Web Video ... is Anybody Watching?

TV-like programming on the Internet has no rules ... no stern, moralizing Federal Communications Commission, no image-conscious advertisers, no constricting network time constraints.

So for Kevin Pollak, the show is all about finding someone interesting to interview and let the cameras and conversation flow, for however long it takes. It's different, it's interesting, but is it what the viewers really want? And is it really a blueprint for future shows on the Internet. Los Angeles Times Reporter David Sarno ponders such questions in a recent article.

The Popular Poverty of Social Networks

We all understand that the large social network sites corral a lot of eyeballs, audiences in the millions. But monetizing those eyeballs, translating those millions of viewers into profits has been difficult for My Space, Facebook and Twitter, as this National Public Radio story reports.

A Question from Waaaay in the Back!

Who gets to ask the President questions during a press conference?

Until recently, it was pretty obvious: the seasoned reporters from major news organizations who make up the White House Press Corps. But recently, an aide for President Obama invited a humble blogger into a press conference to ask a question that he had culled online from Iranian citizens. Controversy followed, according to this National Public Radio story.

Are Potter DVDs Running Out of Magic?

The latest installment in the wildly-profitable series of "Harry Potter" films is certain to be one of the big movie-going events of the summer when it opens on July 15. But Harry and friends appear to be powerless to stop eroding DVD sales. This is a serious issue for the movie industry because for many films DVDs have been more profitable than theatrical release. But DVD sales for all movies are down markedly over the last two years, according to this Los Angeles Times story.

More Stations, More Reruns!

The first medianote of the summer session comes from the Business section of the Los Angeles Times. Reporter Meg James profiled MGM's This TV, a 24/7 programming stream of old movies and TV reruns designed to program the new substations that have become available due to the recent changeover to digital television broadcasts.

Because digital signals are more efficient than analog signals, stations now can broadcast up to four stations at a time. Of course, the substations have miniscule audiences so far, meaning that programming will have to be inexpensive. This TV is free, more or less. Local stations do not have to pay for the programming stream. They merely have to share whatever advertising revenue they generate around whatever This TV programming that they choose to broadcast.