By Rick King -

Every few generations our culture finds new ways to define itself. Usually there is no stronger indicator of culture’s shifting winds than the music a generation listens to. The method in which a generation listens to its music defines it as well. Is it possible we are in the midst of exactly that? Another media revolution of transformation in the winds, from terrestrial radio and television broadcasters to satellite media?

The current population wants access to information everywhere and on demand.  Generation “Unlimited” has no concept of limitation.  They live in a world where information of every type is available at the speed of an electron in more forms than they can count.  Information and how it is channeled to a user permeates every aspect of business.  AM and FM Radio don’t work everywhere geographically so it’s fading.  Same thing for television, initially change came in the form of cable and now with continuing dominance by satellite media.

How many people still remember the world of no television?  Black and White television broadcast?  The days when AM radio was the mainstay of the American living room?  In every single instance of such change, critics denied the very possibility it could happen.  Emotions have always  run especially deep in American society when it comes to our music and how we listen to it. (more…)

Tivo (TIVO) has recently blown the doors off of its price action, rising almost 70 percent last week after the federal appeals court upheld a contempt ruling against EchoStar (SATS) and Dish Network (DISH) for continual patent infringement. All of this isn’t exactly stunning news of course but it does lend itself to some interesting possibilities from Tivo in the future.

First let me say that I became a Tivo user because I was sick of paying $200.00 a month to Time Warner Cable (TWC) for the privilege of Pay Per View and receiving 500 channels that were never  utilized.   I canceled everything but Road Runner, bought the Tivo box  and signed up for Netflix (NFLX) so I can stream movies to it, and finally installed an HD antennae ($50.00) to get the local networks. Presto, $ 200.00 per month became $ 75.00 per month.  OK, so I will miss Bloomberg and CNBC but  not enough to shell out an additional $125.00.  I’m not Jonesing for Cramer that badly, especially when I can get those channels for free on the internet.  I can also can live without college wrestling, The Knitting Channel,  or “Stuff TV”, whatever the hell that is.  You gotta love the technological revolution that is available to cheapskates.

I digress.. (more…)

By Relmor Demitrius -

Terrestrial radio.  Broadcast TV.  Newsprint circulations.  If people heard it, saw it, or read it, they did it through these 3 mediums only a short time ago.  Today is a much different age.  People have access to information now through a vast array of additional avenues once thought to be impossible.  The internet, Smart Phones, laptop computers, satellite television and radio, cable TV,  and even the Kindle are allowing the distribution of information in a way that is becoming harder and harder for the old media companies to compete against.  When Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) purchased NBC Universal, it was a shot heard around the country.  Is this the end of broadcast TV?  The content of networks like HBO, Showtime, CNN, ESPN, and hundreds of other cable and satellite TV channels has erased the necessity of these media distribution systems to HAVE TO CARRY the big 3.  Comcast now has leverage in the media community.  Charge more for NBC, we’ll charge more for CBS.  Charge more for CBS, we will deny you complete coverage of all the NBC stations and content.  Disney bought ABC, Lifetime, ESPN and A&E for a reason.  Collaboration of content.  ABC, FOX, and CBS launched cable and “satellite only” shows to add content power, and create demand from its fans for their shows, and station formats.  The battle is on. 
(more…)