4.
Why now? A veritable perfect storm of reasons could be, and probably are root causes for this. There's the impact of several targeted complaints to Ofcom that have built up and up for 66 over the last 6 months (some punters like to deny the extent of this issue but three complaints are a matter of published fact, more are rumoured); look back further and we can add the pressures of OF competition to the list - remember LAB, only the other week, announced that she would be taking calls via her OF pages - and the long muted arrival of AV gateways, courtesy of the government, threatening the casual passing footfall to the operator websites. The latter must have become to the channels what Brexit is to regular businesses - something needing nagging consideration in planning but never quite solidifying, always round the corner. Then too there's the simple mechanics of trying to compete with BS's naughty chat streams added to the rivals output many months back now. (And just the other day we see that BS have instigated something of a counter move to 66's fta web efforts: They are bringing back BSxtra as a web only.)
Whose idea? Who knows? There was comment on Eve's thread that the idea came from a suggestion made by her main caller. I would take that with a pinch of salt tbh. This could well be Eve stroking the guy's ego. Ask yourself, would 66 launch a multi-babe, fully promo-ed, all-out campaign off the back of a single babe obsessive fan? Plus, the web onlys arrival fits just too neatly into 66's focuses right now (as discussed above) to be something truly done at the instigation of a punter I feel.
After all, the idea is as old as the hills too. Complimentary and stand alone web shows have been tried for years. Discussion of just the sort of format we are talking of here has popped up now and again through that time - particularly since the success of perv in late 2015. 66 have even tried the occassional fta web show since then (a fondly remember night babe 2-4-1 for instance)... But no, IMO, this thing has simply found its time, its tech (despite some ongoing issues) and finally an audience - one with the awareness and facility to actually take it up in significant enough numbers by the looks. (Pervcam had a similar amount of progenitors before it finally made its indelible mark let us remember.)
Babe Pay? AFAIK, babes get an hourly rate for time spent onscreen (scaling up based on experience, name value and the revenue they bring in). In addition, they can get call/cam bonuses if they reach certain targets on a shift, and they get a percentage of all cam credits and tips spent on them (somewhere between 30 and 50% of both apparently - again depending on the business they pull in/duration worked). Whether any new/different rates have been agreed for these web only sessions I don't know.
66 relationship with Sky, etc. - Ryuken is correct here, the babeshow operators don't sell their programming or artists in the manner of some mainstream TV production companies. Sky and the other platforms couldn't give two hoots what any of the operators broadcast. The operators rent space to broadcast on the Astra satellite and to be part of Sky's epg (a lot of money). The operators pay a lot more to be on FV. That is the end of their relationship with these platform providers. To say there's much more to it than that is like implying Ed Sheeran will be personally collecting the rent from the owners of the multiple properties he has just bought and that he is interested in who an individual tenent will be having over to their party next Friday! He *might* show an interest if they absolutely trash the joint but beyond that... "Sky" are not even aware of who Fernanda is mate.
Putting Fern on the web is intended to be a net benefit to 66's revenue over her old position on TV. That is the driving force to everything the channels do. They want to make a net gain on what went before. This latest move is also intended to further 66's ambitions towards moving more of their services into their evidently increasingly opportune market that is the web; and to do it in an efficient manner that plays to 66 strengths (their day babes). Ryuken hits on one of the advantages of moving a babe to online only (and 66 having the 4 web streams in order to do so) - it frees up capacity to spare on TV (should 66 wish to use it). Then when they pay for an extra babe to be on that TV channel you can be damn sure they intend her to make more than their overheads are for putting her on there. (According to the 66 chatbox one of the reasons Fern was said to have been kept on TV for a large part of Saturday last was that they didn't have enough babes to cover her slot on TV.)
Engineering required? As I said before I think it's all legacy tech. A few clicks of buttons and sliders are presumably enough to direct the streams to where they have to go. (In the distant past mistakes have meant 'naughty' streams have ended up going out on TV! Have 66 invested in fail safes to the workflow to ensure that can't happen now..?!)
Jermaine is a one of a handful of producers at 66. Presumably he was the Studio Manager in charge when Fern was speaking. Ryuken is right, he would have to be there doing his stuff for the other babes anyway. Bts staffing, never prolific, is done on a shoestring these days.
How does Fern feel about these shows? Presumably the babes that are doing them are all glad to have another avenue to make their dosh on and do it freely away from the obstructive TV regs? It must be a pain in the ass to any babe to be pulled up for showing a sliver too much of it..! The presenters also like to enjoy themselves at work like we all do. For someone like Fern this would make that a lot easier.
Who'll be next? Fern and Eve are the 66 day babes most visibly consistent in remaining on the phone throughout their TV shifts. I would think some protection to call rates offered by having a large consistent caller base is seen as a big positive in moving a babe to web only. In other words, the bigger her crowd of callers the more she is likely to be able to get by on calls not being seen widely on TV. Then there would be the requirement to work well to higher visual content level than on TV. (As Ryuken says, not all babes will be entirely comfortable with this or the customer expectation it fosters.)
Similiar to Ryuken I suspect Mikki B, Sophia L, Rebecca K, Emma C and Heather maybe, are the prime candidates for upcoming web onlys. But from the way 66 has played this sort of thing in the past I'd think they are leaving it up to the babes to ask for such shifts. There's also the possibility they are awaiting a series of revenue results from these early 'guinea pig' sessions before putting the option out to the wider roster. (Note they are not yet doing these shows during the breakfast shifts as yet. Only after 11am.)
The Immediate Future - IMO, the move over to these kinds of web shows looks like it will be a typically slow one with the web onlys gradually increasing in number over the coming months. The channels are not known for implementing innovations rashly that's for sure. With less restrictions, the market will hopefully set itself to the content and a capacity nearer to what "we want". It's certainly a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned though and long overdue.
Is the content genie out? I'm not sure on that one myself. The idea, as I always understood it, was that, given an unrestricted platform, fta babes would eventually drive each other to ever higher content levels in their search to outdo each other for custom. Whether that happened on the shows in 2006 or 2010 is arguable to my mind (other factors were involved). But as I see it that is surely an outdated concept now. Even if originally true, I can't imagine how it applies in a post pervecam era. Once you have successful paywalled visual services, IMO, there will always be enough babes that see a reason to hold themselves back from speculating to the higher content levels. That will always hold things back from the critical mass concept I think. The future though is of course hard to mandate entirely. But I've a feeling while paid cams remain successful Will Smith will always find himself trapped by the stopper!
Nighttime web onlys? They may well try this at some point I feel
if the daytime versions prove viable across many babes. But as you say Chrisst, nights are always a distant second fiddle at 66 these days, so it may be a good while yet. Like perv there is also the question of whether the night shows are as suited to the idea as days. Once again I would suggest not. My reasoning for that ties in with your next question: Will they need to be stronger? Well if perv is anything to go by, making 'room' for harder cam visuals tends to occur via the process of making the TV content weaker if anything. (Some would no doubt say that the daytime TV shows are once again being given excuse for their current taming by the presence of these new fta web streams earlier in the day.) There seems precious little room for any taming given how weak the current nighttime visuals are and so no particular space in which to work a middle ground content fta show online without encroaching on content so far reserved for the paid shows. (The 2-4-1 fta web show idea I spoke of earlier was never repeated. That may be telling.) I just can't see camming content being forced higher, generally, to enable babes to do more fta content sorry.
More presenters "happy to get 'em out" needed? Fta web onlys are designed to feature middle ground visual content not top end. 66 are already recruiting quite specifically from the standalone internet cam sites as they want babes comfortable with working to high content levels for their paywalled camming. They are already after presenters who 'whip 'em out'! I don't see how this new format will make much difference in the area you describe.
BS's reaction? As always I presume... thinking up more gimmicks for abject shystery. (Or reviving more old ones?!! ; )
Ofcom's thinking? Not a lot presumably. Their employees are probably more concerned with being shafted with a shit tonne of extra work should the government decide they need to take on the responsibility for the internet too...
Well, phew! How many readers waded through all those parts?!
) I hope it was at least of some assistance to you, Chrisst
, as well as sparking some thought elsewhere.