Will the Writer's Strike help destroy Hollywood?

In the last couple weeks I've come across several articles about how the internet is threatening television and the growing populartiy of YouTube. Almost from the begining of the internet people have wondered about downloading movies and being able to watch what they want to watch, when they want to watch it.

We may have finally crossed a tipping point.

Roger L. Simon writing for Pajamas Media speculates that the New Media will Destroy Hollywood. Roger opens with:

"Deep into the Writers’ Strike of ‘07-‘08 – four major studios have just canceled dozens of television writers’ contracts for the next season – increased rumblings have been heard that the real issue at stake is not the representation of animation and reality show writers or even the vaunted problem of writers’ online percentages. It is something far more apocalyptic – the future of Hollywood itself.
New media is poised to destroy the entertainment industry, as we know it.
People as diverse as television writer Rob Long and Internet guru Marc Andreesen are talking about the end of Hollywood – and they have a point. Several, in fact.
Netscape’s Andreesen wrote extensively on his blog in November about how Hollywood - or more specifically movie and television writers, directors and producers - should emulate Silicon Valley and become entrepreneurial. And that this inevitable revolution has only been hastened by the writers’ walkout."

Roger's point is the longer the writer's strike goes on, the more writers will turn directly to the internet to sell their content. For decades companies in Hollywood have been able to control distribution. The internet is changing all this. I've been surprised by how many television shows are also available on the internet. My wife frequently watches The Medium the next day, when she has time, and without so many commercials.

Computers and the internet is changing the distribution equation. Now anyone with a good PC and access to the internet can post their own entertainment.

Ed Driscoll wondered if CNN was scared. I wonder if Hollywood is scared.


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Technorati tags: television, blogs, hollywood