RE: fall of the dotcoms?

[Kim Thesiger]

Do you remember the trouble Martin Lewis got into when he started talking

about wanting 'good news' items on BBC News programmes? The BBC has never

taken him seriously again and has him presenting game shows.


Whether or not it's ever possible to present 'good news' stories in a way

that retains the interest of today's tabloid TV audience is questionable

(the only one's I can think of are 'human interest' stories where a child

with a horrible affliction finally wins through).


Certainly broadcasters are generally only interested in stories about wrong

doing, failure, etc. etc. and these kind of stories ARE generally more

interesting to watch. Would you rather watch 'Blood on the Tracks' about

infighting at Radio 1 or a programme about how everyone loved each other at

Radio 1 and it went from strength to strength?


So... I agree with everybody who is pissed off at this industry being

portrayed negatively. It is very damaging.


However, don't shoot Kevin who is probably just a junior researcher given

the task of finding failing dotcoms by his boss. Don't even shoot his boss.

The only programme idea that any broadcaster is currently going to buy about

the Internet is exactly the one that Kevin's company managed to sell and

they are just trying to make a buck like the rest of us.


At the end of the day, the only realistic response to this situation is to

refuse to take part in the programme, wait for the dotcom backlash in the

Media to die down and let success speak for itself (but only on Blomberg TV,

CNBC and the Money Programme).


Kim.


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>

From: "uk-netmarketing digest" <uk-netmarketinglists [dot] chinwag [dot] com>

>

Reply-To: "uk-netmarketing" <uk-netmarketinglists [dot] chinwag [dot] com>

> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 00:00:10 -0000

>

To: "uk-netmarketing digest recipients" <uk-netmarketinglists [dot] chinwag [dot] com>

> Subject: uk-netmarketing digest: January 30, 2001

> 

> Subject: Re: fall of the dotcoms?

>

From: Ashley Pomeroy <arptermisoc [dot] org>

> Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 16:34:48 +0000 (GMT)

> X-Message-Number: 27

> 

>>>>> the .com crash is all sound and thunder signifying nothing<<<<

> 

> But that's what the public, the television audience, the people who sell

> advertising, want - sound and thunder, not rain. As marketing people,

> sound and thunder is our job. It's what we do. We should be applauding

> this television person, not deriding him. I would much rather watch a

> television programme about failing dot-coms than a balanced portrait of

> modern business. The former wins awards, sells advertising, and gets shown

> at 08:30 on Channel 4 with narration by Bob Cringely, whereas the latter

> becomes part of the Money Programme on BBC2. Why? Because it's more

> interesting to watch people blundering about, making mistakes, than it is

> watching organisations calmly go about their business.

> 

> -

> "In the land of the blonde, the blondest man is king"

>

Ashley Pomeroy - arpslab [dot] org - http://www.ashleypomeroy.com/