeles Times:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-fx-ceo-john-landgraf-there-is-simply-too-much-television-20150807-story.html
Did you catch the number: 370 originally-scripted television series in 2014. No wonder we were having trouble keeping track on the new shows.
How things will wash out is anyone's guess, but I'm excited. I've been honing my digital skills, expecting just what's happening. Now we're on the cusp of the transition. We've been in the Charlie Chaplin era of online video and now moving into something more sustainable. Now's the time to jump on board.
