I read with interest today a post written by my friend GSF over on his blog as he reminisces how music has changed to many formats over the years.

Do you still own a record player?

It is true that it’s difficult to find a “record” store, very much a thing of the past.  Most of these businesses have transitioned to selling a wide array of products that range from CDs, various video formats, and video games along with the devices used to enjoy them–including necessary and unnecessary peripherals.  Most have deliberately transitioned to remain in business–because the demands of the consumer changed.  Can one still find “records” and record players? Sure, if you are willing to hunt for the stores. But the vast majority, to stay in business, changed over the years to what the current consumer is demanding–what good businesses do.

So I laughed as I read today this headline:

Cable Companies Panic as Viewers Shift to Internet

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Click here to read the brief article.

How many still watch TV?

I suppose soon enough cable companies too will be asking for a bail out from the government, which is predictable but sad.  I must confess there are programs from TV that I strictly watch online, so my cable TV time has dropped. I discontinued the premium channels because I found we never watched them.  And even now, I only watch a handful of shows on the big flat box.  Yes, I had a slight renewed interest in TV when I changed from the big box to the nice flat HD screen, but in hindsight, I don’t think the purchase was a worthy one. (Of course my counterparts in the home, all males, would beg to differ especially as it relates to veiwing sporting events.)  If it weren’t for DVR, I probably wouldn’t watch the amount that I do sit and tune in.

How do I keep from becoming “irrelevant?”

So I ask why don’t these cable companies see the writing on the wall? For pete’s sake even schools have acknowledged that information has changed, and it is rare to enter a school that does not offer computers w/ Internet acces to meet many school needs? (This is true at least in the public schools.)  Those running these cable companies better start planning with the future in mind. It won’t be long before they are irrelevant too, just like textbooks in schools.  We have them, but they are predominantly unused, except to humor the parents who insist their child have the same kind of school they had…and their parents had…and their parents parents had….

I never thought I’d see a group outside if the k12 arena so slow to embrace change, but today i got a glimpse of one–cable TV.

Image: ‘222/365 tv toes‘

Image: ‘matteo e i compiti‘
www.flickr.com/photos/79203469@N00/263912361

Image: ‘Playtime Twin‘
www.flickr.com/photos/47096073@N00/463819906