Media - General: February 2010 Archives

From where I sit at my breakfast nook in La Canada, California, 3,000 miles from IAC's headquarters in New York, Barry Diller seems to be getting tired of it all. 

Yesterday, when I listened to IAC's earnings call, I got the sense that Mr. Diller could care less about what he's doing these days.  His answers were short and he seemed generally distracted and uninterested. 

When IAC was formed a few years ago, it was all very exciting.  A promising collection of digital assets that would destroy old media.  Mr. Diller was on the cutting-edge of this brave new media world, leaving his dinosaur studio pals in the dust with their "movies" and "television shows".

But it hasn't quite worked out that way.

Mr. Diller has been a true visionary throughout his career and now it's sort of sad to see him relegated to Q&A about the slowing growth at Match.com; the boring future potential of local search; and Ben Silverman's new company. 

All this while old media is staging a huge comeback and grabbing all the headlines:  "'Avatar' breaks worldwide box office record."  "Super Bowl XLIV is the most-watched television event ever."  

All this makes me think:  Is Barry Diller tired of it?  Is this really the future he imagined in 1991 after driving across the country with his Apple Powerbook?  Dating websites and CollegeHumor?

Who knows?  Maybe he really enjoys talking business with Ricky Van Veen.

In my opinion, it's time for Mr. Diller to jump in the car with an Apple iPad and drive across the country again.

Jill Kennedy - OnMedea

Ben Silverman is making this way too easy. 

IAC has released the logo for Ben Silverman's world-changing, earth-shattering, ground-breaking new venture - Electus. 

In my opinion, it is the perfect logo for the company.  Everything you need to know about Electus and its future success is represented in the design of that logo.

Accompanying the logo (on the IAC website - Electus.com is... still to come) is a new description of the company.  (Could we be getting close to launch?):  "Led by founder Ben Silverman, Electus is a next generation studio enabling premium content creators to engage with advertising and technology partners at the inception of the creative process and partner on the finished product across a global and multi-platform distribution model. 

"Electus is defining an innovative advertising component, which will challenge the traditional entertainment silos, allowing content creators and branding partners to develop premium programs and reach audiences like never before.  The content will be distributed globally through the Electus international distribution arm as well as across a multitude of analog and digital platforms."

Because nothing says "Next Generation" like a logo with A HORSE AND BUGGY ON IT!

Jill Kennedy - OnMedea

P.S. - Ben Silverman is the upcoming keynote speaker at MIPTV this year.  Because he is busy changing the world, I have taken the liberty of penning his speech for him.