Predictions: 9 For '09 In Media

[Commentary] Media faces a perfect storm in 2009—transitioning to a challenging new digital world and a very weak economy. Media giants will continue to move from traditional content distribution models to anytime, anywhere, content-on demand. While building new digital revenue streams they face a dramatic pullback in consumer spending, which means advertising threatens to fall off a cliff. Can entertainment prove recession resistant? Here's 9 predictions:

1) Media ownership faces mega shifts with GE and News Corp seen as buyers, CBS and Viacom as sellers.

2) Movie studios will focus and streamline to ride out financial downturn.

3) Movie theaters will pull out the stops to keep you buying tickets.

4) TV networks will fight to maintain their dominance.

5) You will treat the Internet like another TV set.

6) The music industry will find a new model, with concert tours and megastars at its core.

7) The publishing industry will continue to suffer and will shift more online.

8) Social networks will start translating their members into advertising dollars.

9) Video games and Hollywood will become more intertwined.