“The View From the Phlipside” is a media commentary program airing on WRFA-LP, Jamestown NY. It can be heard Monday through Friday just after 8 AM and 5 PM. The following are scripts which may not exactly match the aired version of the program. Mostly because the host may suddenly choose to add or subtract words at a moments notice. WRFA-LP is not responsible for any such silliness or the opinions expressed. You can listen to a live stream of WRFA or find a podcast of this program at wrfalp.com. Copyright 2013-15 by Jay Phillippi. All Rights Reserved. You like what you see? Drop me a line and we can talk.
Program scripts from week of October 26, 2015
My name is Jay Phillippi and I’ve spent my life in and around the media. TV, radio, the movies and more. I love them, and I hate them and I always have an opinion. Call this the View from the Phlipside.
More NFL is My Mistake
Sometimes
it’s just so easy to get stuck in a rut. To think about things the
same way you’ve always thought of them. I criticize the old line
media all the time for doing just that. So it is only fair to
confess when I’m the one stuck in the old thinking and watching the
old media actually doing something new.
it’s just so easy to get stuck in a rut. To think about things the
same way you’ve always thought of them. I criticize the old line
media all the time for doing just that. So it is only fair to
confess when I’m the one stuck in the old thinking and watching the
old media actually doing something new.
It
was just a couple weeks ago that I was talking about what a cash cow
sports are for the television networks. Their real advantage of
spots is that they have no shelf life whatsoever. If you’re a sports
fan you want to see it now, as it’s happening. It’s not the kind of
television program that would routinely get time shifted. You only
do that when you absolutely have to because no one wants to run
around with their fingers in their ears yelling, “No, no, no, no,
no!” trying avoid people who are talking about the event and who
will spoil it for you. It’s just too much work.
was just a couple weeks ago that I was talking about what a cash cow
sports are for the television networks. Their real advantage of
spots is that they have no shelf life whatsoever. If you’re a sports
fan you want to see it now, as it’s happening. It’s not the kind of
television program that would routinely get time shifted. You only
do that when you absolutely have to because no one wants to run
around with their fingers in their ears yelling, “No, no, no, no,
no!” trying avoid people who are talking about the event and who
will spoil it for you. It’s just too much work.
So
I was surprised when I saw that CBS was going to live stream six
games this year. Two regular season games, and all four of its AFC
playoff games. They had previously said they would be streaming the
Super Bowl as well. It just seemed crazy to me. Why give away the
goose that lays the golden egg? Handing over your last great
audience builder just seemed crazy to me. If you really want to
speed up your demise as a dinosaur media, this seems like a really
good way to go about it.
I was surprised when I saw that CBS was going to live stream six
games this year. Two regular season games, and all four of its AFC
playoff games. They had previously said they would be streaming the
Super Bowl as well. It just seemed crazy to me. Why give away the
goose that lays the golden egg? Handing over your last great
audience builder just seemed crazy to me. If you really want to
speed up your demise as a dinosaur media, this seems like a really
good way to go about it.
Well
it turns out I’m the one stuck in the past, and the networks, along
with the NFL, are actually looking to the future. The games being
streamed, like this past week’s awful Bills Jags game from London
that Yahoo invested twenty million dollar in, aren’t available on TV.
You can only see them online. So this is a chance to expand the
number of viewers out there. Places where they can’t get the network
broadcast are suddenly in play for the first time ever. More eyes
are always a good thing for the network. Based on the results of the
Yahoo game it may be a good bet too. Yahoo reports that they had
over fifteen million viewers world wide for a game between two very
mediocre teams. After I thought about it for a moment I realized
that I’ve seen this before. As a fan of the English Premier League
(that’s soccer), I know that NBCSN, the sports brand for the peacock
network shows a couple games on TV but airs a handful more each
weekend through their web presence. Again, more games for more eyes
which converts to more dollars from the advertisers.
it turns out I’m the one stuck in the past, and the networks, along
with the NFL, are actually looking to the future. The games being
streamed, like this past week’s awful Bills Jags game from London
that Yahoo invested twenty million dollar in, aren’t available on TV.
You can only see them online. So this is a chance to expand the
number of viewers out there. Places where they can’t get the network
broadcast are suddenly in play for the first time ever. More eyes
are always a good thing for the network. Based on the results of the
Yahoo game it may be a good bet too. Yahoo reports that they had
over fifteen million viewers world wide for a game between two very
mediocre teams. After I thought about it for a moment I realized
that I’ve seen this before. As a fan of the English Premier League
(that’s soccer), I know that NBCSN, the sports brand for the peacock
network shows a couple games on TV but airs a handful more each
weekend through their web presence. Again, more games for more eyes
which converts to more dollars from the advertisers.
No
one is quite sure how this whole sports streaming concept is going to
work out. But kudos to the league and the networks plus folks like
Yahoo and Verizon who are looking for new ways to use technology to
connect consumers with the content they want most.
one is quite sure how this whole sports streaming concept is going to
work out. But kudos to the league and the networks plus folks like
Yahoo and Verizon who are looking for new ways to use technology to
connect consumers with the content they want most.
Who
knows, it might start a whole trend of forward thinking from the old
line media.
knows, it might start a whole trend of forward thinking from the old
line media.
Clickbait
Over
the last couple years when I have talked about changes and
innovations in the media world it wasn’t always good news for
institutions that I have enjoyed over the years. This story, while
not good news for everyone, is one that I think will be met with
general approval. I may be jumping the gun just a little bit but how
would you feel if I told you that the age of the infomercial was
coming to an end?
the last couple years when I have talked about changes and
innovations in the media world it wasn’t always good news for
institutions that I have enjoyed over the years. This story, while
not good news for everyone, is one that I think will be met with
general approval. I may be jumping the gun just a little bit but how
would you feel if I told you that the age of the infomercial was
coming to an end?
Infomercials,
also known as long form commercials, direct response advertising or
simply “paid programming” have been around for awhile. The very
first one may have aired as early as 1974 in San Diego. They really
take off following the 1984 Reagan administration’s elimination of
hourly time limits on commercials for television. Suddenly, TV
stations saw that they could make money on otherwise dead advertising
times, like over night, and weekends. Plus it was easy, a single
program filled an entire half hour or hour. It was set and forget
kinds of television. And it was locally controlled advertising.
That meant all the money from that time slot went right into the
local station’s pocket. There are few things in this world that
makes local media happier than money they don’t have to share.
also known as long form commercials, direct response advertising or
simply “paid programming” have been around for awhile. The very
first one may have aired as early as 1974 in San Diego. They really
take off following the 1984 Reagan administration’s elimination of
hourly time limits on commercials for television. Suddenly, TV
stations saw that they could make money on otherwise dead advertising
times, like over night, and weekends. Plus it was easy, a single
program filled an entire half hour or hour. It was set and forget
kinds of television. And it was locally controlled advertising.
That meant all the money from that time slot went right into the
local station’s pocket. There are few things in this world that
makes local media happier than money they don’t have to share.
The
problem, at least from the viewers point of view, was that this paid
programming replaced syndicated programming during those hours.
Re-runs cost money, infomercials made money, so it was a simple
equation for the station.
problem, at least from the viewers point of view, was that this paid
programming replaced syndicated programming during those hours.
Re-runs cost money, infomercials made money, so it was a simple
equation for the station.
But,
as is so often the case, the times they are a changin’. Today there
are many more outlets for viewers to watch what they WANT to watch.
The infomercials are actually giving viewers another reason to stop
watching the local TV. That sounds like money leaving the pocket to
the local stations. KRON-TV in San Francisco has decided to take a
step back. They are abandoning daytime infomercials for a return to
syndicated programming. Think about it, since audiences are less
inclined to sit through a thirty second spot or a three minute
commercial break, why would they put up with thirty to sixty minutes
of it?
as is so often the case, the times they are a changin’. Today there
are many more outlets for viewers to watch what they WANT to watch.
The infomercials are actually giving viewers another reason to stop
watching the local TV. That sounds like money leaving the pocket to
the local stations. KRON-TV in San Francisco has decided to take a
step back. They are abandoning daytime infomercials for a return to
syndicated programming. Think about it, since audiences are less
inclined to sit through a thirty second spot or a three minute
commercial break, why would they put up with thirty to sixty minutes
of it?
While
I started this by talking about the end of infomercials, that’s
probably overstating the case. There are still plenty of people who
believe in long form advertising and no doubt can show the sales
figures that prove it. Even if they are less high profile on
broadcast TV there’s no reason to think they won’t find their way on
station’s websites. No local broadcaster ever simply walked away
from easy money. Not ever. Not once.
I started this by talking about the end of infomercials, that’s
probably overstating the case. There are still plenty of people who
believe in long form advertising and no doubt can show the sales
figures that prove it. Even if they are less high profile on
broadcast TV there’s no reason to think they won’t find their way on
station’s websites. No local broadcaster ever simply walked away
from easy money. Not ever. Not once.
But
it’s an interesting world where I can celebrate the return of the
four thousandth airing of “Walker, Texas Ranger”.
it’s an interesting world where I can celebrate the return of the
four thousandth airing of “Walker, Texas Ranger”.
Facebook Making My Life Better
I’m
not sure I’ve ever done a commentary quite like this one. But while
I was going through my usual routine on social media a thought struck
me.
not sure I’ve ever done a commentary quite like this one. But while
I was going through my usual routine on social media a thought struck
me.
For
all the noise we make about Facebook and Twitter and the like being
enormous time sucks in our lives, there may be some subtle, positive
lessons to be learned about life as well.
all the noise we make about Facebook and Twitter and the like being
enormous time sucks in our lives, there may be some subtle, positive
lessons to be learned about life as well.
Call
it “Better Living Through Facebook”, with apologies to the folks
at DuPont.
it “Better Living Through Facebook”, with apologies to the folks
at DuPont.
This
all began as I was skimming through some of my old posts. There are
a couple ways of doing this these days. Facebook introduced
“Facebook Memories” earlier this year. As with so many things
from the land of Zuckerberg, it tends to be awkward and clunky. No,
the real king of this is an app called “Timehop”. You get a
daily review of some of the things you’ve posted over the last eight
years or so. Photos, rants, cat videos, whatever.
all began as I was skimming through some of my old posts. There are
a couple ways of doing this these days. Facebook introduced
“Facebook Memories” earlier this year. As with so many things
from the land of Zuckerberg, it tends to be awkward and clunky. No,
the real king of this is an app called “Timehop”. You get a
daily review of some of the things you’ve posted over the last eight
years or so. Photos, rants, cat videos, whatever.
It
can be fascinating reading, even if it’s only in the
“oh-my-god-what-a-train-wreck-I-can’t-take-my-eyes-off-it”
category. But along the way I began to realize that there was a
lesson to be learned there. Sorry, but after fifteen years of
working with young people my brain tends to move toward the
“teachable moment” concept.
can be fascinating reading, even if it’s only in the
“oh-my-god-what-a-train-wreck-I-can’t-take-my-eyes-off-it”
category. But along the way I began to realize that there was a
lesson to be learned there. Sorry, but after fifteen years of
working with young people my brain tends to move toward the
“teachable moment” concept.
I
was amazed at the number of posts where I am railing about someone or
something that is screwing up my life. People who have chose to talk
behind my back rather than talk to me face to face. The moments of
anguish, of pain or of loss. The occasional moments of near despair.
Plus a fair number of moments of triumph.
was amazed at the number of posts where I am railing about someone or
something that is screwing up my life. People who have chose to talk
behind my back rather than talk to me face to face. The moments of
anguish, of pain or of loss. The occasional moments of near despair.
Plus a fair number of moments of triumph.
Moments
that mean absolutely nothing to me today. Just last week I had a
post that read “On our way to Heaven”. The original post was
from eight years ago. I have no idea what I was talking about. The
days since then have given no glimmer of where I was headed that day.
They recorded only routine events and places.
that mean absolutely nothing to me today. Just last week I had a
post that read “On our way to Heaven”. The original post was
from eight years ago. I have no idea what I was talking about. The
days since then have given no glimmer of where I was headed that day.
They recorded only routine events and places.
Don’t
get me wrong. The vast majority of my posts I remember perfectly
well. There is a significant small percentage that carry an enormous
emotional charge that I have no memory of at all. Some of them as
recently as two years ago.
get me wrong. The vast majority of my posts I remember perfectly
well. There is a significant small percentage that carry an enormous
emotional charge that I have no memory of at all. Some of them as
recently as two years ago.
Here’s
the lesson – that there is a significant part of our lives that we
are just wasting on things that aren’t really important. Things that
even though we record them, will elude our memory in very short
order. Things that we should probably just drop immediately and move
on from them.
the lesson – that there is a significant part of our lives that we
are just wasting on things that aren’t really important. Things that
even though we record them, will elude our memory in very short
order. Things that we should probably just drop immediately and move
on from them.
Facebook
taught me that. That’s really kind of amazing. Facebook is helping
to make my life a better place.
taught me that. That’s really kind of amazing. Facebook is helping
to make my life a better place.
Now
if I could just get them to stop changing my news feed from “Most
Recent” to “Top Stories”.
if I could just get them to stop changing my news feed from “Most
Recent” to “Top Stories”.
Call that the View From the Phlipside
Stories Are My Life 
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