Randall Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 A Maverick Media Mogul Takes on Mainstream Spinelessness "I will tell you that there won't be any corporate considerations. No earnings per share issues, No worries about advertisers and what they might think." Okay, you probably think these are lines from a recent Nation editorial or Bill Moyers' latest speech. It's actually Mark Cuban blogging about his negotiations with Dan Rather to launch a program on HDNet, his high-definition cable channel that reaches about 3 million homes. (Later this week, Rather will announce that he's joining Cuban's channel--launching "Dan Rather Presents" this October. ) Cuban also owns HDfilms production company. At a time when CBS News is run by "by bean counters and profiteers with no interest in serious news," as Moyers recently put it, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball franchise seems ready to revive public interest journalism. At a time when newspapers and traditional media seem clueless about their future, Cuban sees opportunity. In a recent post on his popular blog, Cuban lamented what he calls the loss of spine and guts in mainstream journalism. "Young people aren't turning away from mainstream media because they don't care about current events," he writes, "but because the media don't know how to connect with them." (Cuban also likes to boast that HDNet News is working to hire "the young and the restless to go out and produce stories that matter. Stories that have payoff." ) Echoing any number of Nation editors/writers, Cuban adds, "Even for a 21-year old, it's not just about Paris Hilton, Bradgelina and the latest rap feud. Kids want to learn. They want to know. Journalism matters....We will produce news reports that matter to people of all ages." I think he's one of the the most interesting media moguls around. What's appealing is that Cuban isn't just talking the talk. As Dan Rather might say, this guy "walks the walk"--putting his money into projects like "Sharesleuth," a new investigative website launched last month that will, as Cuban puts it, "do nothing but try to uncover corporate fraud." He's hired longtime business reporter, Christopher Carey, away from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, to run the site--which will go live next month. Last Spring, Alex Jones, Director of the Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on the Press wrote that "Traditional media of all kinds are retreating from the job of covering news on politics, policy and other topics because some consider them boring--the kiss of death. What might be alternative ways to keep accountability widely available?" Mark Cuban may just be the alternative needed to shake up the traditional media world. http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut?bid=7&pid=100695 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Misfit Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 I'm not gonna comment on the Dan Rather thing, but Mark Cuban has been at the forefront of promoting hi-def TV, and he gets major props in my book for that alone. He's also trying to change the movie distribution system, which I also like. Said he learned that after becoming the Mavs owner -- that going to a game is not the same experience as watching it on TV. So, instead of seeing televised games as competing with going to the game, he thinks televised games act as commercials for experiencing it live. More exposure only helps the product. Same with movies. He thinks eventually all movies will come out on all formats simultaneously: Theater release, DVD, download, and perhaps even TV. He's doing that with his movies on HDNet -- "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" has been my favorite -- where he debuts them on TV and in the theater and on DVD simultaneously. The news show already on HDNet is far better than anything else on network TV. It's a lot like watching the BBC -- lots of hard international news, no stories on celebrities or how to reduce your stress levels. Hope Rather doesn't screw it up. He posts once in a blue moon on the avsforum, usually about hi def. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Mark Cuban is a freak. A super genius freak. He could come drink beer at my house anytime. I just hope he'd get bored after about an hour or so and move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 He posts once in a blue moon on the avsforum, usually about hi def. I've been known to read their forums. Great info on satellite and TiVo stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skins Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 He has a lot of fascinating ideas about intellectual property and copyright. I dont agree with all of them but he certainly puts in the intellectual effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 I don't know his email address but have heard numerous times he spends 2-3 hours a day writing people back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Of all the owners in all the major sports, he is definitely my favorite. He says what he thinks and doesn't hold back. I don't always agree with him, but I do respect him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Wired magazine has a huge boner for him because of his forward-thinking on revamping media to be digital and more consumer-oriented. The old model of 100 million dollar movies that go to theater... then to pay TV... then to DVD... is dumb. Cheaper niche stuff that is available in theaters or on DVD the same day is the future (according to them). Wired had a big article recently about "the end of the blockbuster", and how cable channels, mp3 and digital music, and lower-budget movies are making it harder for the existing record companies, networks, and movie studios to make lots of money easily. You can't just release a Backstreet Boys album, or Miami Vice () remake, and expect everyone to go see it. The most popular albums, movies, and shows today aren't nearly as popular as the most popular stuff of 10-15 years ago. There are way more niche audiences. I dig that whole deal, and I like that Cuban is out there spending his money on it. Screw the big guys who want to cram it down your throat and make something everyone likes by playing to the lowest common denominator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 The news show already on HDNet is far better than anything else on network TV. It's a lot like watching the BBC -- lots of hard international news, no stories on celebrities or how to reduce your stress levels. Hope Rather doesn't screw it up. He posts once in a blue moon on the avsforum, usually about hi def. The World News show is great! Unbiased news about real stories. Awesome. When the Iraqis had their first vote awhile back, he had cameras on rooftops in Baghdad. There was no commentary, just high def views of people going to vote. While I didn't watch it for hours on end, it was cool to see what life was like in Iraq without the filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Wired magazine has a huge boner for him because of his forward-thinking on revamping media to be digital and more consumer-oriented. The old model of 100 million dollar movies that go to theater... then to pay TV... then to DVD... is dumb. Cheaper niche stuff that is available in theaters or on DVD the same day is the future (according to them). Wired had a big article recently about "the end of the blockbuster", and how cable channels, mp3 and digital music, and lower-budget movies are making it harder for the existing record companies, networks, and movie studios to make lots of money easily. You can't just release a Backstreet Boys album, or Miami Vice () remake, and expect everyone to go see it. The most popular albums, movies, and shows today aren't nearly as popular as the most popular stuff of 10-15 years ago. There are way more niche audiences. I dig that whole deal, and I like that Cuban is out there spending his money on it. Screw the big guys who want to cram it down your throat and make something everyone likes by playing to the lowest common denominator. I read that same article and couldn't agree more. It won't be long before the tail is more important than the head. Side note - did you read the Rupert Murdoch / MySpace item? Who knew? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Side note - did you read the Rupert Murdoch / MySpace item? Who knew? I tried. But, his buying MySpace makes me more nervous than happy for their success... He is the owner of Fox News afterall... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 I tried. But, his buying MySpace makes me more nervous than happy for their success... He is the owner of Fox News afterall... Exactly. I still couldn't see how he was going to make money other than by controlling content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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