The Reach - Podcasting and other Portable Media Strategies

Apparently, in the world of Web 2.0 (or other semi-relevant monikers), the rules are changing.  Surprise, Surprise, Surprise. Back in the 90’s, Mark Cuban was fond of saying “Content is King”.  While I can’t say if this slogan is attributed to him, it was and has been the rule of the web.  Today, that slogan is officially aged and cracking.

This morning, Rafat Ali, of Paid Content scoops Bear Stearns analyst Spencer Wang in his research article on how Aggregation and Context is the highest value in the information chain.  I use the word “scoop” because it showed up on TechMeme first and now the Bear Stears blog is the headliner.  Shows you how I rate and rank my content, eh?

This confirms what I’ve been believing and therefore modifying the MPReach business plan accordingly.  Watch this space for announcement of new audio/video/text networks that we’ll be launching (can’t call the digital media “podcasting or video podcasting, as Apple Computer might decide they own me….)

Very timely and interesting research from eMarketer today - DVD was obviously the first uptick in non-primetime viewing of primetime shows - go into any Blockbuster in the US and you’ll find increasing shelf space dedicated to TV.

But, the growth in online downloads of shows is dramatic and ID’s the future.  As with many things, Blockbuster and Netflix will have only temporary rule here of the off-TV viewing of TV shows. iTunes has 67% market share of downloads - shouldn’t Blockbuster or Netflix have been there?  Missed opportunity in a big way.

Steve Gillmor grabs a great post title today. Great writing too. The landscape is changing fast, even for someone who embraces change as easily as I. I remember hearing the word “disruptive technology” for the first time about 7 years ago, when Nortel had a “Disruptive Technology Group” (before they got laid off, I’m sure). I think we are all experiencing this to a great degree, maybe now more than anytime since the www first broke into our lives.

Both exciting and dangerous, in terms of business planning, eh? Let’s keep pushing forward and get some traction together in this mud. 

This morning finds a well written piece by Richard Siklos on the current state of radio here in the U.S.  There has probably not been a time in the history of radio that so many variables are changing at once.  To Siklos’ credit, the writing is well balanced.  Large radio conglomerates, such as Clear Channel and CBS Radio are looking to sell stations and invest their cash in other technologies - whether that be greater web presence, HD Radio, or satellite.

At the core of the matter is the changing listening habits of the new generation.  He even quotes a surgeon over 50 yrs of age listening to his iPod in the operating room rather than radio, along with what we would expect - a college student who doesn’t listen to radio at all anymore.

Other than drive time, listening in all hours of the day in terrestrial radio are down.  Way down.

My continued discussion on Media Swamp with Giovanni regarding the Google Radio advertising platform that is due for release in October.  The discussion centers on how this advertising model can make a dramatic impact on the radio ad model we’ve come to know.  Additional discussion regarding the capabilities of MSN VS. Google VS. Yahoo! and the relative strategies for each.

Much like the Real Estate world (location, location, location), the new digital media world slogan may end up being “licensing, licensing, licensing”.  The YouTube discussion continues via Ben Werdmuller, following John C. Dvorak’s MarketWatch article from last week.  Ben mentions that YouTube has been named the “Napster of video”, which suggests illegal distribution of media.  This also pertains to Google Video as well, or for that matter, any website that is allowing uploads of video.

Similarly, this issue was addressed in an interview with Bill Gates, by a panel of journalists from WSJ Online on June 19, 2006.  Bill was busted at the end by admitting to watching pirated content on YouTube.

We just thought this related to music and the RIAA, but it appears that digital media everywhere must change their expected models of distribution and compensation, otherwise we’ll be fighting over this after I’m dead and gone…

Giovanni and I just finished a podcast discussing this - stay tuned for the publish date!

What is the long tail? With Robert Scoble leaving Microsoft and going to PodTech, has he been surprised by being confronted with being responsible for discovering and developing podcast and vodcast talent and creating quality, compelling content now? Click here for the new episode from The Media Swamp.

Nielsen/NetRatings gets us excited with a report showing robust growth in podcasting and then qualifies it in subsequent conversations when asked questions by, well, people who can ask questions. The right ones, that is.  Frank Barnako pops the balloon here.  Many interested parties are incredulous, such as Robert Scoble.  I, on the other hand, think the report shows such a high degree of fascination with podcasting and therefore the need for speed in releasing the report that a lot of approvals got rushed.  Facts didn’t get checked, appropriate comparisons were not made.  I know none of us have ever made mistakes like that. 

Let’s look past the obvious errors, though and consider what makes a report like this hit the streets a review or two early.  Something is going on in podcasting and everyone knows it - even Nielsen/NetRatings.

Robert hits a softball thrown by Peter Davis, regarding podcasting as an inefficient medium.  Radio and television are therefore inefficient mediums as well, but somehow, those two industries have managed to survive .

Since Robert is moving to PodTech, he has to provide a good defense, which he does.  As I’ve pointed out here before, portable media players are what makes podcasting go fast.  Portable media consumption is the name of the game, baby.  It’s here to stay.  And longer than Peter Davis believes.

This is great news, as ESPN delivers a story about the Colorado Rockies baseball players using iPods and in-house video to improve their games.  I believe that stories like this will finally begin to expand the current thinking about what podcasting can become.  As we’ve discussed here before, podcasting is more than grass roots new media contributors - it’s another distribution channel for radio and tv content, and certainly is effective for training and education for people that would rather not be shackled to their computers.

Great news!  Congrats to the Rockies for being early adopters.