TV is such an integral part of daily life that many cannot see how it could ever become irrelevant.
A Chariot driver if asked about the future of transportation might have replied: “They will have 10 extra horses pulling the cart and it will go twice as fast!”
Hundreds of years before the invention of the combustion engine, the Chariot driver cannot begin to comprehend what a combustion engine is, or how it would be possible to fit hundreds of horses into the size equivalent of 1/5 of a horse.
The reason TV will soon be irrelevant is that every technology ever invented, and every technology yet to be invented, will one day become obsolete, and what will make TV irrelevant has been around for over ten years: Internet Video streaming.
Here are some of the economic advantages the Internet has, that in a few years will leave large cable and TV conglomerates scrapping their infrastructure for cash:
1 – Distribution cost, the Internet has cheap as free distribution costs. Anyone in the world can potentially connect to content, without content creators spending a penny in building a worldwide TV relay network.
2 – Better advertiser feedback: How reliable can an audimeter device be, when compared to real-time interactive feedback of 100% of Internet’s audience?
Or, as you might be aware of from reading this news source, it’s also possible to be completely ad free and publish content without the fear stepping on the toes of advertisers, and going for donation support has never been easier than with today’s online payment tools and crowdfunding platforms.
3 – Obsolete Medium: Wearable devices such as Google Glass and augmented reality contact lenses will make TV as a medium cease to exist, even if TV can still be used to connect to the Internet and play games, doing so will one day be considered as cumbersome as trying to write a novel on a typewriter.
4 – The nail in the coffin of TV Giants: Competition
TV Media Giants have grown accustomed to having little competition and this has enabled them to get away with overspending, dubious content and outright lies.
Every single person in the world is now a potential Video Broadcaster. That means not only competition for TV, but also that it will be increasingly difficult to get away with fabricated news, when facts are recorded on the spot by anyone with a smartphone.
In closing, the Internet might not be perfect, but it’s the most democratic tool ever invented and one of the few truly free communication outlets still available. Freedom of expression means it’s possible to find racism, xenophobia and all sorts of criminal activity out there, but what makes the Internet great is freedom of choice.
Freedom to choose quality content while Networks continue to lower the bar to remain relevant, is what will ultimately kill the TV.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
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