Straits Times Report Amuses Me...

I nearly died laughing when I read the report below from Straits Times (here), not because it was anything funny, but because it reminded me of a clip from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart a while back (see video below). I think Jon Stewart made the best mockery (and criticism) of this idea in his show. Oh, and by the way, this is not original (see here).

Feb 22, 2008
SPH to launch novel interactive web TV
By Chua Hian Hou
MEDIA group Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) will launch a novel, free interactive web TV service later this year, offering net-savvy users 'hyperlocal' news about their country and neighbourhood.
The Straits Times Razor TV will deliver 'live' studio content and on-demand videos over a real-time interactive platform, as well as user-contributed videos.
SPH Chairman Dr Tony Tan announced the new digital initiative at the opening of the group's Multimedia Centre at its Toa Payoh North News Centre on Friday.
He said Razor TV will also allow third-party developers to create innovative applications to enhance the website for a more engaging Web 2.0 experience.
The channel will also offer unprecedented interactivity to users, for instance, allowing users to join in the show via webcams or video calls from their mobile phones.
SPH will also make public the software it uses to build the site.
This will allow other users to create their own add-ons, the same way third-party software makers are creating add-ons for popular social networking site Facebook.
The Straits Times Razor TV will operate from the SPH's new Multimedia Centre, which also houses AsiaOne and Stomp.
Dr Tan said the new initiatives underline the company's commitment to achieve its vision of becoming much more than just a successful print media company.
'We are keeping pace with the latest online developments and creating an exciting interactive environment across the print, mobile and Internet platforms,' he added.
'In the near future, an Innovation Laboratory will be added to the Multimedia Centre so that the latest, cutting-edge ideas can be nurtured and developed. The laboratory will become a showcase of how news will be delivered and consumed in the future.'
Dr Tan also disclosed that last month, Stomp, AsiaOne and straitstimes.com (the website of SPH's English flagship newspaper) attracted record pageviews. Total pageviews reached 10.5 million, 10.1 million and 8.8 million respectively for the three English websites - an increase of 30 per cent, 50 per cent and 35 per cent respectively, since the beginning of SPH's financial year in September.
Mr Felix Soh, Digital Media Editor for the English and Malay Newspaper Division, will spearhead the latest web TV venture.
Mr Soh said The Straits Times Razor TV will have sharp and edgy angles to its news and lifestyle features, to be delivered from a new web studio to be built in the Multimedia Centre.
'As Dr Tan noted in his speech this morning, our presentation style will be young and hip, in tune with the culture of the Internet,' said Mr Soh, who was also Stomp's chief architect.
In his speech, Dr Tan also noted that Stomp's innovations and achievements have gained recognition internationally. For instance, the International Newspaper Marketing Association's book 'Forging Deeper Audience Connections', to be released in May at its World Congress, will have a chapter on Stomp's success.