Richard Stursberg has announced a partnership between Al Gore’s Current TV and the CBC to launch a new web site and digital channel called Current Canada.
Current TV is both web site and TV channel. Visitors to the web site are encouraged to essentially act as producers and vote to filter what will appear on the TV channel. The users can also submit content, which makes up about one third of the TV channel’s on-air material.
“It collapses the distinction between the programmers and the audience, so that the audience becomes the programmers. Stursberg said yesterday. “You have to think of it not as a conventional broadcast network, but as something utterly flattened. It’s much more like a social network.”
Stursberg also added that this is not the CBC’s version of YouTube. “This is different in the sense that this is actually programmed. [Youtube] is not programmed.”
His remarks make me think of Mark Cuban’s distinction between the internet and TV. “TV is about getting away from hassles and relaxing. Its about choosing to be entertained, educated or informed. Its not about working to do any of these,” Cuban said a few years back.
Watching television is a lean-back exercise. You sit on your couch, eat popcorn and zone out in front of the tube.
The internet, especially video on the internet, is the opposite. It’s about searching, grousing, clicking around. It’s 51 seconds of a dog on skateboard.
Watching video on the internet is a hunched-over-the-keyboard lean-forward exercise.
So what is Current TV? It is both. And that’s a challenge. It’s asking viewers to both lean forward and lean back, both filtering online and then watching on TV.
So will it work? I don’t know. It has been picked up the U.K. and Italy, so it has had some success.
It is the best model? I don’t think so.
What do you think?
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This is a great idea! I’ve always been a fan of Current TV, and I especially got hooked on it during the U.S. election.
The online video era and social media in general is where the Internet is going these days. If the CBC can leverage on that trend, it will be a very successful venture.
Bad timing — Current TV cut 20% of its staff today.
I think you’re a bit behind the curve. Current TV is in financial trouble. Didn’t anyone check?
Fascinating topic… tell us, Tod, why you think it isn’t a good idea. For me, it’s easy… I watch TV to zone out, I do research on the web and after I try it a couple of times, I doubt if I’ll change. For you???
@Kathleen: I’m not writing the posts here any more. It’s being done internally. Personally, I think it’s a cool idea.
[...] is exciting news for Canada - a Canadian version of Current TV is launching. Current TV is a site launched by Al Gore (yes, that Al Gore) where visitors create and rank and [...]
My mistake… now that this is an official organ of the CBC, not written by Tod, I do not wish to subscribe.
Hi Kathleeen,
The blog is no more an official organ of the CBC than it was previously under Tod. It’s just a different monkey.
I hope to uphold the same quality, independence and ability to question that Tod did.
regards, Paul Mcgrath.
This is funny, considering that Al Gore bought Newsworld International (which broadcast CBC in the US) and turned it into CurrentTV
Best of luck to you, Paul.
thanks Dwight, p.
Sounds interesting but never heard of current.tv and I do spend a lot of time on the interent.
I would have preferred that the CBC spend the time and money to get a live feed of Newsworld on the website first.
BBC News was first streamed online, and now every channel is avaible, BBC1,2,3,4, News, plus other BBC channels. But News was there first since its what people want.
Anyone remember “The One” the show from ABC that was going to save English Television and bump The National out of its time slot? ABC cancelled it two or three shows in and the Canadian version is still “under development’.
The same MENSA candidates behind “The One” jumped onto the Current TV band wagon as they cuts a huge amount of staff.
Once again English TV management back a winner.
Here’s a few idea’s.
Stream Newsworld on the net, offer Newsworld in HD and adopt 16×9 format for all programs and make then available just like the French Network does to their SD signal.
Start to realize the great asset the employees truely are as opposed to just supplying lip service.
Fund programs properly and stop burning out the staff with unrealistic and excessive workloads that grow every year.