They have a ways to go.

While the device boasts many amazing features, you will begin to ask yourself if it is worth the price and hype. First we’ll look at the price, at $249 this unit doesn’t come cheap. In fact, one would have to wonder who the core demographic of the unit is as I wouldn’t trust this thing to anyone under 15 years of age. With the price that high, you could easily purchase a regular PSP and still have money left over for games. The unit is also $80 more then the Nintendo DSi and over $120 more than the standard DS.

Now I could overlook the price if the unit boasted an amazing interface. Of which it doesn’t. You need to install the Sony Media Go software to your desktop in order to transfer files over to the unit to use. However, the interface of the software is cumbersome as you can’t easily drag and drop files into the software. You will have to set up monitoring on selected folders in order for the software to see it.  Also, don’t bother trying to transfer over digital copies of movies that you received when you purchased a DVD or Blu-Ray, because they are not authorized to play on the device . So theoretically the only movies you can play on the unit are ones purchased over the Sony Media Go interface. However, with most DVD ripping software, you can easily transfer files over. However in doing that, you do run the risk of copyright violation on something you already own. The next problem I have is the software. Before the unit was released Sony was toying with the idea of you being able to transfer games to the unit via your PSP’s UMD library, however Sony nixed that idea and now if you want a game that you previously had on your PSP you will have to repurchase it.

Here is where I have the biggest problem of all, and it’s not just with Sony but with the whole entertainment industry in general. In the entertainment field’s quest in moving the masses to a download business model, we tend to forget one thing. If I am tying up my bandwidth, my hard drive, and giving the publisher the ability to not have to create packaging, or physical product, then why in the heck would I pay the same price for a download that I would for a tangible piece of product?!

I browsed through the game library that Sony offered and I’m sorry, I have a problem paying $40 bucks for a download game. I don’t care how great it is. Will Sony be there to happily let me re-download the purchase if or when my Hard Drive fails? I doubt it. But while the PSP Go! display is vibrant, and is fun to hold and use, you could go broke trying to re-purchase your library to download to your new system.

So with it’s 16GB of memory ready to be filled, you will find yourself in somewhat of a quandary. Do you pay $250 bucks for a device that you have to then turn around and pay again to fill it up? Unless you plan on using the device to listen to music, or rip movies, I don’t really see an overwhelming reason to rush out and purchase a PSP Go! You would be better suited purchasing a lower cost alternative.

Keep Moving Forward!

Image Copyright The Walt Disney Company

In a little more than 2 weeks, The Walt Disney Company will host the first ever D23 Expo on the porch of The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim California. To say that I am excited to attend is an understatement. I will be going down to interview people and write some articles on the amazing things that Disney has planned for the attendees.

Many people have asked me what D23 is exactly. D23 stands for Disney of course, and the year that Walt Disney came to California. This is the first time an event of this magnitude has been undertaken by a company. While there will be plenty of naysayers as to the real motive behind the expo, I for one think it’s amazing that in light of the current economic climate,  a company would take on such a risk as filling up the entire Anaheim Convention Center with amazing exhibits and presentations. I will be photographing and videotaping as much as humanly possible to share here! Below is the calendar of events that are scheduled!

Exclusive Screenings & Sneak Peeks

The D23 EXPO will offer guests the chance to get sneak peeks of upcoming Disney movies like The Princess and the Frog, TRON: Legacy, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Rapunzel, Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and many others. The D23 EXPO also will present the U.S. premiere screenings of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in Disney Digital 3D™.  More than that, the D23 EXPO will present several classic movies on the big screen, including the original Tron, Sleeping Beauty, The Shaggy Dog, Darby O’Gill and the Little People, along with other exciting screening events.  The ABC House Screening Room will present screenings of new television entertainment, including ABC’s vibrant new fall schedule.

Special Presentations and Panels

The D23 EXPO will offer fascinating explorations of the past, present and future of Disney.  Throughout the four days, scores of special panels and presentations will bring new insight into Disney history, let guests go “behind the magic” of Disney theme-park attractions and movies, and get fans up close and personal with the Disney legacy of unforgettable entertainment.

D23 EXPO Show Floor

A giant show floor filled with incredible pavilions and interactive areas assembles the entire world of Disney under one roof. From Disney’s global theme parks to the Company’s environmental initiatives, the show floor includes a collector’s area, a gathering of Disney licensees, an eight-room “home” showcasing an amazing array of Disney merchandise, and new technologies being developed by Walt Disney Imagineering. The show floor is the heart of the D23 EXPO. It will also be home to the “ABC House Screening Room,” a sign-up area for the “Lost University,” and kid-friendly play areas that make the D23 EXPO an exciting event for all ages of Disney fans.

“Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives”

The legendary Walt Disney Archives will assemble a never-before-seen collection of more than 100 props, costumes and one-of-a-kind items from more than eight decades of Disney creativity.  For the first time ever, the Archives also will present a retrospective of props and costumes from the classic “Captain EO” attraction in which Michael Jackson thrilled theme-park audiences in 3D.

Arena Presentations

The 4,000-seat Anaheim Convention Center Arena will be home to spectacular presentations throughout the four days of the D23 EXPO.  Disney President and CEO Bob Iger will kick off the entire event with an unforgettable presentation that includes a 30-minute glimpse at the upcoming animated feature The Princess and the Frog and a live performance by its vocal star, Anika Noni Rose.  Other Arena presentations will incorporate surprise celebrity appearances as D23 EXPO guests learn about the future of ABC, Disney movies, theme parks, animation and more.

Celebrity Appearances

Celebrities from both current and classic Disney projects (both on screen and behind the scenes) will be on hand throughout the D23 EXPO, and are currently scheduled to include: X Atencio, Jake T. Austin, Kathryn Beaumont, Richard Bellis, Tom Bergeron, Bruce Broughton, Cheryl Burke, Maria Canals-Barrera, Marge Champion, Ron Clements, Mary Costa, Alice Davis, David DeLuise, Joseph Fiennes, Michael Giacchino,  Blaine Gibson, Selena Gomez, Kelsey Grammer, Don Hahn, David Henrie, Patricia Heaton, Tommy Kirk, Steve Lisberger, Joel McNeely, Brendan Milburn, John Musker, Ed O’Neill, Marty Sklar, Jennifer Stone, Valerie Vigoda and many more.

Family Activities

Disney Consumer Products will give D23 EXPO guests the chance to explore a host of activities for the entire family, including a Disney Creativity Center hosted by Crayola, the Disney Princess Storytime and Royal Manners event, the Baby Einstein World of Discovery Center, and a magnificent live LEGO building event in which Master Builders will invite guests to join them to construct a life-sized mural of Disney characters, paying homage to the innovation of Disney and LEGO. There will be appearances by best-selling authors, fine artists, and toy designers. There will also be a series of fashion shows featuring the latest styles from Disney Couture, Disney Couture kids and the Wizards of Waverly Place collection. Guests will have the opportunity to tour the first-ever Disney Dream Home and to go “behind the fairy tale” at the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings showcase.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

The four days of the D23 EXPO are packed with excitement and activity.  Below are selected highlights from the four-day D23 EXPO schedule.  Please note that because the D23 EXPO is a first-of-its-kind live experience, schedules, locations and descriptions are subject to change — so be sure to visit www.D23Expo.com for full updates and even more schedule details and surprises.

THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2009

Bob Iger Presentation, 10 a.m. – Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger will launch the first-ever D23 EXPO with an hour-long presentation in the Anaheim Convention Center Arena, exploring the incredible future of Disney and exciting projects that are taking shape around the globe. Arena.

Disney Legends Awards, 11 a.m. – Men and women who have contributed to the creative legacy of The Walt Disney Company will be honored in a special presentation, hosted by Tom Bergeron and open to all D23 EXPO guests.  The full list of honorees will be announced shortly, and includes renowned celebrities, actors and artists. Arena.

The ABCs of Disney, 3 p.m. – Steve McPherson, president of the ABC Entertainment Group, and Emmy®-nominated Tom Bergeron host a D23 EXPO-exclusive presentation as many of the biggest TV stars of today preview ABC’s new series, with a very special “Dancing with the Stars” performance.  Arena

An Afternoon With Imagineering Legends, 4:30 p.m. – Recently retired Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering Marty Sklar hosts a panel of extraordinary artists who shaped classic Disneyland attractions, including X Atencio, Alice Davis, Blaine Gibson and Bob Gurr. Storytellers Theater

Top Ten for the Toy Chest: The Making of the Next Great Disney Toy, 12:30 p.m., Stage 23

Beauty and the Beast 3D Preview and Panel Discussion, 1 p.m., Studio Theater

The Magic of Disney in the Art of Disney Stamps, 1:30 p.m., Stage 23

The World of Vintage Disneyland – In Color, 2 p.m., Storytellers Theater

The Music of The Haunted Mansion, 3:30 p.m., Stage 23

The Music of The Lion King Panel, 4 p.m., Studio Theater

The Boys Screening and Panel, 7 p.m., Studio Theater

 Fifty and Fabulous Film Festival Presents Darby O’Gill and the Little People,
10 p.m., Studio Theater

 FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2009

Disney Movie Magic: Inside The Walt Disney Studios, 11 a.m. – The Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook offers Disney fans an unprecedented sneak peek at new live-action movies from Walt Disney Pictures, incorporating exclusive footage from such movies as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Disney’s A Christmas Carol, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and more. Special celebrity guests also will join in on the fun. Arena

 Tron Presentation, 4 p.m.,  –  Steven Lisberger, director of 1982’s Tron, is a special guest as the D23 EXPO offers an exclusive exploration of the science-fiction classic, including glimpses of the upcoming TRON: Legacy.  A fascinating discussion will be followed by the first-ever digitally converted screening of the original Tron. Studio Theater

 Disney Rarities, 5:30 p.m. – Academy Award-nominated producer and author Don Hahn joins Walt Disney Animation Studios’ creative director Dave Bossert to present several rarely seen animated short films from Disney history, including some of Walt Disney’s earliest animation efforts. Some of these shorts have not been seen in more than 60 years. Stage 23 Theater

 The Making of “Toy Story: The Musical”,  5:30 p.m. –  A preview of the newest stage extravaganza for Disney Cruise Line and the Disney Parks. Michael Jung, Vice President of Creative, and Matt Almos, Creative Director, host this musical sneak peek, and composers Valerie Vigoda and Brendan Milburn will perform.  Storytellers Theater

 Walt and El Grupo and Saludos Amigos,7:30 p.m. ­– Filmmakers Ted Thomas and Kuniko Okubo and Disney historian and author J.B. Kaufman lead a panel discussion about the upcoming Walt and El Grupo, a new documentary that reveals the story behind Walt Disney’s influential 1941 trip to South America. After the discussion, D23 EXPO guests will be treated to a rare screening of Saludos Amigos, the colorful animated feature that grew out of Walt’s goodwill expedition south of the equator. Studio Theater

 Early Bird Books: Kingdom Keepers, 8:30 a.m., Stage 23

 Sailing to New Horizons with Disney Cruise Line, 9 a.m., Storytellers Theater

 A Day in the Life of an Adventures by Disney Guide, 12:30 p.m., Storytellers Theater

 Happy Haunts: 40 Years of The Haunted Mansion, 12:30 p.m., Stage 23

 Nightmare Before Christmas 3D Screening, Plus Tim Burton Shorts Frankenweenie and Vincent, 1 p.m., Studio Theater

 Special Preview: “The Wonderful World of Color,” 2 p.m., Storytellers Theater

 History and Preservation of Disney Animation Art: The Courvoisier Tradition,
2 p.m., Stage 23

 We Make the Music: Conversations with the Creators of Disney Theme Park Music, 3:30 p.m., Storytellers Theater

 The Evolution of Mickey with Dave Pacheco and Andreas Deja, 3:30 p.m., Stage 23

 Fifty and Fabulous Film Festival Presents The Shaggy Dog, 10 p.m., Studio Theater

 SATURDAY, Sept. 12, 2009

So You Want to Be An Imagineer, 9 a.m. – Marty Sklar hosts a conversation with more than half a dozen guest Imagineers, who will discuss the challenges and rewards of their careers … and the special skills that are needed to “make the magic.” Storytellers Theater

 Disneynature Presentation, 10 a.m. –The latest updates from Disney’s newest film label, Disneynature.  This prestigious production banner literally goes to the ends of the earth to tell the remarkable stories of nature. Studio Theater

 Imagineering the Future of Disney Theme Parks, 11 a.m. – Go behind the scenes with Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo as he unveils the magical entertainment and experiences on the horizon at Disney’s Parks and Resorts around the world … and offers a surprise or two. Arena

 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 12 p.m. – Don Hahn hosts a compelling discussion about the making of Walt Disney’s first animated feature film.  Following the discussion, D23 EXPO guests will enjoy a screening of a newly restored digital version of this landmark film. Studio Theater

 Disney Store: The Magic is Back, 2 p.m. – Jim Fielding, president of Disney Stores Worldwide, looks at the vibrant future of the Disney Stores around the world. Arena

 The Princess and the Frog, 3 p.m. – All-new footage from Disney’s upcoming animated musical The Princess and the Frogwill be screened, followed by a panel discussion with the film’s creators, including John Musker, Ron Clements, Andreas Deja and Eric Goldberg.  Studio Theater

 Prep and Landing, 5:30 p.m. – The directors of Disney’s new TV special explore the creation of this new holiday-time treat.  Studio Theater

 D23 Expo Live Auction, 7 p.m. – 49 lots of extraordinary rarities and specially designed items will be front and center at this D23 EXPOexclusive event, including a check personally signed by Walt Disney, a progressive dinner through the Disneyland Resort plus a stay in the Presidential Suite of the Disneyland Hotel, original animation production cels, movie premiere tickets, an authentic attraction vehicle, a very special “Lot 23” exclusive, and much more. 7 p.m., Arena (Note: Auction admission is free; bidders must purchase a $40 bidder’s package.)

 Trail of the Panda Screening, 7:30 p.m. – The D23 EXPO presents the U.S. premiere of Trail of the Panda (Xiongmao Huijialu), the second Disney Chinese-language film production, created specifically for audiences in China. Studio Theater

 Early Bird Books: The Alchemy of Animation with Don Hahn, 8:30 a.m., Stage 23

 Behind the Fairy Tale – Disney Weddings with Kristie Kelly and David Turturro,
11 a.m., Stage 23

 The Science of Imagineering, 12:30 p.m., Storytellers Theater

 Growing Up Disney with Roy P. Disney, 12:30 p.m., Stage 23

 Refreshing a Classic: Remaking “it’s a small world” for the 21^st Century, 2 p.m., Storytellers Theater

 Sneak Preview of The Walt Disney Family Museum, 2:30 p.m., Stage 23

 The Making of the U.S. Presidents, 3:30 p.m., Storytellers Theater

 Disney Kids’ Fashion Show, 4 p.m., Performances Stage

 Lost Chords – Never-Heard Music from Disney Animation with Russell Schroeder, 5:30 p.m., Stage 23

 Fifty and Fabulous Film Festival Presents Sleeping Beauty, 10 p.m., Studio Theater

 SUNDAY, Sept. 13, 2009

The Future of Disney and Pixar Animation, 11 a.m. – Get a glimpse of what the future holds at Disney and Pixar Animation Studios as Chief Creative Officer, John Lasseter, shares sneak peeks of such exciting upcoming films as The Princess and The Frog, Rapunzel, Toy Story 3 and more.  Arena

 A Magical Afternoon With  the Cast of Wizards of Waverly Place,
2 p.m. – Cast members Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals-Barrera and David DeLuise join executive producer Peter Murietta for an exclusive preview screening of the season premiere episode of Wizards of Waverly Place.  Popular Radio Disney personality Ernie D also will join in the fun! Arena

 Toy Story 3 Special Presentation, 6:30 p.m. – Sneak a peek at what’s in store when Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the Toy Storygang make their big-screen return – this time in 3D. Pixar filmmakers Lee Unkrich and Darla Anderson host. Studio Theater

 Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Double Feature Premiere Screening, 7 p.m. – Following the 5 p.m. sneak peek of Toy Story 3, the D23 EXPO will host the U.S. premiere screening of this 3D double feature.  (Note: There will be a 10-minute intermission between the films.) Studio Theater

 Early Bird Books: South of the Border with J.B. Kaufman, 8:30 a.m., Stage 23

 The Making of Toy Story Midway Mania, 9:30 a.m., Storytellers Theater

 Collector’s Edition Fine Art Panel Discussion, 12:30 p.m., Performances Stage

 The Science of Imagineering, 1 p.m., Storytellers Theater (an encore presentation)

 Silver Banjo Barbeque Panel with David and Ron DeFore, 12:30 p.m., Stage 23

 Special Muppets Presentation, 1:30 p.m. - The Muppets Studios takes you inside the Muppet world for an exclusive frog’s-eye-view of what Kermit and Company have been up to in 2009 – and all the fun and mayhem they have planned for 2010 and beyond!  Studio Theater

 Disneyana Detective with Tom Tumbush, 3 p.m., Stage 23

 Imagineering Pixar for the Disney Parks, 3 p.m., Storytellers Theater

 From Annette to Miley, 3:30 p.m., Stage 23

There’s still time to get tickets! here’s the info you need!

Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available at http://www.D23Expo.com.  Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO and can be purchased for single days or for the full four days of festivities. Admission is $37 for a one-day adult ticket and $27 for children 3-12.  Four-day passes are $111 for adults and $81 for children. Members of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on admission, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 EXPO for themselves and their guests. Fans can keep up with all the news by visiting www.D23EXPO.com, as well as by following “Disney D23” at Twitter and on Facebook.

It’s amazing to see a film like “Tron”,that was generally considered a failure when it was released in 1982 now getting it’s due. Especially considering what out grossed it at the box office back then. It’s sad when the 1982 dud “Best Friends” with Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn out earned it. You see, the reason that Tron didn’t fare better at the box office is because it didn’t have the core audience it needed to succeed. “The Geeks”. Oh sure, they were out there in 1982, but not the way they are today. Back then they were aging men building Heathkits on their dining room tables. They weren’t going to the movies. Another problem was when the film was released. The Summer of ‘82 was an amazing year in pop culture film releases. That summer we saw E.T. , Star Trek II, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, just to name a few. Poor Tron was buried in the competition. Disney had such high hopes for the film that they actually altered the marketing campaign and reissued the film during the 1982 Christmas holiday in hopes that it would fare better. It didn’t.

So here we are, counting down to the release in 2011 which will be almost 30 years since the release of the original film. Back in ‘82, words such as “User”, “Microcycles” and other PC lexicon were basically unknown. Now these words are common place. I think when it was made, “Tron” was just a little too ahead of it’s time for audiences back then.

So now the pre-awareness campaign begins in the on-line world. Disney is posting several websites to help promote the film. There are two that have popped up so far. “FlynnLives.com” and  “HomeOfTron.com” and there are many more surprises this weekend in San Diego still to be revealed…

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Keep Moving Forward!

Disney’s America was a project that was created during the early years of The Disney Decade. This was a period from 1990 to 2000 in which Michael Eisner, then CEO of The Walt Disney Company laid out many ambitious projects for the company to embark on. Many of these projects came to fruition, but an equal amount never made it off the drawing board.

Disney’s America was to be built on a 1200 acre of land in Prince William County, Virgina. The Governor of Virgina was on board as Disney quietly began placing options on land to create the park. However, soon word got out of Disney’s goal and the residents of the area began a literal village uprising as they didn’t want the noise, traffic and congestion that would follow a theme park.  While they eventually succeeded in stopping Disney’s plans, they still wound up with the noise, traffic and congestion that follows urban sprawl. So ultimately, what would have been better?

The local residents also didn’t want Disney’s version of history. They thought that the public needs to be shown history for the way that it was. While I agree completely, I believe there is nothing wrong with making history more interesting as it may spark even more thinking of an audience who otherwise may not have been interested in the first place. Right or wrong we may never really know. The park was cancelled and many of the attractions that were planned were actually re-purposed and placed into Disney’s California Adventure. While I would have found visiting Disney’s America a fun. and somewhat educating experience.  I don’t think the prophecy of Civil War soldiers graves being dug up and removed to place a parking lot down would have come to pass either.

You can read some great posts about Disney’s America by vistitng these other great sites!  Disney’s America , Disney’s America, Disney’s America 

Keep Moving Forward and Happy 4th Of July!

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Last week was a rough one in my plugged in digital life. It was a veritable perfect storm of when good tech goes bad. It’s amazing how dependant we become on our gadgets, we take them for granted and expect them to always be working. But what happens when things don’t go the way we need?

Tuesday- I love my  TiVo HD unit. It records many of my favorite shows in HD and last Christmas my parents gave me a Western Digital TiVo certified external drive to increase the capacity of recording shows in HD. My relationship with this external drive has been a rocky one. About 6 months into owning it I needed to move my TV cabinet out from the wall. The unit is on wheels to make moving it easy. When I moved the unit I accidentally vibrated the WD HD unit. Now we are talking mild vibration. After I was done and went to power up the TV the TiVo was telling me that it could not detect an external drive connected. After multiple reboots it finally came back up. This problem would rear it’s ugly head every once in a while but I was able to fix it. Lately though, the unit has begun to take on a life of it’s own. It would crash while watching recorded programs or it would just say the equivalent of a digital F-You and stop working altogether. On Tuesday, it had enough and just died all together. $115 down the drain after only a little more than a year. (The unit was out of warranty) This along with several programs that I loved were lost.

Wednesday- My UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) decided that “I really don’t want to work anymore” and right in the middle of a project I had a surge through the system. Normally, the unit would function perfectly and handle the surge with no problem. Not today. The back-up battery in the unit was now fried and would no longer work, this along with my PC just shutting off in the middle of a vital project.  My UPS had been basically reduced to a $2 Wal-Mart extension cord. Price to replace the battery $40.

Thursday – With my week in tech now spiraling out of control, it was now my PC’s turn to need some love. Heck, everything else was crashing down so why not pick now to start having corruption problems. My PC runs Windows Vista. I never could figure out why manufacturers were so slow to create drivers and software for this much maligned operating system. Well, after running Vista for 2 years I realize that Vista has become the replacement for Windows ME. Anyways, I had noticed that the system was become very creaky and programs that ran fine before had become corrupted . Even Windows Task Manager was corrupted. So I decided to reformat the Hard Drive. I have no problems with this except that it takes on average 13 hours to restore everything back to where it was.  So after countless hours, the software was reinstalled. For the record, I also own a Mac, which hasn’t been immune to issues at times either.

Saturday -  On Saturday night, I noticed that my wireless home  network was down. After troubleshooting, I realized that my Linksys Wireless Router was no longer functioning. I tried many different things and still couldn’t get it to work. I just assumed that it had died as well. So off  to the store I went for a new one. After installing, it had the same problem the old one did. I had an Internet connection at my DSL modem, but once it hit both routers, (kaput) So after many more hours, I realized that my PC for some reason wanted nothing to do with my router anymore and I had to run the router though my wife’s PC in the same office. To this day I have no idea why. The service tech in India whose English I couldn’t understand didn’t either.

So after a week of digital misery, I learned some valuable lessons. Don’t become too dependant on your tech, and always know where you can find all of your software installation discs!

Keep Moving Forward!

So now in 2009 with his retirement date looming, Leno begins to have second thoughts about wanting to step down. So much so that he begins courting offers from other networks about another possible late night show. CBS was out, they were not going to give up Letterman. That left ABC and FOX. The Fox network  had many misfires in late night. Everything from Joan Rivers, and The Wilton NorthReport, to Chevy Chase. They weren’t all that excited to get back into the ring again, even with Leno. So that left ABC. After much negotiating it was looking like Leno was going to jump. What was NBC to do? They didn’t want a repeat of the Letterman Vs. Leno war from before, and they promised the slot to Conan. So what was Jeff Zucker head of NBC/Universal programming going to do? He gave Leno a talk show in prime time.

So in the fall of 2009, The Jay Leno show will be shown every Monday through Friday at 10PM (9PM Central and Mountain). Now many will say in the NBC/Uni program department that this is sheer genius. I said, and I still believe, that this could wind up ending Mr. Zucker’s career with NBC/Universal. You see, even though talk shows are cheap to produce, there is a sheer glut of them on the air now. On the big three networks alone they program 7-10 hours a night of talk shows. With all of the talent that goes around on these shows you start to get a lot of doubling up. Now we’re adding another hour into the mix. As I have said on this blog in the past, we now have 4 hours a day of The Today Show and soon, 3 hours a night of talk shows. Finally, one station today said “Enough is Enough”  WHDH-TV, Boston’s NBC affiliate, announced via its website Thursday that it plans to launch an hour-long 10 p.m. newscast in the fall. The stations ownership said that We don’t think the Leno show is going to be effective in primetime,” They said ”It will be detrimental to our 11 o’clock (newscast). It will be very adverse to our finances.”

I have to agree with Boston. I think that NBC is making a huge error in thinking that America will tune-in every night for all of this talk.  I have also said before, I think NBC is in a huge creative hole right now, and they don’t seem to have any logical way of digging out of it. With the 9/10 hour now locked up for a talk show, that leaves only 2 hours of original programming on NBC each weeknight.  Speaking of original programming this doesn’t even factor in the void of intelligence with reality programming. What you have here my friends in my own opinion, is the making of an “Also-Ran” network. I say this because I used to think that NBC was the best when it came to their programming. Now I don’t watch NBC nearly as much as I did. Even my once favorite morning program, “The Today Show” isn’t even enjoyable  to watch anymore. It seems like the entire cast of The Today Show is never on together  and it’s obvious some of them can’t stand each other. But I digress.

It will be interesting to see what happens if  “The Jay Leno Show” does not rise to the success that NBC needs it to. What will be more interesting to see is how long they keep it on the air. In these days of “If The Show Isn’t A Huge Hit By Episode Three Then Yank It”  we’ll see how long they leave it on the air to save face.

Keep Moving Forward!

website

Here’s My Demo!

It’s amazing what they are coming up with in terms of new marketing campaigns. GE is very committed to making our planet a cleaner better place to live. This is just the beginning as to what can be done with this technology. Take a moment now and experience it for yourself! You’ll be glad you did!

Keep Moving Forward!

Can We Go Home Again?

During the past thirty years of the last century, television in the United States was a far different landscape than what we have today. Back then, we didn’t seem to have the attention span of a You-Tube clip, and we were entertained by the vast amounts of original programming that is now all but devoid from the current television landscape.  Reality TV was ‘Real People” and comedy wasn’t watching men in drag telling a girl how to “work it”  in trying to be America’s Next Top Model.

Now many say that we have evolved past the television of old, but I have to disagree. I would say we have de-evolved. With every economist saying that our economy is now resetting itself, I for one would welcome a reset to the television landscape. For you see, I don’t completely buy what the networks say when they report that their audiences have all gone elsewhere. Maybe it’s not the audience, but the creativity.  Case In Point, remember the splashy Fall ad campaigns of years past? These were wonderfully written PR campaigns that made you excited to watch the network and made you feel like we were all part of their family. The stars and talent all aligned together to support the network as they were placed in many cute little vignettes in the campaign. They were fun, and often catchy tunes and made you feel good. 

And that’s what we need right now, is to feel good again. Sitcoms rained supreme during the 80’s on NBC as it was a juggernaut not to be reckoned with. Now it seems NBC has been reduced to an “also-ran” that airs nothing but six hours of the Today Show and soon 3 hours of Talk Shows a night. Is that really what it’s come to? How many times can you see the Octo-Mom in the morning followed by Paris Hilton or the likes on at night? This is entertainment? No wonder we’re migrating to other sources. I have no problem with change. However, I also subscribe to the old adage that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Maybe if the networks went back to more original, creative programming it would help. Hey, It’s so crazy of an idea that it just might work!  Heck, while we’re at it, let’s take some stimulus money, get the creative MAD Men going and create a feel good campaign for all of us. Crazy sounding, perhaps. But I look to the retailing giant Wal-Mart as the leader in telling people what they want to hear, and them believing it. If you spend 2 billion dollars a year telling people you have the lowest prices around, well, it just starts to sink in with your customer then doesn’t it?  Imagine what we could do with a similar campaign to feel good about America. For that, I leave you with this.

“Keep Moving Forward!”

But can they?

I have to admit, Best Buy hasn’t always been my first choice when it came to fulfilling my needs in consumer electronics. For many years I never ventured into their stores simply because I was not a fan of their service. Getting good service at a Best Buy store is the ultimate in ”Hit or Miss”. There have been times I have gone into their stores and been given exceptional service. However, while I wish I could say that was more the norm, it alas has not been. Best Buy realized their service wasn’t winning any awards anytime soon. So several years ago they launched a huge campaign within its stores called “Customer Centricity”. What this program was designed to do was give its store managers more autonomy as to the products, layout and service in their respective stores. While ambitious and beautiful in the eyes of the PR department, I feel that they still have not gotten it right. Now I know it’s impossible for a customer to have a great experience each time they visit a Best Buy but it begs the question, “Why Not?”

The Walt Disney Company whom I deeply respect with its guest service policies, goes out of its way each and every time to each and every guest. While they stumble sometimes as well, I have never known The Walt Disney Company to have a website created by a disgruntled guest that other disgruntled guests go to so they may vent their frustration. Such as was the case for many years with Best Buy. Now with Circuit City gone, I begin to worry about the staffs of many Best Buy stores adapting a “Last Man Standing” attitude.  What this could mean is they would possibly begin to feel that since the competition is all but gone, who’s left to challenge us and where else are you going to go? While I hope this is not the case, it would be wise for Best Buy HR departments to create a training module that would address this. I for one would be very impressed if Best Buy refocused their efforts on customer service.

I say this because of a problem that I recently had in regards to their Rewards Zone program. I had signed up for the Rewards Zone program many years ago but discovered about 6 months ago that somehow my Rewards Zone information had been merged with someone else in another state. I tried in vain several times to contact the Reward Zone customer service department to change the information but to no avail. It finally reached a head in December when I had earned a $5 reward certitficate and went to use it at a Best Buy store in Orem, Utah. I was purchasing over $100 in items and upon check-out, I handed the cashier my reward zone certificate. She scanned the certificate and it came up invalid. She said she couldn’t accept it and I replied to her that I had just printed from the Rewards Zone site 2 hours ago and it was still showing active on there. I even offered to show her this information on the iPhone I was carrying. She replied that there was nothing she could do. All she offered was that I could call 1-800-Best-Buy. I asked to speak to a supervisor.

The supervisor came over and it might as well have been her clone. All he could offer was the toll-free number. It was as if nothing in the way of a guest complaint could be handled in the store, and the only outlet for resolving guest complaints was through a toll-free number. At this point, I was done. I told them that if the lousy $5 coupon was more important than my business then fine, keep the merchandise. I gave the “supervisor” one last opportunity to make the situation right. He did not.

So I left buying nothing. I eventually contacted the Reward Zone customer service department and they could not have been more helpful. They apologized for all the address errors which they admitted was their fault. The supervisor then credited me $40 in reward certificates for all of my troubles. The Reward Zone supervisor was also dumb-founded that the associate just didn’t take the $5 off the total. 

So with Circuit City now gone, I challenge Best Buy to step up and go the extra mile and appreciate the fact that they are still in business today. For it wasn’t always so rosey for them. Best Buy was nearly bankrupt back in the mid 90’s so this could easily have been them closing their doors.

So Best Buy, Are you up to the challenge?

Keep Moving Forward!

I began contemplating this a year or so ago.  Over the last 10 years as the Internet began to blossom into such an integral part of our lives, I began to wonder when enough was too much when it came to sharing information on line. I really started to look at it when I was working with one of my clients. An associate had asked a customer for their email address, this was so that they may be reminded of service, and to receive valuable discount offers from the company. The customer replied, “I never give out my email address! That’s too personal!”  The moment after she said that, her daughter who was with her said, “But you share everything else of yours on Facebook!” I smiled, and then realized that we have become a society more comfortable sharing intimate details with the on-line community, then we are with real people at times.

So let’s look at that world. Social Media is exploding and I, for one, have come along for the ride. My wife started using the application “Twitter” last year and I became intrigued. I had started my consulting firm and thought this might be a great tool for sharing ideas and thoughts with others, and prospective clients. So I signed up and joined in on the fun. While I was quickly amassing “followers” as they are called on Twitter, I began to see what was being shared. Intimate thoughts and feelings from millions all over the world. I began to think of the ramifications of all of this because it was in essence, people opening themselves up to this along with myself for all the world to see. Now if you know me, or follow me on Twitter, I tend to be somewhat light hearted in my posts. Sometimes I will offer the occasional rant, but I have to tell you that Twitter has been priceless as it has put me in touch with people whom I would have never had the opportunity to meet and learn from. For that, I am ever grateful. However there are people on Twitter whom I have seen literally pour out things that I know would never be discussed around the water cooler at work, the cocktail party, or the bedroom for that matter. Here I was being given a front row seat into the lives of these many people whom I don’t even know. Fun at times, Yes. But scary at times as well.

Aside from Twitter, we have in my humble opinion the Grand Voyeur Daddy of them all. From the “Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should” department comes You Tube. Now don’t get me wrong, I love You Tube. It has given me access to hundreds of old clips from long forgotten TV shows and commericals that I grew up with. For that, I think it’s great. However, seeing videos posted on-line of everything from some lady giving birth for all the world and her neighborhood to see, and personal hygeine habits of people, to teens videotaping their siblings making out. Some are interesting, others down-right creepy.

Finally, there is a new site called “Qik”. This site allows users to stream live video from their cellphones and personal devices live for all the world to view. While this application is incredible to share ideas and information with others, it opens another door that which we may peek through into the lives of people we don’t even know. Plus, think about this. When John F. Kennedy was assinated back in 1963, it was captured by only a handful of cameras. If that were to happen today, you would have virtually over 1,000 points of views from over 5,000 individuals if not more. This because so many people can now capture every moment from their lives every day with cameras, Nintendo DSi’s, Cell Phones and so much more.

So it really, truly, makes me wonder.  In our quest to share so much intimate information with so many. From random thoughts, to camera footage of people relieving themselves. It really ponders the question…

Is Big Brother Already Here, And Are We Him?

Keep Moving Forward!