From the Super Bowl to gamers, from church services to government meetings, from trade shows to software support, from political shows to new casts, to regular online “shows” and corporate meetings, Live Webcasting and streaming media is changing the media world. Live “shows” are popping up everywhere online. More and more national networks are streaming live shows on YouTube Live.
Trade shows are now offering “virtual tickets” online to keynotes and other sessions, surprised to find live streaming webcasts actually INCREASE on-site event attendance.
There are now live webcasts of funeral services and weddings, where travel for participants may be difficult or impossible.
Podcasting, previously known as “audioblogging”, has its roots dating back to the 1980s. With the advent of broadband internet and portable digital audio playback devices such as the iPod, podcasting began to catch hold in late 2004. On December 3, 2005, “podcast” was named the word of the year in 2005 by the New Oxford American. (Wikipedia)
Adam Carolla, who you might remember from the old “Man Show”, has generated a podcast industry giant well branded as “Podcast One”.
But the world has expanded from audio to video.
Netflix changed the movie industry with video streaming “on demand”, which was quickl followed by Hulu, HBO, Showtime, Amazon, and other less familiar names like Crackle or FandangoNow or Vudu. Live content by smaller players can be found at YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the field is growing. YouTube Live is currently dominated by gamers and foreign news broadcasts, but that picture is quickly expanding.
Once upon a time broadcasting required a million dollars in cameras, studios and processing electronics. Now video programming can be accomplished with a few cameras and a computer, simple dedicated hardware or just a smart-phone.
Wikipedia informs us that the term “Podcast” was formed by combining “iPod” and “broadcast”. The term “podcasting” as a name for the nascent technology was first suggested by The Guardian columnist and BBC journalist Ben Hammersley, who invented it in early February 2004 while “padding out” an article for The Guardian newspaper. Apple unsuccessfully pushed back at the use of the term as an encroachment on their iPod trademark. With the advent of cable in a world of a few local radio and television stations, we wondered what we would do with “hundreds” of “channels”. But with improvements in available Internet speeds, video not only became viable, that world has grown to comprise literally thousands of media channels, and shows no signs of slowing down. With the advent of 5G connectivity, we can expect this “new media” to continue to expand even more rapidly.
Public Broadcasting has taken on a new meaning as the technology we once knew as “broadcasting” has become accessible to anyone in the general public. No longer restricted to call in shows, individuals with the inclination and easily available resources can compete in the public forum on their own terms. And many have been very successful at it, including broadcast personalities pushed out of or rejected by the mainstream media. Names come to mind like Glenn Beck’s “Blaze TV” and The Young Turks, to ex- radio talk show host turned new media broadcaster, Mike Malloy,originating in his dimly lit Georgia basement, or national radio host Tom Hartmann. Not to be left behind, Fox News has their own YouTube Live channel along with CBS and the other “mainstream media” broadcasters, including NBC News and ABC. But the playing field has been leveled with the advent of software like V-Mix Wirecast, Finncast Studio and Open Broadcast Studio, and hardware like Epiphan and Sling. Not to overlook the “grandfather” of mobile production hardware, the older, and somewhat more expensive NewTek Tricaster in use by such established online broadcasters like Leo Laporte and Twit.tv.
It can now be truly be said that “We Are The Media”.
If you are inclined to climb aboard this train, Tim Trott Productions can be your resource. We can provide multi-camera live or recorded video production for an event, or provide you with consultation and resources to set up your own “studio” for church services, training programs, government public meetings, weekly real estate “broadcast” or whatever you can dream of. With many years of broadcasting and practical experience in video production and technology, we can help you become a part of the growing phenomenon that is podcasting, streaming media, live production and webcasting.
