• by Jack Myers , February 9, 2007

The Cheerleaders of NBC. If that sounds like a Playboy photo spread, that's the intent. Television networks need to completely rethink their off-channel brand extension opportunities. That's not to suggest the cheerleaders of "Friday Night Lights" and "Heroes," as attractive as they might be, should be doing Playboy photo shoots, but NBC most definitely should be considering its opportunities to extend the appeal of the cheerleaders to additional platforms.

If NBC doesn't create mobile, DVD and VOD compilations of the "Best of the 'Heroes' and 'Friday Night Lights' Cheerleaders," including content from the series plus outtakes and interviews, then some amateur will mash-up content and put it out there for all to download and store.

Broadcast and cable content is ripe for exploitation in new media, but network programmers and marketers need to think outside the traditional 60- and 30-minute formats. David E. Kelley's "Boston Legal" is one of my favorite series, and I want immediate access to attorney Alan Shore's (James Spader) summations to the jury to forward to friends, and even to attach to links in my daily report. If Disney issued a special DVD and downloadable "Best of Alan Shore" compilations, I'd be a buyer, and I guarantee I'm not alone.

How about ringtones? I can download hundreds, actually thousands, of classic songs, but what I really want is Lucille Ball's classic "Slowly I turned, step by step..." or Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" How about Ed Sullivan's "Really, really big show tonight"? From "Flavor of Love" and "South Park "to "Boston Legal" and "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World," television history from the 1950s right up to last night represents an endless treasure of one-liners suitable for ringtones. Television networks and studios have a long, long tail of classic scenes that millions would want to add to their MySpace personal profile page, and "Best of..." compilation opportunities.

While we're on the subject, I'm writing this while attending the CTAM Research Conference in St. Petersburg, Fla. I'm here at the beautiful Renaissance Vinoy Resort, where on-demand offerings include recent episodes of several popular NBC series. The cost per episode, $4.99, is excessive. The promotion, which fails to include dates or preview trailers, is poor. But the idea is right on target and will certainly expand to other networks and series. Why, though, aren't the networks recognizing on-demand and VOD as distinct and differentiated media? Why not offer a special 15-minute "Cheerleaders of 'Heroes' and 'Friday Night Lights'" free video, not only for hotel distribution but also for cable and satellite VOD channels and special DVD distribution, as well as 30-second vignettes for mobile distribution?

Advertisers have an equally opportune archive of classics that can be repackaged for new media, requiring only visionary and creative executives who break away from traditional models. If they don't do it, amateurs will. If we have learned anything, it's that content is no longer the exclusive domain of copyright owners. Any content available in any form on the Web is open territory for amateur videophiles and producers. Producers and networks that package their content in traditional 30 and 60-minute programs need to begin repackaging their content into snippets for stand-alone redistribution, "Best of..." compilations, mash-ups and ringtones. Every scene has the potential to be a stand-alone segment.

Visionary advertisers are also thinking about connecting their messages to these program brand extensions. Who wouldn't have wanted to sponsor an online special last year on the "Hidden Secrets of 'Lost'?" Where is the DVD version of the "Worst Performance of 'American Idol,'" with an associated text-message and online contest inviting viewers to vote for the absolute worst, sponsored by AT&T? And I have to believe that the outtakes from reality shows would make amazing content for the Web sites of these series, with advertisers lining up.

It's time to stop holding on for dear life to traditional models and start recognizing that there is a wealth of opportunity embedded in traditional content.