Go, Mel: CBS chief Mel Karmazin told the Credit Suisse First Boston conference yesterday that he would make CBS a pay channel if TiVo got so popular that too many consumers were zapping
commercials. I know that because I listened to it on the website. Apparently some magazines are allotted five press passes to this event, while others get zip. However, I believe this statement is
worth noting. Mel Karmazin would sooner share a summer house in the Hamptons with Sumner Redstone than make CBS a pay channel. But, over the past weeks I have definitely seen a switch from a “who
cares” to “hey, what are we doing about this?” mentality when it comes to TiVo. I believe that when you’re a start up, if people are too polite to you, they’re not really paying attention to you. If
they start to trash you, they’re paying attention. If they’re scared of you, you got’em.
Media Person Of The Year: I don’t care much for the way Fox does business. Showing 90 minutes of
American Idol hype for ten minutes of competition is typical. But Roger Ailes gets my vote for media star of the year. He was the first person to realize that September 11 was over and he sent his
channel down the right road. He sent his entertainment network counter-clockwise and its working.
Parting Shot: Why do I get the sense that Playboy magazine is headed for a very tough
2003?
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