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In the 8 months that SLCN has been streaming video they have revolutionized the way we think about media in virtual worlds. We had the opportunity to speak with Wiz Nordberg, CEO of SLCN, to find out more about what is fast becoming one of the most influential forces in Second Life.
Below is a general summary of what we discussed, but I strongly urge everyone interested in the topic to review the video or MP3 via the links above.
The Birth Of SLCN
When first discovering virtual worlds, Wiz took some time experimenting with different occupations. Then it hit him: "I should become a big media executive in Second Life."
In real-life Wiz Nordberg is Gary Wisniewski, and he has quite a bit of experience with organizing the large-scale streaming of video. With the diverse range of skills necessary at his disposal he was able to assemble dozens of technologies into a cohesive product. SLCN now broadcasts video to the web and into Second Life 24 hours a day.
The Business Model
While Wiz used the term "toy television network", the model is no different than mainstream media. Ultimately you're monetizing large numbers of viewers. Working out how to do that isn't purely SLCN's problem, but the one that network television has faced for decades.
While there aren't yet enough viewers to adopt the business models of the large networks, Wiz feels that the current number of viewers are a tenth of what they will be a year from now. In the meantime, they're prepared to ride out the slow time and closely monitor the statistics.
That doesn't mean they aren't creating new products. Through SLCN.biz they do corporate work, producing high-end professional content that can be remixed by a studio editor and rendered at television quality.
In the long term, the main profit arms are expected to be in advertising coupled with some producer-paid content.
Biggest Influence: Ted Turner
When I asked Wiz who his biggest influence was, he didn't hesitate in naming media mogul Ted Turner. When a large station syndicated their content across the nation, showing lots of reruns and appealing to a wider demographic than HBO, it changed television forever. Wiz grew up watching "Shark Week" and "Bond Week" on stations like TNT and TBS, and they changed the way people thought about television. Ted Turner wasn't afraid of humiliating himself in front of his audience. He did what he thought would be fun, and it made for great television.
The Metaphor Of Television
Current television looks at the market as a large statistical demographic rather than as a people product. In order to be successful in Second LIfe, however, he's run SLCN more like television was in the 40s and 50s when the metaphor of television was about people.
Viewers watch SLCN casually, letting it run while they do other things like adjusting prims around the house. This is very much like the "watching TV while you're cooking" model, which is very much unlike the web. For this reason SLCN has not been run like a website, as it just isn't absorbed like one.
What's Not On The Air - Yet
Wiz would love to see more narrative fiction, but it's difficult to produce. In order for someone to put together a show they would need to arrange for sets, costumes, writing, and of course actors. There's a lot of planning required, and as of yet nobody has been able to pull all of the elements together.
The only limit at SLCN is "is that produceable"? They've never had to censor, and they're actually considering adult content if someone can put together a production of high enough quality.
Even though there is quite a bit of machinima out there that SLCN could air as dramatic content, generally they are just one-shot shows rather than a series. Shows that don't have a production commitment often fail, but those that air regularly grow a following.
Among the more popular shows: "That S'Life" has 66 episodes, "Tonight Live" has 22, and the hockey games are now up to 20. The first 5 are never the ones that get the audience. It's once people understand that it's going to be there every week that people actively look for the show.
"The biggest failing of online media is the unpredictability of its availability," said Wiz, so they need to package the show properly.
On Advertising
It's almost a certainty that someday SLCN will be selling advertising on the shows it airs. Producers are invited to do so now, but the question is: "does the advertising add to the show?" Ed McMahon on the Tonight Show used to advertise Alpo dog food, and somehow it enhanced the show. Advertising should do the same thing.
"I don't think putting people on display in a fishbowl like reality television is a good way to touch your audience," said Wiz. Yet advertisers need to touch the audiences somehow, and making the ads enhance the show could do that.
Shopping SL works
SLCN has multiple streams, one of which is dedicated to shopping. It's actually quite popular because people like to hear about how the creator came up with the product. In the end, the channel isn't about products as much as it is about the people who make them. Obviously this is much more effective than a banner.
Do you have a creative idea for SLCN? Their application page makes the process easy. Who knows, you might find yourself making a living working on a virtual world television show someday.