Child Stars, Content Overload And More On CHOM 97.7 FM

Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 10 minutes every week – about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly on i Heart Radio, if you’re interested in hearing more of me blathering away about what’s going on in the digital world. I’m really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry DiMonte morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

• Young kids in film and TV are highly regulated, because they were taken advantage of in the past (and, a lot of the time, it was the parents that were the problem). One of the highest-paid child stars of 2018 didn’t get big  in films or on television, but instead on YouTube. In 2018, Ryan Kaji, the 7-year-old behind YouTube channel Ryan ToysReview, earned an estimated $22 million by unboxing toys on video. There are no laws to protect him from his parents (or others). Should there be? Read this article… very scary. 
• Content is going to get a whole lot crazier soon. Disney+ – their streaming video service – is coming soon (and it looks amazing). Apple says that it’s soon-to-launch Apple TV+ is going to shake things up as well. How much? Apple is spending over $6 billion on content. Can you believe that? Apple has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on “The Morning Show” featuring high priced stars Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell. Content overload… and, more importantly, how are the traditional networks and media companies going to keep up? Are consumers going to subscribe to all of these platforms and new networks?
• App of the Week: Seek.