Media can survive, often thrive, in state of perpetual evolution: Rabinovitch

Technological innovation should be seen as an opportunity, not a threat, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corp. president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch. Speaking at the World Electronic Media Forum II in Tunis, Tunisia, he said the emergence of the iPod and other new technologies doesn’t mean the downfall of television. After all, newspaper and radio are still surviving. Below is an excerpt from his speaking notes. The challenge broadcasters face today is strikingly similar to the one faced by newspapers in the 1920s with the dawn of radio; by radio, in the 1950s, with the onset of television; and by newspapers, radio and television in the 1990s with the upsurge of the Internet. Today, in 2005, music videos, television shows and short films can be downloaded on iPods, a new technology that dramatically changes the distribution model of content to consumers. You can now, for a minimal charge, watch last night’s programs on your iPod the next morning. For every voice that heralds the emergence of a potent new medium, it seems another confidently proclaims the downfall of those that came before it. And yet it’s never how the story ends. Newspapers abound. Radio is flourishing. And television is alive and well. History shows us that new media do indeed incite change, but that their forerunners often emerge stronger and more nimble and creative as a result. Media survive – and in many cases thrive – in a state of perpetual evolution brought about by an edgy and forever competitive co-existence between what’s old and what’s new. Today is no different. Yes, the cycle of innovation is accelerating. Yes, the digital revolution has given rise to a multi-channel, multi-platform universe where choice is now more than ever in the hands of the consumer…But as much as the context might change, the keys to success remain: we need to see technological innovation as an opportunity, not a threat; and, we need to understand that content is everything. The consumer is key and that fact will drive content. For broadcasters, new technologies allow us to employ better production, information-sharing and work processes. The focus of our efforts, however, should be how to use technology to deliver gripping content to our audiences when, where and how they want it. Broadcasters increasingly have to embrace a willingness to take risks and be resilient, to provide audiences with quality programming they can’t find anywhere else. But, with audiences to traditional media diminishing and with margins thinner than ever, there’s very little incentive to take risks. Rather, there’s a huge incentive to play it safe. So who can afford to take programming risks? Public broadcasters can, because they have the flexibility to take programming risks that private broadcasters cannot. But therein also lies the greatest challenge. The challenge to ensure that the lives of all people are enriched. We must strive to ensure that technology does not just serve the needs of consumers, but that it also serves the more ennobling requirements of citizenship. The broadband revolution provides us with an opportunity to make our media more democratic, more diverse, participatory, and culturally inspiring. By the same token, while it is clear that new platforms can exponentially enhance and enrich people’s media experience and, in turn, their lives, we also run the risk of increasing the digital divide.

Media can survive, often thrive, in state of perpetual evolution: Rabinovitch

Broadcast | November 18, 2005

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