Influx

Looking back over a few of last month’s headlines, it’s clear that old media is making some dramatic strides in the adoption of Web 2.0 practices and content.

It’s taken a while, but the incumbents have finally woken up. Perhaps it needed Google’s acquisition of YouTube to shake them.

Some highlights that Influx has noticed:

CBS achieves success with YouTube averaging 857,000 daily views.

Fox releases 24 on DVD 1 day after broadcast premiere

Reuters integrates blog content

NBC sets up its own ad agency

BBC hires gadget blogger it found on YouTube

Amanda Condon of Rocketboom lands jobs at ABC and HBO

BBC to pay consumers for their content

Despite this innovative move from the BBC, they still appear to have some issues grasping how to use all this new fangled technology.

So what’s really happening?

1. Alternative distribution networks and platforms now matter- expect more experimentation on Google video and YouTube from the big networks

2. Consumers are now part of the news team, news media wants and needs them from Conde Nast’s Reddit acquisition to BBC and ABC- exploiting the opportunity to integrate consumers and perhaps save money!

3. Talent is everywhere- look under more stones- middlemen will emerge to help make this search easier, but look for more talent to be plucked from the bottom of the Long Tail

4. Boundaries are blurred- think clients as media company and media companies as ad agency, nothing is inconceivable

This is still early days, but the momentum now appears to be there and we can expect more surprises from old media in the coming months.