ResponseTV

About the most vexing question faced today by network television and advertisers alike is: Where is the next Seinfeld? But this is trivial when measured against the ominous question of tomorrow: Where will viewers come from?

"The traditional copywriter is dead." The date of his passing: November 2, 1992: The issue date for Michael Schrage's " Adweek column wherein he pronounced this acclaimed professional's demise. Schrage predicts that the impending world of interactive television will require scripting for "dialogue," or response, not just "display."

Want to put an easy $250,000 in your pocket? Don't do that infomercial you've been dreaming about! When your chances for success are a slim one out of seven, why bother? Probably 75 infomercials will he produced this year at an average cost of $250,000 each, including media and staff expenses. By my calculations, $16,000,000 will go down the tubes.