Original shows are debuting on the Web

The CS Moniter reports:

Mike Stickle has been in love with TV ever since Edith Bunker asked Archie to tell her she was "somethin'." These days, the former magazine executive is trying to break into the business, creating a show of his own, tentatively dubbed "Floaters," a comedy about three young women in New York. It launches in May.

But don't look for it on any network. Rather, it will appear on the website phoebeworks.com. And don't expect a "Friends"-style half hour. His will be broken up into eight-minute daily blocks for Internet streaming and smaller two- to three-minute chunks for cellphones or iPods, because, says the neophyte producer, the new generation wants "portable, quick entertainment."

Mr. Stickle is not some cockeyed optimist, hoping that viewers (and money) will simply materialize. He has funding and a business plan based on a documented burgeoning demand for mobile entertainment. More important, he has the cultural edge, making him part of the early stages of a major transition for the broadcasting industry, says Jack MacKenzie of the media research firm Frank Magid Associates. It's being driven by the 80 million-strong demographic currently between the ages of 10 and 28. "Multiple platform distribution will be required by this next generation," says Mr. MacKenzie.

Every website has the potential to be a television station.