The Death of Traditional Media and Sat NFL Week 17

 

I have worked in media for almost all of my adult life.  I remember when I knew that radio was over as a major media.  I was driving on I-271 and every single car I passed for 20 minutes had a woman talking into her mobile phone.  People listened to radio primarily on their commutes, and with the choice of listening to a "drive time double shot" of The Eagles or calling their dingbat friend Kaylee, the majority of Cleveland area commuters chose Kaylee.  Frankly, Kaylee at least had new stories and all commercial radio stations just continued to flog you with "Tequila Sunrise", so the choice was fairly easy.

As streaming emerged, radio refused to change.   I worked at the classic rock radio station in town from 1993-1998 and then again in something like 2003-2006.  Nothing had changed except maybe some window dressing.  The same 200 or so songs are presented in essentially the same way over and over and over and over.  How no one in that medium said, "Hey, every single person walks around with a device on them that allows access to every song ever recorded.  Maybe our stale presentation of "Aqualung" and "Jukebox Hero" with 15 ads an hour isn't going to cut it?".  Nope.  It's easier to pretend that the problem isn't real and keep doing the same shit you always did hoping it would all work out.  There is a comfort in making your own bubble.

I'm in TV now, and it is EXACTLY the same thing.  These local broadcast TV affiliates had a great little racket going.  These fucking things printed money like you can't believe.  If you wanted to watch TV, they were the only game in town with federal regulations preventing Leo and I from erecting a broadcast tower in his backyard and start doing newscasts.  Side note, I always felt an amazing TV show would have been to have Leo sitting at a news desk while a host asked him to explain current events.  "What I Think The News Is-with Leo P. Love".  Would there have been massive misinformation broadcast?  Yes.  Would it have been good TV?  Also, yes.  What do you want to watch?  Some vanilla local newscast talking about whatever shit the city water department did, or Leo struggling to remember what he thought he heard about some shooting downtown?  I'm telling you, it's ratings gold.

Anyway, these TV stations were so smug because they controlled almost all access to video advertising.  If you wanted to reach a large audience, all you had to do was run a schedule on any of the four local network affiliates and it would deliver results.  It didn't really even matter which one.  There were five ways of getting access to TV viewers, the four affiliates and the cable TV company.  That was it.  These folks swaggered around like they were geniuses and really all they had going from them was no competition.  If you wanted to reach all the people in town, THEY were the only on ramp.

With the unbelievably swift rise of streaming, suddenly everyone has a TV show.  Shit, you don't really need a show.  People under the age of 35 have such a lack of attention span thanks to their upbringing, they just watch snippets of video.  So how did all these great minds in broadcast TV respond?  Just like radio.  Keep doing the same shit you've always done and tell yourself how kick ass you are despite all evidence to the contrary.  Whereas just a few years ago these four stations were the only access point for big TV audiences, now EVERYONE can sell you TV of some kind.  

Local broadcast TV is OVER and most of the people working in it don't even know it.  They are clinging to outdated ideas in a desperate attempt to ignore reality.  "Hey, we are the #2 morning news!".  Big deal Bro.  Nobody is watching that shit.  If you are the #2 local newscast, that generally means 98.5% of the area is not watching you.  The world changed and local TV didn't change with it.  To be inside it and see the willing suspension of disbelief is really something.   There used to be four daily newspapers in Cleveland.  Those are gone.  There used to be fierce competition between multiple radio morning shows, all of which were big local celebrities.  Now I can't name three morning local DJs and I worked in radio for 16 years.  Local affiliate news teams really used to be like Ron Burgundy.  WEWS-TV owned a helicopter and a fucking boat for some reason.  I suggest that if that boat is still afloat out there, that any current station employee not tied to revenue jump in for safety's sake.  The water is about the get very choppy for you friend.

The NFL games were on Netflix on Christmas.  That would have been UNTHINKABLE three years ago.  24 million people watched these games on Netflix this year compared to a combined 28 million last year on CBS/Fox/ABC.  That's just US viewership too.  The global numbers aren't in yet.  This points out that fans will find the games regardless of where they are made available.  The downside for traditional TV?  Apple and Amazon and Netflix are now in your game, they have deeper pockets, they know your consumer data, and they can close the consumer loop by not only advertising a product but provide the opportunity to buy it with one click of a button.  Uh-oh.  We better get that "What I Think The News Is with Leo P. Love" show active at the old TV station...  But until then, I'll just follow the game wherever they go.

Today's games are on the NFL Network.  I assume I have that somewhere on my confusing web of TV packages.  What a blessing.  The holidays really do provide a horn of plenty, don't they?  It's am embarrassment of riches to be able to press a button and watch the LA Chargers and NE Patriots in an almost meaningless game.  I suppose the Chargers really need this win to get into the Playoffs (where I assume they will be eliminated by one of the four legit AFC teams).  For whatever reason I have been bombarded with Drake Maye propaganda this week.  The worm has turned on Caleb Williams.  Michael Pennix was news last week.  This week it's all about how great Drake Maye is.  Sure, his stats are pretty good but the Patriots have still lost 6 of their last 7.  They stink.  I think the Chargers win an ugly game where they take an early lead and just grind in classic Harbaugh fashion.  Weird stat for ya.  Chargers have the best first half defense in the NFL.  I'm on Chargers -3 First Half.  I have a fear of a NE backdoor cover on this game.       

I am out of the Arizona Cardinals business.  They looked like they might win the NFC West.  I bet on them a few times, and they've lost 4 of their last 5.  Fuck these guys.  Kyler Murray fades down the stretch, and he's doing it again.  The Rams are somehow 8-2 in their last 10 games.  You get the better QB, the better coach, the team trending in the right direction, and the favorite in a time where favorites are winning 75% of the time.  The Cardinals tend to keep it close but make a backbreaking mistake late in games.  LA Rams moneyline.

Current Record:  32-28-1