From television to multi-platform: less from more or more for less?

This article examines economic aspects of convergence and of multi-platform expansion in the media sector. Focusing on television broadcasters in the UK, it analyses the recent migration of conventional media towards multi-platform strategies and asks whether digitization is making content delivery more resource–intensive than before or whether it is facilitating greater efficiency. Findings suggest that adaptation to a multi-platform outlook on the part of conventional media requires investment in staffing and re-versioning of content. Funding this, especially in a period of economic downturn, has encouraged a more selective approach towards content, with concomitant implications for diversity. Notwithstanding generally low commercial returns from online activities so far, the potential economic advantages to be had from multi-platform are significant. The experience of UK broadcasters suggests a well-executed ‘360-degree’ approach to commissioning and distribution will increase the value that can be realized from any given universe of content, partly because of extended opportunities for consumption of that content, but also because modes of engagement in a digital multi-platform context allow for an improved audience experience and for better signalling of audience preferences back to suppliers

The Political Economy of Cable - "Open Access."

Advocates of "open access" claim that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should be able to use a cable TV system's bandwidth on the same terms offered to ISPs owned by the cable system. On that view, "open access" mitigates a monopoly bottleneck and encourages the growth of broadband. This paper shows that cable operators do enjoy market power, and do seek to leverage a dominant position in video into the broadband access market by allocating too little bandwidth for Internet access. Yet, rather than protect cable operators from cannibalizing their cable TV revenue, this strategy defends against imposition of common carrier regulation, which would allow system capacity to be appropriated by regulators and rival broadband networks. Ironically, the push for "open access" limits Internet access by encouraging this under-allocation of broadband spectrum, and by introducing coordination problems slowing technology deployment. These effects are empirically evident in the competitive superiority of cable's "closed" platform vis-a-vis "open" DSL networks, and in financial market reactions to key regulatory events and mergers in broadband.

New screens? New languages? Spanish Broadcast News Content in the Web

This paper examines how Spanish television networks are adapting to the Internet’s potential and how they are using the Web as a platform to elaborate and distribute news content. The redesign of the leading commercial networks Telecinco´s and Antena 3’s websites and the launching of an online news service by public channel RTVE indicate that Spanish broadcasters are increasing their convergence with online operations and are developing stronger journalistic offerings. This paper compares the online news services in each of these three networks, with the objective of finding similarities and differences, as well as outlining their main strategies. Using a content analysis methodology, the essential characteristics of online journalism are analysed in each website: multimedia, hypertext, interactivity, user-generated content and social networks. It is also enquired to what extent the journalistic content available in these websites is adapted to the online language or it rather maintains the basic audiovisual structure of conventional television narrative. The production of television and online news also shows an increasing level of newsroom integration in these media. Journalists’ changes in the working systems and routines, as well as their attitudes towards converged news production are explored, with particular emphasis on how it might influence the quality of their journalistic output

Transmedia contents created around Spanish television series in 2013: typology, analysis, overview and trends

En este artículo analizamos los contenidos transmedia que tienen como “nave nodriza” las series programadas por las cadenas de televisión tanto nacionales (La 1, Antena 3, Telecinco) como autonómicas (TV3, ETB, TVG, Canal Sur) con producción propia y de estreno en 2013. Son en total 33 títulos, entre los que se encuentran Aída, Frágiles, La que se avecina (Telecinco); El barco, Bandolera, Amar es para siempre, El tiempo entre costuras (Antena 3); Cuéntame, Gran Reserva, Isabel, Águila Roja (La 1), La riera, Polseres vermelles (TV3); DHB, Goenkale (ETB); Matalobos, Padre Casares (TVG) y Arrayán y Flamán (Canal Sur). Hacemos un repaso de los sites de las series, donde se concentran los contenidos transmedia, y proponemos una clasificación de la gran variedad de formatos encontrados, recurriendo a las distintas categorías de touchpoints que permiten el contacto del receptor con la narración televisiva fuera de la pequeña pantalla. Los resultados apuntan a una presencia abrumadora de los contenidos reenvasados o adaptados al nuevo medio o plataforma y a una escasa todavía expansión transmedial con contenidos inéditos, diferenciados por medio y narrativamente relevantes.This article analyses the transmedia contents created around 33 Spanish television series broadcast in 2013 by national and regional TV networks. The article reviews the TV series’ official websites, in which the transmedia contents are made available, and organises the wide variety of transmedia formats created around the sample of TV series, based on the different touchpoint categories, which refer to any content or strategy that allow viewers to engage with a television brand through other media and platforms. The results indicate that there is an overwhelming presence of TV contents that are repackaged or adapted to the new medium or platform and that there is still a lack of transmedia expansion through contents that are actually new, differentiated across media, and narratively relevant.Este estudio se desarrolla en el marco del proyecto de investigación FEM2012-33411 del Subprograma de Proyectos de Investigación Fundamental No Orientada, financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y dirigido por la Dra. Rosario Lacalle Zalduendo

Improving Contact Center Demonstrations at Cisco Systems

This project involved the design, construction, and implementation of a system to improve Cisco\u27s Contact Center demonstrations to potential customers. The system aimed to provide customized demonstration resources by industry vertical and geographic sales theater and streamline the demonstration creation process by Cisco sales representatives. By collaborating with Cisco sales representatives directly, the final deliverable is a set of demo resources that is likely to be used and ultimately increase Cisco\u27s Contact Center sales

An Antitrust Analysis of the Case for Wireless Network Neutrality

The ongoing debate about possible implementation of regulatory rules requiring “network neutrality” for wireless telecommunications services is inherently about whether to impose a prohibition on the ability of network operators to control their vertical relationships. Antitrust analysis is well suited to analyze whether a wireless network neutrality rule is socially beneficial. Implementing network neutrality rules would be akin to using a per se antitrust rule regarding vertical relationships instead of the rule of reason analysis typically applied to vertical relationships in antitrust. Per se rules are used to prevent actions that rarely, if ever, have any pro-competitive benefits, such as price-fixing agreements. Rule of reason analysis is used when there are potential efficiency gains from the actions under investigation. Some vertical practices of the wireless carriers, such as bandwidth restrictions, may appear to be anticompetitive, but may also have plausible efficiency justifications so should be judged under rule of reason analysis. Economic examination of the wireless industry shows significant competition between networks which reduces the concern about vertical relationships, but some areas that should be monitored by antitrust and regulatory authorities. We propose several regulatory changes that would likely increase wireless competition and lessen the perceived need for prophlactic network neutrality rules while at the same time allowing efficiency-enhancing vertical relationships.network neutrality, wireless internet, antitrust,

The Economics of Internet Media

We survey the economics literature on media as it applies to the Internet. The Internet is an important driver behind media convergence and connects information and communication technologies. While new Internet media share some properties with traditional media, several novel features have appeared: On the content side, aggregation by third parties that have no editorial policy and user-generated content have become increasingly important. On the advertiser side, fine-tuned tailoring and targeting of ads based on individual user characteristics are common features on many Internet media and social networks. On the user side, we observe increased possibilities of time-shifting, multi-homing, and active search. These changes have gone hand-in-hand with new players entering media markets, including search engines and Internet service providers. Some of these players face novel strategic considerations, such as how to present search results. In response to these changes, an emerging economics literature focuses on the allocative and welfare implications of this new media landscape. This paper is an attempt to organize these contributions and provide a selective account of novel economic mechanisms that shape market outcomes of Internet media. A large body of work has focused on the advertising part of the industry, while some studies also look at content provision and the interaction between the two