What happened to Storytelling in Hilversum?

Hilversum Going Down The Tube?

Reviewed the reports from this year's Media Congress in Hilversum. It's all about distribution and structure. The commercial TV sector is well represented - they are delivering audiences to advertisers in new and interesting ways. Lots of talk about consumers. Very little talk about citizens and society. 


The public sector is almost completely absent. Perhaps because they have lost the art of powerful storytelling? There is talent around, but it is seriously underfunded. And top leadership in disarray at the moment - truly horrible atmosphere.  


I find that the real content buzz is happening at other conferences these days. Like the Frankfurt Buchmesse or Republika in Berlin. Most of them are a long way away from Hilversum. I see the Hilversum Media Festival  has been cancelled this year due to lack of cash. The town has become very small. Shrinking fast. Oh dear.... 



MPJC 2012: Videoquotes over Nederland internationaal from iMMovator on Vimeo.



I'm afraid the quotes are in Dutch. Things are happening, but The Netherlands has lost its role as a experimental playground for innovative ideas. The cable companies are doing deals with catalogue owners, who often have much better content (foreign series) than currently being churned out in Hilversum.