I don’t normally do these kinds of “group” posts, but there is so much good stuff out there today, and I don’t have time to write individual posts. So here it goes:

You simply must read Rupert Murdoch’s insightful take in Forbes on the current state of “the media.” I’ve often written about him with admiration, because he really does seem to get what’s taking place. This piece only adds to that belief.

News is in more demand than ever, but the vast network of Internet-savvy news junkies want their news with several fresh twists: constantly updated, relevant to their daily lives, complete with commentary and analysis, and presented in a way that allows them to interact not just with the news but with each other about the news. They won’t wait until six o’clock to watch the news on television or until the next morning to read it in isolation. This plainly provides a challenge for news providers but also an opportunity to be far more engaged with the audience.

Companies that take advantage of this new meaning of network and adapt to the expectations of the networked consumer can look forward to a new golden age of media. Far be it from me to suggest that either I or my company have all the answers. No one does. But the future of media is a future of relentless experimentation and innovation, accelerating change, and–for those who embrace the new ways in which consumers are connecting with each other–enormous potential.

Great stuff and spot-on. Let the mold-breaking begin. Actually, if you haven’t already begun this process, you’re probably too late.

Then there’s this fascinating tidbit from Niall Kennedy:

Webmasters will soon be able to auction off widget space on their sites and blogs managed and marketed by advertising powerhouse Google. Advertisers will produce a Google Gadget in standard IAB unit sizes for distribution across the Google network at CPC or CPM billing rates. Google will bolster its current Google Analytics package to support better tracking paid and free widget campaigns in this sub-page and asynchronous pageload environment. The Google Gadget advertising beta program was publicly announced during a marketing summit for the automotive industry according to Online Media Daily.

This means, my beloved fellow broadcasters, that we will be able to buy ad spaces on sites we choose and have minute-by-minute control over the content in those ad spaces. And the same will be true of local advertisers, who wish to buy widget space on our sites. Remember, folks, this is Google.

On to the remarkable announcement that the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) has formed a peer group — the National Academy of Media Arts & Sciences. Shelley Palmer rightly notes that this is “Recognizing the New Digital Generation.” The new group is open to membership for all of the existing NATAS members, and the initial thrust of the group will be reaching out to new media organizations for memberships. There is no plan (so far) for an awards competition or ceremony. For now, that will remain strictly with television and the Emmys.

Bob Wright, chairman of NBC Universal, will chair the new group, and he told Shelley, “I am very happy to be involved with this group (the National Academy of Media Arts & Sciences). It has been clear to me for some period of time that we have converging technologies, and we need to figure out away to get these people involved with us. This new group is a great way to connect with these people.”

Finally, and I’ll write more on this later, I’ve begun reading David Weinberger’s new book, Everything is Miscellaneous.” Let me tell you, folks, this is one of the most important books of the new age, and I predict the language will find its way into the collective lexicon of anyone involved in the organization of information and knowledge. I strongly recommend reading it.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 6th, 2007 at 8:39 am and is filed under Media 2.0, Broadcasting, Journalism, Advertising, Disruptions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.