When Worlds Collide: NATPE Goes to MacWorld

If there's anyone left doubting that big media and big technology are converging, here's more evidence that it's happening: NATPE, an organization whose annual conference centers around such pressing issues as how many TV stations have cleared "Dr. Phil", is presenting two panels this week at MacWorld.

NATPE, which stands for the National Association of Television Programming Executives, says it has come to MacWorld "to highlight how content and distribution can best work together to serve consumer needs." The first panel, "TV, Mobile TV and the iPhone," looks at how technology is creating new content distribution platforms. The second comes at convergence from the content side, asking (and one would hope answering) the question, "So You Want To Sell Your Idea to Television?" It promises "to discuss the best way to approach studios, networks, and syndicators."

It could be argued that the second panel is simply a way for an organization like NATPE to make the case that distribution from big media still matters. It does ... but much less than it used to. You'll never see NATPE producing a panel called "How to Click on the Upload Button on YouTube."