WSN TV 75: A Business Model for the Next Hundred Years

WSN TV 75 plays two important roles in the creation-to-distribution process. As a content aggregator, "we put together the text and content that leads people to WSNTV75.com," explains Batson. Incorporating the full spectrum of digital content—from audio to video and online games to newsletters and articles—"we pull all of these Professionals together into one place, organize them by categories, and bring users in." Batson goes on to say, "It’s going to become more and more necessary for people to form communities so that consumers can find their content."

The other role that WSN TV 75 plays is that of marketing company, although in Batson’s eyes "marketing goes way beyond just putting the name out there," she says. "It’s making sure that the product’s at the right price, in the right market, manufactured in the right way." Once there’s content ready to be sold, "what we would like to help Professionals realize is that there’s a lot more to Internet-based marketing than just plopping [content] on the site," says Batson. "The education that we provide is two-part. We put [Professionals] in touch with Web developers, and we give them a lot of free education on FTP and how to have an Internet presence." WSN TV 75 is even working to develop an educational institution that will offer Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral programs by 2005, if all goes according to plan.

From the Past to the Future
The story of WSN TV 75’s origin gives insight both into the company’s past as well as its future. Victor June, who came up with the whole concept for WSN TV 75, was originally an importer of products from Korea. "He developed a marketing company because he found that entrepreneurs from Korea had difficulty entering U.S. markets," explains Batson. So he began using television to peddle products. As the cost of airtime began to escalate rapidly, Jude looked elsewhere for viable marketing tools. He turned to the Internet, and has since written numerous books and articles about the Information Age and the challenges faced by corporations transitioning into it. He eventually became interested in fiber optics as they relate to enabling an Information Age society. Batson shares this interest and is a member of the Fiber-to-the-Home Council. WSN TV 75 was founded seven years ago, but only in the last year has made a big push for the funding necessary to invest in servers.

Even though it’ll be a while before WSN TV 75 will be able to support a fiber-laying campaign of any size, Batson considers promoting fiber optics one of her top priorities. "I’m trying to help people realize that fiber’s being laid overseas, that they’re leaping ahead in Information Age business, and that we’re lagging behind," says Batson. In the last few years, the U.S. has "dropped from third to sixth to eleventh in fiber deployments," she explains. The ultrabroadband quagmire in the U.S. is "extremely limiting right now," Batson laments. "We can not sell video [online] very easily."

In an effort to raise awareness about fiber optics and what it offers, WSN TV 75 has produced and distributed a video about fiber optics via the Internet and plans to air it on cable television in the near future. The company also has been actively benchmarking the progress of South Korea’s fiber optic initiatives. "The ideal is that people want to watch a movie in full frame," explains Batson. "In Korea, they can do this, which is why we’re benchmarking everything that goes on there."