The Shape of Things to Come

And so I’m back! I’m back from Las Vegas where the National Association of Broadcasts recently concluded NAB 2006, its annual trade show and conference for electronic media professionals. As a former broadcaster, this annual extravaganza still holds some personal appeal, but I found myself attending this year with more of a professional agenda.

First, I attended a two-day seminar on podcasting. What a waste of time! Not podcasting–the seminar. “Content is king,” we were told. No kidding? That’s key to any effective medium. None of the so-called experts could describe with certainty the expected impact of podcasting. And issues related to licensing and copyrights are still murky. How much did I pay to attend this? Regardless, stay tuned for the first podcast from University News in the months ahead.

The highlight of my time at NAB was a panel discussion on the future of news. Moderated by NBC’s John Seigenthaler, the panel included heavy-weight journalists like Associated Press president and CEO (and RIT alumnus) Tom Curley and former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather. I could talk about this forever, but the key topic that relates to our conversations here at The Tiger Beat revolved around blogging. It can be, at its best, a “useful addition” to the flow of news and information, Rather told a packed conference room.

“It’s a brave new world,” stated Harvey Nagler, vice president of CBS Radio. He said new media, like blogs, is all about trying to engage the audience. “We trying,” he admitted, “throwing a lot of things at the wall to see what sticks.”

But it was Rather who proved most articulate about the value of new media. “It’s all about innovation,” he said. “Those who innovate the quickest and the best will lead the brave new world.”

We here ya, Dan!

 

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