While sites like YouTube are making history by catering to the mass craving to create and distribute amateur video, regular old television— a decade into the internet era— is still pretending the web is basically a form of Sunday newspaper: mostly good for advertising and reprinting schedules. Sorry but American Idol voting is the very definition of faux participation.
Denver Open Media, however, has a bold vision of the future of TV. Every aspect of its public access television station is participatory. The organization lends out equipment and offers low-cost classes on making and uploading video. Open Media members make all the station’s programs. Shows that garner the most votes from viewers are rewarded with the best broadcast time slots. Viewers can also text-in ratings and comments, which appear onscreen in realtime.
DOM is sharing this model with other public-access stations throughout the country. In a video outlining their vision of networked TV, Executive Director Tony Shawcross explains:
In developing all the tools we need on the limited resources that we have, we’ve been working with some of the leading public access stations in the country. Together we’ve invested over $100,000 in developing a tool set that will allow any public access station to adopt the pieces that they want, include them in their model, and start collaborating with us and the other stations so we can together start acting like a network instead of tiny independent isolated stations.
You can watch DOM programs live or browse the archives. Don’t forget to vote!
Money 101: Tara Graham breaks down the current economic crisis, complete with history and analysis for your addled eyes (and pocketbooks).
Brian Frank went to the McCain-Palin rally in Carson and lived to tell about it.
For gay couples, neither candidate in Thursday’s VP debate offered anything remotely resembling change. Tara Graham takes them to task.
Mark Evitt takes a hard look at the recent Village Voice firings and the state of print media in general.
Ryan Barrett takes you through her own person Spin Room on last week’s Vice-Presidential debate.
Tara Graham hits you with the week in gossip. Catch up on the brain candy.
Emily Henry takes a look at the new import HBO sketch-comedy series Little Britain USA
Missed your dose of gossip last week? Tara Graham rounds up all of the juicy tidbits. (Spoiler: Clay Aiken is gay)
Confused by the pro-corn syrup commercials you’ve been seeing lately? You’re not alone. Mark Evitt breaks it down for you.
Samantha Page previews the Hullaboo fundraising fest for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music
Chris Nelson weighs in on Obama’s candidacy, the punditry poison, and the speech from Invesco Field.
Max Zimbert interviews some political heavyweights on the Dem’s chances in Ohio and Iowa.
The P+P crew gives a Cribs-style walk-through of their sick DNC digs.
More on the epic Wyclef performance from Chris Nelson, including a sick photo gallery and descriptions of the electric vibe at the event.
Torey Van Oot gets ex-Fugee Wyclef Jean to share his thoughts on courting the Latino vote for Obama.
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