Fox Still Looking At Ways To Make New Media Look More Like Old Media

from the getting-it dept

Fri, Aug 25th 2006 9:47am — Mike Masnick

In the past year, there's been so much talk of how Fox really "gets" the internet, based mainly on their purchase of MySpace and a few other sites popular among kids. However, whenever they talk about the larger strategy for MySpace, it always seems to have something to do with making MySpace look a lot more like a traditional media play. The latest is the plan being floated to start a MySpace magazine. If this sounds familiar, it's because it's what just about every big internet company does at some point when they start looking to "expand" into other media. During the original bubble, lots of dot coms rushed into the magazine space, including Yahoo and eBay on the larger side and Garden.com and Buy.com on the "what were they thinking?" side. Then, of course, there's everyone's favorite dot com bubble proxy: Pets.com. Yes, they worked on a magazine too. This is one of those things that just because you can do it, it doesn't mean you should. Of course, I'm sure it won't be long at all before we also start hearing about MySpace, the TV show. After all, we've been hearing about eBay's plans for a TV show for five years now.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

14 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

jeff, 25 Aug 2006 @ 10:49am

so...
when can i pick up my copy of the techdirt daily? oh shit, wait...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- LUIS CUEVAS, 8 Sep 2006 @ 3:14pm
  
  Re: so...
  WAHT UP
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 25 Aug 2006 @ 10:51am

I was just wondering the same thing.

Although I spend the whole day camped at my Google Homepage lately ; )
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Working Hard, 25 Aug 2006 @ 10:52am

MySpace
Hopefully it doesn't get so bad that they have a MySpace TV Show, but I can definately see them plugging it in to already established shows. Characters claiming they have to check their MySpace page before they can go out for the night, who knows but you get the point. Just like the only computers you ever see in movies is Mac. It will be something like that.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
chucklebutte (profile), 25 Aug 2006 @ 11:08am

sorry on not being first
but i had to check my myspace first before im allowed to check mytechdirt actually come to think of it i cant even breather before i check my myspace its in the fine print when you sign up for myspace make sure to check it lol i did check myspace before i came here and guess what i had another add for a hot chicks web cam w00t its like checking a spam filled email inbox /sigh
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sanguine Dream, 25 Aug 2006 @ 11:35am

Ebay TV...
is kinda iffy. Yes you can buy damn near anything on ebay but I don't think there is enough intersting content on the site to fill 24hr. of programming. Ebay TV would end up like G4/TechTV and MTV/MTV2, about 8hr. of the day would relate to what the network is advertised as and rest would be filler crap. Perhaps a deal to buy a few hours of air time from QVC?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
DeathToMyspace, 25 Aug 2006 @ 11:53am

Cold shivers running down my spine
Oh god... I just had a prophetic vision that scared the shit out of me. The MySpace reality show... Oh god... I'm just going to go shoot myself now, the antichrist is almost here.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Not Tom's Friend anymore, 25 Aug 2006 @ 12:08pm

MySpaceTV
So what when you tune in you get an error message that that a serious error has occurred and it has been forwarded to the technical team?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ryan, 25 Aug 2006 @ 12:10pm

No kidding, Anonomous... Thanks to my personalized Google page and techdirt, I don't get anything done anymore..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Rick, 25 Aug 2006 @ 1:43pm

Just because it worked for Martha does not mean it will work for everyone.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Todd, 25 Aug 2006 @ 1:45pm

google & techdirt
I'll drink to google * techdirt
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
InoCwazy, 25 Aug 2006 @ 4:24pm

What about YouTube, the 24 hour cable channel? Non-stop streaming of videos w/ some fat funny man making commentary.

oh the nightmare when TV 2.0 begins.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
mu, 27 Aug 2006 @ 10:55am

Fox "Gets" the Internet?
Maybe they do get the Internet but would some please tell them they DO NOT get TV. In particular, sports and in particular auto-racing. If I want to see something that looks like a stupid video game I will use a video game. So please Mr. Fox, enough with the graphics, pointers and stupid, stupid sound effects !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please send your low grade WEB site programers back to the Internet !!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Edwin, 28 Aug 2006 @ 11:45am

mike. why are you so obsessed with Fox? it's not fox that's buying up all this shit and making all these bullshit business moves. it's News Corp. big difference, sweety.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]