Over at HD Beat, Kevin Tofel has an interview with media guy Mark Cuban - and it's not all about basketball, either. Cuban talks about everything from the creation of HDNet to his goal of having multiple-outlet releases for film (home video/DVD, pay-per-view and theater). Read the whole thing.

This one's a few weeks old, but I would be remiss if I hadn't posted it for TMD readers. Over at the 92nd St. Y blog, they've posted an interview with Seth Mnookin, former Newsweek writer and author of a recent book about troubles inside the New York Times newsroom. Based on the few questions in which he's mentioned, let's just say that former NYT editor Howell Raines probably won't be a big fan of Mnookin's book.

The following is an short interview recently done via email with Terry Hambrick, Vice President of Operations for WeatherBug. His role includes direct sales of the company's products and services to television stations - a skill in which he has 25 years of experience in.

I thought Terry Hambrick would make a great candidate to get some more details on, as his role at WeatherBug is directly related to the world of media - and I think this Q&A offers some solid insights into the company. One of the company's current goals is to partner with local television stations to place WeatherBug technology, data, and branding into weather broadcasts, and we discussed that a bit.

TMD: Terry, I've read on the WeatherBug site that the company’s Media Services group reaches a huge number of households in the U.S., and works with one partner in each market. I believe WNBC is the partner in the NYC area. With regard to this, would it be possible to outline what products/services WeatherBug offers to the NBC station that are seen on-air by a viewer? Also, is there information that is provided *to* WeatherBug from the local partners that is distributed to WeatherBug customers/software users?

TH: The WeatherBug program for broadcasters is a comprehensive and fully integrated set of products, services and content for use on-air, on-line and on the desktop. WeatherBug also offers television partners extensive opportunities for community outreach.

For on-air, our Zoom state-of-the-art display system enables broadcasters to create a compelling, dynamic and highly differentiated show using live data and images from their local DMA as well as 7,000+ weather tracking stations and 1,000+ cameras located across the nation. This provides unique local coverage as well as the ability to cover severe and interesting weather activity anywhere in the country.

For online, we create a customized weather web site for all our television partners which extends the stations’ on-air content and look to their web page. This includes links to local and national weather stations, cameras and a variety of other meteorological information. We can seamlessly incorporate these pages into their existing web sites.

For the desktop, we incorporate television station branding, promotions and links to their content on 100% of the WeatherBugs in their DMA, driving page views to their web site or their sponsor’s web site.

For community outreach opportunities, we work with television stations to establish relationships with the WeatherBug schools in their DMA through local events, educational tools and assistance with placing weather tracking stations. For the community at large, we are encouraging submissions of weather and news photos that can be used on-air through Zoom, viewed online through the television station’s web site or accessed on the desktop through the television station-branded WeatherBug application.

TMD: On the same subject, are WeatherBug software users shown the logo of their "local partner" in-market everywhere across the country? Are there plans to promote WeatherBug on the local stations' websites? I know, at least at first glance, that I don't see anything specific on WNBC's site (http://www.wnbc.com/weather/index.html).

TH: Our television partners have station branding and promotion on all the WeatherBugs in their DMA. Download buttons and links for WeatherBug are located throughout television partners’ web sites. Here is an example of what one of our partners is doing.

KOAA (http://www.weatherfirstnow.com/weather/weathernet.asp)

TMD: Are the cameras that are available on the software owned, partially or otherwise, by WeatherBug?

TH: We own the images from the 1,000+ cameras in the WeatherBug network and provide our broadcast partners with an exclusive license to access and use these cameras

TMD: I've also read that WeatherBug is collaborating with various television station partners to re-brand their weather broadcasts - I'm very interested in this, and would love to hear if there has been any success with this across the country.

TH: Due to the tremendous reach that the WeatherBug desktop application has achieved as an online information distribution channel, our broadcast partners have been receptive to the re-branding and we have been successful in implementing WeatherBug as the name for the live, local weather segment. This is a core component to the overall media program, since it unites the various elements under one unified brand with which users are already familiar. We’ve conducted a number of surveys with our desktop application users and the results show a strong tie-in between on-air weather preference and recognition of the WeatherBug brand. Our desktop users access WeatherBug throughout the day (at home and at work), value our data as the only source for truly live, local weather and trust on-air weathercasts that use the same information. Broadcast partners who have adopted this program to-date have seen more than a 50% increase in page views.

TMD: Besides the software and trying to gain visibility on television weather broadcasts, how else is WeatherBug keeping their customers "in the loop" on their weather needs? I believe I've read about AOL instant messenger being involved, and I'm wondering about SMS alerts on telephones as an idea.

TH: Our overall strategy encompasses a range of products. Currently, WeatherBug is bundled with the newest version of AOL IM and our data is offered to AIM Today users. Our content is also available to mobile customers, who can access any of our 7,000+ weather tracking stations and 1,000+ cameras for instant live, local weather conditions, check the forecast and view radar images. Soon we will offer severe weather alert options through SMS.

WeatherBug also offers high-end, commercial-grade products and services to businesses and the government sector.

TMD: Customer scale/sizing - I can see the "live counter" of how many downloads of WeatherBug there are on my software. Would it be possible to know the latest figure of 'unique' users? I know that I have three versions of the software myself, one at work, and one on each of my home computers.

TH: Glad to hear you use WeatherBug at work and at home! Many of our users do the same thing since they want to monitor weather conditions throughout the day. According to the latest comScore/Media Metrix figures (October 2004), WeatherBug has 20 million monthly unique users.

TMD: One of the big issues surrounding WeatherBug's growth in recent times I'm assuming is the presumption that it was full of spyware - it's prominently featured on the company's homepage with details on why it is NOT. Is this something the company continues to have to defend itself on, especially when working with television networks?

TH: Desktop Internet applications have been around for years, but of late there have been some bad actors in the space -- companies that have applications that snoop on user behavior (spyware) and/or do pop-ups based on watching where a user travels on the web (adware).

WeatherBug is certainly a desktop application, but is not and never has been spyware or adware. We are VERY careful to make sure people know that WeatherBug 6.0 has no advertiser pop-ups, and NEVER tracks where a user goes on the Internet. There are plenty of good desktop applications out there that do not deserve to be sullied by the actions of a few-- WeatherBug has reached the 50 million download mark by being a good Internet citizen that is highly conscious of user rights.

TMD: Lastly, I'd be interested to hear about expansion into other media avenues - like radio - traditional radio broadcast obviously gets a ton of listenership from drivers going to and from work – has WeatherBug entered this market at all, even if just from an advertising/branding perspective?

TH: We are always interested in expanding our products and services. We are researching opportunities into other media outlets, including radio, but it’s too soon to talk details. In general, we believe that we have unique weather content and, therefore, opportunities in a number of verticals beyond broadcast TV.

Thanks to Terry Hambrick for taking the time to answer some questions. Feel free to leave any further clarifications or questions that you, the reader, might have after reading this, and I'll do my best to get some answers, where possible.

As always, if you have any suggestions as to someone that should be interviewed or profiled on TMD, please let me know.

A few weeks ago, Ed Cone was nice enough to do a Q&A with me via email. Topics covered include: journalism, media biases, his career, and (of course!) blogging. You can read the whole thing here at media networking site Mediabuddies.com.

Last week, I was able to get in touch with Gordon Collier, news anchor at KWTX, the CBS affiliate in Waco, Texas. We've traded a few emails, and below you'll find the results of a short email interview I was able to do with him about his career in news media.

TMD: Your bio on the KWTX site mentions that you "were bitten by the news bug" while you were in college. Did you go into undergrad planning on being a journalism major?

GC: I had no idea that I would be a journalist when I went to college. I had never really been exposed to the life while growing up...other than my dad used to sit us down in front of the television every night at 6pm to watch the evening news. I took a reporting I class as part of my public relations major and I was inspired by a teacher named Kay Gaddy. She made me realize that I always wanted to be a reporter. My mother used to tell the story of how when I was about three years old I would use the spray nozzle on the sink to "interview" her while she was doing the dishes...

"What is your name, Mommy Collier?" That's how my first interview went. Then in grade school I always wanted to be the first person to share the big story of the day. And I had to be the one who got the story right...and separated the truth from rumor. So it seems I've been a "reporter" all my life.

TMD: Your career has put you right in the path of two very dramatic events in recent U.S. history - the Branch Davidian situation and the Oklahoma City bombing. Do you find that it is harder or easier to do your job at times like those? How has covering those events - along with other major stories - affected the way you do your job today, if at all?

GC: It's much easier to cover the big stories. There's never any question about what angle the story is going to take. The most challenging thing about the big story is finding the elements that no one else has found or telling the story better than the other guys. I think covering the big stories has definitely shaped the way I approach the every day story.

First of all there's the confidence that I have gained in knowing that I'm capable of covering the big stories..."been there, done that." Very few stories intimidate me now because of the major stories that I've covered. There's also the speed factor. When faced with a big breaking story a few seconds can mean a world of difference. So I've learned to maximize my time in the field.

TMD: What brought you back to KWTX from a stint at Oklahoma's KOTV after a few years? When you returned to Texas, did you move right into the anchor role, or did you work as a reporter for awhile?

GC: When I left Waco for Tulsa in 1993 I told my boss that someday I'd like to come back and be the primary anchor. Two and a half years later he called me to remind me of that conversation and to offer me the job. I took it. Although I hadn't really planned on sitting on the anchor desk until later in my career.

TMD: I've interviewed a few other newspeople for the site, and they all have different experiences in their job. One was a news radio anchorman, and the other a technology reporter for a television network. They had very different experiences in their "day in the life" when it was relayed to me. Would you give me a blow by blow on how a typical work day goes for you?

GC: I typically get to work at about 1:30pm. I start by scanning the wires and checking the run-downs for the upcoming shows. We have a meeting at 2:30 where we discuss the news content of the day. After the meeting I get started on promotions. I write all the news promos that run through the day on our station and the promos that run on a local radio station. I am also the interim executive producer which means I'll be approving reporter scripts as they write them and assist the producer with whatever she needs to get the 6pm show done.

After the 6pm show we have another meeting to talk about the upcoming 10pm show and the process starts over. I usually get home at about 11:30 or so. That's the typical day but that could change dramatically in the event of breaking news. I also have a 30 minute feature program that airs once a month called Backroads. I look for the interesting people, places or things that make Central Texas what unique. Recently I haven't had much time to devote to the show but I'm still working on it.

TMD: A few months back, ESPN's "SportsCenter" program let the fans of the show in on what goes on behind the scenes. We got to see (for the first time, at least in my case) the running around between commercials, watched the control room changing camera views and bringing up highlights and interviews and live shots, and heard what the production staff was saying in the earpieces of the on-air talent. Many people thought it was amazing that anything could get done with that much going on in someone's head. Sports is one thing - the news is a whole different animal....but would you say there is as much going on or more in your evening newscasts?

GC: At times, it's a real mad house. The producer's talking to us in our ear, the floor director is trying to get our attention, the directors trying to talk to the producer, there's no shortage of distractions. Sometimes we have visitors sitting in for a news cast and they are always amazed at how we can carry on a conversation and then with 2 seconds out, snap back up to the camera without missing a beat. It's all about getting accustomed to the distractions and learning how to work through them. After a while you'd be more concerned if there weren't any distractions. That usually indicates something is seriously wrong.

TMD: I've also heard varying stories on how "fame" works for media
personalities. Do you have any good stories about people recognizing you from television - perhaps the first time they did so? Or is it not such a great thing in your eyes?

GC: Being recognized in public is something else you just get used to. It's when they don't recognize you that you get worried.

My favorite being "recognized" story happened a year or so ago at a club in Meridian, Texas. Sometimes I play guitar and sing in a country band that plays mainly small shows around Central Texas. Just before we took a break, I noticed a man who had "had a few" staggering in our direction. He jumped up on stage and grabbed the microphone and said. "Hey, do y'all recognize this guy???? This is Rusty Collier the Waco weatherman!!!" The problem is, my name is Gordon Collier and I am a news anchor. Rusty is our weatherman...he was a little confused. I still haven't lived that one down.

TMD: Do you have any suggestions, tips, or "words to live by" for people interested in studying journalism or working in the media world that I could share with the site's readers?

GC: That's easy, my advice is don't do it! Seriously. I discourage everyone I can from becoming a journalist. Only those determined enough to not heed this advice will ever make it in this business.

TMD: As an member of the media, do you feel/see bias in the media as a whole, and if so, does it have a consistent political slant? Along with that, is it possible that getting all "bias" out of news and news reporting is quite hard to do, based on the fact that people are...people, and they have beliefs and personal biases that are very hard to hide at all times?

GC: Everyone has an agenda, whether they admit it or not and sooner or later it will show. . But I don't believe the media, in general, is as politically biased as some would have us believe. Yes, there are media outlets that have a slant. They're easy to recognize. People will believe what they want to believe...and anyone who says something to the contrary is biased... I love it when someone accuses me of being part of the liberal media...I'm conservative. That must mean that I'm concealing my bias fairly well. The bottom line is, journalists have an obligation to tell the facts and let the reader or viewer form the opinions...if you can't do this then get a talk show.

Special thanks again to Gordon Collier for taking the time out of his hectic schedule to answer a few questions for TMD. Hopefully this interview provides some interesting insights to its readers - I definitely learned a few things. Particularly, I enjoyed Collier's "advice" to anyone pondering journalism as a career.

As always, if you have any suggestions on future TMD profiles or interviews, feel free to contact me with your ideas!

Recently, I was able to get in touch with Mark Fletcher, who some might recognize as a name behind Bloglines and eGroups (now Yahoo! Groups). I wanted to ask him some questions about himself and the Internet-related companies he has been a part of. He was nice enough to take some time and answer my questions via e-mail, and I'm posting them here for all to see. Thanks again to Mark for getting back to me on this, and giving us some great insight into your career and products many of us have used.

Q: Tell me a little bit about how you got involved with Internet projects such as ONElist? You've been around for 20 something years in the technology fields, and I'm curious to know where you got your start.

A: I have always loved computers. My parents got me my first computer, one of the original IBM PCs, in 1982, and I was instantly hooked.

Growing up I wrote a bunch of games for fun, and ran a computer BBS system. Later, I graduated college as the commercial Internet was starting to develop. I worked at Diba, which developed a set-top box to surf the web and was acquired by Sun Microsystems (details here). For fun on the side, I started playing with the ONElist idea out of my home. Its popularity really took off, I created a company around that service, and the rest was history.

Q: Can you tell me about something you were involved in funding or running that you thought was going to be HUGE and ended up back on the drawing board?

A: I thought Diba, with the set-top box, would be a big hit. That company had a great group of people, a lot of buzz, and we all worked really hard. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be.

Q: And as a follow up, how do you get "back in the saddle", so to say, after you have worked on something that hasn't worked out as well as planned?

A: If you asked around the technology industry, most people would say that things never work out the way they were planned—there’s always a curve ball! But that’s when the interesting stuff happens—you learn new things, come up with new ideas, and get an interesting story to tell after the dust settles. The people who stick around in this industry are the ones who enjoy a challenge. If you have that orientation, you work through the rough patches. You get mad about it, you work through it, you move on.

Q: Obviously eGroups had major success and eventually ended up in the Yahoo! brand. Did you have the opportunity to stay with the Yahoo!
group, and if you did, why did you choose to move on?

A: I loved creating ONElist from scratch and watching it grow into a successful business (merging with eGroups and being acquired by Yahoo).

It was the business experience of a lifetime, packed into a few short years. I’m proud of our work and the community that exists there today as Yahoo Groups. Yahoo's a great company, but I was burned out, and I needed some time away from the industry. I also knew that I wanted to return to the start up environment.

Q: Your profile on LinkedIn says that you are "currently focused on solving problems for the modern Internet user and launching innovative new services." Tell me what that means and how it led to the Bloglines service.

A: The biggest challenge for Internet users today is coping with information overload in all its forms—that includes information you want to find as well as unwanted information that finds you (spam). There are many different ways to address those issues and it’s fascinating to consider the options. At one point I considered creating products to address the spam problem, and some of the unique approaches I came up with in that arena became key technical underpinnings for Bloglines.

Q: Regarding Bloglines, did that start out of a need for yourself or your friends/colleagues, or did you just see it as a solution that had to be out there?

A: Like ONElist, I started Bloglines by creating tools for myself. I was personally struggling with managing tons of online information, and keeping up to date on all of my interests. I was trying to monitor over 100 web sites and having to revisit them time and again to determine if any new information had been posted or updated. I was investing a lot of time and felt like it was starting to run my life.

At the same time, some interesting web technologies like RSS and ATOM started to pop up, making it possible to create an umbrella service that helps people collect and manage lots of information from different sources at a single place.

So I had some great resources to work with, and once I launched Bloglines, I found it had a similar kind of viral uptake among users that validated my personal experience. It was clear that other people were encountering similar problems managing online information, and Bloglines was helping to solve those problems. The company was up and running.

Q: The reaction from pretty much everyone is clear about Bloglines - it's a huge success. Every day I make sure and check the number of blogs/subscriptions you have on the front page, and enjoy watching it grow. This has to garner a lot of attention from not only VCs but corporations looking to expand their portfolio - do you plan on keeping Bloglines a self-standing product for an extended time, or do you think it would make a great fit in someone else's portfolio of solutions?

A: I appreciate the compliments about Bloglines, and its great to be regarded as a category leader. The feedback we’ve received from users and across the blogosphere has been quite positive and encouraging. We feel like we’re at the beginning of our journey as a company, and we’re 100% focused on creating a great service, adding new features and making sure Bloglines subscribers have a positive experience.

Q: As a fellow blogger (you run wingedpig.com), what do you see as the biggest value of maintaining a blog? Had you blogged before that site?

A: I started blogging after the Yahoo acquisition. I thought I'd write about some of my experiences with eGroups, things that I learned along the way that might help others. Since the launch of Bloglines, my posts have obviously become much more centered on Bloglines. One of the things I like to do with wingedpig.com these days is to post additional information about what we're doing with Bloglines. Every Bloglines user is automatically subscribed to the Bloglines blog, which is where we post announcements about new features and other information about Bloglines. Oftentimes, when we post an announcement to the Bloglines blog, I'll then post additional information on wingedpig.com. I strongly believe in communicating as much as possible with our users, and wingedpig.com lets me add additional information for people who are interested, without overwhelming those who aren't.

Q: Five year plan - what would you like to be doing and where do you see your company, Trustic, going?

A: Five years is an eternity in Internet time! If I could architect the future, five years from now I’d like to still be involved in creating interesting Internet services. And I’d love to have enough free time to learn acrobatic flying.

Q: Any words of advice for the Internet entrepreneur in all of us?

A: Having started companies before, there are 3 key things I can recommend:

First, pick a problem that you have passion around. Starting a company is a 24x7 commitment and if you aren’t fully dedicated to the idea, it’s not going to work. Second, listen to your users—they’re the experts. The power of an online venture is access to direct, real-time feedback from users. It’s a gift to an entrepreneur, and an incredible tool for building a business. They will tell you loud and clear what is working and what is not. And third, stick with it and be tenacious. Just like you can’t turn the oven on higher in the hopes of making the cake bake faster, entrepreneurs have to understand that while a product or service can be created somewhat quickly, it takes a long time to build an actual company that delights its customers and generates revenues for its employees and investors.

Yet again I'm pleased to receive some great input and feedback from someone in the technology field. My takeaway to the exercises of asking technology, media, or music folks for a few minutes of their time over the last few months has been so very positive. Props again to Mark for answering these questions!

Well, here's the long awaited second half to the IM interview I had been conducting (over two sessions) with Jay Smooth of hiphopmusic.com. Thanks again to Jay for taking the time out of his schedule to answer my questions - hope you all enjoy it!

TMD: So before getting into some details about the site, give me your "desert island five" albums you'd have to have....?

JS: Ok.. man that's though, 1. Sign 'O' the Times.. 2. Innervisions .. I hate to pick both since they are similar type of music but no way I can cut either one.. uhh 3. Kind of Blue.. 4. uhh man.. 5 is not enough.. The White Album i guess, and 5. Criminal Minded

TMD: That's why it's five! Gotta make it tough... Good list though, thanks for putting that together so quickly...

Let's talk about hiphopmusic.com... How did it get started, and what were the intentions when you put it up?

JS: Well, I started it in 1997 I believe, first as a geocities page then I got my own domain.. back at this time there wasn't much hip-hop representation online, SOHH was just starting out and a site named Mr Blunt, a few others.. the most important online hip-hop presence at that time was probably the rec.music.hiphop usenet newsgroup.. so I started the site to add another hip-hop voice into the mix, mainly aiming to let people know about the radio show.. eventually I started expanding it to include content not directly related to the show, writing on different topics, posting photos etc.. and even as far back as '98 or '99 I was trying to do something similar to what I do now with the blog. I had a page named the newswire where I added links to news stories every day with a little commentary. This was probably before the word blog or blog software was invented yet - but that was the problem, doing it manually was too cumbersome and I couldnt keep it up for mroe than a week or two at a time and in general my focus on the site would ebb and flow, and it was dormant for many months at a time.

Then during the gulf war I discovered the political blogs covering it, and saw that i could install software to do this on my site, and knew right away this could take it to another level. I started that almost exactly a year ago, actually. The first one i believe was about FEMA's website with the rap on it [ed: first post] I put in other entries and backdated them, everything before march 2003 - cuz it looked so empty, I took things I had written elsewhere and put them in.

TMD: Do you find that your audience still contains some of the same folks that were reading the stuff from back towards 1997? Or can you not tell?

JS: Yeah, hard to say, but i think most of the regulars in the blog are fairly new to the site, which is cool.. some had been to the site at some point over the years and checked out the realaudio archives.. and are happy to come back and see the site is active again.. the coolest thing is how the site brings back people who used to listen to the radio show long ago but moved to another city or just lost track of it.. that's what happened with Just Blaze, actually.

TMD: On the note of JB - your site has had some pretty well noted visitors - anyone else reading the site regularly that people would find novel?

JS: There are a couple of hip-hop names people would know that come by often and post under slightly disguised names, but I don't want to blow them up.. there is Richard Pryor's wife of course, who just sent me some lovely emails lol.. What I'm finding is that celebrities, especially minor ones like Mrs. Pryor, are quite fond of Googling themselves, so if I put their name in the header of a post there's a pretty good chance they'll react to it eventually.. sort of my blogging "Field of Dreams" theory, lol.. "if I blog them they will come".

TMD: I find that, much like the discussion about the aforementioned Ms. Pryor, people can't take criticism and feel they need to respond to anything and everything.

You obviously love what you do, love music, and love writing about it. Have you ever thought about getting involved in doing more than your WBAI show and the site? Have you ever been approached by music publications or industry people to get involved?

JS: Well, I did some writing here and there over the years, for The Source, Vibe, XXL, but had drifted away from it until I started the blog, which has renewed my interest in pursuing outlets for my writing, somewhat.. I've just started doing some freelance writing here and there again, and looking to do more.. ultimately I'd like to publish a book of some sort..

As for the radio show, it's hard for me to imagine being on a commercial station, I'd be so much more limited compared to the freedom I have at WBAI. Since the station is a non profit and devoted to being anti-establishment, I have free reign to pursue paths that have "no commercial potential" as Frank Zappa would say.

I do believe I am capable of doing bigger things than the show or the site, at some point, but who knows which path will take me there.

TMD: So book wise, would you stick to the music topic, or do your interests lie elsewhere?

JS: Well, I suppose I would be best qualified for something hip-hop related, presumably tying in some larger issues and going on some tangents.. but if someone wants to offer a book deal on Shaw Brothers movies or Prince or seasons 1 through 9 of The Simpsons, I wouldn't turn it down.

I should say, its probably obvious from the blog, that race is my other obsession, I'm sure that would find a way into whatever area i focused on.

TMD: Somewhat related to your plans and direction as discussed a few minutes back - I’ve asked a couple people what they’d like to be doing in the next few years – do you have a five year plan-type deal of what you'd like to be doing, ideally - be as specific as you can...

JS: Difficult question of course, not only for the obvious reasons but because I have an aversion to discussing plans until they are well past the planning stage.. also an aversion to self-promotion in general which is probably my biggest weakness.. I'd like to be earning enough money to be secure (assuming I'd have a family at that point or be approaching it) from something that I have a passion for....

I'd hope to have outlets for my creativity that allow me to connect with people, hopefully on a larger scale than I do now, one way or another, and have opportunities to get the fulfillment that can only come from being of service to others, doing something that you know is making your community/the world a better place, which I haven't had enough of in my recent years dotcomming...

And if I'm not doing the radio show, I would need to have something else that allowed me to come together with others who share a passion for and knowledge of music similar to mine.. a place that to share and celebrate that love for the music is vital, and can be hard to find, it is what attracts so many great djs to our show, i think.

Like Easy Mo Bee, when we had him on the show we hung out for hours afterwards, me and my crew of Djs that do the show with me, and Mo Bee kept saying "Man, it's so good to finally have some people i can talk to about this stuff!"

It's a lot like the role that church plays in people's lives i think... it really replenishes my spirit for the week, being able to come together and share an expression of that passion collectively.

TMD: And I think the interesting dynamic that you create with the site and the show is that you bring what you've done to the people - without blowing up the spot of the person you're talking about.... but offering enough to the readers to get a "feel" for what happened. That's something key.

Stepping back a second, do you see music as a helper to the “cultural divide” that makes up a lot of racial issues?

JS: Well, obviously when it comes to race and racism there are all sorts of institutional, systemic, and even psychological issues so deeply ingrained in our society, all the music in the world by itself will never solve .001% of it.. but I do think it affects things in many ways, yes.

I think as music listeners and consumers we are much less segregated than we used to be, and that's more due to hip-hop than anything - though it may also be due to MTV's dominance in narrowing the pop playing field for everyone. But when I was a kid, I came into 7th grade in one of the elite rich kid prvate schools - I was one of the token scholarship kids, and when I came in, in 1985, it was basically only me and the other scholarship kids who were into hip-hop.. and we gradually saw things shift more and more until by the time we graduated all the rich white kids were blasting Kool G Rap out their Saabs. What effect that has had on how those kids perceive Black people is difficult to gauge..but we have certainly become less invisible than we once were. And it's always beautiful to me, to go to a show that has such a diverse crowd, as is always the case at Prince's shows for example.

TMD: So the question is, can that ever translate to life as a whole....? I like to think that common, base ideas and "things" make people realize that they are just that. People.

JS: And music is especially well suited to make that happen because we connect with it on a deeper level than the part of our brain that forms concrete thoughts, whether those be loves hates, prejudices or whatever..

Well, yeah that is the guiding principle that I live my life by, and probably what I value most from any artistic expression.. anything that is driven by an awareness that we are all human beings.. that we are all full of flaws and contradictions, all constantly making mistakes, making wrong choices everyday, struggling everyday to be honest with ourselves, and trying to find our way through this crazy life. And since we are all in that same boat together, the least we could do is be kind to each other along the way, and help each other down the road.

Whether art can make people see that if they haven't already, I can't say.. but I hear and see that truth expressed in music and art more than anywhere else, so hopefully it can bring us all closer to it.

This is why I try really hard to be nice in my blog. Although the medium seems to lend itself to being snarky, I try to always be as respectful as possible of anyone I write about, no matter how loathsome I might find their views or actions, because I never want to reach the point where I no longer recognize another person's humanity, and lose compassion for them, no matter who they are. I do not succeed at that 100%, obviously, if you read the blog (lol), but I strive for it.

TMD: I have one last question for this interview - What kind of advice would you give the up and coming musicians, writers, or creative folks of any regard out there.... If you had five minutes in front of them to share some wisdom....

JS: Well, taking up 5 minutes would require a heck of a lot of wisdom, I'd probably need some filler in there.. There's a mural in the Chelsea art district that says "Any artist who talks about his work for more than 1 minute is lying," that may also apply here... but..

TMD: (that's really funny, actually) - didn't know that.

JS: Well, you can't be afraid to be bad, a crucial lesson to learn, anything that you really want to do, you need to spend at least a couple of years being really bad at it, preferably in public, in order to get good.. You need to reach a point where you realize that the failures are just as valuable as the successes, they are both steps on a path and you learn from each one.. whateer you want to do, the most important thing is to keep doing it.. Strive for completion rather than perfection, being persistent and productive is the only way to move forward.

Well, Jay certainly had some great insights and ideas on various topics, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to get "in his head" for a while. Kudos once more to Jay for taking the time to chat, and if you're interested in hearing more about Jay and his work, check out his site at hiphopmusic.com or listen in on Saturday nights at midnight on WBAI (that's 99.5FM in New York City) for the "Underground Railroad" program.

As always, feel free to drop any questions or comments you have about this interview here, and if you have any suggestions for future media-related folks to interview, I'll gladly look into them!

Following the great lead set by Leonard Witt, I'm attempting my first Instant Message-based interview. Today I'm speaking with Jay Smooth of hiphopmusic.com and host of the Underground Railroad radio program on WBAI in New York. I came to find Jay and hiphopmusic.com after seeing a link on Cal Ulmann's site. Jay brings to life two major interests I have - hip-hop music discussion and a perspective based in reality, not puffery. I definitely recommend reading up on his site just to get some interesting insights and see things 180 degrees away from what you might read in your favorite music publication.

TMD: First off - thanks for taking the time to answer a few of my questions on IM… For the folks out there who aren't familiar with hiphopmusic.com, your show on WBAI, or Jay Smooth the guy - tell us a little bit about yourself…

JS: Well I was born and raised in NYC, sharing time between my dad's apt in Harlem and my mom's on the upper west side.. both were very artistic/musical households, my dad was a poet who worked a lot with Gylan Kain of the original Last Poets (of the Right On! Album, Kain also did a solo album Blue Guerrila that is sampled a lot), and my mom studied jazz piano under John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet and has spent most of her life around jazz musicians, because her dad (my granddad) was a music critic for the NY Times among other papers. So music was always a big part of my life, the center of it really.. I was a shy nerdy kid who spent a lot of time alone, especially when my mother was working nights, so music did more than anything to fill that void.

TMD: So early on you were obviously into music.... and using some really tough mathematical formulas, I've determined from your profile on orkut that you were about 18 years old when you got started with the Underground Railroad radio program. How did you put that together?

JS: Yeah, I came to WBAI when I was 16, after I got turned down for a job at McDonalds, and my mom was looking constructive I could do.. I started interning there under a guy named Anthony Sloan, learned how to engineer working with him for Amy Goodman who ran the local news then (now she does Democracy Now), and after a couple of years i was on the air here and there, performing on a comedy sketch show named Creative Unity. The station wanted to get a rap show to seek a younger audience, so I put in a proposal and the rest is history.. Started the show in Feb. of 1991 when I was still a senior in high school.

TMD: Tell me a little bit about how the show has evolved since 1991, and what the focus of it is?

JS: Well the focus when I started out, as indicated in the oh so clever name, was to try to take all of the amazing hip-hop music I was listening to, that wasnt played in mainstream media, and smuggle that music out to freedom so to speak, showcase it to people who might not otherwise have a chance to be exposed to it, and to share my love of the music with others who feel the same.. Over the years as hip-hop has become more mainstream I guess the show has shifted more towards showcasing newer, indie label acts. Ten years ago we had major label guests on almost every week, but nowadays they have 24 hour rap stations like Hot 97 to go to so we hardly ever see them.

So our job has become to provide an alternative to that.. Not because i think Jay-Z or 50 is wack, but because for us to play them would be redundant. Also, since I am on a station that strives to represent on a different level politically and intellectually, I have always tried to set a different example for what a hip-hop radio show can be.. to show that you can have a totally different demeanor than most other hip-hop jocks have, be a nerd who likes to talk about politics and hardly ever uses any slang, and still be just as "down", just as legitimate as a representative and member of the culture. Which is not to look down on anyone else's show but when everyone sounds the same its easy for kids to think you have to be that way to be down. When really, anyone can be themselves and be respected if they have the love and knowledge of the music. Lemme stress again im not saying my show is better than anyone else's, just trying to be a different flavor in that sense.

TMD: Absolutely....so you led me right up to what I wanted to talk about next - the "other" stations in New York City - namely Hot 97 and Power 105... As rap and hip-hop have become more mainstream over the last 5-7 years (or even 10), those stations have broadened their audiences by default. A lot of people don't consider them as "true" to the rap / hip-hop community as they could be… Do you think this is partially just a function of the popularity of rap music, or that the stations have made an intentional move to become ultra-popular and not "groundbreaking", as it were?

JS: Well, that's a tough question.. These stations are easy targets for hate.. As commercial stations that need to make a profit, they have a lot of limitations that I for example don't have.. Like it's easy to complain about how they play the same 10 or 15 songs over and over again all day, but I can't knock them for that, because only a small percentage of radio listeners listen to a station for more than 1 or 2 hours a day, most people are more casual listeners than us music nerds, they want to be able to tune in for that one hour and hear the hottest songs out right now, and you need to program the station to serve that need. So within those constraints that they have, I think they they could do better and could do worse...certainly sticking with that format greatly narrows the range of what gets exposed to most hip-hop listeners.

TMD: Okay, that makes perfect sense - so, hypothetical - if you were program director at one of those stations, and couldn't just flip the format, so to say, what is *one* change you would make?

JS: Well, first of all eliminate payola, which has been well known to heavily influence the playlist of certain shows, that happen to be some of the ones with the most power and freedom to play whatever they want..the nighttime mixshows are where new stuff can really get broken - so i'd focus on those as a place to broaden horizons and make sure a diverse array of sounds were represented in those slots.

TMD: So let's talk a little more about "underground" music....obviously there are tons of fans of what people call "underground" music - I'm guilty of calling it that sometimes, but know that what's "underground" sometimes has just as many fans as what's on the radio every fifteen minutes. Do you think artists are starting to try and step out of the shadow and become stars, as opposed to a few years ago? Not everyone wants to take a chance of being a "one hit wonder" and fade away, we know.

JS: I'm not sure the word "underground" has much value anymore.. it was a very different landscape in 1991 when I named my show.. since then the word has become a way to pigeonhole artists and confine them to a particular corner of the industry, tie them in with a certain subset of the hip-hop audience, because splitting the audience up into different groups and marketing different specialized products to each group is better business strategy than having all your label's albums competing for the same dollar.. Q-Tip broke this down in our interview..

So i see our purpose now as to simply promote good music, and to challenge underground heads who eschew all "commercial" stuff just as much as we challenge those who only listen to the pop hits.

TMD: I agree with you about the terminology - especially with relation to the Internet's growth, someone can "blow up", to use a cliche, overnight - just based on some people blogging about it or posting some tracks online or whatever. Do you think there is a segment of artists out there with absolutely no interest in getting big play?

JS: hmm.. I think any artist hopes for their creation to touch as many people as possible.. but I think there are many artists who are able to recognize that only a minority of listeners will be able to follow them down the path that they've chosen, and are more than content to maintain their relationship with those who do "get it," rather than making changes to reach those who don't.

TMD: So then it's a function more on the listener side, where the folks who don't "get it" might be in that category because of the bulk of other music they're listening to? I think Talib Kweli and Common are perfect examples of people with really great followings, and they've made a way into the so-called "mainstream" world... But I can't tell if they will choose to "stay" or not. Not that they'll stop making their music, but they may just take a different tact at attracting listeners.

JS: Well, I'd never consider anyone's taste or listening habits to be a flaw, people have different tastes and that's how it should be.. but that's a good point, there are a lot of artists that fail to blow not cuz the masses would be unable to get it, but cuz they never even get a chance to hear it, that's always a factor too.. and the masses' tastes are certainly influenced by what the major labels (how long will be be able to use the plural of that word) choose to propagate.. so it's always a tough call for artists, how to navigate that.

That's it for the first portion of the interview. The remainder of the discussion will cover some discussions about the hiphopmusic.com website, Jay's 5 "desert island" albums, among other things.

Today's interview is Alan Abbey, Senior Features Writer at the Jerusalem Post. I happened to find Alan in the directory on LinkedIn, and he was extra gracious in getting back to me and in answering some of the questions below.

Alan has a Master's Degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon, and has been in the media world since 1977. He's acted in various roles between Business Editor to Internet Division Director for a variety of publications, including those in Oregon, Vermont, the New York metropolitan area, and in Washington, D.C. I thought that an interview with someone not based in the U.S. would give a unique perspective and an opportunity to see what trends might be similar between North America and the Middle Eastern region. [ed: just to clarify, this Q&A took place via email]

TMD: Alan, I see you’ve been very involved in multiple areas of the Jerusalem Post. How did you get started at the publication?

AA: After two high-tech media jobs in Israel came and went quickly after the late 1990s Internet bubble burst, I joined the Jerusalem Post as Duty Editor, where I was responsible for the night news desk and daily production of the newspaper.

TMD: For about nine months, you were running the Electronic Publishing division of the paper, and were responsible for many developments during that time. What were some of the larger projects or creations you were able to be a part of?

AA: I ran the JPost Electronic Publishing Division for a year and a half, and was reponsible for bringing us into a new content management system, new design, site registration, email marketing campaigns, SMS messaging service, paid content packages and content syndication.

TMD: Late last year, you transitioned to being a Senior Editor and Writer – tell me what your day-to-day is like now, as compared to when you were VP of the Electronic Publishing division? Do you like being on the “writing” side of the fence, or would you eventually like to have a strictly executive position?

AA: I guess I've always wanted to be Publisher of a newspaper, so I like the Executive position, but I am enjoying writing fulltime right now. The position of Senior Feature Writer gives me an opportunity to do in-depth stories about interesting people and projects in Israel that are usually outside the crush of daily, breaking news. I am doing my best to stay away from politics! There are enough people doing that.

TMD: A lot of people in the US are moving towards getting most of their news online, with newspaper being probably third in the rankings after television and the ‘net. Does this reflect the situation in Israel as well?

AA: Yes, nearly 1/2 of Israeli households are online, and Israelis are crazy for the latest news. Usually, unfortunately, it is difficult to hear, but the country is so small, everyone knows almost everyone else. So "bad" news has a broad impact. One of the most popular Hebrew news sites simply links to all the breaking news headlnies from all the other Israeli news sites. It posts 60+ an hour.

TMD: noticed that the Post has a subscription service, which isn’t very common in the US – only the New York Times and a few other papers have a lot of their articles in a pay-for-read format – how has that worked out for the Post?

AA: Virtually all of the content on JPost.com is free; some requires free registration. We experimented with pay-per-view content, and found some resistance, but also a degree of acceptance. The people currently running the web site have not been posting pay-per-view content for a while. [ed: we'll see if there is any level of acceptance when this happens in the States]

TMD: What do you find your readers are most interested in reading about – either in the print or online edition? What stories evoke the most reaction?

AA: News of the terror war and attacks on Israelis and tourists always draw the highest readership. As for reaction, we have many provocative editorials and op-ed columns, and they receive significant response.

TMD: What’s a story that you’re really proud of being able to work on, anytime throughout your career? And as a followup, what was one of the toughest things you’ve covered?

AA: I spent four months in 1989 at a newspaper in New Jersey working on an investigative project about a local family that was extremely well politically connected, and was giving many New Jesey political figures "sweetheart deals" on housing loans and shares of stock in exchange for political favors. Six months after the stories appeared, the federal government announced a 60+ count indictment against the members of that family. Within the next 18 months, virtually all of the politicians we had written about either were out of office, indicted or in jail. This was also one of the most difficult stories to compile, because of the family's power and strength. The toughest emotionally have certainly been the terror attacks in Israel and the death of the Columbia astronauts, including Israel's Ilan Ramon. Ramon's flight and death inspired me to write a book about him, "Journey of Hope: The Story of Ilan Ramon, Israel's First Astronaut."

TMD: If you can, give me a five year plan – first for what you see for major print publications like the Jerusalem Post, and second for where you see yourself – what would you like to be doing?

AA: I think the entire Internet will be different in five years, with almost all mainstream media content online being behind a subscription wall. I don't think much content will be free. After all, how do they expect people to produce all of this material? Someone has to pay. The JPost is a unique entity with a worldwide audience and brand name, despite its small size. I would like to be heading up a major media organization in Israel.

TMD: Do you remember the first time you realized you wanted to be involved in the media? Do you have any mentors or people you credit with helping you get a head start?

AA: I wrote in my sixth-grade autograph book that I wanted to be a TV reporter, but I never really made it into the broadcast world. I gave up the track team to work on my High School newspaper, and I have never really done anything else. Mentors include the novelist (and former journalist) William Kennedy ("Ironweed"), who was a college professor of mine, and Harry Rosenfeld, the former Editor in Chief of the Albany Times Union, where I worked for a decade. Harry was also Woodward and Bernstein's editor when he was Metro Editor of The Washington Post.

TMD: I also noticed that you have a book upcoming – can you tell us a little bit about it, without giving away too much?

AA: A friend and I are writing a humorous book about management, but we feel it has useful lessons for managers. It is called, "The Manager's Guide to the Bible: Everything You Want to Learn About Business is in the Five Books of Moses."

TMD: And finally, what advice would you give to the folks who might be interested in getting into writing, editing, and involvement in the mass media world, in three sentences or less?

AA: Do it only if you love it. Be fair. Be accurate.

I'm very pleased Alan was able to answer a few of my questions for the site, and think he brings a wealth of experience which the Jerusalem Post is really lucky to have. Many people are familiar with the JPost, and I've often been curious if it's run in a similar fashion to American publications - but I realize that in the "Internet Age," many things are quite the same - no matter where you call home.

I hope you enjoyed the interview, and feel free to send in any suggestions for people you might like to hear more about to tom@themediadrop.com.

K. Paul Mallasch posts about a set of super-helpful techniques and learnings at Poynter entitled The Art of Asking Questions. The feature has Bob Schieffer, Jim Alexander, Dan Weber, Joe Hamelin and Jim Short all giving some great tips and insights on the subject. Mallasch, of course, points out something that I've been toying with not so unsuccessfully - the e-mail interview - as a part of Short's commentary on phone interviewing.

I would love to be able to speak with the folks I've been trading messages with either in person or on the telephone at the very least, but it's not worked out just yet. Just as K. Paul "telegrams" himself, I'll make a point to interview a little more in person when I a) hit the lottery or b) suddenly have 8 million frequent flyer miles. Anyhow, I'm going to make sure I listen to these people, they are our de facto teachers.

Today's interview takes a different direction from the last few, as I've been able to "unmask" someone who does their daily work with a pseudonym. Her name is Marisa Hoheb, but some of you might know her by Rachel, from the Rachel Speaks column at Media Life Magazine.

After my initial contact with "Rachel", I learned something exciting - she's a 22 year-old senior at the University of Virginia, and is just a few months from graduation. I immediately got all "cloak and dagger" (but without Dabney Coleman) about revealing her information, but was assured I need not worry about it, which made this even more intriguing for me. So here goes!

TMD: Tell me a bit about your background, career, and your interested in the media world?

RH: My name is Marisa Hoheb, I'm 22 years old, and I'm in my last semester at the University of Virginia. I've been writing and editing for as long as I can remember...probably since elementary school! So after graduation I hope to have a job in magazine journalism (either print or online) or book publishing. I guess you can call me a media junkie, because although I have no intentions of pursuing broadcast journalism, I currently do news and public service announcements for a local radio station as well, and it's a lot of fun!

TMD: Do you have any hobbies or things outside school or work that you enjoy?

MH: Well, unfortunately I don't have a whole lot of free time right now since for some strange reason I decided to make my last semester my BUSIEST one instead of my slack-off one! But I very much enjoy reading, eating, and wasting a whole lot of time online. Oh, yes, and I love to travel. Luckily my mother shares this love with me, and she's crazy enough to call me up every once in awhile and say, "Hey, do you want to go to [fill in the name of a city/country here] this weekend??" I've scored several free trips, including two to London and one to San Francisco, that way!

TMD: If you had to choose what role you might have at a media outlet, what would be the order you'd go in: editor, writer (behind the scenes), byline journalist, on-air talent (radio or television) - or something else? Why would you choose as such?

MH: Honestly, I love writing and editing so much that I could easily envision myself in any of the first three positions. Hopefully I will find a job that lets me fill all three roles. I am a pretty shy person, but if I were more naturally outgoing and could think on my feet a little better I would also love to pursue radio as a career rather than simply a hobby.

TMD: Tell me how you got involved with Media Life Magazine?

MH: Media Studies, which is one of my majors, [ed: note to self...."one" of her majors!!] used to send out an e-mail newsletter every week with media-related job opportunities, and at some point in October Media Life advertised for a copywriter/proofreader. On a whim I applied for the job since I figured I could use the extra cash, and I got it! I worked (and continue to work) as a copywriter/proofreader three mornings a week, and at the beginning of this semester my editor asked if I would like to write a career advice column as well. And thus, the birth of Rachel!

TMD: In performing your duties in the "Rachel Speaks" column, what kind of mail do you get the most? Are they from people with serious job requests or general questions about the media industry for people who aren't necessarily employed in it - or something else?

MH: I get a pretty big mix. Many of the people who write to me have had at least a few years of experience in the media industry and have pretty specific questions, how they can get a raise, what and where the hottest media jobs are right now, how to do with office politics, things like that. But I also hear from people who are just entering the workforce or who are approaching media from an entirely different career path, and many of them have more general questions regarding how they can break into the world of media.

TMD: Have you ever answered someone's request either in a column or privately and receive really great feedback from it?

MH: The first series of columns I did, about how and when to ask for a raise and what to do if your boss says no, elicited a lot of positive feedback...which was really exciting since I essentially had no idea what I was doing at that point! I think people reacted so well to those columns because raises and promotions are important to EVERYONE, regardless of their specific job or level of experience.

TMD: Many people think that "advice" type columns are a dime a dozen - not to defame what you do in any way - but why do you think what you do is important, and what do you think that you, "Rachel", bring to the table?

MH: Okay, I'm going to start off by being a little selfish here. Writing this career advice column has benefited me greatly because I myself am totally new to this whole "full-time job" thing! :-) I have learned so much about the working world over the past couple of months, and I feel like I am expanding not only my knowledge base but my capability to face challenges because if writing a column about media careers before ever having had a full-time job in media isn't a challenge, I don't know what is! I can only hope that I have succeeded in making "Rachel Speaks" easy and fun to read and the people who read the column, particularly those just starting out in their careers, are benefiting from the advice I provide. Several media veterans have asked me why Media Life elected to have me write the column rather than someone with a wealth of experience, and the answer is that they thought I would be able to provide a fresh, youthful voice. So I would like to think that although I can't bring experience to the table, I can challenge media newbies and pros alike to think about various aspects of their careers in a new light.

TMD: Five year plan - what's on yours?

MH: Graduate from UVA, find a job in print journalism or book publishing in the New York metro area, move into my own apartment (most likely in Queens since it's not exactly realistic to think I can afford New York City rent on an entry-level media salary!), travel as much as I can, settle down with my boyfriend of six years, and hopefully succeed and advance in whatever career path I end up following! :-)

TMD: Is there a person who caused you to be interested in the media as a whole? If so, tell me how they influenced your education and direction?

MH: This is a hard question to answer because I feel like I was born to write and edit. For that I guess I can thank my parents, not only for the literary genes but for the encouragement and support they have always provided me.

There are also a ton of employers, teachers, and professors who have convinced me over the years that this is really what I want to do.

TMD: Obviously writing a column for a publication can take some time out of your day - how much do you find you read in other publications, online or otherwise - anything in particular you regularly follow?

MH: When I am home from school I read newspapers and magazines, everything from Newsday, the New York Times, and Time to Jane and Ms., on pretty much a daily basis. When I'm at school I kind of live in a bubble and don?t have much access to such publications, so I pretty much follow the news by reading the Cavalier Daily (UVA?s newspaper) and news web sites such as CNN.com. Doing live morning news for the radio station pretty much forces me to keep up-to-date on the major stories, so at least I'm not TOTALLY out of touch with the world right now! ;-)

TMD: What impact do you see blogging having on the journalism and mass media fields in the near and/or long term? Have you ever blogged?

MH: I think blogging has increased the public's desire to infiltrate the private spheres of high-profile individuals (politicians, celebrities, or otherwise). How could it be otherwise? Blogging has become so common that our society is pretty much accustomed to being able to sign online and read about the day-to-day minutiae of friends, family, and strangers whenever the desire trikes...so it follows that we would demand the same of those in the news.

Accordingly, I think journalism will increasingly cater to this appetite for "fluff" (where does Britney Spears get her hair extensions put in? What does Justin Timberlake eat for breakfast? What's J.Lo.'s sex life like?) I myself have blogged, but not extensively. My friend set up an account for me on livejournal, but I never really got into posting details about my life for all to see. I'd say I update the account once every six months or so!

TMD: One last question - if you had two or three sentences of advice for someone looking to get involved in the media world, what would they be?

MH: Wow, I wish I had something awe-inspiringly profound to say here, but I'm just starting out! Anyone have any advice for me on how to secure a magazine or book job? I've applied for at least 25 already, but so far my phone's not ringing! ;-)

But seriously, I think the most major lesson I've learned from "Rachel" so far is that you have to be creative, flexible, and patient if you're hoping to break into media. There are definitely jobs out there, but this is an extremely difficult industry to enter. Don't have your heart set on one specific job and location. Keep an open mind, because you never know what might pop up!

Thanks so much for interviewing me! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hope you all enjoyed that interview - I thought it was very insightful, and perhaps we all have something to learn after realizing that not only did a publication offer Marisa an advice column about working in an industry before she graduated from school, but that people really utilized her column as a resource. We should all keep Marisa on our radar screens, as I'm sure she'll be at a publication near you sometime soon! Good luck!

[photo: Marisa and her boyfriend at the Rotunda at the University of Virginia]

In the ongoing series of interviews being put together for The Media Drop, I've mainly focused on members of the traditional broadcast media. This time around, I've gone in another direction in getting some great Q&A in with Mark Vrieling, CEO of ScreenPlay, Inc., a purveyor of master quality content including over 35,000 music videos, 6,000 movie trailers, and "hundreds of hours" of interviews and programming. He is also the owner of RainCity Video, a chain of "art house" movie shops in the Seattle area. He was more than helpful in providing some insights not only on his career, but on what ScreenPlay has to offer.

TMD: First off, tell me a little bit about how you ended up interested in a career around film and video?

MV: I guess the two biggest influences on my choice of career are my dyslexia and love of music and video. Having dyslexia has always made traditional learning environments more challenging for me than for most. Although my comprehension has always been very good, my reading speed, spelling and the ability to put thoughts on paper have been a challenge for me. As a balance to that I have always gravitated toward and found great comfort in music and TV/film.

During the late 70s when I was in college I discovered the media lab at my school and I spent hours watching 3/4” video tapes on all kinds of subjects and fell in love with the idea of audio/visual media on demand. Finding out that there was so much more available to be seen on a TV than just what the networks wanted to provide to you at that particular moment was a big revelation to me. I remember thinking how cool it would be if people could have access to a library like that at home. So when video rental stores started getting popular in the mid 80s I decided to start my own - with a twist.

In addition to New Releases I added special interest, deep catalogue, foreign, etc. The predominant model at the time for a video store (and unfortunately still is the model) is that video is a means were you can watch new release movies at home before they are on regular TV. Although it is not uncommon for video stores to hold on to a lot of old movies, the world of possibilities in education, travel and special interest programming never really took off. Even a well-stocked library of classics, foreign or PBS shows is relatively rare. Although providing New Releases is an important part of RainCity Video, our catalogue sections are what set us apart from other stores.

TMD: After finding your profile on LinkedIn, I did a little “look-see” at the ScreenPlay website, and learned a little bit about your company. I could write something myself, but I always find that asking someone what the two/three sentence runthru answer they give to people who say “What do you do?” is very helpful. So, what do you do?

MV: One of the lessons I learned early on as a video storeowner was how powerful an advertising medium the TV can be. I could take a movie that had not rented in weeks and play it on the in-store TV and invariably some one would want to rent it before I had finished playing it. It was not much of a leap from that observation to “Hey, what if I started playing movie previews in my store, I bet I could invigorate demand for movies that are starting to slow down.”

That idea is the foundation of ScreenPlay. We acquire video trailers, music video, video games and other pop culture video content from hundreds of sources throughout the world and produce programs that play on in-store TVs. We started by providing programming for video stores and music stores but over time we branched out to include businesses of all kinds. (Kind of a custom "MTV" for businesses). From there, we branched into streaming trailers on the Internet. Movie studios send us the video they want to be available on the Internet and we do all the encoding, hosting and streaming for them. From here we hope to start streaming music videos on the Internet but we still have some rights issues to overcome. [ed: Aren't we all!?]

TMD: As a consumer, give me an example of something I might see during my daily errands that is produced by ScreenPlay?

MV: If you go into a video store and they are playing video trailers on their TV - it is probably us; as well as mall based clothing stores that have music videos playing on their TVs. We also supply to bars, nightclubs and casinos that play music videos on their TVs. On the Internet, if you watch trailers on any of the Disney sites, the New York Times, Amazon.com or hundreds of other sites, the streaming file you are watching is originating from ScreenPlay.

[ed: pretty impressive! The "behind the scenes" companies always fascinate me.]

TMD: For a follow-up to that question, how do you go about acquiring new business – I was, unfortunately, not familiar with the ScreenPlay brand before finding your profile – is there any possibility that the name will be out there – much like one of the “partners” listed on your site, Muzak?

MV: We do not market to end-user, so I am not surprised you have not heard of us. We market directly to businesses that we know could use our services. Large video retailers, music store chains, and large retail chains are pretty well defined and easy for us to target. On the Internet the studios find us to be a very useful service so they introduce customers who could use our streaming services.

TMD: Moving back to the “who are your customers” area, are they regional in nature, or has the Internet enabled your company to “get the word out”, so to speak?

MV: We do have some regional chains that we service but for the main part we offer our services throughout the United States and Canada. Yes, the Internet has become not only a market for us but also a major tool. Graphic approvals that used to take days to receive because of mailing time now take hours. We can stream or download questionable content to get instant feedback from customers saving days of production time.

TMD: Who are your competitors? Do they also serve as “partners” in some capacity?

MV: We do not have many competitors because we are so specialized but we do go after the same market that Muzak and others go after on the in-store side of our business. They create audio environments where we create audio / video environments. With Muzak they are both a competitor and a re-seller of our service. Muzak is so much larger than we are I don’t think they really see us as a threat. On the Internet side, our biggest competitors are businesses that set up a division within their own company to do what we do. We are usually more cost effective than doing it themselves but some business are just more comfortable outsourcing then others.

TMD: Some people mention GreenCine, who is a competitor of Netflix in the online-movie rental industry, as being the “indie” movie rental store – would you compare your typical customer to a GreenCine customer? And if so, what does your Seattle based brick-and-mortar store offer to that customer that GreenCine doesn’t?

MV: Sorry I don’t know GreenCine, I will look them up and let you know later. But in general, 70% of retailers make their rental decision the day they rent so I doubt that mail order rental will ever be a huge competitor to brick & mortar stores. Netflix estimates that mail order will not get to be much more than 10% of the industry.

TMD: Your bio lists your goal “to make media affordable and available for everyone - why watch MTV when you can program your own?” Obviously without giving away your whole business plan, tell me what ScreenPlay can do to make this a possibility – or recommend partners you might have where the readers can move towards “programming their own” media?

MV: ScreenPlay has a video library that rivals MTV and is currently only licensed for business-to-business use. What I would really like to do is make that library available over the web to the general public. I would love to let people build play lists and play them back the way they do with their iTunes audio files. Kind of a do it your self on-line MTV.

Personally I like the mixed tapes I get from friends better than what I hear on the radio, it could be kind of like blogs, good video programmers (VJs) would find their own audience. Technically, we are capable of doing this right now. This is very similar to what we provide on a business-to-business basis. The issue is licensing, the music labels need to reform their rules on media uses on the Internet before we could do anything like this legally.

TMD: And finally, what is a trend, product, or occurrence that you see coming in the near future in the overall media world that might not be on everyone’s mind as of yet?

MV: The biggest trend I see is the proliferation of homes with high bandwidth. 56k just doesn’t cut it for media over the web. Sure we can make a herky-jerky tiny picture that moves with a 56k modem, but it takes at least 128 to really do anything. A standard DSL at 256 is even on the low side but at least it is a base that you can start to do something interesting. We have seen an astounding increase in high bandwidth users accessing our content over the last year. At the same time that bandwidth is going up, the codecs are getting better. MPEG4, Windows Media 9 and the latest Real Media and QuickTime codecs are getting really good at making streaming files run smoother and look better at DSL speeds.

Keep your eye on ScreenPlay (literally!), you might be hearing more from them in the future. Being someone that seems like a small player to the casual investigator but turns out to be a much bigger deal and a potential pioneer of sorts in the media channel can definitely work to your advantage. Best of luck to Mark, ScreenPlay, and RainCity in the future!

The Media Drop is happy to present its second successful "interview" with a member of the media - this time, Scott McGrew, technology/business reporter from NBC affiliate KNTV, which serves the San Jose / Oakland / San Francisco area.

Scott [profile] is co-founder of a technology-specific program called TechNow, which is produced out of KNTV and shown to an audience that spans from parts of Asia to the Middle East. Thanks to Scott for taking the time out of his schedule to answer a few questions for the site.

Background: Scott graduated from Iowa State University in 1991 with a double major in Political Science and English. He has worked for NBC11 for the last five years.

TMD: I've read on NBC11's website that you've been working for them for about five years - how did it come about that you made your way to KNTV, and how long have you been in the broadcast industry as a whole?

SM: I've been a television reporter for 12 years. I started in Macon