Beth Comstock of NBC talks about who controls television

Filed in archive Business Trends , Internet TV , Video on Demand on October 12, 2006

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Beth Comstock is NBC Universal's President of digital media and market development. I was reading today that she also understands something that most of us know but is not often acknowledged in the ranks of big media. Namely: the viewer is in control of television.

Think about the trend. We first got the DVR about 6 years ago and that let us record linear television and play it back when we wanted to see it. Then we got VOD in earnest from cable about 3 years ago and that freed us up from even needing the video content to be aired on television and recorded. Then we got UGM (user generated media) and video sharing (a-la YouTube) in the last year. Each milestone gives the viewer more control.

Ms. Comstock made these remarks during a speech in France last week and I think they confirm what I am saying:

"Content is still king, but the monarchy has been overthrown. YouTube, MySpace, iTunes -- it's the invasion of the pronouns in a world all about me.

"Consumers are in more control than ever. ... Increasingly, consumers might be called small media -- just about anyone can now create and deliver content.

She said NBC Universal needed to "create the best, most innovative content, get used to sharing control, tap the power of the community, develop a keen understanding of constantly changing consumer behavior and, finally get used to the idea that the media marketplace from now on is going to be full of contradictions and tensions."

And I say Amen to that!