“The View From the Phlipside” is a media commentary program airing on WRFA-LP, Jamestown NY. It can be heard Monday through Friday around 7:30 AM. 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 moment’s 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 2013-17 by Jay Phillippi. All Rights Reserved. You like what you see and hear? Drop me a line and we can talk.
Programs from week of December 31, 2017
This Week’s Podcast
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.
Personal Collections
Recently
I have had several online friends ask about movies that I had watched
and raved about. I told them that I got them through my Netflix
account. When they looked, they said they couldn’t find them. To
which I had to sadly answer, “Ah, the streaming service doesn’t
carry it, only on DVD”.
I have had several online friends ask about movies that I had watched
and raved about. I told them that I got them through my Netflix
account. When they looked, they said they couldn’t find them. To
which I had to sadly answer, “Ah, the streaming service doesn’t
carry it, only on DVD”.
People
seem to be surprised to discover that I still get my movies on DVD.
The truth of the matter is that I don’t do a lot of streaming of
anything. I’m a bit old school in that I have a thing for the
personal collection.
seem to be surprised to discover that I still get my movies on DVD.
The truth of the matter is that I don’t do a lot of streaming of
anything. I’m a bit old school in that I have a thing for the
personal collection.
Personal
collections of music, books or movies have declined in the last
decade. With access to most kinds of media becoming simpler through
the internet, folks seem to be content with no longer keeping their
own versions of their favorite stuff. It’s always available
online, so why keep all that “stuff”?
collections of music, books or movies have declined in the last
decade. With access to most kinds of media becoming simpler through
the internet, folks seem to be content with no longer keeping their
own versions of their favorite stuff. It’s always available
online, so why keep all that “stuff”?
The
real question is – is it really always available? Over the years,
more questions have arisen about that. First, there’s the issue
around services being eliminated or just plain going out of business.
If you stored your Amazon music files on the cloud music locker
service with the online giant then you know they just announced that
the service is ending, effective immediately. You need to find
another place to keep your music. Or at least have back up copies
somewhere.
real question is – is it really always available? Over the years,
more questions have arisen about that. First, there’s the issue
around services being eliminated or just plain going out of business.
If you stored your Amazon music files on the cloud music locker
service with the online giant then you know they just announced that
the service is ending, effective immediately. You need to find
another place to keep your music. Or at least have back up copies
somewhere.
Then
there’s the question of what you actually own. When you “buy”
an MP3 music file, you probably think you own it just the way you
would have owned a CD back in the day. That’s not true,
unfortunately. Amazon makes clear in their terms of service that
they reserve the right to eliminate your right to access what you buy
from them. In 2009, there was a dispute over Amazon’s e-book
version of George Orwell’s book “1984”. Amazon simply
eliminated that book from the library of everyone who had purchased
it from them. They refunded the cost, but imagine someone saying
they had the right to walk into your house and simply remove an item
they had sold you?
there’s the question of what you actually own. When you “buy”
an MP3 music file, you probably think you own it just the way you
would have owned a CD back in the day. That’s not true,
unfortunately. Amazon makes clear in their terms of service that
they reserve the right to eliminate your right to access what you buy
from them. In 2009, there was a dispute over Amazon’s e-book
version of George Orwell’s book “1984”. Amazon simply
eliminated that book from the library of everyone who had purchased
it from them. They refunded the cost, but imagine someone saying
they had the right to walk into your house and simply remove an item
they had sold you?
The
online media world is one for which I continue to have high hopes. I
firmly believe that this is a Golden Age for creators. But it is
also still a world where the business model is very much in flux.
Next week I’ll talk about the issue from the creators point of
view.
online media world is one for which I continue to have high hopes. I
firmly believe that this is a Golden Age for creators. But it is
also still a world where the business model is very much in flux.
Next week I’ll talk about the issue from the creators point of
view.
But
for the moment, I’m going to hang on to my personal collection.
for the moment, I’m going to hang on to my personal collection.
Milkshake Duck
I
begin this year thinking about what makes for great television. If
we set aside the argument of whether any specific show is or was
“great TV”, then we can try and figure out what may be needed to
fit the bill.
begin this year thinking about what makes for great television. If
we set aside the argument of whether any specific show is or was
“great TV”, then we can try and figure out what may be needed to
fit the bill.
What
brings this t mind for me is watching the original version of “Twin
Peaks”. In 1990, ABC took a risk. They gave film director David
Lynch an hour of prime time TV to create a murder mystery like
nothing that had ever come before. It was one of the highest rated
programs of the season, but the network shuffled Lynch to the side
for season two, the show lost any idea of what it was and the ratings
plunged. It was cancelled in that second year. But people still
talk about it as one of the greatest television shows of all time.
If you’re talking season one, I’m with you. Season two is a
train wreck.
brings this t mind for me is watching the original version of “Twin
Peaks”. In 1990, ABC took a risk. They gave film director David
Lynch an hour of prime time TV to create a murder mystery like
nothing that had ever come before. It was one of the highest rated
programs of the season, but the network shuffled Lynch to the side
for season two, the show lost any idea of what it was and the ratings
plunged. It was cancelled in that second year. But people still
talk about it as one of the greatest television shows of all time.
If you’re talking season one, I’m with you. Season two is a
train wreck.
So
if that’s “great TV”, what goes into making it?
if that’s “great TV”, what goes into making it?
I
will drop sports broadcasts and news programs from the discussion
right off the bat. While either may offer moments of great
television, they’re not what I have in mind.
will drop sports broadcasts and news programs from the discussion
right off the bat. While either may offer moments of great
television, they’re not what I have in mind.
For
me, great television needs to take us somewhere we’ve never gone
before. While the genre of murder mystery cop show was familiar,
“Twin Peaks” gave a new way of seeing it. The same way that “All
In the Family” gave us a whole new way of looking at the domestic
situation comedy. Archie Bunker took us someplace we’d never been
before. “M*A*S*H” ran for eleven seasons, but if it had stayed
the program it was for the first several years, I’m not sure it
would make the list as great TV. Those first three or four seasons,
it was pretty stock sit com. The last seven seasons or so, the show
took us to a variety of places that television had never gone before.
me, great television needs to take us somewhere we’ve never gone
before. While the genre of murder mystery cop show was familiar,
“Twin Peaks” gave a new way of seeing it. The same way that “All
In the Family” gave us a whole new way of looking at the domestic
situation comedy. Archie Bunker took us someplace we’d never been
before. “M*A*S*H” ran for eleven seasons, but if it had stayed
the program it was for the first several years, I’m not sure it
would make the list as great TV. Those first three or four seasons,
it was pretty stock sit com. The last seven seasons or so, the show
took us to a variety of places that television had never gone before.
As
I look at the list of longest running shows, led by “Dr. Who”
with more than eight hundred episodes, I’m struck by the fact that
is a lot of middle of the road shows here. Including personal
favorites like NCIS, ER, and CSI. The vast majority of them are
variations on familiar themes.
I look at the list of longest running shows, led by “Dr. Who”
with more than eight hundred episodes, I’m struck by the fact that
is a lot of middle of the road shows here. Including personal
favorites like NCIS, ER, and CSI. The vast majority of them are
variations on familiar themes.
But
a few, like “Dr. Who” and “The Simpsons”, stand out from the
pack. That’s not to say that great TV and popularity can’t exist
together, it’s just very hard.
a few, like “Dr. Who” and “The Simpsons”, stand out from the
pack. That’s not to say that great TV and popularity can’t exist
together, it’s just very hard.
Just
the way it was very hard to maintain the kind of surreal edginess
that made “Twin Peaks” such a hit for that brief shining moment.
the way it was very hard to maintain the kind of surreal edginess
that made “Twin Peaks” such a hit for that brief shining moment.
Here’s
to hoping that 2018 brings some great television our way.
to hoping that 2018 brings some great television our way.
What Comes Next?
Cord
cutting. Over The Top. Post Cable Networks. These are some of the
terms that television viewers will need to learn as the world
continues to move towards some new delivery service for television.
cutting. Over The Top. Post Cable Networks. These are some of the
terms that television viewers will need to learn as the world
continues to move towards some new delivery service for television.
You
may be temtped to say that “television” is a dying medium.
Certainly if you look at some of the stories that are out there right
now, it’s not an unreasonable assessement. So many stories of
ratings declining, and people moving away from broadcast and cable
and satellite. But before we write the obituary just yet, we need to
note a few other things. Like the fact that a lot of experts still
believe in the power of television as a medium. Part of the problem
comes from trying to decide what we’re talking about when we use
the term “television”. Traditional forms of TV, over the air and
cable and satellite continue to decline. Even having said that, it
continues to be the single largest source for video consumption
according to the folks at Neilsen Media. And total hours of video
watching are continuing to grow. So where does that leave us?
may be temtped to say that “television” is a dying medium.
Certainly if you look at some of the stories that are out there right
now, it’s not an unreasonable assessement. So many stories of
ratings declining, and people moving away from broadcast and cable
and satellite. But before we write the obituary just yet, we need to
note a few other things. Like the fact that a lot of experts still
believe in the power of television as a medium. Part of the problem
comes from trying to decide what we’re talking about when we use
the term “television”. Traditional forms of TV, over the air and
cable and satellite continue to decline. Even having said that, it
continues to be the single largest source for video consumption
according to the folks at Neilsen Media. And total hours of video
watching are continuing to grow. So where does that leave us?
It’s
pretty clear that if we view “television” in the larger sense of
video content, rather than the platform through which we access that
content, then television is pretty healthy.
pretty clear that if we view “television” in the larger sense of
video content, rather than the platform through which we access that
content, then television is pretty healthy.
On
the consumers side, the question is largely “what’s the best way
to access all this stuff”, while on the producer’s side it’s a
question of creating a new business model.
the consumers side, the question is largely “what’s the best way
to access all this stuff”, while on the producer’s side it’s a
question of creating a new business model.
That’s
where a lot of those other phrases come into play. “Over the Top”
or OTT, refers to devices like Roku, or Fire TV, smart TVs, or even
your smartphone, that give you access, via the internet to a wide
variety of streaming video contents. With those you can access the
content being created by independent producers as well as everyone
from HBO to Netflix.
where a lot of those other phrases come into play. “Over the Top”
or OTT, refers to devices like Roku, or Fire TV, smart TVs, or even
your smartphone, that give you access, via the internet to a wide
variety of streaming video contents. With those you can access the
content being created by independent producers as well as everyone
from HBO to Netflix.
The
other phrase that is growing in all of this technological paradigm
shift is the “post-cable network”. Just the way networks drew
together producers in the old model, these networks are designed to
draw together content for your viewing pleasure. The big change here
is in the business model. The post-cable networks offer their
programs to the OTTs for free. Then split advertising revenues with
their partners. This means free content, which the consumer likes,
and offers the OTT more channels to attract more viewers.
other phrase that is growing in all of this technological paradigm
shift is the “post-cable network”. Just the way networks drew
together producers in the old model, these networks are designed to
draw together content for your viewing pleasure. The big change here
is in the business model. The post-cable networks offer their
programs to the OTTs for free. Then split advertising revenues with
their partners. This means free content, which the consumer likes,
and offers the OTT more channels to attract more viewers.
The
short-term effect is increased confusion in the market, as we all
sift through the options, trying to find the various programs that
are most important to us. Inevitably, there will be a shake out and
a simpler future.
short-term effect is increased confusion in the market, as we all
sift through the options, trying to find the various programs that
are most important to us. Inevitably, there will be a shake out and
a simpler future.
But
it’s a future that will still include television.
it’s a future that will still include television.
Call that the View From the Phlipside
Copyright Jay Phillippi, 2017
Theme music for “The View From the Phlipside” and “TVFTP – Podcast” is “Hustle”
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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