4 ms·

One reason for Conan (and anyone with similar status) not to switch to the internet is that on mainstream media competition has a high entry barrier - very few

by nir 17y ago

One reason for Conan (and anyone with similar status) not to switch to the internet is that on mainstream media competition has a high entry barrier - very few people get a show on NBC, or a column in the NY Times - while online a PR piece by Revision3 can get published on a major news website like any other content. If you're a newcomer who wants to compete with Conan O'Brien, the web can be a good starting point. If you are Conan O'Brien, the web is suicide.

dasil003 17y ago
I'd say that's just the tip of the iceberg. Money and production values are just way more abundant on a television network. Even though talk show budgets are a drop in the bucket compared to scripted dramas, it's an astronomical cost for Internet publishers who can't bring in any advertising dollars. The only way it makes sense for Conan to move his show to the Internet is by starting his own business and making a real go of it. Figure out a real business model, and yes, salaries would have to take a hit, but he could conceivably create something amazing and future-proof rather than riding the (slowly) sinking ship that is traditional network television. Signing on to try to help someone else's startup would be insane; nothing more than an act of charity. However there is an opportunity, however slim, for Conan to go big on the Internet and prove that he is still innovative and do something that's never been done before.
- raganwald 17y ago
  The only way it makes sense for Conan to move his show to the Internet is by starting his own business and making a real go of it. Some years ago I recall reading a list of top entertainment money makers. The top two women that year were Madonna and Oprah. The interesting thing was that while Madonna grossed more revenue overall, Oprah made more money because Oprah owns all of her own businesses and almost everyone is an employee. Madonna, by contrast, did business with people who took a portion of the proceeds. This is not to say that Madonna was doing the wrong thing. It allowed her to focus on her 'core competence.' Perhaps business is Oprah's core competence, so each might have been doing the right thing for themselves. I would say that Conan could make a lot more "running his own show" on TV or the Internet, but only if he has a talent for it.
  - dasil003 17y ago
    Sure, but there's not enough money in Internet programming right now for Conan's cut to be worth it. Hell there's not enough money probably to operate the show even if Conan takes $0. Madonna was popularized using a very well established formula that had been honed by record companies over the previous half-century. My point is, that at this stage in the game, Conan could innovate, but only if he can take a controlling interest. If he wants or needs someone else to be the strategic party then it's too soon. He'll need to wait 5 or 10 years for Internet programming to come into its own as an industry at which point he can be just one more chunk of content (sort of like he was for NBC).

by nir 17y ago

dasil003 17y ago

I'd say that's just the tip of the iceberg. Money and production values are just way more abundant on a television network. Even though talk show budgets are a drop in the bucket compared to scripted dramas, it's an astronomical cost for Internet publishers who can't bring in any advertising dollars. The only way it makes sense for Conan to move his show to the Internet is by starting his own business and making a real go of it. Figure out a real business model, and yes, salaries would have to take a hit, but he could conceivably create something amazing and future-proof rather than riding the (slowly) sinking ship that is traditional network television. Signing on to try to help someone else's startup would be insane; nothing more than an act of charity. However there is an opportunity, however slim, for Conan to go big on the Internet and prove that he is still innovative and do something that's never been done before.

raganwald 17y ago
The only way it makes sense for Conan to move his show to the Internet is by starting his own business and making a real go of it. Some years ago I recall reading a list of top entertainment money makers. The top two women that year were Madonna and Oprah. The interesting thing was that while Madonna grossed more revenue overall, Oprah made more money because Oprah owns all of her own businesses and almost everyone is an employee. Madonna, by contrast, did business with people who took a portion of the proceeds. This is not to say that Madonna was doing the wrong thing. It allowed her to focus on her 'core competence.' Perhaps business is Oprah's core competence, so each might have been doing the right thing for themselves. I would say that Conan could make a lot more "running his own show" on TV or the Internet, but only if he has a talent for it.
- dasil003 17y ago
  Sure, but there's not enough money in Internet programming right now for Conan's cut to be worth it. Hell there's not enough money probably to operate the show even if Conan takes $0. Madonna was popularized using a very well established formula that had been honed by record companies over the previous half-century. My point is, that at this stage in the game, Conan could innovate, but only if he can take a controlling interest. If he wants or needs someone else to be the strategic party then it's too soon. He'll need to wait 5 or 10 years for Internet programming to come into its own as an industry at which point he can be just one more chunk of content (sort of like he was for NBC).