Around the Net
Debate: Whither Web TV?
- The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, August 7, 2007 10:32 AM
There's an interesting email debate between Sab Kanaujia, vice president for digital product strategy at NBC Universal, and Steven Starr, co-founder and chairman of Revver, in which they discuss
the future for online TV and mass media. Revver is a video-sharing site that compensates producers by sharing ad revenue. The rise of sites like Revver and competitors such as Metacafe and YouTube
come at a time when NBC Universal and its traditional broadcasting cousins are searching for ways to incorporate social media into their online video offerings.
Kanaujia, the
traditional media guy, doesn't think there's much of a future for the independent video producer. He says CPMs are low, and few creators generate the kind of traffic to justify leaving their day jobs.
Starr counters that some independent creators make in excess of $10K per month, and the opportunities are expanding: "The promise of an online creator economy is right around the corner," he
says.
But Kanaujia believes stars who do emerge, like Rocketboom's Amanda Congdon or the LonelyGirl15 crew, will want to move on to more lucrative deals with big media giants. Starr concedes that some will, but most will not--even the LonelyGirl group decided not to pursue a big media contract. Instead, they are now developing a successful new series (called KateModern) for the social network Bebo. He adds that some 90% of Writers and Directors Guild of America members don't make a living from their craft--so where should they turn to for distributing and marketing themselves?
