rant · moment 2 of 18
Legacy Media's Failure to Adapt and the Rise of Podcasting
from CNN Interview, Ms. Rachel Propaganda, & The Uncancelables | The Tim Dillon Show #445 · #445
9 min
Tim traces how traditional media (cable, Comedy Central, Hollywood) refused to invest in digital and YouTube early on, recalling a 2018 meeting with clueless Comedy Central executives, and argues legacy institutions are now in terminal decline while podcasting, once mocked as a joke, became mainstream.
- Comedy's become right-wing now, according to media people Tim talks to, though he argues this overstates the case and misses what's actually happened to traditional platforms.
- All traditional media—television, film, streaming—has declined over the last five years and is in probable terminal decline.
- Tim had a meeting with Comedy Central executives in 2018 or 2019 who announced podcasting as their exciting new venture, despite it having existed for a decade.
- Comedy Central had a massive comedy audience and did nothing to expand into digital; they were passed by every YouTube sketch group and early adapter.
- Comics Tim knew insisted Hollywood wasn't going anywhere and told him never to make Hollywood the joke or turn on the industry.
- Industry players believed the business model wouldn't change: they'd get paid without needing to be on YouTube, social media, or the internet at all.
- Innovation moves fast and inevitably; ignoring it required purposefully burying your head in the sand.
- Louis C.K. releasing his own special on his website was a pivotal moment showing people could do that; Joe Rogan's podcast and comics building followings online were all ignored because those people didn't have HBO or Fox deals.
- Tim realized a month after leaving CNN that podcast was once a joke and a slur, yet he doesn't know what's being ignored today that will be huge in five years.
- YouTube and podcasting, once used as insults to denigrate careers, have become mainstream; the next unconsidered trend is probably already here.
- He doesn't know what's coming next, but the pattern is clear in hindsight.