Who Will Police the TV of the Future?
TV is still a very regulated and controlled marketplace. But how does IPTV fit into this? How can a French broadcasting regulator control an Iranian TV channel if the channel is not licensed in France? IPTV will pose a serious challenge to policy makers and it almost certainly will lead to some abuses.
One of the best things about TV these days is the choice. Gone are the days when you had the choice of just 4 or 5 terrestrial channels, gone too, even, are the days when you had the choice of 200-300 satellite channels. Today, if you have your screen plugged in to the Internet you can take your pick from millions of TV channels. And you are not just limited to channels – you can stream or download content from all kinds of companies on the periphery of broadcasting and publishing: this could be a video from a newspaper or a news bulletin from an NGO. Tonight you could watch a series from HBO in the US followed by the news from London all via the Internet. We are surrounded by choice – and what is more – much of it is free.
For someone like myself – working in the IPTV industry – this is an opportunity to make a lot of money. Companies and organisations are reaching out via video in ways that they could never have done before. Over the next few years you can expect literally hundreds of new IPTV channels to start up – channels that look and feel like ‘real TV’ but are streamed directly to you phone or TV via the web.
So far so good, but what about the downsides?
Well the big question is: who regulates what we watch? Currently most countries have pretty strict laws on advertising, sponsorship and editorial control of programmes. Laws dictate what can and can’t be advertised, when and how. The rules are very different depending on where you live, but in most cases the aim of these laws is to protect us, our children and our TV screen from the undue influence of meddling.
What is more – many countries have strict rules on impartiality, balance, fairness and privacy. Laws are to protect us and those around us. Add in the fact that you still need a broadcast licence to get access to viewers and it means TV is still a very regulated and controlled marketplace.
But how does IPTV fit into this? How can a French broadcasting regulator control an Iranian TV channel if the channel is not licensed in France? IPTV will pose a serious challenge to policy makers and it almost certainly will lead to some abuses. What do I mean? Well, any takers for these programmes?
- Big Max: A new kids’ superhero series sponsored by a fast food company. - Pill Poppers: A comedy medical drama sponsored by a major pharmaceutical brand. - Eco-Warriors: A look at the lives of environmentalists backed by a GM Food company. - The Barren Land: A history of a Middle Eastern country backed by the government of a neighbouring country.
Feeling uneasy yet?
Of course, this may sound a little too explicit, too obvious – and there are more subtle ways for brands to influence programmes and not always in ways that would be obvious to the viewer. How would you feel about a series of nature films secretly backed by an oil company, and with editorial control in their hands? Or perhaps a documentary about families – secretly backed by a religious or hard-right lobby group? Don’t forget the temptation for states and political interest groups to begin broadcasting propaganda under the guise of news. In the IPTV world this influence could be undeclared and free from scrutiny.
The question is how much would large multi-national corporations pay for influence over millions of people? I think we all know the answer. Quite a lot.
I speak from professional experience. Over the last few years I have worked on several documentaries and films that have indeed been funded by some of the world’s biggest brands. These are extremely well-made, slick films aimed at a hip 18-30 audience – shot and produced at the level of top Hollywood films. These are not ‘advert-mentaries’ but genuine content about a subject that is ‘on-brand’ with a company’s aspirations. The difference is that currently these films are broadcast on regular TV so the level of compliance is quite high (and I should add that all the brands I have worked with have taken these rules very seriously) – but when you remove the regulation wouldn’t it be tempting to start to push that envelope?
This is the same problem that policymakers have faced with the Internet – currently any ‘nutter’ can make a film and post it on YouTube – and nobody can do anything about it. Of course, the rules of natural Internet selection mean that these films are usually so badly made that they fall through the cracks. The same ‘nutter’ making a film in his bedroom may not look quite so nutty with a $1 million budget.
The big question then is – do we trust the TV programme makers and Internet providers to police content for us – especially if this is making them a lot of money?
If the answer is no – then who will keep us safe in the IPTV World?
Author: Wesley Dodd, Director of Business & Consulting, Celebro Media Networks (London)
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