With the news that NBC is going to start broadcasting through Apple Computer's (AAPL) iTunes, becoming the first broadcast news organization to do so, it made me realize how fast changes are happening in the entertainment world.
What is it this is happening and what kind of story is it. Should it be reported as entertainment media or as an Internet story?
I write for several blogs and in this area it is becoming harder to know which one to put the post on as it is beginning to converge so rapidly.
Still, even as it's happening, old media still tries to pretend that it is just some type of little sideshow they're catering to.
For example at the same time that NBC announced this move, Mark Lukasiewicz, NBC News vice president for digital media said "NBC News won't be tempted to devote more time to marginally news-oriented programming because it sells well on iTunes, I don't think we're going to have a situation where something that is in particular demand on iTunes is going to drive our television work,"
Wishful thinking Mark. It's like they're saying that we have to respond to consumer demand, but let's pretend that it isn't driving our business. Let's pretend that it's not going to affect the broadcast side of things.
If they considered it such a small thing, then why are they putting Brian Williams on it to created special content for this specific project?
I think they're trying to downplay it for strategic reasons. Again, Let's pretend that nobody else knows about this and we'll sneek up ahead of them. Let's pretend that millions of people aren't accessing video, audio and stories online outside of the mainline media.
Whether they admit or not, they are in for the fight of their lives for being relevant much longer.
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