Gillmor Gang: Play It Again

The Evolving Media Landscape and the Impact of Timing

Over recent months, I have been composing articles to complement episodes of the Gillmor Gang podcast. Due to production schedules, these pieces typically appear at least a week following the initial recording. Initially, this temporal gap appeared to be a drawback. However, it soon became apparent that this delay actually offered a unique perspective and added valuable context to the original discussion.

Shifting Perspectives and Nuance

What initially seemed critical weeks prior often gained a more refined understanding as events unfolded – or, frequently, did not. Political events that appeared momentous in the moment often lost their intensity when viewed ten days later. The fluctuations on the graph of public opinion smoothed out, highlighting the enduring strength of reasoned analysis.

The Pressure on Journalism and the Rise of Streaming

This shift also served to isolate the pressures facing media organizations, particularly those related to funding journalism, or, more accurately, maintaining audience engagement. It revealed a growing backlash against the constant cycle of manufactured outrage and negativity. With the increasing effectiveness of vaccines, it became increasingly clear that an alternative way of life was possible.

Streaming services and notification systems are now becoming mainstream, prompting media companies to forge partnerships with technology giants and venture capital firms.

Challenges to New Infrastructure

However, vulnerabilities within this emerging infrastructure threaten to impede the widespread acceptance of these changes. Clubhouse, for example, is experiencing scalability issues on its entry page, with the number of available rooms expanding significantly. The platform’s reliance on topics for discovery can limit organic conversation, favoring pre-defined categories over the spontaneous emergence of themes.

Update release notes indicate that user analytics are being leveraged to improve differentiation from traditional podcasts, but the timing of these improvements is crucial to maintaining platform momentum. Positive developments, including financial support from founders and venture capital, will be essential to navigate these challenges, particularly with the launch of the Android client.

Media Consolidation and the MGM Model

On a larger scale, mergers and acquisitions are reshaping the media industry, creating hybrid conglomerates. While AT&T’s move away from content creation is often highlighted, a more significant development is the combination of WarnerMedia’s scripted content with Discovery’s sports and reality programming, packaged in an ad-supported streaming service.

This echoes the formation of MGM in the early days of Hollywood. Metro Pictures, a struggling studio, merged with Sam Goldwyn’s financially challenged independent studio. Goldwyn was dismissed, but his name was retained, and Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg from a third studio were brought in to lead the combined entity.

Amazon and the Cycle of Acquisition

Interestingly, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was recently acquired by Amazon, adding its extensive library – including the James Bond franchise, over 4,000 classic films, and 17,000 television programs – to Prime Video’s reach of 175 million subscribers.

MGM and its acquisition of United Artists have been repeatedly bought and sold as power shifted from theaters to television and then to cable. Ted Turner famously purchased the library and showcased it on Turner Classic Movies. Now, the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation, introducing new variables into the equation.

The Future of Broadcast Television

MGM’s struggles in the 1960s and 70s, culminating in the sale of its backlot, suggest a similar fate may await broadcast television networks as the landscape continues to evolve. Cable news networks could face obstacles if antitrust regulators block potential mergers between Warner Discovery and Comcast, the current homes of CNN and MSNBC, respectively. Regulators are likely to oppose mergers involving two of the remaining three major broadcast networks with Viacom/CBS and Comcast/NBC/Universal.

The Rise of Tech Networks and Social Audio

Instead, technology companies and their emerging social audio and newsletter platforms will likely emulate the studio model. Cable news will transition from podcasts and Clubhouse/Spaces to newsletter-driven brands, focusing on major technology news, innovation coverage, and startup investment activity. The scale of established players like Netflix, Disney, and Amazon will facilitate the production of over 5,000 executive interviews, complemented by independent analysis from blogs and newsletters, resembling a fusion of MSNBC and CNBC.

Apple and Spotify will likely introduce ad-supported free tiers to their streaming services, decoupling music companies from their back catalogs and creating a hybrid live performance and promotional platform for a broad audience. The Marvel, DC, and Star Wars cinematic universes will leverage digital tiers to promote theatrical releases as the pandemic subsides globally in 2022.

Political considerations, a lagging indicator, will determine the speed at which we can rebuild infrastructure, healthcare systems, and establish a more equitable rule of law. Perhaps then, I can experience a 3D VR tour of the MGM backlot and envision the beginning of a promising future.

from the Gillmor Gang Newsletter

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The Gillmor Gang — Frank Radice, Michael Markman, Keith Teare, Denis Pombriant, Brent Leary and Steve Gillmor. Recorded live Friday, May 21, 2021.

Produced and directed by Tina Chase Gillmor @tinagillmor

@fradice, @mickeleh, @denispombriant, @kteare, @brentleary, @stevegillmor, @gillmorgang

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