Light Reading Podcasts New book chronicles the dawn of streaming and cable's dive into digital
Sep 24, 2025
Craig Leddy, a seasoned business journalist and the author of 'Fast Forward: The Birth of Video Streaming', explores the fascinating evolution of digital TV. He delves into the ambitious yet ultimately failed launch of Time Warner's Full Service Network and its surprising impacts on today's streaming landscape. Craig discusses innovations like VOD and the struggles of user interface design. He also highlights the importance of the industry's earlier experiments in shaping modern platforms, linking past insights to current challenges in the cable and streaming worlds.
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First Spark: Seeing FSN Live
- Jeff Baumgartner recounts seeing the FSN demo at a Cable Television Public Affairs event and being dazzled by its graphics and VOD features.
- He wrote to Tammy Lindsey seeking involvement but never got a reply, marking an early personal connection to the project.
FSN As An Ecosystem Proving Ground
- The FSN illustrated that building a complete interactive TV ecosystem required inventing hardware, software, content and operations from scratch.
- Craig Leddy argues the project's legacy is clearer after streaming's explosion during the pandemic.
The "Oh Jesus" Switch Moment
- Craig describes the launch event's near-disaster contingency: an "Oh Jesus" switch to cut to a backup during the demo.
- The network held, so the panic switch never had to be used on stage.
