Beyond Broadcast 2: Mapping the Money

Diane Mermigas: "Your stars are perfectly aligned with where the Internet is and where digital media is taking us..." Diane just suggested that people here are grassroots... She said, "When I sit down with Rupert Murdoch and some other big media guys, they're full of questions."

Well, I guess if you're sitting down with Rupert Murdoch, the CPB might look grassroots.

"None of the institutions... have [learned] to really integrate" the interactivity that's possible.

Diane is recommending that public broadcasters put their content online and attach ads. It was more nuanced than that, but that's what it boils down to, I think.

Keith Hopper: Follow Google's lead - build your audience and user interaction, then monetize it.

Craig Reigel: Paying people is important, sustainable business models are important. "Bringing in revenue needs to be decriminalized." Some revenue seeking "disrupts mission, some don't."

Four ways for media orgs make money
1) Participate in commerce
2) Advertising
3) Specific support from people with vested interest
4) Take investers' dollars with some promise for sustainability, spend the money, then go bankrupt

Vince Stehle: Radiohead experiment, pay what you will. "Public radio has been doing that for decades." He's just got something wrong - that one can listen to most of an album on Myspace; this isn't how it happens in my experience. Even small indie bands only put up a couple of teaser songs.

James Wilson: Democracy rests on free, independent, transparent press; media is going through turmoil - ergo "We might be seeing democracy at risk." We need to reintroduce "representation, openness, freedom" into these conversations about business models.

This is a political process - "I can assure you that the NAB has agenda... the MPAA has an agenda, and if you don't have agenda, you're going to lose." At which point, I said "hear, hear" a little too loudly.

James brings up NCMR, and the 3k+ participant. Media makers aren't engaging with the activists. Here, here!