From the Web to TV: TMZ.com
Lost Remote reports that popular gossip site TMZ.com will branch out into a half hour syndicated television show starting on September 10.
TMZ’s bluster aside – “We’ve become like The Associated Press in the world we cover,” says founder Harvey Levin – this is yet another sign that the online world is competing with television head on as a source to debut entertainment and informational content.
It makes perfect sense that popular websites and online shows will move onto other media distribution systems. Producing content online is far cheaper than for television. So why not use the Internet as a proving ground for moving the most popular stuff onto broadcast TV?
Things will get even more interesting when popular online content won’t be transferred over to television because it won’t have to. In other words, they will get all the audience, attention, and advertising revenue they need from online distribution. Taking things even further – and this isn’t all that far off – the experience for the broad public in watching shows on television versus the Internet will be very close to the same thing.
The online soap epic Prom Queen, doled out in 90 second episode increments – has proven successful enough that more professionally produced episodic video content programs will be sure to follow. As for Prom Queen, it’s headed for a Season Two of sorts this summer as Prom Queen: Summer Heat.
Recent Entries
- Online Media Cultist honored by The Industry Standard
- Grand Theft Auto IV – Xbox 360 / Playstation 3 side-by-side review
- There’s a lot going on with the Interwebs, and that’s a good thing
- The rambling shambling social networking funhouse that is MySpace
- Are social news sites like Digg useful anymore?
- Could Google Friend Connect be a MySpace killer?
- How will Twitter ever make money?
- Google Earth comes to life-like
- Grand Theft Auto IV goes very very old school
- Gadgets threaten the Internet’s future? Ridiculous
July 5th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I’ve been a huge fan of watching programming on the web but I have a problem with a couple of things. 1) Most of what’s out there is crap geared toward boys, and I do mean those of the age and those who are not but there interests are of the boy age. 2)The “new” shows are being funded by huge corporation (i.e. Prom Queen and Eisner’s Vuguru or Will Farrells production house)and continue to be geared toward boys. 3)There are very few productions geared toward girls or young women. Now I confess that I did watch Prom Queen and it was good. It should be. But I also saw after much deep searching a show called “Floaters”. The first couple of episodes were okay so I stuck with it. It turned out that it was good. So, I’m glad to see that some people are thinking about us and putting out more than mind-numbing boy stuff.
July 5th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Pamela — You bring up a great many great points. I really believe that we’re going to see a) higher quality productions that are b) geared toward a general viewing audience (i.e. not just youtube-crazed boys) in the near future.
I’m not sure about the “huge corporation” part though. High quality productions require money. The key I’d say is for shows not to “feel” corporate, always a tough trick!
July 5th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
BTW — I’ve heard of Floaters but have not yet checked it out, looks interesting!