NGTV: The Wave of the Internet Future?

NGTV (No Good TV), an Internet channel, will soon make its debut, ushering in a new era of web broadcasting. The network, which is helmed by none of than KISS rocker Gene Simmons, will feature uncensored programming from celebrity news, movies, music videos, to other underground fare. Geared to appeal to the 18-34 male demographic, NGTV's stated mission is to "put the FU back into fun." But what makes NGTV most remarkable is the fact that it could revolutionize web broadcasting and make it as competitive as network and cable broadcasting.

While there have been other web broadcasting ventures in the past, Youtube being one such recent example, NGTV purports to take one giant leap above the others by offering the kind of bandwidth programming that could make it competitive on a level with network and cable fare. The network created an eye opening trailer that no doubt shows off a high quality that blows out of the water anything else that is on the Internet. (The trailer can be viewed here: http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/page/3/, while a beta website to NGTV is also available at www.NGTV.com.) The trailer will be launched at this year's National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in Las Vegas.

Like MTV during its original launch, NGTV thumbs its nose at network programming by pursuing low-brow fare with an anti-censorship attitude. Its "thumb-your-nose" attitude might very well be the thing that will attract viewers. As Youtube faces copyright lawsuits from Viacom and other broadcasting ventures, NGTV could very well provide a home for Internet browsers looking for underground programming that have all but been put out to pasture due to the ever consolidating media. NGTV makes no bones about "dumbing down" its programming choices, yet there seems to be a method to its madness. NGTV is geared toward younger sensibilities by going after the sacred cows of Hollywood and celebrities. Originally set to be launched as a cable network as well, NGTV is described on an IPO site:

If you already thought television was no good, wait till you see NGTV. The television content producer forgoes traditional TV editing, developing programming (including profanity and some nudity) designed to show celebrities in a candid light, free of censorship. NGTV, which stands for "No Good Television," plans to distribute its broadcast as a pay-television service available on cable through IN DEMAND. The company, which is targeting the coveted demographic of males age 18-34, has a library of video footage of interviews and music videos starring celebrities such as 50 Cent, Ashley Simpson, Eminem, and Lindsay Lohan.

NGTV in a lot of ways seems to owe much to the 1980s USA Network program "Night Flight," whose "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" programming became a cult favorite among cable night owls (clips from Night Flight can be viewed on YouTube. By the number of hits and comments these clips receive suggests there is still an audience out there for such eclectic programming). Since the 1990s, media consolidation has homogenized much of television, cable, and radio, forcing audiences to turn to the Internet for quirky or interesting programming. While NGTV has an unrepentent male perspective (as viewed on its website) and intends to embrace "bad television" with gusto, it could also revolutionize Internet programming. This could prove to be both a good thing and a bad thing. After all, it wasn't until recently that the Internet was under threat from cable and Internet providers who wanted to create a tiered system in which certain websites that weren't profitable to the multi-million dollar providers were relegated to the vast wasteland of low-bandwidth providers. NGTV could not only show how profitable high-bandwidth, high-quality Internet programming can be but it can also set in motion more attacks against Net Neutrality. Yet NGTV could also provide viewers a place to watch an eclectic mix of programming and can have the potential to grow beyond its niche of "uncensored" videos. It might also generate other high-quality programming geared to niche interests. Imagine, for instance, a Internet station geared toward the arts, live performances, progressive news, or other programs that have otherwise been exiled from mainstream network and cable television but still have enough viewers that make it successful on the 'Net.

Of course, there's no guarantee that NGTV can be successful and the jury has yet to be convened to determine whether or not its programs will even be appealing. But there is a lot of potential here, one worth watching for future development.

Source: Danny Schecter News Dissector Blog www.mediachannel.org