as i was watching a web-show/podcast which i recently discovered, everydaydrinkers, i had to sit back and think about the huge differences between webtv and regular television. on the internet anyone can publish content which allows everyone’s opinions to be heard. on television only a select few people can share their opinions or create content.
furthermore webtv allows new stars to be born within months and to quickly profit from their newfound fame. in television it takes years to make a star and there is little any particular person can do to hasten their ascent. in many ways the web is much more open to new stars and really gives us the real deal, as opposed to what the “big guys” want.
in television you must prove that you’ll have a fairly sizeable audience before a show comes on air or a channel is created. on the web, with hosting as cheap as it is, you don’t need an audience greater than 100 to justify spending $5/month on hosting. this has tremendous advantages, especially for niches. there is little to no chance that everydaydrinkers would have gotten a weekly show on regular television, but on the net they have a small, but devoted following that interacts and consumes their content.
as more and more people discover the power of video and communities online, the allure of catering to a specific niche increases. sure there are great shows for wide categories (wine -> winelibrarytv) but if someone came along and focused on a more specific part of that massive category. the advantages of cost and distribution of the web will spawn a new generation of niche-focused content.
