This article from paidContent explores the question, “What if the ‘mass media’ era was just an accident of history?”  Matthew Ingram, the author, talks about how there is “pervasive nostalgia” within the media business for the good old days.  The article touches on many of the same comments made by Peter Chernin related to Peak DVD, and is the same trend I’d observed in regards to Peak Television.

‘X is a Historical Accident’ is a scenario where an X is in decline, it has past Peak X, and whatever will be replacing X is different and likely found to be surprising.  Ingram’s points on the decline of traditional media (the existence of Peak DVD and Peak Television) are in line with the Peak X conversation – what he adds is the observation that whatever is coming next may be very different.

Ingram outlines a Peak X, where Y is very different than X.  In this case, he argues that this age of traditional media, where advertising and content flow through centralized entities, is a historical accident, and that the growing move to individuals broadcasting their experiences is a reversion to the historical mean.