Channeling the Noise: As the Media Chorus Grows Louder, Cable News Learning New Tune
Twenty-five years ago, cable news was at the center of the American media universe. Today, the media landscape looks almost nothing like it did at the turn of the century. Veteran television and media executive Richard Levine, President of Distribution for Herring Networks, which operates One America News (OAN), sees cable news facing the same kind of disruption that has already transformed radio.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WWW.KLOWDTV.COM
- KlowdTV bridges traditional cable news and the digital future
- Legacy networks must rethink programming, distribution and viewer engagement
- Cable news faces the same disruption that transformed terrestrial radio
- Podcast personalities increasingly command loyalty once reserved for networks
- Consumers expect news available whenever and wherever they want
Levine has spent decades watching the evolution of television, programming and distribution. A fundamental shift has been taking place: Consumers no longer have to accept whatever happens to be on when they turn on the television. They can choose what they watch, when they watch it and increasingly, where they watch it.
Cable news faces a similar challenge.
Fox News, conservative talk radio and the mainstream media once represented relatively defined media ecosystems. Today, audiences are fragmented across cable networks, streaming platforms, podcasts, social media, YouTube and on-demand programming. Viewers who once had to choose from a handful of television channels now have virtually unlimited alternatives.
Consider radio. Twenty years ago, terrestrial radio was still the dominant way to consume talk programming. Today, millions of listeners routinely bypass traditional radio altogether to follow individual podcasters whose audiences can be fiercely loyal. Podcasting didn’t simply create another distribution channel. It changed consumer expectations about access, choice and control. Commercial breaks are incredibly short, if they exist at all.
For example, radio stations and networks still follow the same legacy format, which includes top-of-the-hour news, sports, weather, and traffic reports. Nearly everyone has a smart phone or equivalent and can get any of this information if and when they choose, on demand. Why would they listen to something that delivers it when they don’t want it?
This doesn’t factor in extended commercial breaks. Increasingly, cars are being manufactured without AM radios and homes have largely become devoid of radios. Terrestrial stations do have the ability to stream content but again, it too, has the same format issues. If legacy radio is going to survive, it must transform in a significant way.
So what happens to cable news?
Levine can offer an insider’s perspective on how established television networks can adapt without simply chasing the latest digital trend. He can discuss whether cable news needs to rethink programming, distribution and the very concept of a television “channel” to remain relevant to consumers who increasingly expect content on their own terms.
One example is KlowdTV, a platform that bridges traditional television and the emerging on-demand environment, giving viewers access to familiar networks such as OAN, RAV and Newsmax while expanding the range of programming available through a digital platform.
The bigger story, however, isn’t KlowdTV. It’s the future of television itself.
Levine can discuss: Is cable news becoming the next terrestrial radio? Can legacy networks compete with podcasters for loyalty? Will viewers continue paying for bundles they don’t watch? And can traditional media reinvent distribution before consumers completely reinvent how they consume news?
Relevant Article(s):
OPTIONAL Q & A:
- Is cable news becoming the next terrestrial radio in the digital age?
- What can cable news learn from the explosive growth of podcasting?
- Are viewers becoming loyal to personalities rather than television networks?
- How can legacy cable networks compete with unlimited on-demand choices?
- Is the traditional cable bundle becoming obsolete for news consumers?
- What does the rise of streaming mean for the future of cable news?
- Can platforms like KlowdTV successfully bridge cable and digital media?
- What must cable news change now to remain relevant 10 years from now?
ABOUT RICHARD LEVINE…
Richard Levine is a veteran television and media executive with more than 20 years of experience in content distribution, programming and emerging media platforms. He currently serves as President of Distribution for Herring Networks, where he leads distribution strategy for One America News Network and AWE across traditional television, streaming and FAST platforms.
Levine is also leading the expansion of KlowdTV, building the streaming service through new content partnerships, an expanding lineup of free and premium channels, and a distribution model designed for the evolving television marketplace.
Throughout his career, Levine has held senior leadership positions at AT&T, Google, TEGNA, Media General and DIRECTV, negotiating and developing content partnerships with many of the largest media companies and television distributors in the industry.
At AT&T, Levine was an integral member of the team that launched and expanded U-verse, helping grow the platform to nearly six million subscribers. He later joined Google, where he worked on national content partnerships and helped expand YouTube TV to nationwide availability.
Today, Levine is focused on the rapidly changing television and streaming marketplace, including the growth of free ad supported television, direct to consumer services and new alternatives to the traditional cable bundle. As a spokesperson for KlowdTV, he brings an industry insider’s perspective as both a longtime distribution executive and an operator actively building a streaming platform for the next generation of television.
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