Cable TV has been around in the U.S. forever.

Or about 1948, if you believe Wikipedia.

As a result, everyone is accustomed to saying things like “cable channel” or “cable TV network” when referring to networks appearing on cable. But with the rise of IPTV, the notion of calling networks “cable TV” needs to change.

First of all, it’s inaccurate. For example, last year, the NY Times had a headline that read “NBC Purchases Oxygen Cable TV Network for Women“.  The addition of “cable” was unnecessary and not quite accurate since it’s also available to cable, satellite and IPTV providers. So why call it a cable network? It’s an outdated term for an age with multiple TV providers.

I don’t have anything against cable providers (although I am an IPTV analyst and editor of the IPTV Bulletin), but I’m just tired of seeing writers and editors still using that outdated term. Lots of industry folk say “multichannel service provider” when they refer to cable, satellite or IPTV providers. But, um, I don’t think that’s the right term for everyone.

Even regular folk not in the TV or media industries, tend to still say things like “I was watching cable TV” or “it’s on cable”. More often than not, people are subscribing to cable, over satelltie or IPTV. Cable is still the most popular way consumers get their TV content.

Old habits die hard, but I think it’s time for a change.

ландшафт
• Instead of cable TV, say just TV.
• Instead of cable TV network, just say TV network.

But maybe I’m just being a stickler.

Over at NewTeeVee, there’s an interesting post about how YouTube did it. How Chad Hurley and Steve Chen made millions billions and became a mega-success with Internet video. I mean, didn’t everyone have that same idea?

Apparently Hurley spoke at an event in Silicon Valley last week and NewTeeVee recorded the entire thing on video. (Ironically, they couldn’t post the video on YouTube because it was too long, so it’s being hosted on Blip.tv.)

When Hurley and Chen made the rounds among VCs, they didn’t use PowerPoint slides. (How’s that for a breath of fresh air.) Their pitch consisted of actual product and statistics. You’d think the pitch would be very straightforward:

1. User-generated content is growing.
2. Videos are growing in popularity and are easier to use than ever.
3. Allow people to post their user generated videos
4. Mix it with social media.

Add a clever name and marketing and … Bam!

So why did YouTube succeed? I believe they had the same idea everyone had, but the main difference was in execution. YouTube made it easier than any one else and made sharing videos fun.

Another big issue, according to Hurley, was the self-policing nature of YouTube. Says NewTeeVee:

One of first companies to automate DMCA — the press misses this, according to Hurley — one of various examples of solutions YouTube has built that set examples for its industry. “What people miss is we built a true community around video. These hundreds of competitors are dealing with the same problems but they’re not having the same growth.”

Yet another reason YouTube went big was that it became popular with the younger generation. If kids are using it often and sharing stuff with their friends (think MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter), then it’s going to be big.

Over at alvear.com, I mentioned that that I’m conducting a research report on how Internet video can impact social change.

I’m inviting non-profits, independent filmmakers and other organizations interested in social change to discuss how people can widen their distribution (to DVDs, theaters, etc.) and how they can earn additional revenue.

If you’re involved in Internet video delivery or social change, I’d like to invite you to fill out this survey. Responses will be anonymous and I’ll be able to share top level results publicly.

As an incentive for participation, I am offering a $150 Kiva gift certificate to one random person. These certificates allow you to log in to Kiva.org and micro-lend money to entrepreneurs all around the world.

The survey will close on July 7th, 2008 and the winner will be contacted privately soon afterward.

Please contact me if you have any questions. Thanks!