Capital Gains and Losses
Posted by goodmind on September 30th, 2008
Maybe there’s a silver lining to this whole bailout S.N.A.F.U. Maybe, just maybe, network executives have figured out that vast web exposure is well worth the “loss” in ad revenue.
Take CBS for example. David Letterman’s reaction to McCain’s decision to suspend his campaign (among other things) is available on the CBS website (edited and with ads), while pirated versions have also been posted on YouTube (full monologue, no ads). In total, the clip has about 3.5 million views. That’s 250,000 for CBS and 3.2 million for the pirates.
According to AdAge, CBS execs are well aware of the numbers, and the existence of pirated versions;
Like all TV networks, CBS routinely demands that YouTube take down unauthorized clips of shows. So why haven’t they taken down this one? They won’t say it, but it seems likely that the network has decided that the publicity the “Late Show” is receiving from the clip is far more valuable than the few ad dollars that advertising might generate.
How long do you think it will take for print newspapers to have a similar ad model epiphany? Let’s hope it happens before the industry needs a bailout.
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