TV’s New Wave: Current TV
By Jonathan Cyprowski, 09.27.06
The brains over at Google never cease to work. On Aug. 1, 2006 the television of the future arrived.
With the collaboration of former Vice President Al Gore, Google has turned television into a 24 hour conversation between the audience and the network.
“This is bringing interactivity to the television like never before,” Gore, the network's chairman, said.
Targeting 17 to 34 year olds, Current TV covers careers, finance, fashion, global events and local happenings. As a cable and satellite network, Current TV asks viewers for their input on content by voting to determine what is aired. Working hand in hand with its website counterpart www.current.tv is responsible for turning this network into a conversation. Here viewers can submit their own videos to air on the television network and get full tutorials on how to produce their own segments for airing.
“The Internet opened a floodgate for young people whose passions are finally being heard, but TV hasn't followed suit," Gore said in a statement. "We intend to change that with Current, giving those who crave the empowerment of the Web the same opportunity for expression on television."
As for the chances of viewer videos making it on the air the results are encouraging. According to the website over one third of all the content shown on Current TV is what they call “viewer created content” or “VC².” Current prides itself on providing videos about what’s going on in the viewers’ world with the slogan: “Created By, With and For our Audience.”
Brandon Verderber ,17, of Houston, Pennsylvania has been producing video segments for Current since the network’s launch.
“I am involved in a very unique group called Straight Edge. We are a band along with a bunch of other things such as theatre and dance that is run by a group of young people from 11 to 25 years old. We do things and go places people would really like to see, and what better way to show them than by letting them watch through our eyes.”
Krista Almo of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania is also a member of Straight Edge, and she agrees that Current is a very empowering concept.
“People say when a group of kids get together there is trouble, but when my friends get together we shine,” she said. “This is a great way to let people see our friends and what we are doing to have a positive impact.”
According to statements released by Al Gore and the Sergey Brin co-founder of Google this station will not be a political stage, but rather a tool to empower young people to go after their passions and then share the results with other people.
Financial backers included Rob Glaser, chief executive of RealNetworks, Bob Pittman who helped create the MTV Network and Joel Hyatt, who is chief executive of the network. This kind of fire power has allowed for deals to be made with most of the major satellite and cable programmers on the market. DirectTV has agreed to add the network to its “Total Choice” Package replacing News World International (NWI) that was bought out by Current TV in May. NWI was available in almost 19 million U.S. homes--12 million from DirecTV and about 5 million on Time Warner's digital-cable service. Comcast Digital cable will joining these two providers in certain markets starting in October. Channel and programming information for these providers is available on the Current TV website where they welcome you to “join the conversation.”
