Mass Com Week at TSU
Mass Communications is changing so rapidly that universities have been retooling for the past several semesters to address new media and its ramifications in the future. Meanwhile, traditional media still lingers although fewer and fewer people are in the more and more segmented audiences.
So, each year the Journalism and Mass Communications Department of Texas State University in San Marcos attempts to make sense of it all during Mass Communications Week. The 2009 Mass Communications Week is October 19-11 on the TSU campus. Panels and guest speakers are asked to foretell the future, but who could have made a successful prediction about the 2009 state of the art a decade or two decades ago? Research says consumers eagerly adopt new media, if it works, but they don’t in general immediately dispose of the traditional media. Audiences adapt and integrate the new media use with the “old”.
The use of traditional media may diminish over time. Look what has happened to the film camera. There are, however, some surprises. I don’t expect the return of 8-track tape players. Vinyl LPs (Long Playing records)—yes, the 33 1/3 discs spinning on a motor driven turntable are said to be making a come-back. Enthusiasts say there is a greater chance that the LPs will outlast CDs (Compact Discs). I’ve been encouraged to have my music pressed for preservation if nothing else.
Never the less, experts and others of all stripes will converge on the TSU campus next week carrying their crystal balls. Crystal balls break easily when dropped. The question-answer sessions at these events can be testy when skeptical students call theories into question. That’s all good. It’s in the name of education.
Some of the highlights:
Gary Vaynerchuk, author of “Crush It!” and host of “Wine Library TV”-“Making a Name for Yourself With Social Media”, speaks 3:30 p.m.-4:40 p.m. on October 21st.
Brian Cuban, Dallas attorney—“The 1st Amendment, the Internet, and Hate Speech”, appears 2 p.m.-3:20 p.m. on October 21st.
Patti Smith, President and GM of KVUE TV (ABC)—speaks on the “Past, Present, and Future of Television News”, 11a.m.-12:20 p.m. On October 20th.
Daniel Pink, author of “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future”, will also speak Wednesday, Oct. 21st at 8 p.m. His talk, part of the university’s Common Experience program, and will discuss how creativity and innovation are the way of the future. It is also free and open to the public.
Many of the presentations are on nuts-and-bolts topics such as “Preparing for Entry-Level TV News Jobs” and “Using New Media to Keep Up with Changing Times”. Others are more forward thinking such as “Beyond Mad Men: Life in Today’s Ad Agency” and “Love/Hate Relationship Between Reporters and PR People”. Along with Kevin Benz, News 8 news director, John Bridges of the Austin American-Statesman, and I will grapple with the subject “State of Local Media”, 12:30-1:50 p.m. on October 20th. It should be interesting. I’m not sure how to prepare for it.
These are just a few of a full four days of stimulating dialogue about Journalism and Mass Communications at Texas State University. Find much more information at www.txstatemcweek.com.
© Jim McNabb, 2009
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4 comments:
Jim,
Speaking of new media and where we're headed in the future with the Internet, some Texas legislators are telling the Federal Communications Commission to BUTT OUT.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed network neutrality rules that would bar Internet service providers from blocking or limiting certain bandwidth hungry video that slows Internet access for users.
In letters to the FCC this week, San Antonio state Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Houston state Rep. John White, Houston state Rep. Jessica Farrar and Rio Grande City state Rep. Ryan Guillen urged the FCC to kill the proposed federal rule.
Farrar says the proposed network neutrality rules pose a “potentially harmful impact to businesses and consumers. Whitmire says, "...blocking or degrading consumers' experiences would immediately lead to terribly negative press, vitriolic blog entries and angry tweets...and a conviction in the court of public opinion."
Van de Putte says, "I fear the codification of these principles into hard and fast rules, plus the addition of new principles and the extension of all these principles to the wireless networks will result in uncertainty and risk, not just for the network operators but for everyone. Where there's uncertainty and risk, there is doubt as to whether capital investment is worthwhile."
Guillen says, "We can't afford to undercut innovation and investment at a time when consumers are clearly driving the industry toward faster and more reliable services. Net neutrality is better left as a series of principles, so the innovators may continue to do so without having to wait to see what the rules might preclude."
What does FCC Chairman Genachowski have to say about all the criticism about proposed network neutrality rules? He says he's glad the proposal has opened the door to discussion.
Jim,
Let's try that one again to fix some errors.
Speaking of new media and where we're headed in the future with the Internet, some Texas legislators are telling the Federal Communications Commission to BUTT OUT.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed network neutrality rules that would bar Internet service providers from blocking or limiting certain bandwidth hungry video that slows Internet access for users.
In letters to the FCC this week, San Antonio state Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Houston state Sen. John Whitmire, Houston state Rep. Jessica Farrar and Rio Grande City state Rep. Ryan Guillen urged the FCC to kill the proposed federal rule.
Farrar says the proposed network neutrality rules pose a “potentially harmful impact to businesses and consumers. Whitmire says, "...blocking or degrading consumers' experiences would immediately lead to terribly negative press, vitriolic blog entries and angry tweets...and a conviction in the court of public opinion."
Van de Putte says, "I fear the codification of these principles into hard and fast rules, plus the addition of new principles and the extension of all these principles to the wireless networks will result in uncertainty and risk, not just for the network operators but for everyone. Where there's uncertainty and risk, there is doubt as to whether capital investment is worthwhile."
Guillen says, "We can't afford to undercut innovation and investment at a time when consumers are clearly driving the industry toward faster and more reliable services. Net neutrality is better left as a series of principles, so the innovators may continue to do so without having to wait to see what the rules might preclude."
What does FCC Chairman Genachowski have to say about all the criticism about proposed network neutrality rules? He says he's glad the proposal has opened the door to discussion.
October 15, 2009 1:26 PM
Jim,
As TV stations and networks and newspapers slap more video on the Internet, access to the Internet is slowing down for users in general.
Now, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is jumping on the issue. He's fired off a letter to the FCC opposing its chairman's proposal to restrict or ban broadband-hungry videos on the Internet to stop them from slowing down access for users.
In a letter received by the FCC on Thursday, Perry said the FCC's proposal could damage the state's efforts to recover from the recession:
"Good public policy brings innovation, choices and jobs to Texas, as evidenced by the continued
growth in broadband telecommunications and wireless services being deployed in Texas."
"Therefore, I am concerned that the FCC's recent call for increased government management of
the Internet under the guise of 'Network Neutrality'could have the opposite effect. Adding new
layersof federal bureaucracy and regulations without a clear and compelling need for such one size-
fits-all government mandates will only discourage companies from investing in Texas and
could have negative ramifications on what we have worked so hard to accomplish here. The
creation of additional uncertainty, costs and disincentives to investment and job creation is the
last thing our nation needs in the current economic climate."
"On behalf of the State of Texas, I urge you to move cautiously as you contemplate rulemakings
. that would impose new regulations on the Internet or the wireless industry market. Though
unintended, such regulation may only undermine progress we've made in providing growth,
innovation and jobs for consumers and businesses statewide."
The governor has a good point, but so does the FCC. We shouldn't burden Internet providers with regulations that would end up limiting public access to whatever video is on the Web. On the other hand, Internet providers have an obligation to provide innovative ways to ensure speedy service for Internet users.
KXAN-TV has a little over two years to figure out what it will do to plug the yawning financial hole that may develop when its affiliation agreement with NBC Universal expires.
LIN TV is the parent company of KXAN and four other TV stations that are affiliated with NBC. LIN's affiliation agreement with NBC Universal expires on January 12, 2012.
GE, the parent company of NBC Universal is looking for ways to cut its costs. Eliminating payments to network affiliates is definitely one way to cut costs. Today, GE announced its third quarter earnings were down 51% from the same period in 2008. One bright spot, though. NBC Universal earnings were up 13%,
LIN TV says, "Some of the networks with which our stations are affiliated have required us, upon renewal of affiliation agreements, to reduce or eliminate network compensation and, in specific cases, to make cash payments to the network, and to accept other material modifications of existing affiliation agreements. Consequently, our affiliation agreements may not all remain in place and each network may not continue to provide programming or compensation to us on the same basis as it currently provides programming or compensation to our stations. If any of our stations cease to maintain affiliation agreements with networks for any reason, we would need to find alternative sources of programming, which may be less attractive and more expensive."
Aside from receiving compensation from networks in some cases, LIN TV says, "Our stations generated an average of approximately 20% of their total net revenue from the sale of advertising within network programming...."
In another development, LIN TV this week served notice that it may sell over $100 million in securities. The company says it's sold $4.5 million this month. The securities are backed by equity in the company. Securities are the equivalent of borrowing money.
LIN TV says the company is selling securities in connection with a business combination transaction, such as a merger, acquisition or exchange offering.
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