If you thought AOL was done remodeling itself with the introduction of its new, snappier name, think again! The Internet giant's transformation is just beginning. The company that was once the king of Internet Service Providers is in the throes of remaking itself to be the king of Internet TV, bent in the reality TV and comedy direction.
The CEO of AOL, Jonathan Miller, recently spoke about the company's plans to be a major provider of made-for-Internet television content. Under development right now is a show called Gold Rush, that will engage participants on a treasure hunt with clues on the Web site’s pages that point to locations in America. Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor and The Apprentice, is developing the reality show.
AOL has also inked a deal with Katalyst Films — the company launched by actor Ashton Kutcher and producer Jason Goldman — to create five comedy series. Each show will reportedly have 20 episodes at the start. This figure is a heck of a lot better than made-for-cable, where seasons run short, very short. Take Oz, for example, with some of its eight-episode seasons now available on DVD for a whopping $60-plus a season.
Plus AOL has launched its In2TV site where viewers can catch older TV shows like Alice and Wonder Woman.
AOL's shift in focus no doubt has a lot do to with its slumping number of subscribers and big drop in page hits following the introduction of the broadband age. Once considered one of the largest entertainment portals, AOL has lost popularity in recent history. Whatever AOL's motivations, the plans sound pretty exciting for television viewers.
We all knew that some day the traditional media and the Internet world would end up bumping into each other," Mr. Miller said. "That's really happening now. And once it starts, it goes faster than anyone thinks."
NY Times
I'm expecting we'll all enjoy the ride!
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1 - Joanie
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