Global Warming

We finally finished the book yesterday. This was the UNESCO-funded introduction to new technologies for broadcasters in developing countries. We had sections on mobile wireless communication and internet delivery systems, as well as over the air digital radio and television technologies.

At 3,000 words, the conclusion was by far the shortest section, but it was the one that took the most thinking. Essentially we were looking for advice to give existing public and community broadcasters in developing nations. This was a tough call, because if nothing else, the complexity and diversity of emerging platforms complicates matters - even over and above the problem of national broadcasting policies and economics.

'Convergence', it has to be said, is a lie.

But the key thing we figured out is that broadcasters (all of them, not just those from 'resource-aspirational' areas) need to do two things:

First, they need to understand the available technologies and the range of opportunities they open up as well as limitations they impose.

And second, they need to think about why they broadcast in the first place.

Here's why: technology alone does not determine the path that media takes.

A couple of stories. First, my favourite one about the small group of computer scientists that were asked by Popular Mechanics magazine in 1955 what they thought computers would be like in 50 years time. Their answer: there would be five of them and they'd be the size of skyscrapers.

Second, there's the story about how radio was originally conceived as a form of point to point communication for sending messages to specific recipients over long distances (say, ship to shore), while telephony was first implemented as a centralised distribution network, capable of carrying the sounds of music and light entertainment into the home.

The moral of those stories? To a certain extent, we get to decide what these technologies are for and how we use them. These things are not solely determined by the devices themselves. And also, where we end up is generally the opposite of where it looks like things are heading. Crystal ball gazing by trying to plot current trajectories of technological development always ends badly.

So while it's great to know what these technologies can do, it's critical to think beyond 'how can I do what I already do using this new technology?'

More important is the question (for instance) 'why do we do radio?' followed by the question 'How can we achieve those same things in a better way using the new tech?'

I guess the same could be said for anybody - music industry, public broadcasters and academics included. Rather than try and do what you already do in a more high-tech fashion, ask yourself:

1. What am I trying to achieve here?

2. What are the characteristics of the available technology?

3. How can I use that technology in the service of my objective as a music business / public service institution / educator?

And remember - just because it looks like streaming audio provides what essentially equates to a global transmitter for existing radio stations, that doesn't mean that'll be what that technology is really all about.

After all, nobody in the music business ever thought they'd be sending promos to individual consumers, but that's what people are using MySpace for.

It hit 32 degrees here in Birmingham today and the lack of airconditioning in any building I have to sit in for hours at a time became a significant issue. They do the central heating thing properly here, but if this global warming thing really catches on, then breathable air needs to move up the agenda for university offices.

Update: I cleverly linked you to the Muse MySpace page because they were streaming their new album in its entirety. They seemed to have stopped doing that now.

And finally: I've recently been maintaining an email list for close personal acquaintances. I send out a message a couple of times a week, containing a plain text list of headlines and links to news, blogs and articles about Online Music. I'm ready to expand that select list to The Wireless constituency. If you'd like to get that email, drop me a note (dubber@gmail.com) and I'll add you.

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