“The View From the Phlipside” is a media commentary program airing on WRFA-LP, Jamestown NY, 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 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 2013-18 by Jay Phillippi. All Rights Reserved. You like what you see and hear? Drop me a line and we can talk.
Programs from the week of February 17, 2019
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.
Spotify is Tired of Your Nonsense!
Today’s
topic may be the single most important one for the future of the
internet. More important than fake news, or trolls or deepfake
videos. It has to do with the commercial nature of the modern
internet. Most especially coming to an agreement on how we deal with
that commercial nature.
topic may be the single most important one for the future of the
internet. More important than fake news, or trolls or deepfake
videos. It has to do with the commercial nature of the modern
internet. Most especially coming to an agreement on how we deal with
that commercial nature.
At
its simplest level it has to do with commercials. Advertising
sponsors paying for our media is the oldest model there is.
Commercial radio and television have used it from the beginning. Even
print has sold advertising to cover the costs of the medium for more
than 100 years. Despite its familiarity, it has never been
particularly popular. I don’t have a study to back this up, but my
personal observation is that there is no place it is MORE unpopular
than the internet.
its simplest level it has to do with commercials. Advertising
sponsors paying for our media is the oldest model there is.
Commercial radio and television have used it from the beginning. Even
print has sold advertising to cover the costs of the medium for more
than 100 years. Despite its familiarity, it has never been
particularly popular. I don’t have a study to back this up, but my
personal observation is that there is no place it is MORE unpopular
than the internet.
Part
of this is history. When we first discovered the internet, everything
was free for the most part. It was more a place to play than anything
else unless you were one of the scientists for whom the web was
created. Once things began to settle down, people looked around, saw
all these potential customers wandering around digitally and had a
thought. Thoughts of how to make money. There was great resistance to
this. The process of working out how to pay for all the cool stuff on
the internet is still underway. There are billions of dollars at
stake here, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that some companies are
getting cranky.
of this is history. When we first discovered the internet, everything
was free for the most part. It was more a place to play than anything
else unless you were one of the scientists for whom the web was
created. Once things began to settle down, people looked around, saw
all these potential customers wandering around digitally and had a
thought. Thoughts of how to make money. There was great resistance to
this. The process of working out how to pay for all the cool stuff on
the internet is still underway. There are billions of dollars at
stake here, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that some companies are
getting cranky.
One
way of dealing with advertising is to use an ad-blocker. This is a
small program designed to hunt down the commercials on the website
you’re visiting and make them go away. Companies that rely on that
advertising are not fans.
way of dealing with advertising is to use an ad-blocker. This is a
small program designed to hunt down the commercials on the website
you’re visiting and make them go away. Companies that rely on that
advertising are not fans.
You
may get a polite message at times reminding you of the necessity of
that advertising and nicely asking you to unblock the site. It seems
the music streaming site Spotify has decided enough is enough. Their
updated Terms of Service now specifically ban ad-blockers of any
kind. And they are serious about the issue. Your service could be
suspended or even terminated immediately. A study last year showed
that 2% of users of the free service were using ad-blockers. Put that
way it doesn’t sound like much but that’s 2 million users. Given
that Spotify is still working on making a profit, they are not giving
up quietly.
may get a polite message at times reminding you of the necessity of
that advertising and nicely asking you to unblock the site. It seems
the music streaming site Spotify has decided enough is enough. Their
updated Terms of Service now specifically ban ad-blockers of any
kind. And they are serious about the issue. Your service could be
suspended or even terminated immediately. A study last year showed
that 2% of users of the free service were using ad-blockers. Put that
way it doesn’t sound like much but that’s 2 million users. Given
that Spotify is still working on making a profit, they are not giving
up quietly.
One
way or the other, we have to find a compromise on how to pay for the
media we use. I’m willing to put up with a few commercials along
the way.
way or the other, we have to find a compromise on how to pay for the
media we use. I’m willing to put up with a few commercials along
the way.
MoviePass Lives!
I
supposed I owe this story to the world because I predicted it
wouldn’t happen. Around the middle of last year, I predicted that
the movie subscription company MoviePass would be out of business by
the end of 2018. Well, here it is mid-February of 2019, and they are
still around. Just barely, mind you, but still around.
supposed I owe this story to the world because I predicted it
wouldn’t happen. Around the middle of last year, I predicted that
the movie subscription company MoviePass would be out of business by
the end of 2018. Well, here it is mid-February of 2019, and they are
still around. Just barely, mind you, but still around.
In
case the name slips your mind, MoviePass was the company that offered
movie goers the chance to watch a movie a day for $9.99 a month. It
was an insane offer and thousands upon thousands of people
subscribed. Why wouldn’t you? A movie ticket in the larger cities
costs close to $20. Here was the chance to see 30x that number of
movies for half the cost of one. The company grew so fast that it
couldn’t get the necessary materials out to the subscribers fast
enough. They started having blackouts when the app wouldn’t work .
They lost money hand over fist, until the wheels came off days
before the opening of “Mission Impossible – Fallout” last July.
The company that handled the MoviePass cards shut the entire system
down. From a corporate point of view it’s like hitting at brick
wall at 100 miles per hour. The company began to cut the
subscription offer, and things spun out of control. By August of
last year, the stock price was five cents a share, down from over
$32. Today, the stock has been de-listed by NASDAQ and is available
on what’s called the “over-the-counter” market for less than a
penny a share. There is a plan for MoviePass to be spun off from
that original company with a new stock offering at some point.
case the name slips your mind, MoviePass was the company that offered
movie goers the chance to watch a movie a day for $9.99 a month. It
was an insane offer and thousands upon thousands of people
subscribed. Why wouldn’t you? A movie ticket in the larger cities
costs close to $20. Here was the chance to see 30x that number of
movies for half the cost of one. The company grew so fast that it
couldn’t get the necessary materials out to the subscribers fast
enough. They started having blackouts when the app wouldn’t work .
They lost money hand over fist, until the wheels came off days
before the opening of “Mission Impossible – Fallout” last July.
The company that handled the MoviePass cards shut the entire system
down. From a corporate point of view it’s like hitting at brick
wall at 100 miles per hour. The company began to cut the
subscription offer, and things spun out of control. By August of
last year, the stock price was five cents a share, down from over
$32. Today, the stock has been de-listed by NASDAQ and is available
on what’s called the “over-the-counter” market for less than a
penny a share. There is a plan for MoviePass to be spun off from
that original company with a new stock offering at some point.
So
I felt pretty comfortable saying they would dry up and blow away.
MoviePass is a perfect example of a new company that lost track of
what they actually did. They became obsessed with the idea they were
a disruptive force in the market, that’s what all the cool
companies do these days. The problem is that if you’re only
focused on knocking things over without offering something better in
its place, you just make a mess. The movie industry is notoriously
resistant to outsiders. An outsider that arrived with such an
obviously defective business plan was going to get the full shunning
treatment. And MoviePass did.
I felt pretty comfortable saying they would dry up and blow away.
MoviePass is a perfect example of a new company that lost track of
what they actually did. They became obsessed with the idea they were
a disruptive force in the market, that’s what all the cool
companies do these days. The problem is that if you’re only
focused on knocking things over without offering something better in
its place, you just make a mess. The movie industry is notoriously
resistant to outsiders. An outsider that arrived with such an
obviously defective business plan was going to get the full shunning
treatment. And MoviePass did.
So
how have they survived? That’s a good question. They let the
storm blow over, and now they are trying to find an actual useful
business model. I congratulate them on their persistence, but I’d
still make the bet that they don’t survive to end of this year.
how have they survived? That’s a good question. They let the
storm blow over, and now they are trying to find an actual useful
business model. I congratulate them on their persistence, but I’d
still make the bet that they don’t survive to end of this year.
News From Broadway
There
was big news on the Great White Way last week. Actors Equity, the
union for actors and stage managers in the theater, ended a
month-long strike against the Broadway League. The League is the
trade organization for the companies that produce and present theater
on Broadway and across North America.
was big news on the Great White Way last week. Actors Equity, the
union for actors and stage managers in the theater, ended a
month-long strike against the Broadway League. The League is the
trade organization for the companies that produce and present theater
on Broadway and across North America.
What
interests me is that the new agreement recognizes the value of the
folks who create the onstage product. The contract replaces one
called the Lab Agreement, which covered shows as they are being
developed. Most of us think that other than minor tweaking the
Broadway shows we love are pretty much finished concepts once they
hit the rehearsal hall. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Songs in musicals move in and out of the show, scenes are re-written,
moved around or dropped completely. There is a huge amount of work
required, and the actors and stage managers are the ones who have to
prove if something works or not. There is an intense amount of work
that gets done. But the contract covering the development stage of
new shows hasn’t changed since 2007. Meaning that the pay scale
hasn’t changed in 11 years wither. When negotiations hit a
stalemate, Equity called for its first strike in 50 years.
interests me is that the new agreement recognizes the value of the
folks who create the onstage product. The contract replaces one
called the Lab Agreement, which covered shows as they are being
developed. Most of us think that other than minor tweaking the
Broadway shows we love are pretty much finished concepts once they
hit the rehearsal hall. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Songs in musicals move in and out of the show, scenes are re-written,
moved around or dropped completely. There is a huge amount of work
required, and the actors and stage managers are the ones who have to
prove if something works or not. There is an intense amount of work
that gets done. But the contract covering the development stage of
new shows hasn’t changed since 2007. Meaning that the pay scale
hasn’t changed in 11 years wither. When negotiations hit a
stalemate, Equity called for its first strike in 50 years.
As
much as my heart is always with the acting corps, I was happy to see
the contract offered some support for the stage managers. Of all the
backstage company, stage managers probably get the least recognition
for the audience. Once the curtain goes up, the stage manager is the
quarterback of the show. They have to track everything that is going
on, is about to go on, and what goes on after that. It’s an
intense and demanding job. A great stage manager is a joy, and they
deserved the love they got in the new contract.
much as my heart is always with the acting corps, I was happy to see
the contract offered some support for the stage managers. Of all the
backstage company, stage managers probably get the least recognition
for the audience. Once the curtain goes up, the stage manager is the
quarterback of the show. They have to track everything that is going
on, is about to go on, and what goes on after that. It’s an
intense and demanding job. A great stage manager is a joy, and they
deserved the love they got in the new contract.
That
contract also includes a five-year schedule for salaries, including
three increases, additional health and retirement benefits, minimums
on rehearsal time for musicals and plays, and, this is the one that
is really revolutionary in some ways, profit sharing for the company
after the initial investment is covered. Now the performers have a
vested interest in doing everything they can to make sure a new show
is as good as it can be.
contract also includes a five-year schedule for salaries, including
three increases, additional health and retirement benefits, minimums
on rehearsal time for musicals and plays, and, this is the one that
is really revolutionary in some ways, profit sharing for the company
after the initial investment is covered. Now the performers have a
vested interest in doing everything they can to make sure a new show
is as good as it can be.
I’m
a firm believer that business works best when labor and management
work as a team. When that idea is put to work to continue creating
the best theater in the world, everybody wins.
a firm believer that business works best when labor and management
work as a team. When that idea is put to work to continue creating
the best theater in the world, everybody wins.
Call that the View From the Phlipside
Copyright Jay Phillippi, 2018
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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