Coming This Fall To A Browser Near You: Shale.TV
Thu, 07/10/2008 - 2:20pm
Earlier today, Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy, one of the biggest players in the exploration and production of natural gas in the Barnett Shale here in North Texas, announced the launch of an online video channel, www.shale.tv. Shale.TV is scheduled to go live this Fall and Chesapeake also announced today that veteran Dallas/Fort Worth news anchor Tracy Rowlett has signed on to anchor the digital channel and serve as managing editor.
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What's on?
By Josh Berthume
Thu, 07/10/2008 - 2:22pm
I don't know what they will play on this? I mean, is it just like exploration footage? Or can you bet live on stuff, like whether or not a certain well will radioactively contaminate the surrounding area?
Flares, Competition and Circumvention
By Patrick M McLeod
Thu, 07/10/2008 - 2:41pm
"Next on Shale.TV: 2008's Greatest Flares! If you thought 2007 was wild, just wait until you see this!"
Joking aside, I think this is a fascinating...and frankly a bit disturbing...development. I can't imagine the situation where Chesapeake Energy is going to give a whole lot of coverage to criticism of exploration and production on Shale.TV since it is, you know, theirs!
At the same time, since this is essentially a web site (I know the UI/UX folks hate having digital channels boiled down to "it's a web site"), it poses an interesting opportunity for critics to organize a counter web site. While a counter site obviously wouldn't have the same kind of financial backing to develop content, it makes for quite the New Media Showdown that both boosters and critics can compete directly in the Internet.
I think it is fascinating, though, to see an energy company dedicate a digital channel strictly to one of their resources with what seems to be the specific goal of circumventing the local media. At least that's the way I read it.