When I heard actor Tim Robbins was the keynote at the NAB opening session this year, I was skeptical. But he delivered a terrific, biting speech that urged broadcasters to “appeal to the better nature of our audience.” Meanwhile, NAB President David Rehr, who last year didn’t mention the internet until the end of his speech, started off by playing YouTube clips. “Is our model broken?” he asks, then staying broadcasting is still a vibrant business but NAB is moving aggressively to “move television beyond the family room.”
I live-blogged the speeches below (as always, my apologies for the usual “…” and misspellings as is typical on these sorts of things.)
David Rehr takes the stage.
“I’m kind intrigued by YouTube. It’s funny, it’s offbeat, its free. Where else could you find things like this.” Plays silly YouTube clips on the big screen.
“I think that you’ll all agree what you find on YouTube is a very different world… It raises an important question for telvision and radio… Is our model broken?”
“If you go to YouTube it says broadcast yourself. They use the word broadcast, they don’t think it’s outdated or irrelevant… some in our busiess are disoriented or overwhelmed… some are not optimistic about broadcasting’s future… broadcasters can be kind of a cynical bunch… but we can be so focused on the door that’s closing instead of the digital doors that are opening.”
Technology has only changed the devices of delivery, not entertainment. “Many in our industry have been so worn down.. they’ve forgotten the magic.”
Talking about radio, saying it’s adding listeners, not dying. “Radio’s business model is not broken, but we do have some challenges.” NAB plans to “reposition” radio in the consumer’s minds. On all kinds of devices. Niche channels. “Great possibility of HD radio… We’re going to make radio real again.” Called, “Radio Heard Here.”
Now turning to television. “Tough, tough environment… immense challenges.” TV stations and networks are “leading the digital revolution.” Analog “end of an era.” Talking about NAB’s DTV education campaign. Plays NAB’s ad. “We will leave no TV set behind.”
“This is by far the greatest step forward for TV technology since color was introduced. An America will be wowed.” Also aggressively moving to handheld devices. Estimates broadcasters can earn $2b in incremental revenue in mobile, but need standards. Working on Open Mobile Video Coalition and Fast Roap. “Committed to move television beyond the family room… we’re aggressively moving forward.” The TV broadcasting model still works and that’s before we explore the opportunities of the internet.
“We have to be smart and nimble” Like a friend said, we need to make the internet part of our DNA. (!!!)
Whitespaces (referring to Google’s effort to use white space spectrum) Tests have shown interference… if it happens, there will be interference all across America and “you won’t be able to track it.”
Broadcasters are “between the realms.” “I have no doubt we will pass through this turbulence. We must move forward without looking back. This is an opportunity to reinvent our future.” We must aggressively promote digital TV. If we believe in our future, “then we will prosper in our new digital age, and it will be phenomenal.”
End of speech. Giving “Distinguished Service Award” to Charles Osgood.
“What we can do, we can do greatly. Just as any Johnny’s come lately.” (Yes, he’s reading a poem a la Doctor Suess. He’s the narrator of that new Suess movie.)
“No advertising known to man can sell as broadcasting can.” Our future is bright, unless we sell our souls short. Lots of new toys, “it’s what we do with what we’ve got, that’s what counts… Fellow broadcasters, our fate not in our stars, but in ourselves. Thank you and I’ll see you on the radio.”
Actor, screenwriter Tim Robbins now. Jokes about how NAB doesn’t want him to read his speech. Crowd urges him on.
“The last time I had contact with the national media they told me to shut the hell up.” Now “apologizing” for coming out against the war in the early days. I’ve I’d only known what I know now. Crowd laughs. “I apologize for standing in the way of freedom.” More laughing. He just dropped the F-bomb. Even more laughing.
(Glad this isn’t on TV or all the FCC people would be running over here with bats.)
Ok, now he just said “Nazi cocksuckers.” More laughing. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” he says. The moderator says, yeah right. Just wait and “Google it.”
Talking about radio. Just cracked joke about George W. Bush’s “hooked on phonics and strategery hour.”
(Bush supporters in the room must be getting very uncomfortable.)
“What is the state of broadcasting today….” He has three “prongs” for broadcasting’s future (joking, of course): erase diversity, stay focused on sex scandals (talking about Clinton-Lewinsky and comparing it to Bush), find more racially-divisive news and play it constantly — “the more our news outlets and talk radio can distract us, the better.” It is our moral responsibility to destract. Brings up Britney. “Let’s stop burdening people with facts.”
“The internets.” There are too many people in this world that take creativity too damn seriously. “Just when we were getting close to a national playlist… satellite technology is providig music people actually want to hear.” “The internets allow its users a choice on the news its users want… and YouTube, my god we have to stop them.” After all, YouTube provided meaningful responses of candidates and millions watched. How do you fight that?
Seriously, “we are at an abyss as an industry and as a country.” You, the broadcasters, have a tremedous power and tremendous potential to effect change. “We don’t need to look at the car crash. We don’t need to live off the pain and humilitation of the unfortunately. We don’t need to celebrate our pornographic obsession with celebrity culture. We are better than that.”
“Some of you are trying… but against the odds of ratings and job security. It is really up to the leaders in this room… to leave behind formulas and focus groups and job security… we can imagine a world of broadcasting where the general consensus of leaders is enough is enough… we are not just businessmen but the guardians of the human spirit… instead of catering to voyuers and gossip… we can appeal to the better nature of our audience.”
Standing ovation complete with “here! here!” from the crowd.
End of session.