• Huffington Post, Tuesday, January 6, 2009 9:45 AM

It will be at least 36 months before the ad and media businesses will benefit from a national refocus on environmental studies, energy development, medical advances and infrastructure improvements, says media consultant Jack Myers. In the meantime, the media needs to recalibrate its future and purpose.

Myers believes that celebrity-based reality TV series and "Page Six" style gossip have seen their day. Reality shows that dehumanize and humiliate participants will no longer be ratings winners. How-to programming that teaches us how to accomplish something worthwhile will be valued. Positive stories of human achievement will be more successful than ever.

Cable and satellite distributors, phone companies and Internet providers also need to shift their priorities, says Myers. Instead of focusing on how to best soak consumers for monthly fees, they should concentrate on how they can deliver social, cultural and economic value to Americans through technology enhancements. Initiatives by Canoe Ventures and others should emphasize consumer value before advertiser value.

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