Over on her Blog, Mindy McAdams writes a scathing commentary about how those who should be leading the technology of online video content, the TV stations, are being left behind by the print media companies looking to expand their viewership.

Mindy quotes Steve Safran as he takes aim at his TV news peers:

“We’re accused here at Lost Remote of being Chicken Little and crying “The sky is falling.” No more. The sky fell. Local TV news ratings are crashing. People are spending their time doing other things with their eyeballs. The networks are going around the locals. Look — on the ground — it’s the sky.

There is one last opportunity: niche broadband video channels.

Broadband video is here. Joost has proven the model. Brightcove is signing partners every day. Video is ruling the pipes. And this is worth mentioning: the ad rates beat the holy hell out of buttons and banners”

In my local community, TV is a joke. There is nothing I feel compelled to watch coming for the three stations that feed the big three networks.

As an indie VJ, I see a two edged sword in this dilemma - on the one hand, TV stations are doing VJ’s like myself a favor - we can utilize our skills and our consumer cameras to produce content that would otherwise never see the light of transmission from their studios. On the other hand, if these sleeping giants do decide to wake up - it could bring hard times for us who have chosen to go down a different path.

Find your niche and exploit it to its fullest potential - time is of the essence for the new wave of Solo Videojournalist’s.