To combine this as both a baby and a library-related post, I'll go back to an entry from a couple weeks ago where I talked about my favourite presentation from my year in library school which was on the topic of online broadcasting.
One of the main points I discussed in the presentation is how we're now at a point where web-based video clips are picking up audiences that rival their traditional broadcast counterparts which, in turn, will be one of the main factors in the shift from television as the dominant communications medium in our society to the Internet.
One example I used in my presentation was the daytime talk show, The View, which averages about 2 million viewers per episode but how a clip where Danny DeVito appeared after a night of heavy drinking had amassed nearly that many views within a couple days after being posted. And unlike traditional broadcasts where something is lost the minute it's shown (unless it reaches syndication or gets a release on DVD – both unlikely scenarios for a morning gabfest), this clip would continue to gain views as it circulated as a meme within cyberspace and beyond. Another related factor was the back and forth with traditional broadcasting. For example, a supper news broadcast might mention the incident, sending even more viewers to the Internet to view the clip. Or someone who only saw the clip online might watch “The View” to see more about what happens on the program. (CBS entered an arrangement with YouTube to post clips from their late night programs and saw significant gains in their ratings.)
Which is all a long way to say, can you believe that eight million people have viewed the clip I linked to above? Wow!
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