Broadcasters are about to experience the equivalent of the Big Bang, warns Akamai Technologies CEO Paul Sagan, a broadcast and cable veteran whose company facilitates more than one-fifth of the world's Web traffic.

Arianna Huffington says she will not charge consumers for content, and that The Huffington Post will rely on interactive advertising and other applications to pay the bills. Over the next year, The Huffington Post will roll out new formats allowing advertisers and users to interact and exchange information.

Advertising will not pay the freight for digital media, like it has for newspapers and television, as it morphs into an interactive experience riveted on transactions, according to Publicis Groupe Chairman and CEO Maurice Levy.

Cable networks are a sweet spot in a media industry struggling to find its financial footing. They are driving conglomerates earnings as well as richly priced deals, and will be a growth vehicle for branded content across all digital platforms.