It’s happening more and more often. I’ll be reading about media, scanning a recent article and there it is, another anagram. Another letter combination that I don’t understand the meaning of.

New anagrams seem to appear every month, especially in the context of media. Is this due to a population that has become so used to typing out everything with two thumbs on a smart phone that character elimination has become the preferred method of avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome?

Sn u wl nd to b abl 2 rd evythng wth mst of th vwls mssng. Can’t wait for that.

I’m trying to keep up with all the technological changes that are happening in our industry but it’s tough because it’s not just happening with cameras and lenses and software but the whole distribution process itself. You need someone to explain it all to you the way you need a cousin who’s an attorney to explain that contract ‘legalese’.

For helping me to understanding ‘media-ese’ (Yes, I just made that word up. Sue me) I found a blog by Evan Shapiro who has a great page on Substack that explains all this mumbo jumbo without any promotional spin.

His latest post is about FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) and goes into great detail about what is going on in the world of non paid-for media and hints at why the studios and media channels seem so baffled about where their business is going, which is a clue to the reason most of us have been out of work for most of the year.

If you have any interest in understanding what is going on with the current media distribution models we have to live with, I’d suggest subscribing to his Substack site. It’s the only site I’ve found that leaves me less confused rather than more so after I read it.

Here’s a short list of media anagrams you may not already know. I’ve culled these from our glossary that I’ve promised since last Fall.

• AVOD – Ad-supported Video On Demand (Roku, YouTube)
• CTV – Connected TV – nonlinear video delivered onto a TV screen.
• FAST – Free ad-supported TV
• OTT – Over-The-Top – Streaming content to customers directly over the web.
• SVOD – Streaming Video On Demand – Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney +
• SVAD – Subscription Video Ad-supported – (Netflix, Hulu, etc.)
• TVOD – Transactional Video On Demand – iTunes, Skybox