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"Postmodernism is a change-or-be-changed world. The word is out: Reinvent
yourself for the 21st century or die! Some would rather die than change."
Leonard Sweet, cultural historian.

09/02/2004 Entry: "Gore's INdTV Website launched"

Al Gore and Joel Hyatt's dream of the television news network for young people moved a step closer to reality this week with the launch of the company's Website, indtv.tv.

Want to see more than just reality television? Tired of news outlets that cover celebrity trials instead of tackling critical questions? Bored with shows that don't challenge or engage you? So are we.

The sad reality of TV is that young adult viewers are coveted, but not really asked to participate. You can be characters, but rarely creators. We want to change all that. And with your help, we will create shows that are bold, irreverent, intelligent and relevant to the passions and experiences of our audience.

The site is a recruiting mechanism for the network, but it will become much more downstream.

While I still believe a "new network" idea would flourish online and not on cable, the truth is that Video over IP and Cable Television are about to be one and the same, so it likely won't matter. What does matter is the method INdTV will be using to gather and produce the news.

INdTV is seeking up-and-coming creative talent to join the network as Digital Correspondents (DCs).
DCs will think, write, shoot, edit and potentially appear on-air. They will work in a fast-paced, competitive environment, alone and in teams, out in the field and traveling the world. They will work with some of the best programmers, producers and editors in the business. And some of the content they produce will become a part of our network programming.

We welcome candidates who already have television industry experience, but we'll train those of you who don't.

This is the Video Journalist concept developed by Michael Rosenblum and Dirck Halstead of which I've written numerous essays and blog entries. Here's a prophecy for you. Broadcasters will poo-poo this amid chuckles and guffaws about "quality." Meanwhile, viewers — especially younger people — will embrace it. Many will become independent contributors to INdTV, and the company will build a bottom-up news organization that will leave the mainstream press scratching their heads. It's OhmyNews! on steroids.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Replies: 2 comments

I agree with you that a new network idea could flourish over online versus cable. If you look at the million INdTV spent on Newsworld, they could have built a set-top box like Akimbo and sent it to almost every 18-35 year old in the U.S.A.

The big difference between INdTV and OhmyNews is that if INdTV don't supply new technology to VJs/DCs, then it's OhmyNews with notebooks and pens- which isn't OhmyNews at all.

As a member of INdTV's target audience, I would love to embrace them- so I wrote this post on Unmediated to help them more effectively recruit.

Posted by Eli Chapman @ 09/02/2004 09:29 AM CST

See my post on INdTV:

http://bigben.blogs.com/first/2004/08/indtv_web_site_.html

I recently met with a member of the founding team.

Posted by Ben Casnocha @ 09/03/2004 09:14 AM CST


"The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create."
Leonard Sweet