LA Notes: The Future Of Content Panel

Colin Nagy led a diverse team of content producers and industry commentators on a mission to discuss how business models might change to adapt with emerging media. The panel included Ezra Cooperstein of Current TV, Anil Dewan of KCRW, Rafat Ali of PaidContent.org and Kenny Ochoa of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Here are some excerpts of the superb discussion…

KENNY- It’s a crucial time right now especially the record labels. It’s very interesting that there’s been such a focus to change in the last year after years of self-denial. We’re in the middle of a very big push on how to deliver content and monetize it. Our business model is based on a full length CD rather than singles. At Sony BMG, there’s less A&R and a greater focus on how we’re going to distribute it. My division (licensing) is the biggest – there’s now more expectations on to deliver revenues plus promote content.

COLIN - How do brands do it in a sincere way. Brands could brands underwrite culture?

KENNY - It’s interesting from an artist point of view especially when you can’t get airplay on the radio or MTV.. It’s not often that an ad deal will lead to added sales.

ANIL - KCRW went online in the mid-nineties. Podcasts took off a couple of years ago. For KCRW it’s all about the content. It’s not about jumping on the latest bandwagon – social networking or blogs may or may not make sense for us. As a station known for curating our content we have to consider how we get our content out there.

COLIN: What is the most important platform or medium?

RAFAT – The future of content is whatever you want it to be. It will be everything you see comoing along like Twitter. Mobile is the most interesting thing happening today. There’s a confluence in the last 6 months that is trying to bridge the gap between telephone and online. That’s the most interesting thing we’ll see over the next 12 months – especially if Google wins a telecom license.

ANIL – The mobile provides communication plus the internet plus mobility.. We could get our content and put it everywhere, sure – but can we leverage this mobility to create a new type of content or a new type of show… Many people were disappointed with the lack of streaming and podcasting that was put ibn the iPhone.

EZRA - There are a lot of missteps taking place in the industry. For Current, we have created a consumer facing website. Up until now, it was about the viewer-creators but left out the 99% of viewers who just wanted to watch it.