We're OK: Traditional Media Is Doing Just Fine, Thank You

Tues’ opening session continued cable’s years-old theme that MSOs need to give consumers what they want, when and where they want it. But that doesn’t mean traditional media is in trouble. "There’s a significant portion of the world that wants to have its time and day set by the TV," said Fox Nets Group pres/CEO Tony Vinciquerra. "They probably will be the majority or close to it as far as we can predict into the future." While all companies are exploring new ways to deliver content, they still need to focus on making today’s TV experience as good as possible. "The world isn’t changing," said NBCU pres David Zaslav. "People still watch 12-14 channels. Broadcast is still a fundamental part of how people consume TV. And the cable industry is going to be the primary way people consume content for at least the next couple years. We don’t know if people are going to sit in from of their computer and watch content. We don’t know yet if iPods are going to be a real successful way to reach consumers." Time Warner’s Glenn Britt said everyone should experiment with new services, but at the same time, you have to consider the economics. "There’s a pretty interesting and fragile economic formula … that works pretty well for everybody," he said.