We noticed a disturbing trend at the JFL last week. There seems to be a tendency on the part of some television execs to view the online component of their studio or their network or cable outlet as a necessary evil, a holding bin (a garbage bin?) an afterthought.

We heard suits say that certain projects were “perfect for their online presence.” Of course, in every case, it was a comedy project that they were speaking so unenthusiastically about. We sense a trend. If an exec is faced with a comedy project (especially one that sounds like a sitcom), he immediately says that it’s probably suitable for online, for the internet, for our multi-platform initiative. They say it in such a way as to imply that: 1) It’s passe, it’s dated, it’s unwanted when compared to reality programming or whatever else it is they think will save television and 2) It’s something that they’ll be able to knock off for very little money.

This devalues two things– the internet and comedy. They seem at once to wish to appear knowledgeable about the potential of the internet as a platform for comedy content, but they seem to also hold it in some sort of contempt. They’re certainly aware that the internet is the next big thing, but one might get the impression that they’re hoping it doesn’t pan out that way. They seem to be only faintly aware that the load could shift and not only would the internet become the next big thing, but that it could do so in a couple of heartbeats and simultaneously make their own little sandbox yesterday’s technology.

The fact that they’re doing this while simultaneously badmouthing comedy (particularly the sitcom– “The genre is dead!”) is doubly dangerous. They shouldn’t turn their back on the internet (or even appear to do so). The internet might actually take their outcasts and discards (ie: sitcoms, standup, wacky films) and, in the short run, dwarf them and their reality crap and their game shows. This will be a deliciously ironic catastrophe to watch.

The very qualities that make television so un-good– giant bureaucracies, huge budgets, a consensus approach to the artistic process, a reliance on demographics and market segmentation– are the very things that are blessedly absent from the creative process on the internet. The means and the methods by which interesting stuff makes it to the consumer on the internet are the polar opposite of those which result in content on the telly.

Rather than play to their strengths, the TV people seem intent on bending the new technology to their will and on transposing the old ways onto the new media. You’ll have, for example, hybrid tv/web execs “creating” organic videos. We’ll pause to let the irony of that concept sink in.

They seem to be focused mainly on re-making the new medium to conform to the old model, with superficial, cynical attention paid to the new conventions. And they seem to think that there are terrible flaws in the new model that only they can remedy. Rather like a buggy whip manufacturer who suggests that the new automobiles are missing a golden opportunity because they have not made any provisions in their new designs for a place for the driver to store his buggy whip.

We don’t think that this will all take 40 years to shake out. We predict we’ll know the outcome in four years max.

Meanwhile, there was a press conference Thursday morning in one of the salons at the Hyatt at which was announced the upcoming World Comedy Conference, “a two-day event for broadcasters, TV and film producers, studio executives, agents, writers, digital content aggregators and creators, financiers and others,” to be held at next year’s JFL. We aren’t clear on the concept, but the Fest seems to think it will pump up the number of Industry attendees. Currently, they estimate 1,000 industry badges are issued each July.

We only mention it in this posting because, if it’s done right, it will shake things up a little bit and hasten the transformation of the industry from old media to new.