• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, June 23, 2015

Can TV networks/producers learn anything from Apple’s immediate reversal of its plan not to pay any royalties to musicians when users signed up for free three-month trial of its new streaming music service? Maybe it’s about finding one’s own “champion.”

Taylor Swift, perhaps the most powerful and best-selling music artist around, responded that she wasn't going to allow her album “1989” to be part of the Apple service. In a dramatic reversal, some 24 hour later, Apple executive Eddy Cue said Swift was right, Apple was wrong, and it would make changes.

It would be hard to imagine any single TV artist -- an actor or produce, for example -- could have that much sway, if a TV production company/network decided to underpay for TV content.

Much has been said about Swift as the “champion” for many independent musical artists, many of whom don’t pull in nearly the dollars she does.

In that light, does TV need a champion for independent networks and producers?

Some would say TV is in a different market -- in many ways much healthier than the music industry. The explosion of traditional and new digital video outlets means increased opportunities for all kinds of TV artists.

At the same time, traditional TV production costs continue to get squeezed, because of lower traditional TV ratings -- even with the possibility of new digital video platforms for many TV shows.

You can call this the golden age of TV. But does this only apply to those high-profile scripted dramas or comedies seen on the big broadcast and cable networks?

If that is the case, than maybe there is a need for a champion for other TV content  that goes somewhat under the radar --  but which we seemingly can’t do without.