Comments on: CM Conversations: Joel Hyatt

By: MJJ

MJJ — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:26:15 +0000

Current is ostensibly a hybrid media company: Part conversational media, part packaged goods media. How has this model impacted operating margins, has the drive to profitability tipped that balance in a particular direction and why, has this balance chanced from the companies inception/original vision?

By: Mugs Buckley

Mugs Buckley — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:22:42 +0000

Joel, how much of Current's content is user-generated? There have been a lot of reports out lately highlighting that advertisers want to align themselves with professionally-produced content providers. In the wake of these reports, does this shift your editorial and programming plans moving forward to provide you viewers with more professionally-produced, editorially-filter content and less UGV?

Can you comment on your cable agreements and the restrictions, if any, they place on your TV content and what can/can't be made available online? Does this require Current to create a lot of content expressly for the Internet?

By: Mallary Weintraub

Mallary Weintraub — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:17:59 +0000

Whenever I watch Current content I’m always impressed, educated and entertained but I find it hard to track down outside a visit to the site. What syndication and/or marketing ideas have you found most effective in growing your audience and given the ever evolving world of conversational media what would you like to experiment with moving forward.

By: Mark Chu Cheong

Mark Chu Cheong — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:13:27 +0000

What sort of success has Current TV seen with its distribution on Virgin America airlines? What other brands does Current TV want to align itself with that are a fit for the audience? Has the quality of content being submitted improved over the past couple years?

By: Matt Timberlake

Matt Timberlake — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:35:05 +0000

I’m looking forward to the interview with Joel as I’ve heard a lot about Current TV but never seen it because it is a pay channel on my cable system. Kind of a basic question but any info on whether Current is soon to be included in basic cable plans?

By: Book

Book — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:36:25 +0000

Hyatt, who runs the company day to day, also serves on the board of HP and the Brookings Institute, and has been quite involved in politics, serving as National Finance Chair for the Democratic Party in 2000. Previous to Current, he co-founded and led Hyatt Legal Services, which provided low-cost services to middle and lower-income families.

By: Brian Hayashi

Brian Hayashi — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:11:53 +0000

1. Brian Lamb started C-SPAN in 1979 with the laudable goal of providing gavel-to-gavel coverage of the United States Congress. Some have argued that TV coverage led to increased grandstanding and partisan rancor.

What effect do you think that had on the way we are governed?

2. I'd argue wikis/Uservoice.com-type apps trump message boards when it comes to constructive uses of new media to activate widespread community involvement.

What are the keys to true, non-partisan civic involvement?

3. Alongside obvious innovations like online video and social networking, this year has seen other new political uses of media such as dedicated TV channels for a candidate, search ads that led to articles without the permission of the article publisher, online fundraising, etc.

What are the most noteworthy, new uses of media in this election cycle? What do you think the medium-term effect will be?

By: Henrietta Chickenshit

Henrietta Chickenshit — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:06:48 +0000

It’s George Bush’s fault. He should apologize.