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Last week, two large, traditional broadcasting companies brought forth demands for money over copyright infringement and royalty fees to a variety of Internet-based content distributors. Viacom, owner of several TV networks including Comedy Central and MTV, sued YouTube to the tune of $1 billion for clips on the video-sharing site, and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has dramatically increased royalties on music played by independent Internet radio stations, which are now higher than royalties paid by commercial radio. Each of these instances of money-grubbing threatens the very existence of these services and perpetuates a troubling trend: the inability of traditional broadcasters and Web-based methods of distribution to coexist.
The Internet and its inherent technology have forever changed the way we discover and consume media. Unlike radio stations and television channels, which broadcast over the air and require massive funds to pay for licensing and other fees, there is virtually no barrier to entry on the Internet. YouTube has been a great example of this. Many ordinary folks and small companies are producing TV-like video content for free and are garnering a large following. There are thousands of Internet radio stations that allow their operators to target niche audiences with great new music, serving as channels for independent artists to gain recognition.
Instead of embracing this new paradigm, traditional broadcasters have actively pursued heavy-handed regulation or outright destruction of the independent, user-driven content distributors on the Web. Viacom and the RIAA are just two unfortunate examples in an industry that does not “get it.” The times have changed and consumers are less accepting of corporation-centric media. They are no longer content to allow large companies to tell them what to watch or listen to and when. The Internet has allowed for collaboration between people and the media they consume on a level never before seen in human history. On the Web, people interact with, create, comment on and distribute all kinds of media daily. With services like Pandora, a dynamic radio station that helps you discover new music, and the advent of podcasting, which lets anyone with a microphone or video camera share their thoughts and creations with the world, we are truly seeing the epoch to a fully user-centric media experience.
What does all this mean? It means a rethinking of the traditional business models and of copyright law. The money is there for those who can adapt and deliver the experiences that consumers now expect. The tremendous explosion of growth for services like YouTube and Internet radio is a clear sign that people want targeted, on-demand content. Don’t take the attacks by big media sitting down. Listen to independent Internet radio, discover great new web-based TV and podcasts and share it with your friends and family. The dinosaurs like Viacom and the RIAA can either join the revolution, or become extinct fighting it.
Bangor Daily News