While new media appears limitless, delegates attending the ICE 2007 conference were thinking small – and not just screen size. Smaller communities of consumers with similar interests are breaking out from the larger social settings such as YouTube and MySpace, and delegates were told the future of online programming is to target programming to these niche groups.

The event was presented March 21-22 in Toronto by Interactive Ontario (formerly the New Media Business Alliance) and attracted 400 delegates and 120 speakers.

The big idea at ICE was ‘the long tail,’ the by-now familiar reference to the book by Wired editor Chris Anderson, about how new media is spanning out to reach the masses.

Evan Jones, creative director and producer at Toronto’s Stitch Media, says the long tail of new media is naturally driving content producers to niche content and audiences. His big takeaway from the event was how branding links to the long tail. A consistent branding message should go through all media assets: be it television, the peer-to-peer TV community Joost, mobile phone or a new screen that has yet to be developed.

Richard Kanee, supervising producer of interactive, youth and music services at CHUM, says this concept is starting to resonate across the industry. He was encouraged by the lack of discussions on mobisodes or of other business models focused solely on one platform.

The industry has evolved to understand a project need not be defined by its distribution, he says. The shift is now about making content agnostic, clearing cross-platform and territory rights and building its identity on substance rather than its outlet.

‘It’s all about access, and we’ve learned that no one cares if it’s been shot for a two-inch screen versus a four-inch screen,’ he says.

Sebastien Chorney, an interactive media strategist and cofounder of Toronto-based consultancy firm Podzapper, says the summit’s mood this year was 50% more positive than last year’s event.

He says broadcasters are no longer fearful of the new platforms and they now believe developing content for screens such as mobile and Internet will not cannibalize their audiences. He adds that new media creators this year are increasingly savvy about how to monetize their efforts, and this new awareness is easing business discussions and development in the industry.

One indication of the TV industry’s increased enthusiasm in the new medium is the buzz around Joost, which dominated the opening panel. Developed by the creators of Skype, the platform promises to recapture the TV-watching experience online and it’s currently being tested out in a Beta form.

Mike Lee, chief strategy officer at Rogers, argued the Joost platform isn’t genius, adding that although it looks good in its current incarnation, its model is similar to that of traditional television, with a channel up-down structure.

It was agreed the hype that this new platform may replace traditional television might be slightly overrated.

‘Rock music did not replace opera, but it changed the world, and Joost will not replace television,’ said author Shel Israel.

Maria Hale, VP of content business management at CHUM, signed the MuchMusic brand up to Joost earlier this year, and says it will be mainly used as a marketing tool for brands that CHUM will look to globalize, such as MuchMusic, and to bring viewers back to the linear channels. She says it’s all about working with all of the screens, and linear is still a major influence and player in the new media environment.

www.ice07.com