Thomas C. Rubin talks about the tremendous change in the media and entertainment industry at the 2008 Leadership in Media Forum.

The birth of the multimedia Internet, unlike previous technological changes, has been more like a giant comet strike upon the media ecosystem.

Are we creating a healthy and sustainable new media ecosystem for anyone, old or new?

“The facts suggest that the new ecosystem as presently configured is, in fact, not able to adequately sustain grassroots creators.

“Both the corporations and the kids, it seems, want the use of our music without having to pay for it. If musicians are to have a chance of enjoying a fruitful career, then we need to establish the principle of artists’ rights throughout the Internet – and we need to do it now.”

“The New York Times noted the decision had “incited talk of a revolution in the music industry.” Hardly. It’s not even the future of Radiohead. Just last week, without releasing sales figures, the band called the experiment “a one-off … moment in time” and announced they’d never do it again”.

“The problem is not confined to the music scene. Blogging site Valleywag recently cut the pay of bloggers by a third. And as for the creators of amateur video content, seemingly the web’s favorite medium, they are learning that while being an online video star is certainly fun, the reality is it just doesn’t pay”.

‘Can Anyone Survive In The New Media Environment‘ is a must read. We want to hear feedback and solutions…