First steps of IPTV...

Cable companies have got to be shaking in their boots, and calling lots of lawyers.

Found a site on the dvorak.org blog that caught my eye, channelchooser.com (warning: there are a couple adult stations on the site at the bottom).

I brought the link over here because it's the first steps toward broadcast IPTV, completely circumventing the cable network (AKA the Cable companies' worst fear, because remember, all these cable companies get money from the cable networks to carry them... if the networks don't need the cable companies.... you see the issue). Niche networks like TechTv pay $100 million a year just for the cable company to carry them, according to Leo Laporte on one of his Twitcasts.

Not that this is going to happen immediately; but a crude start such as channelchooser is yet another harbinger of things to come in a couple years; the complete democratization of content.

Instead of producing for the millions, it's all about niche audiences. It's silly, but small may be the new big... validating the business model of content for a few thousand, as opposed to all the expense of hitting the millions.

This will become even more prevalent (and start to snowball) as the population that is 30 and under moves through the lifecycle.