Streaming Networks
by Nina Meilof
February 1999

Original URL: http://www.n5m.org/n5m3/pages/streamingmedia/networks.htm

We've had the camcorder revolution. It made making videoprograms cheaper. Audio-equipment is affordable, so radiomaking ispossible for a large amount of people too. So for a long time already the masses are potential media producers. There were onlyminor successes in accessing the broadcast channels both legally and illegally. But the efficient one-to-many distribution system(radio and tv) are chocked, regulated, hard to get access to. The Internet having the capacity for streaming media seems topromise new possibilities. Boundless access, for anyone making radio, and maybe in the near future TV. Some are pessimistic,and see these channels soon closed and regulated as well. What will this streaming media look like and who will be streaming?

So far audio on the net is booming. Many local radio stations literally transmit their radioprograms through the internet, potentiallyreaching a worldwide audience. New radiostation are started, purely as web-based radioprograms, working around the restrictionsof radioaccess. These are instances of first use: translate radio literally onto the web. Just as the first motorised vehicles weremodelled after the horse carriage. However, more web-suitable uses for streaming media do emerge. Using the web as a way tostore resources is one of them. Audiofragments can be taken from the web, downloaded and reedited, by different radiomakersaround the globe. Working together with editors from different countries, sharing resources is the network way of working. It opensup interesting perspectives, like being able to team up with like-minded spirits and organise alternatives for the big news networkslike CNN. In order to get such alternative newsservices rolling, no hierarchical structures are needed, just good mailinglists, and aclear editorial databases as tools.

Be Hybrid
This way of working points to another important principle: As long as the net is not universally accessible, it will stay important tokeep a link between the web and real radio- and tvstations, broadcasting locally. The radio and tv are simple devises to whichmuch more people have access than to the web. Storing radioprogramms on the net in order for other radiostations to stream itonto the "old" radiochannels is a very good use. Actually, the "old" media -radio and tv-, will always be more suitable, andcertainly more economic, for mass communication, from one to many. Radio and tv programmes are sent once, and are receivedby many, while webstreaming must be carried to everyone personally.

However the strongpoint of the web: interactivity, and networking, will lead to still other approaches of program-making. Tv andradio are push media, where the producer has his/her story to tell, but the streaming media on the web allow for a very differentdramaturgy. This seems the strong point of the net: networking, adding your brainpower to a fruitful environment, therebybecoming a powerful channel, just by combining intelligence. This is just what streaming media program-makers should specialisein: Not so much making finished programs as making contexts of information and entertainment where others are inspired to addtheir expertise and creativity.This concept can only really become normal practice after a great psychological revolution in the minds of program-makers. Someof their basic principles will be overthrown. You will have to accept that the programs you make are not under your control totally: others will influence the product your aremaking. Your program might never be finished, it can grow by people adding information.

Team-up tactics
Some pessimists fear loss of freedom, by regulations and the closing of access to producers of tactical streaming mediaprograms.

Surely there are dangers if no effort on our part is taken. However, the dynamics of the net indicate there are changes for tacticalmedia-channels to keep visible in a world of big corporations.

First of all the software to stream is of great importance. Some people expect the freedom of today to perish when big companiesjoin their powers and form mega-channels, using the available bandwidth, and high quality standards, which will stay out of(financial) reach of smaller organisations. But until now the developments on software on the net has been an interestingcat-and-mouse game between the old model of having power through exclusive and expensive production tools, and the newermodel of power within a network, sharing software in an open source-type environment. Somehow the brainpower of the(alternative) open source movement seems to overpower time and again the old power model. Tools for all should be animportant theme the coming years, and it stands a change in an open source environment. Streaming video for lynux, MP3 andother encoding software will surely become more important.

Secondly; access to servers with good internetconnection and bandwidth and room on servers to save mediafiles is of crucialimportance. In order to keep a "public space" where multimedia programs can be stored, there must be a fight for diskspace and connectivity.

It is important that cultural backbones, freenets and digital public spaces maintain momentum, in order to keep room for publicstreaming media channels next to the few big strongholds on the net. Maybe the non-for-profit servers connected to the Internet,should team up to form a new PGO in order to secure public media channels on the Internet. These internet spaces will alsoencourage commercial servers to keep their webspace open for individual users to produce their own streaming media files atreasobable costs.

Last but not least: information exists if it is known and visible. There are worries that big media corporations might take over allthe attention of the audience once they team up and get rolling. Even in this regard I'm optimistic, if independent media-makersfind ways to team up on the web.

The mail to mail -hearing from others what are good website-, and hyperlinking are still strong ways to get your site known.

However the role of searchengines to find information is very important. With most of the successful searchengines sold to bigcorporations, biased searching will be a fact. It's of great importance to build a public search engine, owned by no one, givingpriority to unique and high quality websites, both for websites and for streaming engines.

It's no time to profess who will be streaming, nor yet clear what and how streaming media will change the media practice andproducts. The way we deal with the issues of importance to the future development will have an important impact on the futuremedia landscape.

Nina Meilof
The Digital City, Amsterdam