You can always tell at what stage a new medium is by who is getting into it. Generally, when people who are making lots of money in the old media start coming on board, it’s a sign that the new medium is getting serious.
That’s why it was interesting to hear that top TV producer Steven Bochco is getting into the online video business. He is getting into an alliance with Metacafe, a video-sharing site (like YouTube), that pays producers based on how popular their content is. They pay $100 for every 20,000 page views. They get more than 3.5 million visitors a month, so reaching 20,000 views may not be as hard as it may sound (and I bet Bochco will be getting more than the standard rate).
Bochco will have his own online channel, but has not yet revealed exactly what kind of material will be on it.
Bochco pointed out both the similarities and differences of using this medium. “It’s still sitting around a campfire telling stories.” But he also said, “[In the past] people were trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. They were trying to impose our old entertainment model on their new platform. You’re looking at a vastly different medium.”
It’ll be interesting to see what Bochco, who made his name with “L.A. Law” and “NYPD Blue,” comes up with.
