莱恩·希克莱斯特：媒体的未来

    做好准备，迎接批量生产的金•卡戴珊们吧！如果电视界红人瑞安•西克雷斯特代表了媒体未来的发展趋势（许多娱乐界大亨们认为他确实有这样的能力），那么观众将会看到更多电视真人秀节目，比如西克雷斯特公司出品的真人秀《与卡戴珊姐妹同行》（Keeping Up With the Kardashians），以及其他五部电视剧（其中有三部为卡戴珊系列的续集）。

    梦工厂动画公司（DreamWorks Animation）CEO杰弗瑞•卡森伯格认为，在这个行业，人人都是工作狂，但西克雷斯特却是“我见过的工作最努力的一位”。西克雷斯特不仅拥有一家制作公司，《美国偶像》（American Idol）主持人的工作也让他名利双收（每年1,400万美元），此外，他还主持着一档在美国全国同步播放的广播节目《与西克雷斯特空中相约》（On Air With Ryan Seacrest），外加每周一档《金曲榜top-40》节目。

    而对于37岁的西克雷斯特而言，这一切只是他事业的起点。外界盛传，他将接替马特•劳尔主持《今日秀》（Today）。新闻集团（News Corp.）前任董事长彼得•谢尔尼认为，西克雷斯特终将成为一位国际巨星。此外，他的商业帝国也来势汹汹，准备大量炮制高利润的电视真人秀节目。清晰频道公司（Clear Channel）CEO鲍勃•皮特曼表示：“他极具娱乐精神，而且魅力非凡；同时，对于如何围绕一个品牌制作节目或者如何取悦广告商，他绝对算得上是一位行家里手。”

    毫无疑问，在未来10年，科技将颠覆我们消费媒体的方式。音乐与视频内容将存储在云中，并通过互联网传输到我们的智能手机和平板电脑里。同时，同样通过这些设备，用户拍摄和上传自己创作的视频和歌曲也将变得更加容易。

    这个时代注定将成为西克雷斯特取得辉煌的大舞台：他的广泛知名度可以保证“西克雷斯特”这一个人品牌能被大量消费者所熟知；而与各类互联网接入设备的嫁接意味着他所制作的节目将会具有更广泛的传播渠道。

    对于未来几年娱乐行业的发展前景，西克雷斯特信奉一种“回到未来”的理念。在接受《财富》杂志（Fortune）采访时，他表示：“人们都在探讨未来，讨论大量新事物将出现融合，但其实简单才是最重要的。”媒体行业的未来纷繁复杂，或许正是《与卡戴珊姐妹同行》这类返璞归真的节目形式才是媒体行业真正的出路。

    Get ready to see more Kim Kardashian. If television executive and personality Ryan Seacrest represents the future of media -- and many entertainment moguls think he does -- then the world should gird itself for more reality TV and more shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which Seacrest's company produces, along with five other television series (three of which are Kardashian spinoffs).

    In an industry of workaholics, Seacrest is "the single hardest-working person I know," DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg says. In addition to Seacrest's production company and a high-profile, lucrative gig ($14 million a year) as American Idol's frontman, he also hosts the nationally syndicated radio show On Air With Ryan Seacrest, plus a weekly top-40 countdown.

    And the 37-year-old is just getting started. He's widely rumored to be Matt Lauer's eventual replacement on Today. Peter Chernin, the former president of News Corp. (NWSA), thinks Seacrest is positioned to become an international star. And then there's his burgeoning business empire, which is poised to keep churning out high-margin reality television shows. "He's entertaining and engaging, fine, but at the same time he understands how you can build a show around a brand or please an advertiser," says Bob Pittman, CEO of Clear Channel.

    There's no question technology will dramatically change the way we consume media in the next 10 years. Music and video content will live in the cloud and be delivered to our smartphones and tablets over Internet-based networks. And those same devices will make it even easier to shoot and upload amateur videos and songs.

    It is a world in which Seacrest is sure to thrive: His ubiquity ensures that the Seacrest personal brand will reach a big swath of consumers. And an influx of Internet-connected devices can only mean more outlets for the programming he churns out.

    When it comes to the next few years in the entertainment landscape, Seacrest espouses a sort of "back to the future" philosophy. He tells Fortune: "As much as we all talk about the future and how so many things are merging, there is a simplicity that is crucial." A simple spectacle like the Kardashians may be just the antidote to a complicated media future.