Times Square? Is it the purported new American media family room? Or is it just a lot of noise? It is. Both. In the former case, it is wishful thinking; in the latter case, obvious to anyone who has been in the crowds. Just look at the ad dollars in that small area (abandoned, sort of literally and figuratively, by The New York Times) around 42nd Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Budgets purportedly aimed at consumers are, in reality, just the latest round of media navel gazing. Advertisers advertising to themselves. And the fallout is everywhere. Ad budgets in newspapers are disappearing faster than newspaper circulation. Without movie ads, the aforementioned Times would be a real loser. Ad budgets in business-to-business media outlets are shrinking at an even greater rate. AI’s own CableWorld is coming to an end next month. (NOTE: the magazine, much loved and read but not fully supported, will morph into more special issues of CableFAX Magazine… complete with attitude and a sense of humor). Staying really informed is getting more complicated… unless you just read the aggregators… you know, those so-called "publications" that round-up and repurpose someone else’s reporting. And, frankly, they are superficial and often lack context. Finding original reporting is getting tougher and tougher every day. Especially reporting by reporters who know the business they’re covering. Context and perspective are becoming like endangered species… hard to find. CableFAX (and we thank you for your support) is an anomaly today. The Daily and the Magazine feature real, original, reporting and writing by reporters and editors with an ingrained and second-nature attitude that is pro-cable and knowledgeable about the business. Random Notes

  • Gift Giving Time Is Coming Soon: We’ve got the right gift suggestions for any business associate… anti-FCC merchandise… totes that say, "I Hate the FCC." T-shirts that read… well, go see for your self. Go to: http://www.cafepress.com/fccfu. You’ve gotta love it. More meaningful, though, would be a gift sub to CableFAX Daily! [Head slap! Why didn’t I think of this!]
  • Rebate? This writers’ strike is going on and on, and I figure we aren’t getting our retransmission money’s worth while it goes on and on… so, hey, broadcasters! How about a rebate?
  • WICT! Our long time good friend Lynn Yaeger is being honored Thursday evening in DC at the Annual WICT Gala as she retires from Time Warner Cable. Good for her. We’re looking forward to the evening… see you there. I just love it when every guy looks like a waiter (but I’ll have my cowboy hat, just for Lynn).
  • Starz in Our Eyes: Went to the Starz Denver Film Festival Big Night Gala Dinner Saturday night. Two black tie gigs in less than a week. Bob Clasen and Tom Southwick were grinning as they keep emphasizing movies, movies, movies.
  • Capacity Thinking: Broadband is beginning to look like Detroit in the 1950s … bigger and better, longer and wider. Seems like an inexorable process underway. Verizon’s recent 50 up and 20/20 up/down is just the next step toward fiber to the desktop, laptop and media room. For some interesting takes on the future, check out Peter Huber’s column in the 11/12 Forbes (page 74) as he asks, "Who will be the winners and losers when desktops get a 50-megabit feed? Not the ones you’d expect."

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The Cable Comeback

Commentary by Steve Effros It’s happening faster than I thought it would: the realization that the “cable” model of delivering video was the right, and probably only workable business model. “Cable”

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Apr 25
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