Vice is more popular now than ever. No, not the “fun” kind of vice … we’re talking about the documentary news program. After exploding onto the scene to instantly redefine news media in the 21st century, Vice has now been offered their own channel, the A&E owned “H2” channel.
Vice has already proven to be a ratings hog, attracting the most prized demographic – young men – in droves. Now Vice will have the Disney marketing machine helping push its edgy form of current events based media programming.
Shane Smith could not be happier. The maverick producer and media man behind Vice is taking on what many have said is a dying media. But, to Smith, TV is still the “it” destination for the best programming.
In fact, Smith is doubling down on cable TV. In addition to his H2 channel domination, Vice just inked a deal to do weekly news programs for HBO, with Bloomberg’s Josh Tyrangiel at the helm.
According to NY entrepreneur Jonah Engler, “But don’t expect Vice content to stay exclusively on TV. The programming is tailor made for internet distribution, particularly social media ready snippets that do double duty as advertising and sticky content. This is just one more way in which modern programming is blurring – and will eventually erase – the lines between currently competitive media.”
The day is soon coming when all – or at least the vast majority of – users will not differentiate between web content, streaming media and standard TV content. They will simply turn on their device and seek content. Delivery method will count for MUCH less than the actual content.
The bottom line is this: the consumer is the future of video programming, no matter the medium. The days when the whole family would gather around the TV to watch MASH or AFV or Friends are gone. Now viewers want what they want when they want how they want it. Any new programming will need to be dynamic, connective and available on multiple platforms via multiple networks. Vice scores on all these fronts. For them, the future is now.
