A Progressive Media Outlet

Yesterday I wrote about MSNBC’s current death spiral.

Today, I would like to propose a format for a progressive cable station, also available for live streaming on the web. Using both outlets is critical, since more people are looking to cut the cable cord. Live streams are also critical since we are talking about news and current events. As the Rolling Stones sang many years ago, “Who wants yesterday’s news?” Specialized programming is more appropriate for delivering it continuously. Thus, a cross-platform is necessary. That does not prevent a small $2 or $3 subscription to the entire Progressive TV outlet’s catalog.

Content and name recognition are absolutely necessary to bring in the eyeballs and the ears initially. Also, programming the right-wing model where a blowhard talks and rants for an hour, brings in the same rotation of talking heads and reputed experts that tell the host how smart they are. This happens now on Fox, MSNBC, and CNN. Such inanity does not fool the people who want progressive programming. That is why MSNBC’s ratings are tanking. That and every show covers the same two top stories every single night. For several years, free-form, Album oriented FM radio shook the Top 40 am radio format up. DJs had to follow some rules. Cable TV could adopt some of those rules to shake up the talking heads model.

Rule #1 – If the show before you covered scandal “A,” simply state that you can find coverage of scandal “A” on the web, and it is also optimized for your cell phone. For the next two shows after scandal “A”, the host can spend 90 seconds outlining the major theme and then redirect people to the web for the earlier coverage.

Rule #2 – No single host can cover scandal “A” over two nights in a row.

Rule #3 – You can override Rules 1 and 2 to introduce a fresh development, but you may only report new information.

Rule #4 – No host has a regular shift. What? No, Rachel, every night at the same time? Yup. All evening programming should be ready for publication by 5 pm each evening and announced via push technology using social media, emails, as well as 45-second blurbs on earlier shows. Example: Rachel could host a 45-minute deep dive one night, followed by a 30-minute rebuttal, expansion, or viewed next.

Rule #5, One host, each evening may choose to not do a program. This means a stable of fill-ins or everyone does an extended show. The era of time-boxed programming is over.

The idea here is to create a dynamic set of programs that can explore issues with actual experts, sometimes with follow-up on the issues generated from one program into another. It does not have to repeat the same news stories over and over. Invite, but not require or expect viewer participation. Place material on the web that ties various parts of the same subject together. Allow hosts to live or die on their talents, and above all, minimize repeating the same story.