At the Magazine Publishers of America 11th annual Magazine Day: New York conference, I was intrigued by panels entitled "What Advertisers Want," "Risky Business & Bold Moves," and "Media Measurement for the New World." I have to say that I was disappointed that magazine publishers have not come as far along as I would have hoped -- but I am elated at the vim and vigor that was displayed by Robin Steinberg of MediaVest.

So yesterday I attended First Look, AOL's digital upfront presentation. The net/net of the event: original programming is leading the way. "Million Bucks," "Gold Rush 2" and "iLand" are all original, game-oriented -- and more important, they are engaging. The question of whether or not these programs will be successful from an online ratings perspective remains to be seen -- but if "Gold Rush," the first, is any indication, marketers and advertising buyers may be witnessing a true change in the online advertising tide.

So after years of talking about it and years of speculating about its efficacy, its reach, its opportunity -- VOD is possibly, finally, coming of age. The question is, who will squander the opportunity first?

Kudos to Mr. Jobs and Mr. Nicoli for announcing what should have been a reality five years ago. But, as a dear friend of mine says, you can never put toothpaste back into the tube, so while I applaud the companies who have come together, you won't see me saying that this is going to save the record industry.