by Dan Zifkin ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

As the economy continues to strive to make a comeback to headier times a question continues to linger. As newspapers, and other media companies continue their layoffs, will media shrink? Will it go from Over The Air(Broadcast), cable, satellite, and print..to more just cable and internet? Are the print and Over The Air days over, and even more, should they be?

During the summer, I went on a trade mission sponsored by the US Department of Commerce to South Korea. The purpose of the trip was to meet the heads of the various Telco companies, Cable companies, Broadcast and Satellite companies, as well as heads of various Networks. The trip was great. The US government did a terrific job. Our meetings were informative, and very warm. What was fascinating is that already in South Korea, their infrastructure as it relates to media and the internet, is considerably ahead of ours at the moment. Their speed is like 10x faster, and they have everything in High Definition. Indeed, they have already combined the Internet with TV. Our future, is their present. To look at what some of the results of the changes that are going on here in the States, you just need to travel to Korea, and see where they are now. Their set-top boxes, already integrate Television with Internet access. Truly a defining moment in our world culture.

They have one channel that is presently devoted to the newspaper. The newspaper is in its paper form, and you can read it in that fashion on TV. It clearly seems to accommodate the rapid changes in information, but at the same time preserves the Instituition of the papers. If this was presently implemented in the US, it could potentially have a positive significant impact in extending the longevity of the industry.

Advertising is done differently in Korea, and has different models. In reality it is the public that pays for the channels and the programs that they watch. It is a concept that the media companies in the states have been trying to achieve for some time. Indeed,  the Media companies in the United States  are trying to accelerate the process. Here in the United States, under the guise of providing greater, newer technology that will take us to places that will enhance our lives, the idea is to have the populace eventually pay for every program that they would like to watch, perhaps in addition to their monthly fees, and if they can, continue to provide advertising as a continuing revenue stream. The ultimate goal is that the Media companies will go from initially one revenue stream of just advertising(Broadcast Model), and two revenue streams of advertising(with dwindling dollars because of so many outlets), to also include monthly fees(Cable Model), to eventually (and it already is here) three revenue streams that will include like what is now called VOD. This will continue to expand the growth of media,entertainment and technology in a more perpetual fashion,  as long as the American Consumer can continue to maintain to subsidize the salaries, overhead, and the programming that will be offered to them.

So, as media evolves, what will happen to news and newspapers? Really, that is going to in the end depend on a variety of factors. First, will  the Government  feel it is necessary to preserve and continue to protect that voice? Two, the increasingly smaller handful of companies that now control the media, do they have an interest in covering the news in the manner in which they have? There  clearly is a cost factor and overhead that hampers the growth of news and newspapers at this time. In the end, will we,  the consumer, will  we get proactive, and demand that the voice of the people be protected, and preserved? Stay tuned.

Regarding Over The Air, Broadcast Stations. It is some of the same questions as print, and newspapers. However, Local Broadcast should be able to stay alive, the question will be in what form?  And, what does that mean? In other words, if cable companies can get away without having to pay retransmission for all the TV stations in a market, they will try to so.  In essence, lets say that Comcast has NBC stations in a market.Well, it is in their self interest to make sure that Comcast preserves that franchise(NBC), it only means more revenue for them. What they(Comcast) pay them, eventually will be paid back to Comcast. So it is a no lose situation for them. But, why should Comcast care about an Independent, or a MYTV affiliate, or CW Affiliate or other networks in their market? These stations are really on a cost, an expense, and  will only take money away from their company. So,  they may try to say that there is no value to carrying some other stations. They and other Cable MSO's are currently doing that in some markets already And,  that in and of itself can create a host of problems. Is it monopolization? For sure. But when you have an ineffective FCC that has no will to enforce anything, Comcast, and others such as Time Warner and Cablevision will be able to manipulate the marketplace to insure their cable networks and their TV Networks will always get good clearances, good channel positions, and a lot of promotions. Already, look at how much Comcast is advertising in their markets. Now, the question is, are they really paying top dollar for those ads? Or are they placing those in local commercial slots that they control, and putting them there at a cost like a PSA?(Public Service Announcement? Who really knows? Does it give them an incredible unfair advantage, to advertise and promote their company over others. I would think it would seem so.

So, in essence, the marketplace is changing. There are ways to preserve the institutions that we currently have, but their needs to be a concerted effort to achieve this, and it is achievable, however, if these are not preserved, you can see from above what to expect the model to look like, very shortly.

But in its process...thousands of people will continue to lose their jobs, and most likely jobs that will never return. As Comcast and NBC merge..there will be job losses. Of course they are going to say there won't be..Would you say there would be job losses in this environment? Especially, if you are going to need the SEC's ok on such a merger?

Here is a feel for how events that affect us get covered. When the big three's automakers chiefs went to Washington in 2008 to ask for money, they were embarrassed about a report that ABC-TV ran that their mode of transportation was by flying expensive private planes. It was great that ABC pointed that out.

However, a little known fact, is that at the end fo 2008, ABC's parent, Disney, had to layoff hundreds of employess at Disney ABC and other parts of that company. But, Bob Iger, the CEO, paid himself 25 million dollars. Doesn't that sound incredible? And where was ABC news then?

The purpose of this is to show the double standards of American Business. And the gross negligence and ambivalence to compensation, cash flow and to the need to preserve the work force and work ethic of the American Public.  With the quickening of the technological changes that are changing the landscape of our country, our communities and our families, not enough is being done to do it in a manner that preserves what makes America great. What makes America great is innovation, and our freedoms..it does not have to be our unquenchable greed. We can be highly successful, competitive, and money oriented that is inclusive for everyone. If Bob Iger made 7 million, and the other 18 million went to things internally at Disney..whose life would have been more affected, his ...or the hundreds of people that lost their jobs?

We don't have to accept it, unfortunately there is not another power in the market that has been created to offset what is transpiring. The only entity that can help to offset and help to direct that the changes that are occurring be fair and equitable is the Government. And unfortunately those in Government, be they Democrats or Repulicans don't have the foresight, knowledge, or desire to do anything about it.

And for all of us, eventually, that is a shame.