It hasn't—it's just getting underway.

There are several reasons why MSNBC seems flat and unsurprising, and the first can be chalked up to human nature: after the unsparing promotional build-up, we're bound to experience anything as being less than promised. The second reason is simply that MSNBC is flat and unsurprising—its execution has been flawed from the outset (though it continues to improve). Finally, MSNBC is a product aimed more at the future than the here and now, and it will require improved communications technologies to realize its full potential.

The power of the Microsoft-NBC alliance is precisely that: power. No other media combination announced to date is as well-positioned to capitalize on converging technologies. But while the sheer size of this venture and the considerable resources at its disposal will go a long way toward assuring its success, these alone are not enough.

If MSNBC is to transcend existing media in ways that truly empower its audience, it needs to exhibit a dedication to quality and innovation beyond anything in evidence so far. The new entity bills itself as "the only news organization to embrace three media technologies—broadcast, cable, and the Internet," but how does this actually benefit its users? Yes, the TV shows point viewers to the Web site for additional information—but so does CNN, which has a considerable head start.

Microsoft's proprietary, pro-Windows 95 agenda is a conspicuous handicap on the Internet. Why, for example, should the bulk of MSNBC's Internet audience (which does not use Windows 95) be expected to download and configure special software in order to view AVI (audio-video interleaved) video clips? Why not offer clips in the cross-platform QuickTime format instead, as CNN does? At least the company's proprietary attitude toward the Web has eased somewhat—MSNBC no longer imposes a screening page between its stories and relevant links, though a "not responsible for content" disclaimer continues to be used and links are still positioned off to the side.

Even if the promised "revolution" seems small (or nonexistent) at the moment, it would be a mistake to discount MSNBC. A transforming media revolution will occur; the seeds were sown before Microsoft and NBC joined forces. The question that remains is, who will lead it?

(Reviewed July 28, 1996)