http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-why-network-television-needs-a-minor-league.html Just another WordPress site Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:36:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/commentary-why-network-television-needs-a-minor-league.html#comment-1278 Raafi Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:04:29 +0000 http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/news/commentary-why-network-television-needs-a-minor-league.html#comment-1278 The internet is already functioning as a sort of informal minor league for tv people. Web show successes like <a href="http://www.zefrank.com/" rel="nofollow">Ze Frank</a>, rocketboom, and <a href="http://desedo.com/blog/2007/09/13/checking-in-with-bill/" rel="nofollow">these guys</a> proved that at least the talent agencies are interested in the folks who are doing the web tv thing the right way. The problem for the networks, I think, is if they build a site to use as a minor league venue and nobody goes there to watch the shows, then it goes down as a miss. I'm guessing, also, that they're a little too precious to let youtube or some like place be the venue for testing what they hope to be high-quality material. We'll see how the Joost thing goes. NBC/Fox's hulu.com functions as a hybrid of some of these ideas as well. The internet is already functioning as a sort of informal minor league for tv people. Web show successes like Ze Frank, rocketboom, and these guys proved that at least the talent agencies are interested in the folks who are doing the web tv thing the right way. The problem for the networks, I think, is if they build a site to use as a minor league venue and nobody goes there to watch the shows, then it goes down as a miss. I'm guessing, also, that they're a little too precious to let youtube or some like place be the venue for testing what they hope to be high-quality material. We'll see how the Joost thing goes. NBC/Fox's hulu.com functions as a hybrid of some of these ideas as well.

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