feature automation & asset management
Darwin and Darwinism have been everywhere
Feature sponsored by
in the news recently. The bicentenary of his
Harris.
birth has focused attention not only on the
man but on his theories and their continuing
influence on modern science and society. The
core proposition - that species develop and
evolve through response to pressures applied
by their environment - has become such a
fundamental part of the way we understand
our world that we now apply it to many fields
beyond the zoological. Ian Fletcher, CTO of
OmniBus Systems, considers the relevance of
the proposition to the broadcast industry.
Darwinism and the
broadcast industry
F
or broadcasters and media become clearer. is brought about by the impact of a
organisations, there’s some Let’s apply a few of these Darwinian comet or a bank lending crisis, the
irony in the coincidence of concepts to our industry and see same principles apply. The credit
Darwin’s bicentenary and the where the logic takes us. In the natural crunch is inevitably having a negative
current situation the industry world in times of plenty there are rich effect on our industry: we can’t ignore
finds itself in. It’s easy to look resources, and life diversifies into a that, and it’s a serious matter for those
Broadcasters
at the chaos in the global financial wide variety of forms, some of them affected. But there is also a positive
have to save
system and see this as one of those highly specialised. We have seen this way of looking at the process that
pressure points that, according to the
money, and
many times but, in the Jurassic period results from a crisis like this. Because,
theory of natural selection, cause an
do more with
especially, there was an explosion of while at an individual level it will be
evolutionary leap. At a time of less: and hugely specialised life forms - the painful, the severe evolutionary
unprecedented challenge, when massive dinosaurs, the huge-winged pressures being applied to the industry
that's
diversifying delivery platforms and insects - that are no longer with us as as a whole will bring about beneficial
exactly what
rapidly changing consumption habits a result of some major change in changes: what will emerge is not just
combine to present enormous new
the most
circumstances. suppliers who are stronger, more agile
threats and opportunities, the financial
adaptable
This level of specialisation is a and responsive, but customers who
crisis severely limits the ability to
manufact-
response to environmental conditions, can adapt and survive more effectively.
respond. ‘Adapt or face extinction’ and arises because conditions allow it. The result of this evolutionary
urers are
must be the mantra for many But it's not necessarily always a good bottleneck, through which only the
giving them
industries now, and while the thing, because when there's a huge most adaptable will be able to pass,
2
.
the tools to
implications of the current crisis will change in the environment these very will be an industry that is more able to
take a long time to ripple through our
do.
specialised forms of life are too cope with change, more profitable, and
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economic, social and governmental inflexible to adapt and survive, while in a better state than before.
institutions, decision-makers in the more agile forms are able to survive We are not simply talking about the
media have to act now, rather than sit through adaptation. ability to weather a financial storm. A
back and wait for the picture to Whether a change of circumstances manufacturer or broadcaster that relies
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20 l ibe l march/april 2009 l www.ibeweb.com
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