Who Needs HDTV?

In the battle between Internet entertainment and TV entertainment, the scales are tipping towards the Internet.

June 25 (Bloomberg) -- Television programs such as “The Simpsons” and “CSI” are for the first time commanding higher advertising rates at Web sites including Hulu.com and TV.com than on prime-time TV.

The premium rates in the just-ended 2008-2009 television season are mainly for shows that rank among the most-watched by Nielsen Co., said David Poltrack, chief research officer at New York-based CBS Corp., which is home to “CSI” and owns TV.com.

Marketers, who are now considering commitments for the 2009-2010 TV season, are willing to pay more because TV.com and Hulu.com, owned by investors including News Corp., NBC and Walt Disney Co., provide committed viewers who actively seek out shows. There are fewer commercials, and consumers are twice as likely to recall Web ads, Poltrack said, citing Nielsen.

It's all about the cash and chasing the consumers who have it. Can't you see some fantastically novel entertainment that combines video and audience feedback? I wonder if you could create a serious TV show and turn it into a comedy by running a filtered set of audience tweets across the bottom of the screen a la Mystery Science Theater 3000.