Updated March 17th 2004, Sydney Australia
 


WWWis a pain in the ass to say, yet we're all saying it. The internet, or more correctly, the Web, is revolutionising our lives. We're all going there. Well, those of us who are not pensioners, or just too poor to own a computer. The banks are encouraging people to do online banking. They hate seeing their customers of course. They just want their money.

Most TV News programmes suggest that you go to their website to do a poll, make a comment, or read details of their show. If you're old or poor, forget it. How long before the only way to pay a bill or access your bank account, is via the internet?

The big corporations love it. They want to be able to get money from their customers without actually having to communicate with them. When the traditional media hits back with stories that nasty folk are creating pretend bank websites and getting information like account numbers from their customers, the banks hate it. They're onto a good gig, and they don't want anyone fucking it up.

It's a bit like when phone banking started 12 years ago, the same problems cropped up. Old people without tone phones could not use the service. The banks started closing their regional banks in small towns (which are inhabited by mostly old folks), thus making it impossible for these poor people to access their money. I hate the banks. In Australia when the banks release their profits each year, they're almost embarassed at how large they are. It's disgusting. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind the concept of having a successful business. But not at the price of the weakest people in our society.

You know back in 1996 when the internet started taking off, large corporations spent billions building the framework of the net, such as SSL security so people could submit their credit cards online. They also bought massive servers. It cost billions. But people are not biting the carrot. The ONLY industry actually making money on the net, are the sex sites. The big companies are pissed off. All that investment and people still want to actually "feel" that bit of furniture before they buy it.

The best thing about the internet (or the web). Hang on, let me explain this. The internet is the actual framework. The computers, the servers, the wires, the actual physical infrastructure. The web sits on the internet. The web is the software, the browsers, that kind of thing. Anyway, as I was saying, the best thing about the web for me anyhow, is sound and vision. It is so fantastic to be able to listen to live radio anywhere in the world. At the moment my favourite station happens to hail from Kenya! How cool is that? I also regularly watch South African TV (SATV). They're "live" 24/7. So is vatican TV, but that's a tad boring!

Peer to peer software such as Kazaa are pissing the record companies off. The music industry is now imprinting .MP3's with code to stop piracy of music. I don't understand exactly how they're doing that, but they will succeed eventually. Big business runs the world, and we're not going to get a chance to get them back (well, at least not for long - Kazaa's days are numbered.) Kazaa is actually owned by Australia's Sharman Networks. Their head office in North Sydney was ambushed by the cops recently!

The new medium of the web means that we can now hear and see broadcast organisations anywhere. For people in radio (as most of the viewers to this website are) this is incredible. It's an extended way to enjoy our business. But the advent of audio and video on the net means that radio is becoming more homoginised. The "local" feel of radio will be very threatened. Internet radio is booming in terms of the fact that there are thousands of internet stations. However they are not making money - YET! A classic example of an "early-adopter" in internet broadcasting would be Andy Ruane, who is a pioneer with his irelandlivetelevision.tv website. He broadcasts TV News every 15 minutes to the web. It's a couragious move, but he will be there when the masses can afford cable modem access. I wish him the best. I used to work for him on Southside radio back in 1980.

So where's it all going? Well, I for one reckon that once we're all on cable, the sky's the limit. I already listen to more internet radio than local radio. Local radio will have to find new ways to advertise, because the internet's radio advertising will be mostly visual (banners) which are a lot less intruding than audio advertising. One thing is for sure, we, the consumers, will gain. But if you're a broadcaster, watch out! You may end up on the net!

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Read previous radiohome pages:

ARCHIVE 12: OZ MEDIA - YOU HAVE TO BE AUSSIE, EH, MATE!
ARCHIVE 11: REALITY BITES!ARCHIVE 11: REALITY BITES!
ARCHIVE 10: LETS NOT CRY OVER SPILT MILK - OR SHOULD WE?

ARCHIVE 9: Q10 WHO?
ARCHIVE 8:FREE RADIO CANNOT DIE. JAMES JOYCE NEVER DID!
ARCHIVE 7: IT'S ALL ABOUT QUALITY MY FRIENDS!
ARCHIVE 6: COMREG CLOSES PIRATES IN DUBLIN
ARCHIVE 5: MURDOCH: DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL
ARCHIVE 4: FALLING INTO THE PAST!
ARCHIVE 3:-PETER MADISON
ARCHIVE 2: PRE-SUPERPIRATES
ARCHIVE 1: BROADCASTING TO THE WORLD


The views expressed on this site are not necessarily those of it's owners. These views are expressly my own.

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