When dealing with the Marketplace in terms of "broadcast television" one can say that we are limited in access. We do not yet live in a world where we can pick and choose which channels we view on our tv's. Instead a room full of people decide what we watch, for long we will watch it and if we will get it at all for what we pay. This is not an ideal marketplace. This is why the internet is so popular. It has a vast amount of information almost all of it completely unregulated. People feel free to express themselves on the net through channels such as this (blogging). Think about this, how long does it take you to browse through all the channels on your tv? I tried and could see what was on all of them in a little under 5 minutes. Now try and see what "channels" are on the Internet... good luck, see you in a year or two, that is if you stop sleeping to sort through all that is on the net. The Internet is the channel out there that has this type of access. Radio...nope, satellite...please, the Internet is the only true marketplace out there. Just like the salons of the romantic era, every viewpoint is expressed free of censorship.
As to what the public needs, well that seems to be a very individual question. No two persons media needs are the same. People like to see different things, while MTV may entertain your average 14 year old prepster, it ain't getting it done for grandma. This is why the Internet works. Grandma can go and choose what she wants to see, unlike TV where she can only see what is available to her. If grandma doesn't like what she sees on the net then she can create her own net channel (if she is computer literate). The public needs to have access to it all... to suit their needs, I mean if it is truly to be a "marketplace". Yeah. Freedom in media. Let the people decide. Does Democracy not apply to broadcasting? It doesn't feel like it.
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2 comments:
Jared,
I would disagree that no two individual's needs are the same. I think this is the case actually, with great blocks of overlap. They don't precisely match, but there are areas of info 'need' that are universal, don't you think?
Possibly... but couldn't we lump everyones needs together if we get broad enough? What is the spectrum here? I'm sure you can find something in common with another... but at some point in time you are not going to see eye to eye. As far as the overlap is concerned, I agree with you, but mainly because of the infinite amount of time it would take to cater to the individual needs of the consumer. Does everyone like the top rated show on the net, or say the most popular website? Probably not, this would make an interesting case study.
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