ABSTRACT
This is the ultimate, impossible question but one worth asking in spite of it being unanswerable. The immediate issue, of course, is who is asking because the answer will differ with differing agendas. We will examine some answers for only two communities: the world of content owners and originators-those who will ultimately drive the future offerings of the media industry in the new age-and the world of ordinary users and experiencers of media content. Each sit at extreme ends of a complex value chain. For commercial players, a key question will be where they sit in that value chain and how they should move to wield influence over those sectors most crucial to their own competitive advantage in whatever markets they target. The recipients of the outpourings of the media industry-digital or otherwise-have an equally pressing issue to confront. Where and how should they spend their media dollar? What product or, increasingly, which experience will most satisfy their needs? Ultimately, their decisions determine the future of the entire media industry and, within it, who will flourish and prosper and who will go to the wall.
