The Future of Television: Book Announcement

Inside Television 544

Publication Date: 3-11-11

By: Hubert O'Hearn

Admittedly, not a natural relationship

It appears business is about to pick up. A bit of background. You and I have been getting together weekly for over 10 years now. I'd been an arts reviewer and golf columnist for the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal and when the depth of snow on the greens rendered golf commentary superfluous to the readers' desires, the paper kindly offered me this television slot. I do mean to print the Lost Article of 'How to Improve Your Golf Swing With a Snow Shovel' someday.

Anyway, after all these years it appears that a book publisher is actually deluded enough to consider my opinions worthy of a larger market. I'm so glad this news didn't come out three weeks from now, else this would be appearing on April 1 and you wouldn't be believing a word of it.

The deal isn't done - anything that can be made on this Earth has an equal chance of falling apart like Pa Kettle's jalopy. Regardless, the book is being written. The nice part is that you the Constant Reader will benefit.

You see, what I'm going to be investigating, the idea both the publisher and I like, is an extended piece on The Future of Television, with the implied question of, 'Is there one?' The interesting thing is, I honestly don't know.

I know that television will not look the same five years from now any more than it looks as it did five years ago. Will it completely join the Internet in some Borg collective media robot army? Or will it learn from the book publishing industry - still the most formidable and adaptive media or arts business - and manage to adapt, profit and thrive?

I'm lining up a series of interviews over the coming weeks. Two actresses: one working to create a name; another who was a huge name during TV's last Golden Age of sitcoms. Names from news and sports - those drawn from either end of the microphones.

What I want to find out are the answers to several questions. When TV was its peak dominance - I'd say the 1980s - what was it doing then that it doesn't do now? Is what was done then workable today? What needs to change? How can television make money against terabytes of free news and entertainment? Is television still the Hall of Glory and Wealth for performers? And is the beast worth a stay of execution? Would we miss it so much if it just faded away?

Granted, if something truly explosive comes up in the next weeks, those plans will be de-railed. But I'm not wasting another adjective on the hapless Charlie Sheen. That's a promise I can keep. Be seeing you.