• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, November 22, 2010

The new digital entertainment world is full of wonder and possibilities -- courageous new business executives, consumer-fulfilling services -- as well as nasty snake-like personalities.

Seems Jeff Bewkes, chairman/CEO of Time Warner, believes the new digital entertainment world is fertile ground for honest and hard-working entrepreneurs. (Media moguls are out.) But will those newcomers remain wholesome and nice people?

On the same day, we are told in The Hollywood Reporter, from a senior TV executive who refused to be named, that network executives are just "raptors" -- waiting, secretly, for their competitors to fail. In the bright light of day, however, amid those many meeting-filled days, they are just milquetoasts, yes-men, and otherwise "nice" guys.

This is certainly not news. Hollywood is flush with wannabes, posers, and the like -- as well as half-cocked, half-talented, somewhat lucky executives in the right spot at the right time with the right connections.

True talent? That always seems to be a factor of consistency in a series of decently producing TV shows, films, marketing campaigns, and advertising sales efforts -- somehow navigating the potential traps of commerce, and keeping one's integrity above board. Few will take the blame for failure. NBC Universal's outgoing president/CEO Jeff Zucker s ays Leno at 10 p.m. wasn't a bad idea. The "execution" was bad. Nice -- but not good enough. That's on par with accepting blame with the phase: "I'm sorry... you feel that way."

In the future, I want to watch a unique and brave panel of TV/film/marketing/or advertising executives where they talk only about their failures. Who would be bold enough oo do that? Only the secure ones. Only the ones with current day success.

Big TV/marketing/advertising meetings don't really tell you much. Who wants to give away secrets? But we all know true knowledge comes from failure, mishaps -- and what people did to correct the problem.

Perhaps Bewkes knows many young entrepreneurs who are ready to take the first step toward admitting blame -- or have made one or two mistakes with disastrous results. I want to hear those stories. Then I'll find out about the real possibilities of the new digital entertainment age -- even if it involves the creation of more "raptors."