May 7, 2007
TV + the Web = ?
These days, people are spending as much time in front of a computer as a television -- in some cases, even more. A special report by The Wall Street Journal.
"When people ask Jeff Gaspin to describe how important new media has become to the old-line television networks, he brings up an embarrassing story.
While conducting meetings a few years ago at the Bravo cable channel, Mr. Gaspin, now president of cable entertainment and digital content at NBC Universal Television Group, says he could never remember the name of the executive who oversaw the online unit. "For an entire year, I just couldn't remember it," he says. "I was truly embarrassed, but it just didn't seem important enough that I remember his name."
The 46-year-old Mr. Gaspin believes that these days he isn't likely to suffer the same fate. "Now, the online guy is the most important guy in the room," he says.
As the television networks race to figure out their strategies for delivering shows to viewers in new ways, Mr. Gaspin is the person NBC Universal has charged with coming up with programming that runs on the Web, cellphones and on other digital platforms that haven't yet been invented. He has to figure out what kind of content will work in this new realm, how to generate revenue and prod Hollywood writers, producers and agents for ideas. Click here for the complete Technology Report.
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